Long Distance Calls

Episode Details

Plot Summary | Ongoing Story and Character Developments
Unanswered Questions | Memorable Lines | Glitches
Trivia, Inside Jokes and References | NotePAD

Plot Summary

The kids are playing with a piece of equipment they found on the planet, a powerful communication device that will allow them to call home for the first time since they were stranded on the Christa. Once they get it to work, Rosie makes the first call, to her parents. Her call is intercepted by Reaver, the Space Pirate, and his cat-like henchman, Ubi, who want to take the communication device.

Rosie has a lovely chat with her parents. Bova also tries to contact his parents, but gets only the answering machine.

Ultimately, the crew gets in contact with Admiral Cody, a very by-the-book Stardog officer who objects to Goddard's more lenient approach to the rules. Cody is also Harlan's step father. We find out that Goddard is subject to court martial for his actions, and Davenport has also been fired.

Davenport contacts the Starcademy principal, who tells her she is fired. Suzee also manages to contact Catalina across the dimensions.

Meanwhile, Reaver and Ubi have arrived on the planet, and have captured the crew. He is using various devices to control the crew and their powers.

We learn that Reaver and Goddard have a history: Reaver is a Starcademy drop-out who turned to piracy. Goddard almost started a war because of something that happened between him and Reaver. Reaver plans to sell the communication device, the Christa and the crew to the Spung.

Harlan is still free. He talks to Bova's father briefly. Ubi is chasing him around the jungle, but Harlan tricks Ubi into getting caught by some of the more active flora of the planet. Harlan then goes back to the ship to help the crew.

Suzee tries to free them by taking over Reaver's mind, but can't quite seem to do it. Finally, Harlan comes along and manages to break the device that allows Reaver to control them. Goddard, now free, knocks out Reaver. Our crew is safe, but Ubi manages to help Reaver to escape.

At the last possible minute, Bova's father gets through and Bova has a chance to talk to him.

Ongoing Story and Character Developments

• We learn a bit about the circumstances that caused Goddard to become a teacher. He was involved in an incident with Reaver, and nearly caused a war.
• After Harlan's father died, Harlan's mother remarried, to a Stardog who didn't think Harlan had the right stuff.
• Bova has a father named Benn, who is every bit as depressed and pessimistic as Bova is.
• Harlan is learning to care about, trust and depend on others. When he is attacked by Ubi, his first reaction is to call for Goddard and Radu's help, the first time he has ever asked anybody for help with anything, and certainly the first time he has ever demonstrated any trust in Radu.

Memorable Lines

Bova: Rosie gets a heart-warming chat with her parents, and what do I get? A holo-recording of my dad saying, Hi, we're off-world right now, we'll be back... whenever.

Bova: I won't talk about my parents anymore.
Radu: No, no. It's OK. Don't worry about it.
Bova: No, not a word. … I can't believe they're not home!

Davenport: (after being fired): But madam, it's not my fault! We're out here, lost in the stars!
Principal: Ah, "the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." You recognize the quote, I assume.
Davenport: Oh, yes I do, madam. Julius Caesar. It's a play about being stabbed in the back.

Suzee: Hey, wait a minute! Isn't that my shirt you're wearing?
Cat: Oh, yeah. Your parents said I could have it… wear it.

Benn: He's got a... friend?
Harlan: Yeah! Yeah, lots of 'em.
Benn: I'm sorry, I must have the wrong Bova.

Goddard: Reaver. Starcademy dropout. Decided piracy was a more worthwhile use of his talents. He's a world-class thief and cheat.
Davenport: You see what happens when you neglect your studies?

Benn: Oh, great, call waiting. Someone important, probably...

Goddard: Hey, Space Pirate! Yo ho ho.

Glitches

• Admiral Cody's gray hair looks almost as fake as Goddard's. Perhaps fake looking gray hair is a Stardog fashion statement? The admiral does have a larger stripe of fake looking gray than Goddard does!
• What happened to the communications device? They still had it at the end. They couldn't use it on the planet anymore, because of some issue with the planet's rotation, but once they were back out in space, it should have been fine. Yet we never see it again.

Trivia, Inside Jokes and References

• Bova's father, Benn, is named for science fiction writer Ben Bova. He is played by series co-creator and writer, Peter David.
• Rosie's parents, Gunter and Dalia Ianni, are named for Peter David's parents, Gunter and Dalia David. Gunter is played by Ted Jessup, who used to be the Executive in Charge of Production for the series. Dalia is played by Monica Heuser, Paige Christina's real-life mother. (Information provided by Peter David and Kristian Ayre).
• The principal's quote is from Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. [It is interesting to note that the decision to not continue production of Space Cases was made on the Ides of March, the same day that Julius Caesar was stabbed in the back.]
• Jewel Staite made a brief cameo appearance as Catalina.
• This episode was named after a Twilight Zone episode that Bill Mumy starred in as a child. (Submitted by Lynn, 8-2-1998
)
• The telemorph's name, Ubi, means "Where?" in Latin. The name of the space pirate, "Reaver", is from the Middle English word meaning "to plunder or rob." (Submitted by Liz Baker, 2-1-1998)