After the spaced-out opener and the crew's encounter with the Seeker, the subsequent adventure (in the pilot episode, at any rate) is creepy, earthbound detective work, complete with government conspiracies, mind-controlled zombies, hidden alien invaders and nasty computer viruses. Not to over-emphasize a particular comparison, but think The X-Files with an ensemble cast. Let's hope we'll see some more orbital action - these guys are astronauts, after all!Not only are the Five handed the Herculean task of saving the world, they are bedeviled by personal difficulties they are either forced to relive, or that are created by their sudden return to the past. Taggart's wife is mystified when he suddenly starts running midnight errands with their misfit son (Neil, before he got his act together), and calling a famous reporter he technically doesn't know yet. Taggart might save the world, but his marriage could end up in its own debris field!
Neil must endure posing as the errant teenager, being wary not to act too responsibly, or accidentally reveal the training he possesses as a college-educated astronaut.
Playboy Kurt Mendel, overwhelmed at the prospect of their near-impossible mission, initially decides to live it up and take advantage of the knowledge of the last five years to make himself fabulously wealthy. When he discovers how easy it is to affect the future - even unintentionally - he eventually gains some confidence that his contribution might tip the balance in favor of ferreting out the Destroyers.
Shuttle pilot Angela Perry, who remembers only seeing the Earth explode and was unconscious during the encounter with the Seeker, is understandably dazed. She can do little but take the others at their word.
Particularly moving is the tribulation of Sarah Forbes, who finds herself back in the arms of her ex-husband, with her little boy safe and sound in his bed (for now). Knowing the horrible ordeal he will soon go through, she tries to obtain an early diagnosis from the family doctor, causing her husband to question her sanity.
Time travel and the end of the world are common enough themes in TV sci-fi, and it would be easy for the creators of Odyssey 5 simply to retread the old clichés and dish out merely serviceable entertainment. But Odyssey 5 is surprisingly fresh and exciting. While the special effects are extremely well-done (indeed, this is the first cable show created from the ground-up in HDTV), Odyssey 5's particular strength is in its character depth; smart, powerful writing; and excellent performances by the cast.
Odyssey 5 is intelligent and suspenseful, populated by characters that act like real people, not cardboard cutouts. It's been a long time since such a promising series pilot has come along. I recommend it highly.
