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The Conversion

Original Air Date: January 4, 1985
Written By: Brian Taggert
Directed By: Gilbert Shilton
Produced By: David Latt

Guest Appearances: Mickey Jones as Chris; Duncan Regehr as Charles.

Freedom Network Update: A major battle is underway near Rome, Italy; Resistance fighters destroy a supply depot of the Alien Central States Army near Tulsa, Oklahoma; a stand-off continues on the Mongolian Rim in Arizona; the Medal of Valor is awarded to Dixie Reilly, a high school science teacher who used his home computer to hack the Visitor security system and provide the local Resistance with information preventing a surprise attack on Memphis.

During a raid on a munitions convoy, Ham Tyler and Kyle Bates are ambushed by Visitor troops and captured. On the Mother Ship, Diana gloats over her new prisoners, and orders Ham ("the tough one") to be incinerated while Kyle ("the tender one") is to be prepared for dinner. As the prisoners are escorted away, a shuttle craft approaches the Mother Ship. It is the Prospero — the personal shuttle of the Leader's special envoy, Charles. At the mention of his name, the other female Visitors on the bridge smile with glee. Diana is immediately suspicious of Charles's sudden appearance.

In the landing bay, Charles arrives with his white-uniformed honor guard. The Leader has grown impatient with the lack of progress, so Charles has come to win the war — however long it takes. Lydia has travelled with Charles and she is alive and well, having sent a drone in the shuttle that was shot down (in "Dissident"). Diana blames the incident on the Fifth Column and feigns relief in seeing her old nemesis. Charles assumes Diana's command and makes Lydia his adjutant. Diana is demoted back to Chief Science Officer.

Charles has developed an improved method of conversion which he plans to use on Ham. He orders Lydia to take the new program to the Legation (where the conversion chamber is now located) and install it herself. Diana prepares a shuttle for Lydia, but knowing that communications are being monitored by the Resistance, she sends an open transmission detailing Lydia's travel plans. As expected, the information is intercepted by the Resistance and they kidnap Lydia. At Resistance Headquarters, Lydia is interrogated and eventually reveals Ham's location.

At the Visitor Embassy, Charles begins the conversion of Ham. Knowing that Ham had a wife and child in Southeast Asia, Ham is subjected to a dream sequence in which his wife and child are stolen by Donovan. The process appears to be successful as Ham exhibits extreme anger toward Donovan. Charles plans to place Ham back into the Resistance and, using a special sound and the code phrase "there's my son now," trigger Ham to kill Donovan. The setting will be a staged prisoner exchange — Kyle for Lydia — brokered by Nathan Bates for a live television audience. In the end, the Resistance will be discredited and the Visitors and Bates will be rid of Donovan and Tyler.

The Resistance rescues Ham as expected. Elizabeth notices something strange about him but can't figure it out. Julie Parrish, having been through a similar ordeal herself, suggests that Ham is simply suffering some lingering effects of the conversion process and will be fine.

The Resistance learns of Bates's proposal for a temporary truce and televised prisoner exchange. They suspect a trap but think they can work it to their advantage. They'll name the place at the last minute (an abandoned sports arena), and because the event will be televised they are confident Bates won't betray them in front of an audience. Just in case, they rig the place with explosives.

Everyone arrives and the exchange begins. Just as Nathan says Ham's trigger phrase, Elizabeth uses telekinetic powers to knock over a flood light which causes Ham to miss Donovan. Instead, he shoots Bates and a fire fight ensues. Kyle rushes to his father's side, but it seems there's nothing that can be done. The Visitor VIPs escape before the Resistance fighters trigger the explosives and escape themselves.

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