The Wildcats
Original Air Date: February 15, 1985
Written By: David Braff
Directed By: John Florea
Produced By: Skip Ward
Guest Appearances: Jeffrey Jay Cohen as Tony; Rhonda Aldrich as Ellen; Adam Silbar as Andy. Also starring Judson Scott as Lt. James; Frank Ashmore as Philip.
Away from Los Angeles in rural Lassen Valley, Julie Parish, Elizabeth Maxwell, Kyle Bates, and Willie have come to help the local people deal with an epidemic of diphtheria. Julie needs more ampicillin to treat the infected patients, but they've just run out of the drug. However, there is plenty of ampicillin at a medical storehouse in town — but it's heavily guarded by the Visitors, so they'll need help. There's no local Resistance to speak of, but a teen gang known as the Wildcats might be of some help, so Kyle and Willie set out to find them.
The Wildcats are a brash and ragtag group led by a teenager named Tony. Although they are initially hostile and distrusting of the newcomers, they eventually agree to help to save people from the epidemic. The makeshift team assembles at the medical storehouse, and Willie pretends he is a Visitor driver with orders to transport a supply of the ampicillin to Visitor collaborators. Just as the drug is loaded into the van, rows of Visitor soldiers prepare to strike at the Resistance group — but Kyle notices the ambush just in time and the team escapes unharmed.
On the Los Angeles Mother Ship, Philip is ready to wrap up his investigation of the murder of Charles. After further analysis of the finger prints on the poison bottle used to kill the Supreme Commander, it is revealed they belong to Marta, the ship's pharmacist. When Philip questions her, she admits that she sold the cat poison to Lydia, so of course her prints would be on the vial. Until the matter can be finally resolved, Philip places Diana and Lydia under house arrest on the eve of Charles's burial. If the true assassin cannot be determined before the ceremony, Visitor law dictates that all suspects are to be presumed guilty. Diana and Lydia are expectedly nervous about that prospect.
Meanwhile, Julie discovers that the supply of ampicillin procured by Kyle and Willie is actually just baking powder! Apparently the Visitors were tipped off about the raid, and that means there is a spy among the rebels. But they don't have time to figure out who it might be — getting ampicillin to the local people is more important. They radio Mike Donovan in L.A. about their situation, and Mike agrees to find a local supply of the drug and fly it to Lassen Valley himself.
The Resistance members and Wildcats locate an airstrip for Mike's delivery. As long as the Visitors don't find out about it, everything should go well. After they clear the area and head back to base, the group is cut off by Lt. James and a Visitor patrol. James has arrived after receiving word from his spy, and he plans to capture and "finish off" Julie. There's too many Visitors for the Resistance to fight, so the group splits up and plans to rendezvous at the Wildcats camp. Willie spots Tony's sister, Ellen, being dragged away by a Visitor soldier so he distracts the soldier by speaking a Visitor phrase and saves the young woman. Ellen is thankful to be rescued and wonders how Willie is able to speak Visitor, but more importantly she expresses how much she likes him — a lot.
James isn't worried that the rebels got away, because he knows they'll have to return to the airstrip and meet Mike's plane. He doesn't know when Mike will arrive, but he's confident the spy will provide that bit of information in due time . . .
Meanwhile on the Mother Ship, Diana and Lydia argue over who is to blame. The two rivals eventually concede that they must cooperate to save themselves. Otherwise, Marta's admission about selling the poison will damn both Lydia (for buying it) and Diana (for using it). Diana suggests they need a sacrificial lamb, and Marta is the perfect candidate.
When Marta is brought before Philip to confront her accusers, Diana and Lydia, she insists on her innocent. But Philip plays a holovideo found in Marta's quarters (planted there by Diana) that makes it quite obvious the woman had a deadly obsession with Charles. Marta insists she is being framed, but the evidence seems concrete. Philip pronounces her guilty and sentences her to spend eternity in Charles's sarcophagus.
Back at the Wildcat camp, Ellen tries to get close to Willie. Willie tries to explain that he's not like other men, but Ellen doesn't get the hint. So Willie reveals that he is indeed a Visitor, and even tears part of his skin to prove it. Confused and afraid, Ellen runs away. Willie tells Tony and the other Wildcats that Ellen has disappeared, but they see that Willie is a Visitor and prepare to shoot him. Julie, Kyle, and Elizabeth show up just in time to calm the situation. Elizabeth uses her psychic powers to locate Ellen, and the the group takes off to rescue her. One Wildcat, Andy, stays behind in case Ellen returns on her own.
Julie realizes she's forgotten her medical bag, so she returns to the Wildcat camp and discovers Andy is communicating with James and reporting Mike's arrival time at the landing strip. Caught red-handed, Andy confesses that his brother is under arrest and has the plague; the Visitors promised treatment and safe release if Andy provided them with information. Julie admonishes him for selling out his friends, then ties him up.
Elizabeth leads the group to where Ellen is trapped in a ravine. She tells Ellen to concentrate and think about being free, and the group watches in amazement as Ellen is levitated up and out of the ravine.
Back at the camp, Julie reveals Andy as the traitor. The Wildcats don't want to believe it, but Andy doesn't deny the allegation. They don't have long until Mike's arrival, so they need to figure out some way to outsmart the ambush awaiting them . . .
At the airstrip, the Resistance fighters and Wildcats have the element of surprise and win the first round, but Visitor reinforcements show up just as Donovan's plane is sighted. At the last minute, Andy shows up — having freed himself from his bonds — and plows his car into the oncoming Visitor convoy with destructive results. Mike also had his own decoy in mind — he parachutes down with the medicine while the plane veers off and away. Ellen apologizes to Willie and proclaims him "family."
In an elaborate ceremony, Charles is given a funeral. In a transparent coffin, the body of Charles lies with a seemingly-lifeless Marta. But Marta is actually alive — she's only been drugged thanks to special instructions from Diana. Marta wakes up from her sedation and screams inside the soundproof coffin, but it is too late and she and Charles's corpse are sent on their way.
Notes
- Visitor Galactic Law dictates that in the event a Supreme Commander is killed by an assassin, the murderer is to be buried with him. And if the murderer cannot be found, then all suspects shall be judged guilty and accompany the deceased on his eternal voyage.
- Mike was scheduled to land at the airstrip at 6 a.m.
- Julie said to Andy, "Bad times don't make bad people; they make tough people. And they make cowards."
- Diana instructs Oswald to make sure Marta is alive and conscious when she is placed in Charles's coffin. Although Oswald has never prepared a funeral for somebody already living, he can hardly argue with Diana.