I was very happy with this story but found it less gripping than part one. part one had many shocks and surprises, with part two you now know what is going on and it is a matter of seeing how it all plays out and how they manage to survive. one particular scene has stayed with me, the one where the astronauts think they're driving around with some female company on earth when they are suddenly attacked by a ninja or thug dressed all in black (actually commander koenig, trying desperately to stop them from triggering the atomic waste dumps). there were other aspects of the story which i liked, such as the way maya is converted and how she reacts to the alien presence, and how she uses her powers, and how koenig, helena and maya try to warn the other alphans. there is plenty of good action on the moons surface, which worked well. the aliens looked gruesome and menacing, as they did in part one. the atomic waste dump interior set looked pretty good, and spacious. the climax played out well, especially with the problems that koenig had subduing his crew. nice line at the end too. it all showed how easily humans can be fooled when they are offered something that they really want badly.
5 Reviews
Good story idea undone by lame-o special effects...
planktonrules10 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
If I were to give a score for the plot idea for this episode of "Space: 1999", I'd give it a 9--it was that creative and potentially interesting. Sadly, however, season two of the series really, really 'jumped the shark' and this really undid a lot of the good that could have resulted in "The Bringers of Wonder". That's because instead of the cerebral sort of show it was in the first season, season two really panicked and inserted tons and tons of stupid looking monsters into practically every episode--making the show look cheap and stupid. Think about it--when the show began, it proudly announced state of the art special effects and the highest budget on television. Now, in season two, most of the outer space effects were cheap and terrible AND the monsters looked like they came from 1950s-60s cheap sci-fi films--like "The Terror of Party Beach"!
Part one had to do with a rescue party miraculously making it to Alpha from Earth. However, it's pretty obvious to everyone EXCEPT the crew of Alpha that these folks are evil piggies bent on destroying them--or at least poor Commander Koenig! When this episode opens, Koenig awakens from his neural sleep and immediately freaks out when he sees these 'friends' from Earth. The audience does, too, but for different reasons! He sees giant slimy monsters--the audience sees monsters that even Ed Wood would have been embarrassed to use! The problem, however, is that everyone thinks Koenig is crazy and refuse to listen to him. Part of this IS because Koenig DOES behave a bit goofy, but they also have their minds clouded by the creatures that are VERY reminiscent of the creatures from "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters"--from Sid and Marty Kroft!
Eventually, Koenig IS able to convince Maya and Dr. Russell that the rescue party actually consists of aliens who mean them harm. And, when Maya disguises herself as a Marty Kroft-style alien, she learns that these things mean to explode the Moon's nuclear fuel dump! But, how can they convince everyone else that these people aren't who they claim to be--as they DO look and act exactly like folks from Earth.
As I said in my review of part one, the show had a decent and original story idea. The problem is that the effects were terrible. Plus, episode two was too long and drawn out--which is often a problem with a two-part show--the pacing can lag or seem padded. Still, if you MUST watch any episodes from season two, these are among the best...really!
Part one had to do with a rescue party miraculously making it to Alpha from Earth. However, it's pretty obvious to everyone EXCEPT the crew of Alpha that these folks are evil piggies bent on destroying them--or at least poor Commander Koenig! When this episode opens, Koenig awakens from his neural sleep and immediately freaks out when he sees these 'friends' from Earth. The audience does, too, but for different reasons! He sees giant slimy monsters--the audience sees monsters that even Ed Wood would have been embarrassed to use! The problem, however, is that everyone thinks Koenig is crazy and refuse to listen to him. Part of this IS because Koenig DOES behave a bit goofy, but they also have their minds clouded by the creatures that are VERY reminiscent of the creatures from "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters"--from Sid and Marty Kroft!
Eventually, Koenig IS able to convince Maya and Dr. Russell that the rescue party actually consists of aliens who mean them harm. And, when Maya disguises herself as a Marty Kroft-style alien, she learns that these things mean to explode the Moon's nuclear fuel dump! But, how can they convince everyone else that these people aren't who they claim to be--as they DO look and act exactly like folks from Earth.
As I said in my review of part one, the show had a decent and original story idea. The problem is that the effects were terrible. Plus, episode two was too long and drawn out--which is often a problem with a two-part show--the pacing can lag or seem padded. Still, if you MUST watch any episodes from season two, these are among the best...really!
Terrific episode
leakhead15 September 2019
One of the best episode of this series. Some effects were gruesome especially the squeaking sound made by the monster that tried to kill Koening. Acting was good. Story was well written. When I watched it for the first time I really thought that Koening was going to die. I was 18 at the time and I think that for most of us at the end of teenage we were probably impressionable.
Poor second half
mhorg201821 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The dumpster looking aliens are using Carter and two others to explode the nuclear waste dumps on the moon, by convincing them they are back on earth having a good time. This entire episode is so full of plot holes as to make it ridiculous - even for this show. According to Koenig, the Moon has been away from earth for generations, which would mean they are traveling at light speeds. Unlikely since that would tear the already weakened moon apart due to the previous nuclear explosion OF THE DUMPS the aliens want to explode. So either not all the dumps have exploded, or Alpha is creating a lot of nuclear waste. As Carter and his people approach the earth, it looks entirely normal when, in an earlier episode when Earth contacted them, they were told earth took a beating. Yet the NY where Carter and such are landing looks like 1974 New York! Likely all coastal cities would have been wiped from existence. So where part one is creepy and tense, part two is really quite silly, other than when Helena uses white noise to reveal the dumpster aliens true form.
Do they want ketchup on that nuclear explosion? Find out on today's episode of "Space: 1999"!
J. Spurlin23 December 2006
In part one of "Bringers of Wonder," Commander John Koenig (Martin Landau) lost his mind and crashed the ship he was piloting. After his crew saved him, Dr. Helena Russell (Barbara Bain) hooked him up to an experimental machine meant to soothe his fevered brain. Meanwhile, it seemed that Moonbase Alpha had finally been found by a rescue team made up of volunteers from earth. But the rescuers that looked like long-lost friends, family and lovers to everyone else, looked to Koenig like mountainous glowing heaps of gore.
In part two, Koenig finally convinces Dr. Russell and the shape-shifting science officer Maya (Catherine Schell) that these supposed earth people are really hostile aliens. The trio discovers that the creatures live on energy and need a nuclear explosion on Moonbase Alpha to feed their starving bodies. The aliens hypnotize three crew members into thinking they are back on earth performing seemingly benign activities when what they're really doing is setting up the means for that nuclear explosion.
Part two features: Maya transforming into a one-eyed, two-horned, walking purple people tosser; the gore-creatures lugubriously chasing an impostor through the corridors; and a conclusion full of metaphysical posturing, including Koenig's line, "It's better to live as your own man than as a fool in someone else's dream." You tell 'em, Koenig.
In part two, Koenig finally convinces Dr. Russell and the shape-shifting science officer Maya (Catherine Schell) that these supposed earth people are really hostile aliens. The trio discovers that the creatures live on energy and need a nuclear explosion on Moonbase Alpha to feed their starving bodies. The aliens hypnotize three crew members into thinking they are back on earth performing seemingly benign activities when what they're really doing is setting up the means for that nuclear explosion.
Part two features: Maya transforming into a one-eyed, two-horned, walking purple people tosser; the gore-creatures lugubriously chasing an impostor through the corridors; and a conclusion full of metaphysical posturing, including Koenig's line, "It's better to live as your own man than as a fool in someone else's dream." You tell 'em, Koenig.
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