s Xena faded into the sunset, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda scored sensational ratings, making it the No. 1 weekly syndicated first-run series. The first-season cliffhanger ended on an impossible note, as every character was left in jeopardy, and it looked pretty bleak for our heroes.
Last season, the Andromeda Ascendant (Lexa Doig) suffered from a split personality, as a mysterious backup file took over the ship. As the ship attempted to complete a 300-year-old secret mission, Captain Dylan Hunt (Sorbo) and his ragtag crew were powerless to stop her as she took them deep into Magog territory. The animalistic Magog attacked, crippling the ship and capturing Harper (Gordon Michael Woolvett) and Tyr (Cobb), driving a shaft through Rommie (Doig), nearly taking Rev (Brent Stait) over the edge, and leaving Dylan, Beka (Ryder) and Trance (Laura Bertram) to die on the
wrecked ship's bridge.
In "The Widening Gyre," the series begins its second-season trek through the stars with Andromeda back to her old self again, as she estimates the damage and Beka works to revive both Trance and Dylan. Beka manages to save both of them, but then collapses, leaving Trance to get them to sickbay. Most of the Magog have left the ship, and Rommie discovers she can still function.
Less fortunate are Harper and Tyr, who have been infected with Magog eggs and are looking a whole lot like lunch for the little kiddies. Rev, on the other hand, is going through a different kind of battle, one with himself. As he explores the cavernous artificial world of his people, he feels himself being consumed by his own nature, and The Way has never looked murkier.
With little time to save themselves or their crewmates, Dylan and Rommie launch a desperate plan and travel to the Magog array to find Harper, Tyr and Rev. However, Dylan knows the risks and has instructed acting Captain Beka to launch a secret nova bomb he had been saving for a rainy day. Well, now it's a downpour, and Dylan and Rommie have only three hours to save the others before Beka is forced to take action that may well stop the Magog, but at an impossible cost.
Explosive action and so much more
Andromeda got off to a good, if inconsistent, start last year. With breathtaking action sequences, an intriguing premise and an appealing cast, the series grabbed the No. 1 new syndicated-series title and didn't look back. However, it seemed as if for every compelling idea there was a plot hole or murky development that kept this series from being taken too seriously.
"The Widening Gyre" is a prime example. The cliffhanger set up a desperate situation that is simply solved too easily in the initial moments. Why did the Magog leave the ship? There may be an answer somewhere in the dialogue, but if it's there, it's hiding. Why not chow down on the unconscious Dylan, Beka and Trance? In fact, why leave the ship at all? It seemed hundreds of Magog were inside the Andromeda with the crew incapacitated, the internal defenses down and nothing to stop them. Why not destroy the ship or take the technology? There's some mention of "planetary warfare bots" driving off the first wave of Magog, but the bots seem to be used only after the attack when the Magog were aboard.
Despite that confusing opening, the episode is undeniably exciting to watch. Once the action takes off, the story never bothers to worry about the silly details. Details like why do the Magog use laser guns at home, but not on the Andromeda when they attacked in the cliffhanger? But hey, why worry about the small stuff? The story is well paced, and it doesn't have a clear-cut ending as to how the plot will be resolved.
Sorbo, Ryder and Cobb all are impressive in their the physical action. Sorbo is still working on looking comfortable in his role, and it's one that obviously isn't as natural a fit as was Hercules. Starship captains in Gene Roddenberry's universes tend to make lots of serious speeches, and this particular captain would benefit from a bit more humor, as that plays to his natural talents. However, given the success of the series, it looks like Sorbo will have all the time he wants to become one with Dylan.
As for the rest of the cast, Ryder, Cobb and Doig have done an excellent job in creating unique and powerful characters. Rev, Harper and Trance have been less effective, but that appears to be more because the writers have boxed the characters up with personalities (and, in Rev's case, makeup) that are hard to get past.
