s the third season of Andromeda comes to a close, the crew is relaxed, with little more than a cargo run to keep them occupied. A call from the Commonwealth casually informs them that the Nietzchean prides that had joined the Commonwealth are considering leaving.
Unfortunately, there's nothing casual about a sudden attack by a group of Nietzcheans who manage to sneak aboard and take control of part of the ship. With several members of the crew held hostage, the intruders demand Beka's ship, the Eureka Maru, and the sacred bones of Drago Museveni, which Tyr (Cobb) has possession of. Neither Tyr, Beka (Ryder) nor the rest of the crew wants to give in to the Nietzcheans' demands. However, Dylan (Sorbo) realizes he has little choice but to play along if the captives are to remain safe. He agrees to the Nietzcheans' terms—if he can take the place of the hostages.
With a plan for Tyr to shadow Dylan to help with a surprise attack, Harper (Gordon Michael Woolvett) checks to see what damage the intruders have done to the slip core, while Trance (Laura Bertram) checks out the Maru. But something goes terribly wrong when Dylan's surprise attack never happens, Trance discovers the Nietzcheans have locked her out of the ship, and Harper has a shocking experience.
When the Nietzcheans escape in the Maru with Drago's bones, Dylan and the crew realize they may just be able to retrieve what the intruders have taken. They go after the Maru, but they soon discover that their path will take them on a course that will change everything for the Nietzcheans, the Commonwealth and the crew of the Andromeda.
Big events change everything forever
Andromeda fans won't want to miss this very crucial episode. Big events shake up the universe in fundamental ways. Unfortunately, "Shadows Cast by a Final Salute" isn't the episode it could have been, because there is too much story to fit in one hour. The result is a choppy first half where things happen that go unexplained, and pieces seem to be missing.
The episode is very dense, and while the story would have worked better if it had been spread over two episodes, there's a big surprise, and it's a good one. Fortunately, the second half of "Shadows Cast by a Final Salute," which was written and directed by Bob Engels, comes together to create a mostly satisfying conclusion to the season. There's plenty of the standard action stuff and more than one touching moment that holds the emotional core of the story together.
All the members of the cast get a few moments to strut their stuff. It's well known that one member of the cast is leaving the show this season, and the exit is a good one.
While that part of the story has resolution, there are more than enough loose ends to launch next season. Beyond that, with the loss of a significant character and changes in the writing staff, Andromeda may end up with a different flavor next year. That won't be the first time direction has changed for this series. Whether the changes will be to the benefit or detriment of the show, it's impossible to tell.
