Ep 20. The Last Sunset

Space 1999, a British science fiction series that aired in the mid-1970s, centers around the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, a scientific research colony on Earth's moon. As a result of a catastrophic nuclear explosion, the moon is hurled out of Earth's orbit and into the depths of space, along with the colony's inhabitants. This thrusts the members of Moonbase Alpha into a journey across the cosmos, encountering various alien civilizations and cosmic phenomena as they search for a new home.

In Season 1, Episode 20, titled The Last Sunset, the Alphans encounter a mysterious and potentially paradigm-shifting event that offers a glimmer of hope amidst their unpredictable and often perilous odyssey. The episode unfolds as follows:

The Moon, on its unplanned journey through the unknown reaches of space, passes by a planet that appears initially to possess no sign of habitation or life as known to human understanding. The planet, with its enigmatic presence, captures the attention of the moon's inhabitants as a routine scan reveals an unexpected and intriguing anomaly.

As the Moon approaches the planet, Moonbase Alpha's inhabitants are met with an unusual phenomenon: probe signals indicate the release of a cluster of strange spheres from the planet's surface. These peculiar orbs make their way towards the moon's barren landscape and upon their unanticipated contact, they initiate a transformative chain of events.

The liquid expelled from the spheres begins to interact with the moon's sterile environment in an inexplicable manner. Seemingly inert surfaces and materials respond to the liquid. Before long, an inexplicable and profound change takes hold of the Moon's atmosphere, or, to be more accurate, an atmosphere begins to form where none existed before.

This startling development presents the Alphans with the phenomenon they could scarcely afford to dream of: the creation of a breathable Earth-like atmosphere enveloping their lunar home. As the lunar surface undergoes this breathtaking transformation, the once desolate landscapes begin to exude the potential for becoming a life-sustaining environment.

The crew, led by Commander John Koenig and Dr. Helena Russell, wrestles with the implications of this event. They grapple with an array of questions and concerns, not least of which is the source of these terraforming spheres. Is this an act of cosmic chance, or the deliberate intervention by an unseen alien intelligence? Furthermore, what are the potential benefits and perils of such a drastic ecological change to their lunar environment?

With trepidation and wonder, the Alphans step out onto the transformed surface of the Moon to experience the joys of Earth-like conditions for the first time since their journey began. They encounter the surreal reality of a "day" under a blue sky and the "night" as a star-filled expanse, phenomena they had thought were lost to them.

As the crew adapts to this miraculous change, exploration teams are dispatched to investigate the moon’s newfound phenomena. Their explorations are a delicate balance of scientific curiosity and the caution necessary due to their uncertain circumstances. They seek to understand the full extent of the changes to the moon's environment and to ascertain if this new atmosphere could indeed support long-term human life.

The arrival of a breathable atmosphere on the moon's surface presents a multitude of challenges and potential complications for Moonbase Alpha's systems, which were designed for life in a vacuum. The Alphans must quickly adapt their technology and lifestyle to accommodate their now altered surroundings. To fail would be to squander the incredible opportunity they've been given but to succeed could mean a future for the human race in space.

The Last Sunset explores themes of hope, survival, and the human spirit's adaptability. It taps into the core longing for an Edenic world where the Alphans could live more naturally. Yet, the viewers are reminded that in the cold expanse of the cosmos, gifts from unknown worlds often come with unforeseen consequences.

Tensions rise as uncertain prospects press upon their collective psyche, pushing the characters to confront not only the scientific mysteries that face them but their own inner fears and aspirations. Throughout, the episode delves into the morale and psychological effects such an extraordinary event has on the team.

While the Alphans contemplate if this celestial occurrence could be their salvation, or if it harbors a danger they can't yet comprehend, the question lingers—will the last sunset on the Moon mark a new dawn for humanity, or the beginning of another uncertainty in their odyssey?

In The Last Sunset, Space 1999 continues to capture the imaginations of its audience with visionary storytelling, underpinned by the timeless quest for belonging and the relentless pursuit of an elusive place to call home.