Spoiler Space
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While fleeing from dinosaurs, Challenger, Malone, Marguerite and Roxton discover the ruins of a lost city that is covered by the jungle. Multi-lingual Marguerite is, of course, able to read the warning that the former inhabitants carved in stone, warning everyone of the strange powers that they discovered. Challenger meanwhile finds a stone plate on which the structure of an atom is displayed. When he puts a small crystal ball on the plate, he is suddenly engulfed by a blinding light and loses consciousness. As in a dream, Challenger's mind enters into an alternate reality.

>From now on, I will mark the shift from reality to alternate reality and back with an R / AR. I'm too lazy to write it down all the time, and believe me, there's is a lot of reality jumping coming up. :)<

AR: In the alternate reality (okay, I wrote it down, but this is the last time) Challenger wakes up back in the treehouse, being tended to by the others. He say's he feels alive like never before. Outside, Malone is working on some kind of electric generator, with Veronica looking on. Suddenly, they are attacked by Dirkon and his band of slavers. Before the others can help them, Malone is knocked down and Veronica kidnapped. The injured Malone is left behind at the treehouse, while Roxton, Marguerite and a very much alive Challenger follow the trail of the slavers.

R: The injured Challenger is brought into the treehouse, where Veronica and Summerlee are waiting.

AR: Challenger walks very determinedly through the jungle, Roxton and Marguerite can hardly keep pace. Challenger not only knows the name of the slaver's leader, he also recognizes a false trail left by them, something the more experienced hunter Roxton could not.

In the slaver's camp, everyone kneels before the stone altar of their god, Rota(?). Everyone, except for Veronica, of course, who is apparently not into idol worshipping.

Meanwhile, Challenger tells Roxton and Marguerite that he can somehow pick up radio waves that flow through everything, enabling him to know what's happening in distant places, not only seing what's going on, but also feeling what others feel.

R: In the treehouse, Challenger is in a feverish delirium, with the others trying to help him.

AR: At the slaver's camp, Veronica is tied to a pole with her right wrist secured (you know why, Troy)):. When some of the slavers try to approach her, she kicks them. Dirkon steps in, telling his men not to harm her, because an injured Veronica will bring them less money (at the monthly slave auction, I guess) :).

Near the camp, Roxton and Marguerite are still discussing strategy, when Challenger walks right into the camp, demanding the release of Veronica. When Dirkon orders one of his men to kill her, Challenger kills the slaver instead with some sort of fireball shooting from his hands. To prove his point, Challenger melts the stone image of Rota, declaring thou shalt not have any other god next to me. Now the slaver's kneel before Challenger.

At night, still in the camp, Challenger tells the others that the knowledge of the people of Atlantis was contained in the crystal ball and has now been passed on to him. Apparently, the people of Atlantis discovered the power of mind over matter. Challenger claims, he could produce a world without sorrow, while Roxton blames him for presenting himself as a good to the people in the camp.

Back in the treehouse, a weakened Malone blames himself for Veronica's capture (testosterone riding high again)):, and tries to follow after the others but can't get past Summerlee(!), our usual voice of reason. >Okay, I know Malone was injured, but that really was a miserable display. My grandmother, with a little training, could've gotten past Summerlee. :)<

Back in the camp, Roxton, Marguerite and Veronica want to leave Challenger, whose behaviour becomes more and more arrogant. Challenger won't let them go and tries to kill Roxton with one of his fireballs. Veronica jumps in front of Roxton to protect him and is killed instead. >At that moment, you might hear a loud noise. Do not, I repeat, do not adjust your TV-Set, it is just the show's ratings taking a deep dive. :)<

R: In the treehouse, Summerlee, Marguerite and Veronica (ratings going up again) see a tear dropping from Challenger's eye.

AR: Roxton and Marguerite prepare to take Veronica's corpse back to the treehouse. Challenger asks them to stay with him, claiming he did not want to kill her. As proof, he is shedding a tear over her death which he turns into a diamond, handing it to Marguerite. She rejects it, telling him that some things cannot be bought with diamonds. Roxton and Marguerite leave the camp.
On their way back, Roxton blames himself for Veronica's death. When Challenger appears, Roxton tries to kill him, but his gun isn't working. Suddenly, a T-Rex attacks them. Challenger offers his help, if they ask him. Roxton: "NO", Marguerite: "YES", Challenger (to Marguerite): "Just for you". Fireball. Exploding T-Rex. Case closed.

At night in the treehouse, while Malone is sleeping, Summerlee is surprised by Challenger, who claims that the others, minus Veronica, will be back soon. He tells Summerlee he will fulfill his most important wish. Suddenly, they find themselves in a room where they witness Summerlee's wife dying with Summerlee sitting next to her. When that Summerlee is leaving his dying wife, Challenger tells Summerlee that now is his second change. He can correct that mistake. Summerlee goes to his wife, to be with her while she's dying. Back in the treehouse, Summerlee tells Challenger that this is the wrong way, he invaded his privacy and that such power is too much for a man. Challenger says he's more than a man. Summerlee accuses Challenger of using him and that Challenger's gone mad. In a rage, Challenger pushes Summerlee over the ledge of the treehouse, killing him. Realizing what he has done, Challenger cries out.

R: Challenger cries out and his heart stops. Summerlee tries to revive Challenger by applying electroshocks, with Malone working on the electric generator with Veronica at his side. Challenger wakes up and, realizing what will happen next, warns the others of the attack of Dirkon and his slavers. Roxton and Marguerite come in time to help Veronica and Malone fight off the slavers. After the fight, they can't find Challenger.

Challenger is back at the ruins to destroy the stone plate together with the crystal ball with an explosion, reciting the warning the people of Atlantis carved in stone.

Later, Marguerite comes to Challenger, asking him how he knew that the slavers would be attacking. Challenger tells her that it's a long story, but the one thing he has learned is that man shouldn't try to play god. He also knows now that Marguerite wouldn't betray her friends, even for the most precious diamond in the world.

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Fred's absolutely right. Just enjoy this show on it's own terms! This episode totally lived up to my expectations. Campy, silly, with a few holes in the story, but very entertaining. I will not go into too many details of this episode, only a few points I'd like to make:

- The short scene with his dying wife confirmed my earlier criticism that Summerlee's not utilized enough. Michael Sinelnikoff is an actor that should be given more room to show his skills.

- With Dirkon and his slavers we might have the closest thing to a recurring nemesis yet. They were beaten in the end, but judging from the look on Dirkon's face, we haven't seen the last of them yet. But can anyone please tell me why the slavers look like they were coming right out of a "Mad Max" movie?
Dirkon would especially be a useful character opposite Veronica. In this context, it was good to see Veronica finally lose a fight. I think it would be a mistake to turn her into some sort of invincible "Xena of the jungle". When characters cannot possibly come to any harm and win every fight they're involved in, they soon become less interesting. The same applies to Roxton. To have them lose the occasional fight keeps the characters (and the stories) more interesting.

With it's apparent flaws (and there are some), why is this show still working? In my opinion, because it is done in a very professional manner. Production design, special effects, camera, sound and acting usually display a high standard for a TV show. In less capable hands, some of the TLW scripts would just fall flat on their faces. However, if you present them the way they do, it usually still makes for an entertaining 1 h. Camp presented in an unprofessional way makes for boredom. Camp presented in a skillfull way can be very entertaining. This, of course, does not mean that the producers should always rely on their presentation skills. In the second season something should be done for story continuity and originality, as we discussed before. But as long as they turn out episodes like this one, I'm not complaining too loudly. :)