War of the Worlds/Goliath Is My Name

Goliath Is My Name
Season 1, Episode 8
Airdate	November 14, 1988
Written by	Tom Lazarus
Directed by	George Bloomfield
← 1x07 The Second Seal	1x09 → To Heal the Leper
War of the Worlds — Season One

Goliath Is My Name is the eighth episode of the first season of War of the Worlds.

Jared Martin (Harrison Blackwood), Lynda Mason Green (Suzanne McCullough), Philip Akin (Norton Drake)

and Richard Chaves (Colonel Ironhorse)

Guest Stars: Jeremy Ratchford (Student), Eric Bruskotter (Jefferson)

Also Starring: Jason Blicker (Pete), Hume Baugh (Alien #1), Rachel Blanchard (Debi), Ilse Von Glatz (Advocate), Carolyn Dunn (Debra), Kelly Rowan (Kim), James Kee (Robert Parkins)

Featuring: Terry Doyle (Dean Holden), Alex Karzis (Samuel), Kevin Frank (Gabriel), Jill Hennessy (Patty), Darren O'Donnell (Alien #2), Damon D'Oliveira (Alien #3), T.J. Scott (Lab Technician), George Merner (Officer Helfrich)

Uncredited: Richard Comar (Advocate #1), Michael Rudder (Advocate #3)

Plot Overview

When a a former lab assistant and friend of Suzanne's is found murdered during a fantasy game, she and Harrison, tagged by Ironhorse, visit a college campus to investigate. They discover it's related to an alien plot to steal a deadly biotoxin called Y-Fever, which has the ability to melt the human brain within seconds. To make matters worse, one of the aliens is accidentally exposed, resulting in him becoming mentally unstable as he continues to engage in the fantasy game, all while wielding the remaining vials of the toxin.

Notes

Teaser Quote

"Did you see that Parkins boy's body in the tunnel?"
"Just the photos. Worst thing I've ever seen. Kid had no face. What kind of monster would do that?"

Base Three

• Six operatives are sent to retrieve the Y-Fever.
• There are three vials of the Y-Fever before one is dropped.

Locations

• Akron, Ohio (Ohio Polytechnic Institute)

Timeline

• It's Greek Week, which is held in spring, usually in April or late March.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The aliens make their first attempt at biological warfare by plotting to steal a deadly biotoxin.

Characters

• Suzanne reveals to Harrison that she was working research in a microbiology lab when she found out her work was being used to produce biological weapons.

Referbacks

• When going over her resume to Harrison in "The Resurrection", Suzanne had mentioned working at a secret research facility in Ohio.

• Norton mentions Harrison and Suzanne having ironed out their differences, which was depicted in "A Multitude of Idols".

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• This was the first script written following the end of the 1988 Writer's Strike. It was quickly hammered out in order to film and keep the show in production.

• This is the fourth and final consecutive episode in which the actors playing the Advocacy aren't credited despite their significant screen time. Glatz is credited, despite her Advocate appearing in every scene with the others with the exception of the one in the teaser. The character Samuel is the only one seen communicating with the Advocacy and is the sole survivor (despite being gunned down earlier) and shares the last scene with the Advocacy. To add, much of the climax of the episode feels choppy, as if some details were cut along with whatever scenes were dropped to make room for the scenes with the Advocacy.

• The stairwell the characters are seen going down is a reused set from "The Walls of Jericho" when Harrison and Ironhorse go up into the refrigeration plant.

Allusions and References

• To pass through the Sigma Sigma Blues Brothers party, the aliens dress appropriately.

Memorable Moments

• One of the aliens begins tearing off Robert Parkins's face.
• The alien whose now taken over the body of Jefferson, benched for four fumbles in the first half of the game, triumphantly hold the three vials of Y-Fever... then fumbles and drops one.
• When Suzanne vacuums the air out of the lab, Jefferson tries to hold his breath again, which does not end well as it did last time.

Goofs

• In the teaser, a shot of the alien Blues Brothers looking at the Advocate has an exposed alien leg in the foreground. However, it's been established that only their hands and back of their heads are exposed; the specially designed contamination suits go all the way down to the ground.

• The insert titles refer to the Ohio Polytechnic Institute as the Ohio Polytechnical Institute.

• Jefferson tackles one of the aliens down to the ground, knocking his hat off. In the next shot, he's seen standing up with it back on his head.

• When Jefferson looks for the controls to open the lab door, there a three consecutive recycled shots. The first two are from earlier when he is looking for the Y-Fever vials. The third of him pushing the button is from outside the lab.

• One of the aliens Ironhorse shoots is inexplicably alive by episode's end in order to report failure in person to the Advocacy.

Quotes

• Student: The mutants have traveled over time and space to do battle. They have forsworn to annihilate us. That is something we cannot allow.

Pete: I hate mutants.

Student: Our intelligence reports their staging centre is in the Orion Chain. We'll intercept them there and wipe them out. With luck, we'll be rulers of the universe by lunch.

• Ironhorse: Blackwood! Blackwood…!

Harrison: Life goes on, Colonel. This is a special case.

Ironhorse: There are no special cases. You're not going! Blackwood!! I said you're not going!

Harrison: I know you won't stand in my way.

Ironhorse: 48 hours, and I'm coming along to bring you back!!

Harrison: You're my hero, Colonel - strong, determined... and sensitive.

• Samuel: We plead for your counsel, Advocate.

Advocate #1: We hear your plea.

Advocate #2: As one to the other.

Advocate #3: Did you accomplish your task?

Samuel: We have obtained the Y-fever.

Advocate #1: Good. Bring the bio-toxins to us.

Samuel: We cannot. The one called Jefferson has them and… he's no longer with us.

Advocate #2: Has he been captured?

Samuel: No. He suffered some form of mutation.

Advocate #1: Mutation?! Of what manner?

Samuel: Uncertain, but linked with the toxins of the primitives.

Advocate #2: Then we are also vulnerable to the substance.

Advocate #3: All the more cause to retrieve it.

Advocate #2: Find the one called Jefferson and bring us the Y-fever.

Samuel: It is our command.

Advocate #1: Do not return without it.

Samuel: We are nothing without your counsel.

• Advocate #2: We can depend upon the self-destructive nature of the primitives.

Advocate #3: It is our greatest ally.

Advocate #1: And our greatest enemy. This is truly a filthy place.

• Debi: Have you heard from my mother?

Norton: Have I heard from your mother? Has Harrison called in from the field like he was supposed to? Have they forgotten my important contributions to this team? Has your mother completely discounted my value to this unit? Have they undermined my investigation? As a matter of fact, no. No, I have not heard from your mother.

Debi: No big deal.

Norton: My opinion exactly.

• Norton: Your mom says hi, and she's okay, and you have to leave now, sweetheart.

Debi: Okay, but someday I'll be old enough to work with you.

Norton: I can't wait.

• Harrison: Do you know Robert Parkins was a fantasy game player?

Ironhorse: What the hell is that? Some kind of swinger or something?

• Ironhorse: I could get thrown into Leavenworth for this.

Harrison: I'll take full responsibility.

Ironhorse: I don't know what the hell that means.

Harrison: Me, neither, but it sure sounds great.

• Harrison: We're on the wrong track here.

Ironhorse: Here we go again. It's ooga-booga time.

• (the group come across aliens)

Ironhorse: (ready to open fire) You're wasted.

Suzanne: Wait, they're students.

(the aliens start talking in their language)

Harrison: Pretty weird students.

• Harrison: I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - pardon the pun.

• Advocate #1: Where are the others?

Samuel: I am the only survivor, Advocate.

Advocate #2: And the Y-fever biotoxins?

Samuel: Destroyed.

Advocate #3: What was our command?

Samuel: To return with the desired substance, Advocate.

Advocate #1: You are nothing without our counsel!

Samuel: It is as always.

Advocate #2: Then you must meet your obligation.

(Samuel is led away by two aliens)

Advocate #3: Someday this war will be over.

Advocacy: To Life Immortal.