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| Available at Amazon.com |
When the land no longer can be traveled, people will inhabit the seas. SeaQuest DSV is your somewhat run of the mill science fiction series that is set in the future. The first season took place in the year 2018 so one can only imagine that season two is a year later. The slight difference from being the common science fiction series is that instead of taking place in the deepest reaches of space, it takes place under the water. Earth’s lands have become almost void of all natural resources so an alternate place to live was necessary and the oceans took precedence over space.
As would be expected, chaos ensued once the change was made from people living on land to underwater so some form of governing body was needed. That is where the United Earth Oceans (UEO) comes in. The UEO can be compared to that of the United Stations and would hold top authority as to laws, how people lived, and how everyone could survive together in this vast and new underwater existence. As like any government though, it came under much scrutiny and a protective force was needed. In steps one of the most advanced military crafts in human existence, the seaQuest. Filled with researchers, military personnel, medical staff, and all needed for any type of situation.
The seaQuest is captained by United States Naval Officer Nathan Bridger. Captain Bridger is joined by his main crew of young Lucas who is a computer specialist and still a teenager. Commander Jonathan Ford is Bridger’s second in command and often there with a straight forward attitude. Lieutenant Tim O’Neill is a communications officer that often gets into some odd situations and is always around to make things a bit more light-hearted. This is most of the crew that carried over from the first season and a few additions were brought in such as Dagwood the odd looking janitor and Dr. Wendy Smith.
SeaQuest DSV is one of those series that was enjoyed immensely when I was younger, and now still is incredibly fun to watch as my age has gone up in years. Just the entire concept of living underwater and this massive ship keeping peace is really cool. The show itself though seemed to be plagued from the start. Behind the scenes troubles with the cast and crew caused for a lot of turmoil during the first season, but it wasn’t noticeable at all on screen. Those problems leaked through to the actual show for the second season as numerous cast changes had come about and SeaQuest DSV‘s main course was starting to swerve a bit. Season three was just totally messed up as a new captain emerged and the title of it was even changed to SeaQuest 2032. The thing is that the first season and first half of the second season were incredibly awesome. The same holds true for the entire third season (even though it only lasted thirteen episodes). It’s the bottom half of the second season that can ultimately be blamed for the series’ demise.
Season one focused on people learning how to live in the new underwater colonies and the seaQuest dealing with any problems that would come because of all the changes. Season two saw a lot more science fiction aspects coming into it which veered off of the main course of what made the series so exciting in the first place. There were now aliens and even the devil making appearances. It’s like all ideas for the X-Files and Charmed were rolled into one and thrown underwater. Not to mention the awful love triangles and other dramatic soap operaness that was throw in for no reason at times and took away from the main focus even more.
SeaQuest was one of my favorite shows in the early nineties and it still remains that way to this day, but this season is what probably lost the series some of its fans and caused it to fall into early cancellation hell. It amazes me how a series could go from being so good to being so just horrible at times, but that’s what happens and it is also why they get taken off the air. Look at the opening two-parter entitled “Daggers” and you’ll see how good the series could be. Also take a look at “The Sincerest Form Of Flattery” and you’ll know that SeaQuest was destined for greatness. But then watch episodes like “Vapors” and “Meltdown.” and you’ll understand why Roy Scheider wanted out and the series was quickly given the boot.
Episodes
Disc One:
Daggers: In this exciting two-hour premiere, Captain Bridger is interrupted in his inspection of the newly designed seaQuest by violent trouble at a genetically engineered life forms colony. This was one hell of a way to start the second season as this two-parter really brought things back for me. They wasted no time in starting things off with a bang and a lot of drama.
The Fear That Follows: A phantom signal picked up at a UEO station is found to be a communication from another world, and the seaQuest becomes the site of an incredible interplanetary meeting.
Disc Two:
Sympathy For The Deep: When a strange disease strikes the undersea Miranda Colony, Bridge and his crew rush to aid the victims – only to find themselves under attack from the colonists.
Vapors: Relationships surface as Bridger and Dr. Wendy Smith acknowledge their mutual attraction and Loni Henderson and Tim O’Neill confront their rocky beginnings. See, this is the type of episode that probably ended up taking this series off the air way before its time. Ugh.
Playtime: The seaQuest crew is haunted by a message they receive from a child asking for help, but their assistance mission lands them in a completely unrecognizable world of the future.
Disc Three:
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: When a catastrophic error in a programmed submarine launches it on a mission of worldwide destruction, Bridger must battle a computer-generated image of himself before it’s too late. Then there are episodes like this which remind me of how good SeaQuest truly was.
By Any Other Name: An urgent distress signal leads the seaQuest to a hydroponics research lab, where all signs of human life have been erased.
When We Dead Awaken: When a cryogenically frozen patient awakens, Brody’s understanding of his mother’s death is shattered by dangerous new revelations.
Disc Four:
Special Delivery: The seaQuest crew is stunned when their genetically engineered janitor, Dagwood, is accused of the violent murder of his creator.
Dead End: Lucas, Brody, and O’Neill become trapped in a giant whirlpool, which deposits them – with little oxygen – in an ominous cavern beneath the ocean’s floor.
Disc Five:
Meltdown: Environmentalist divers are disappearing in the lush vegetation of the Atlantic basin, and it’s up to the seaQuest team to discover why and lead the predator to an icy trap. Here is another example of how stupid this series could get at times, but some mistakes are forgivable considering how good it is for the most part.
Lostland: During an exploration journey on the ocean’s floor, Commander Jonathan Ford is initially stunned – and later haunted – by the image of a Greek warrior rising from the mud.
And Everything Nice: When on leave, Lucas falls hard for a beautiful woman but soon finds himself being held captive by more then just cupid.
Disc Six:
Dream Weaver: A vicious alien invades the seaQuest and terrorizes everyone in its path while it searches for something – or someone.
Alone: SeaQuest psychic Smith realizes that a new and evil power has entered the universe and that it may be the reincarnation of the Devil himself.
Watergate: A seaQuest mission on Solitaire Island uncovers links to Greek mythology that soon lead to a battle of the ages with the gods.
Disc Seven:
Something In The Air: An ancient box that may have once belonged to aliens is discovered at sea, and a bloodthirsty demon is released when it’s opened.
Dagger Redux: Two power-hungry renegades plot to rule the oceans by overtaking the seaQuest, but first they must lure O’Neill into their scheme.
The Siamese Dream: Tony Piccolo’s strange dream becomes a recurring nightmare of torture, so Smith takes him to the Chatton Parapsychology Center, where she runs into an old flame.
Disc Eight:
Blindsided: The seaQuest crew respond to a cry for help from Commander Scott Keller, Bridger’s school friend, and soon find themselves under siege.
Splashdown:Piccolo’s old Navy buddy fakes a medical condition as part of his plan to escape from prison, but when he hijacks a medical jet, events quickly spiral out of his control.
As would be expected, chaos ensued once the change was made from people living on land to underwater so some form of governing body was needed. That is where the United Earth Oceans (UEO) comes in. The UEO can be compared to that of the United Stations and would hold top authority as to laws, how people lived, and how everyone could survive together in this vast and new underwater existence. As like any government though, it came under much scrutiny and a protective force was needed. In steps one of the most advanced military crafts in human existence, the seaQuest. Filled with researchers, military personnel, medical staff, and all needed for any type of situation.
The seaQuest is captained by United States Naval Officer Nathan Bridger. Captain Bridger is joined by his main crew of young Lucas who is a computer specialist and still a teenager. Commander Jonathan Ford is Bridger’s second in command and often there with a straight forward attitude. Lieutenant Tim O’Neill is a communications officer that often gets into some odd situations and is always around to make things a bit more light-hearted. This is most of the crew that carried over from the first season and a few additions were brought in such as Dagwood the odd looking janitor and Dr. Wendy Smith.
SeaQuest DSV is one of those series that was enjoyed immensely when I was younger, and now still is incredibly fun to watch as my age has gone up in years. Just the entire concept of living underwater and this massive ship keeping peace is really cool. The show itself though seemed to be plagued from the start. Behind the scenes troubles with the cast and crew caused for a lot of turmoil during the first season, but it wasn’t noticeable at all on screen. Those problems leaked through to the actual show for the second season as numerous cast changes had come about and SeaQuest DSV‘s main course was starting to swerve a bit. Season three was just totally messed up as a new captain emerged and the title of it was even changed to SeaQuest 2032. The thing is that the first season and first half of the second season were incredibly awesome. The same holds true for the entire third season (even though it only lasted thirteen episodes). It’s the bottom half of the second season that can ultimately be blamed for the series’ demise.
Season one focused on people learning how to live in the new underwater colonies and the seaQuest dealing with any problems that would come because of all the changes. Season two saw a lot more science fiction aspects coming into it which veered off of the main course of what made the series so exciting in the first place. There were now aliens and even the devil making appearances. It’s like all ideas for the X-Files and Charmed were rolled into one and thrown underwater. Not to mention the awful love triangles and other dramatic soap operaness that was throw in for no reason at times and took away from the main focus even more.
SeaQuest was one of my favorite shows in the early nineties and it still remains that way to this day, but this season is what probably lost the series some of its fans and caused it to fall into early cancellation hell. It amazes me how a series could go from being so good to being so just horrible at times, but that’s what happens and it is also why they get taken off the air. Look at the opening two-parter entitled “Daggers” and you’ll see how good the series could be. Also take a look at “The Sincerest Form Of Flattery” and you’ll know that SeaQuest was destined for greatness. But then watch episodes like “Vapors” and “Meltdown.” and you’ll understand why Roy Scheider wanted out and the series was quickly given the boot.
Episodes
Disc One:
Daggers: In this exciting two-hour premiere, Captain Bridger is interrupted in his inspection of the newly designed seaQuest by violent trouble at a genetically engineered life forms colony. This was one hell of a way to start the second season as this two-parter really brought things back for me. They wasted no time in starting things off with a bang and a lot of drama.
The Fear That Follows: A phantom signal picked up at a UEO station is found to be a communication from another world, and the seaQuest becomes the site of an incredible interplanetary meeting.
Disc Two:
Sympathy For The Deep: When a strange disease strikes the undersea Miranda Colony, Bridge and his crew rush to aid the victims – only to find themselves under attack from the colonists.
Vapors: Relationships surface as Bridger and Dr. Wendy Smith acknowledge their mutual attraction and Loni Henderson and Tim O’Neill confront their rocky beginnings. See, this is the type of episode that probably ended up taking this series off the air way before its time. Ugh.
Playtime: The seaQuest crew is haunted by a message they receive from a child asking for help, but their assistance mission lands them in a completely unrecognizable world of the future.
Disc Three:
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: When a catastrophic error in a programmed submarine launches it on a mission of worldwide destruction, Bridger must battle a computer-generated image of himself before it’s too late. Then there are episodes like this which remind me of how good SeaQuest truly was.
By Any Other Name: An urgent distress signal leads the seaQuest to a hydroponics research lab, where all signs of human life have been erased.
When We Dead Awaken: When a cryogenically frozen patient awakens, Brody’s understanding of his mother’s death is shattered by dangerous new revelations.
Disc Four:
Special Delivery: The seaQuest crew is stunned when their genetically engineered janitor, Dagwood, is accused of the violent murder of his creator.
Dead End: Lucas, Brody, and O’Neill become trapped in a giant whirlpool, which deposits them – with little oxygen – in an ominous cavern beneath the ocean’s floor.
Disc Five:
Meltdown: Environmentalist divers are disappearing in the lush vegetation of the Atlantic basin, and it’s up to the seaQuest team to discover why and lead the predator to an icy trap. Here is another example of how stupid this series could get at times, but some mistakes are forgivable considering how good it is for the most part.
Lostland: During an exploration journey on the ocean’s floor, Commander Jonathan Ford is initially stunned – and later haunted – by the image of a Greek warrior rising from the mud.
And Everything Nice: When on leave, Lucas falls hard for a beautiful woman but soon finds himself being held captive by more then just cupid.
Disc Six:
Dream Weaver: A vicious alien invades the seaQuest and terrorizes everyone in its path while it searches for something – or someone.
Alone: SeaQuest psychic Smith realizes that a new and evil power has entered the universe and that it may be the reincarnation of the Devil himself.
Watergate: A seaQuest mission on Solitaire Island uncovers links to Greek mythology that soon lead to a battle of the ages with the gods.
Disc Seven:
Something In The Air: An ancient box that may have once belonged to aliens is discovered at sea, and a bloodthirsty demon is released when it’s opened.
Dagger Redux: Two power-hungry renegades plot to rule the oceans by overtaking the seaQuest, but first they must lure O’Neill into their scheme.
The Siamese Dream: Tony Piccolo’s strange dream becomes a recurring nightmare of torture, so Smith takes him to the Chatton Parapsychology Center, where she runs into an old flame.
Disc Eight:
Blindsided: The seaQuest crew respond to a cry for help from Commander Scott Keller, Bridger’s school friend, and soon find themselves under siege.
Splashdown:Piccolo’s old Navy buddy fakes a medical condition as part of his plan to escape from prison, but when he hijacks a medical jet, events quickly spiral out of his control.
The episodes are shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and they don’t look all that great to be honest with you. Some of the visuals truly are awesome, but a lot of the colors didn’t transfer too well onto DVD and therefore don’t always look very bright or vibrant.
The episodes are heard in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound and there are no problems whatsoever here. The episodes are mostly dialogue driven with some sound effects thrown in, but everything can be heard clearly.
None
It hurts me to give this series a bad score at all, but this season is really only half good. The episodes that are good are damn good while those that are bad are almost unwatchable at times. So much talent on this show but it wasn’t known just yet how successful all the actors would be. The plots were awesome (sometimes), the premise was unlike any other, and the seaQuest ship could kick the Enterprise’s ass. God, and also thinking that two great actors in Jonathan Brandis and Roy Scheider are already gone from this world. Brandis way too early. Season two has no special features, but if the show would have kept on the right track then they wouldn’t have been necessary for a perfect score from me. Other then that, it can’t be better then halfway up the ladder…the ladder out the side of the pool that is.
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Universal presents SeaQuest DSV: Season Two. Created by: Rockne S. O’Bannon. Starring: Jonathan Brandis, Don Franklin, Ted Raimi, Roy Scheider, Marco Sanchez, Michael DeLuise, Peter DeLuise, Kathy Evison. Running time: 1012 minutes on 8 discs. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: January 1, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
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