Flaming Ice

Episode Reviews (2)

7 votes
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  • 8.0

    A bit dumb, but memorable because of the weird aliens

    By DrCroland, Apr 22, 2014

    This episode was somewhat of a nostalgia trip for me because it took me back to the 60s when I first saw it. I loved creepy aliens and monsters back then, and still do now I guess, because I am just a big kid at heart. The particular scene at the end, where the aliens are attempting to escape in their flying saucer, and Nelson and Crane shoot them down with a laser beam, stuck with me through all those years. Although some of the science in this episode seems a bit sketchy, the "frost men" are so deliciously creepy and weird, this episode is somehow one of my favorites from the series.moreless

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  • 6.0

    Sharkey and Nelson act like dummies,snow falls in the control room and Kowalski gets on everyones nerves

    By komsomolets, Aug 07, 2012

    The Arctic ice is in trouble again! Seaview surfaces inside an air pocket under the ice cap to investigate strange temperature readings. Crane looks through the periscope and sees a snow cavern...complete with huge fire storms.

    Nelson decides to investigate and he and Sharkey break out "foul weather gear" (these look like normal flimsy coats to me, and leather gloves) they leave Patterson and Kowalski keeping lookout and making repairs on the conning tower while they explore the snow caves.

    They walk so far together then Nelson comes out with the old chestnut of "we better split up" god only knows why he says this because he then tells the Chief we will meet back here in 5 minutes! What's the point?

    We follow Sharkey as he strolls along in his dapper coat with hood (no hurry it's just the ice cap melting) he then sees a "frost man" come round a corner and immediately opens fire on it!! At this point they didn't know the frost men were hostile but he just starts blasting away. Nelson joins the rumpus just in time to see Sharkey kill the frost man by getting to close to it. The heat from his body melted it in seconds. They are then confronted by two more frost men and frozen solid by a jet of freezing air.

    Back at Seaview Kowalski is making a repair and spots two frost men and then loses his footing and falls to the floor. I'm afraid this begins the very long padded boring sub plot of having Kowalski blundering around half conscious and mumbling "got to help the Admiral" very tedious.

    Nelson is unfrozen at the Aliens make shift base where the leader introduces himself as "Gelid" leader of the frost men from an alien planet (even though they have all their controls on equipment written in English)

    In a nut shell it's another alien race that wants the Seaviews nuclear reactor, this time it's to power their own craft and leave earth, but in doing so will flood half the planet when the ice cap melts.

    I've never really got on with this episode and one big factor is that there is NO Chip Morton at all. Maybe Bob Dowdell was ill? They compensate by having the Doc and Patterson in on the action more. Not the same though.

    The action lurches from the crew being roasted in Seaview then their frozen half to death and it actually snows in the control room! And in between we still have flipping Kowalski staggering around (this looks fake) looking for the Admiral and collapsing.

    As you would expect there are some plot holes:

    How was Gelid able to enter the Seaview the first time round and warn Crane? At that point the Seaview was at normal temperature. If it only takes the body temperature of a human to kill a frost man then Gelid would die in the heated confines of the Seaview.

    When Gelid freezes Seaview he states that they will vent the heat into their ice base but they will be aboard the frozen Seaview so they will not die. Seaview does freeze but their base does not heat up at all.

    The best thing about this episode are the set pieces, we have the conning tower set and some really well done ice caves. A bit plastic looking in places but on the whole well done. When Seaview freezes i also thought this was well done, the frost effect was up to film standards.

    Not one of my favourites it has to be said.

    Sharkey and Nelson spend most of the times frozen like dummies, there is no Chip Morton and the usually reliable voyage stalwart Del Monroe's acting isn't at its best here.

    Why didn't Gelid just buy Nelson a box of chocolates and ask him nicely if he could jump start his flying saucer from the Seaviews reactor?


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