Earth: Final Conflict—Season One

Gene Roddenberry's signature legacy series will always be Star Trek, but his subsequent efforts in television were equally ambitious, if not nearly as successful. Although Roddenberry remained devoted to science fiction during the 1970s (evident in TV movies such as The Questor Tapes and Genesis II), it wasn't until after his death in 1991 that any of his post-Star Trek un-filmed projects gained momentum. With its premiere (in syndication) on October 6, 1997, Earth: Final Conflict began a surprisingly durable five-season run, with these initial 22 episodes widely acknowledged to be the best year of the series. Set in the early 21st century, Earth: Final Conflict opens with the alien Taelon race—who have been living on Earth for three years—being gradually accepted into our global sociopolitical culture after solving many of the planet's most difficult problems. An underground, anti-Taelon resistance movement does exist, however, and the series initially focuses on police captain-turned-interspecies liaison William Boone (Kevin Kilner) and his partner Lili Marquette (Lisa Howard), who walk a fine line between their loyalty to the resistance and serving as protectors of the Taelon “Companion” Da'an (Leni Parker), based in Washington, D.C. With Boone working essentially as a double agent, the show gets off to a solid start exploring the myriad issues that would naturally arise with the arrival of a seemingly peaceful and technologically superior alien race. Although Earth: Final Conflict (filmed in and around Toronto) had the potential to be a long-term thought-provoking series, the show was compromised in subsequent seasons by creative differences and budgetary constraints. Still, for science fiction fans, this first season set (in which Roddenberry's late widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, has a recurring role) will definitely be welcome. This five-disc set includes full-length commentaries on several episodes (by Roddenberry's son, Eugene, as well as members of the cast and crew), and a featurette on “The Roddenberry Philosophy.” Recommended. (J. Shannon)