Back to the Planet of the Apes: ep 10 "The Interrogation"

 "The Interrogation"
Airdate: November 15, 1974

Written by Richard Collins
Directed by Alf Kjellin
Synopsis: Burke is captured by Urko's soldiers and Zaius allows an ape scientist who has been studying ancient human brainwashing techniques to experiment on him. If she should fail, however, Urko plans to kill the astronaut. Galen and Virdon race against time to save their friend, but to do so requires the help of Galen's estranged parents.

Trey: This episode seems to me the most "1970s" of the episodes we've seen. I don't mean "1970s TV," but something that sort of plays to concerns of the time. "Brainwashing" in this case.

Jason: With cancelation looming, i almost wish they would gone in heavy with other prominent 70s tropes. Might as well throw in UFOs, Bigfoot, and "split personalities" at this point. 

Trey: A bigfoot episode would have been awesome.

Jason: What might have been! 

Trey: Regarding brainwashing, it's a rare strictly comedic moment for this show when Wanda has to explain to an incredulous Urko that brainwashing does not in fact require the removal of the brain from the skull.

Jason: Urko has been reading Gorilla of Fortune magazine instead of keeping up with scientific journals.  Call me an Urko fanboy if you must, but he's always a highlight. My favorite moment came when he intervened in Wanda's enhanced interrogation to gratuitously slap Burke around a bit. "I'm just trying to help!" 

I can't fault him for taking out some of his colossal frustration on one of the humans who has made a fool of him again and again!

The tone of this episode feels like it's skewed into open silliness. The last time I got this sense was when the stock footage shark menaced the spear fishing operation a few episodes back. Speaking of which, I noted the use of net technology in Burke's capture. They've got nets but must lack the imagination to employ them for anything other than human suppression. 

Trey: You are obsessed with those nets! Anyway, in another call back, We also get references to the lobotomy treatment given to Landon in the 1968 film. 

Jason: "Removal of the Front Bump," as the procedure is known amongst the apes. The crude diagram of the human brain they reference lets us know just how far along they are in their understanding. 

Trey: Zaius seems much more cavalier sharing ancient human knowledge in this episode. Before he basically felt like no one should see it, now he's okaying its experimental use.

Jason: It's as if they're all coming a bit unglued as the astronauts whittle away at their cherished beliefs. Urko keeps it real - lobotomize or destroy all as-tro-nauts!

Trey: It's interesting to meet Galen's parents, who must, despite their love, be so disappointed since he threw away a chance to be Zaius' right-hand ape to become a radical and fugitive. Since this is TV, though, they have to support him despite their disagreements.

Jason: The fact that Galen's dad is able to hold on to elected office with a fugitive son running around says something about the state of ape politics, but I don't know what. Galen's garden conversation with his dad was so mature and reasonable it makes a decent case for ape supremacy.

Trey: Could this be TV's first interspecies kiss? (Well, guess technically Star Trek has a bunch of them, but everyone involved looks human.)

Jason: I haven't checked, but Lassie or Rin Tin Tin might hold the record. Maybe that robot in Lost in Space got a friendly peck on his metal cheek? Anyhow, Wanda, our first truly diabolical female ape villain, seemed pretty swept up in the moment. 

This episode is perhaps the zaniest so far, with moments of wild slapstick as in the hospital fight scene (which was dangerously close to Three Stooges territory!), mind-bending torture sequences, and over-the-top villainy from Urko and Wanda. Bonus points awarded for dynamic violence and stunts: when the gorilla apprehends Burke using a double-fisted ape smash, Burke stays clobbered. Also, when Virdon and Galen both fling themselves gracefully through a small window to escape pursuit--a Batman moment...Well, I wasn't bored!

What's your verdict?

Trey: I liked this one. The best way I can describe it is "over the top"--and that's saying something in a show about a future world being run by talking apes! It veers from comedic to some of the grittiest peril we've gotten in the show, but it always keeps the presentation as "lurid."