3.12 Journey to Where

After years of wandering the deepest reaches of space Alpha receives an apparent message from Earth with the good news that they can construct their part of a transport device that will bring them all home.  After verifying the validity of the claim, the Alphans excitedly prepare the device despite the fact that Earth is on a slightly different timeline and that the home is now a barren desert with people living in protective domes.  During a test attempt to send John, Helena, and Alan back home, an earthquake on Earth disrupts the transport and sends them instead to an unknown time and place.

Editor’s Note:
Journey to Where was the episode that reconciled me and allowed me to come to terms with this season of Space: 1999.  Something about it made me feel like it was closer to the First season’s spirit, maybe because it’s mostly oriented to John, Helena and Alan’s characters.  And, since the original series didn’t have an official ending, which i felt it deserved, I thought this one was the best choice out of this season’s episodes.  This is their first real contact with Earth since they left its orbit and ends in a failed attempt to go back home.  But looking back at it, Earth people and Alphans are both living in secluded environments and makes us wonder who the lucky ones really are.  Humans living on a dead Earth or the Alphans who have all of space in which to find a home...somewhere. Lastly, this episode reveals the year on earth as 2120. Thus, the new chronology of Space: 2099 means a potential timing issue with the arrival of the Kaldorian ship with commissioner Simmonds on board has been eliminated as the ship wasn’t due to arrive until 75 years later in 2174. It also means that a time difference has occured since the moon left earth orbit as only a few years, at most, have passed on Alpha while 21 years have passed on Earth.