Episode 01 : "Beachhead"

Summary

"How does a nightmare begin. . . ?"

Review

So, how does a nightmare begin? Well, for lucky David Vincent, it begins with a wrong turn and a nap. What does he wake up to see but the ever popular 'flying saucer". Eventually, Mr. Vincent finds out that we have guests from space, who are not here for our health and well-being. Roy Thinnes is great as Vincent - an ultra ordinary, boring architect thrown into a world where no one may be what they seem. Mr. Thinnes underacts the part, and really makes a sort of goofy concept work. I was surprised when I saw this show again after making it to adult land how believable Vincent is. The line of "how does a nightmare begin" comes from the opening of the show, and Mr. Roy's portrayl of Vincent is a reflection of that nightmare. Just think about it; what would you have done in Vincent's shoes? You stumble across a threat to the entire planet and have exactly zero hard proof to back up your story. Half the people you meet as you try and alert the world to this danger think you are a nutball. The other half are disguised aliens out to kill you. Some nightmare, huh? Thinnes really pulls it off too and deserves kudus. He makes the show from start to finish. One other thing, when I was a kid I thought this show was too cool for words! Certainly, it was at least a stab at creativity from ABC. Want to tell me the last time ABC, or any network, took a chance on something like "The Invaders"? Afraid there are too many corporate bureacrats running the show today for anything close to come along. At least cable tv gives it a shot now and then. Unfortunately, "The Invaders" belongs to an era that is, to quote another classic, "Gone with the Wind". End of line.

Review by John Drake, submitted 2004-09-23

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