Galactica 1980: Episode Five

Space Croppers

Airdate - April 27, 1980

Writer: Robert L. McCullough

Director: Daniel Haller

Guest Cast:

Dana Elcar (John Steadman) / Ana Alicia (Gloria Alonzo) / Anna Navarro II (Louise Alonzo)

Bill Cort (Tren) / Bill McKinney (Barrett) / Ned Romero (Hector Alonzo) / Booth Colman (Rogers)

Joaquin Garay III (Chris Alonzo) / Andy Jarrell (Maze) / Phil Levien (Dante) / Dennis Haysbert (The Creature)

John Dancona (Foley) / Gordon Haight (Deacon) / Stefan Haves (Channon) / Lance Mugleston (Pilot)

Story Outline

After a Cylon attack that destroys two of the Fleet's Agro ships, Troy and Dillon are sent to Earth to set up an

agricultural colony. There, they befriend a local Latino farmer who is struggling to keep his farm in the face of

drought and the prejudice of his neighbour, who controls the access to water for irrigation.

Plot Summary

On a Cylon basestar, lurking near Earth, the Imperious Leader is addressing a centurion.  He declares a new strategy in the war on the humans, ordering the targeting of the Colonial Fleet's food supply.  Then, when the Galactica goes in search of food, it will lead the Cylons to Earth.  

Dozens of Cylon raiders are immediately launched to attack the Colonials.   After breaking through the perimeter of Vipers guarding the Fleet, the Raiders succeed in destroying two of the Agroships.    

Adama and Dr. Zee immediately realize why the Cylons picked this target, but concur that the Colonials will need to secretly establish an agricultural colony on Earth.   

During the planning, Adama and Boomer are interrupted by an unidentified captain who complains that D Squadron, nicknamed the Daggits, have been modifying their vipers by removing the limiters from the turbochargers. 

Meanwhile, as Troy and Dillon make their way to Earth, we turn to a different scene:  a small farm in Southern California green belt owned by a Mexican-American family, the Alonsos. They are close to going bankruptcy, and the father of the family Hector has taken the last resort and placed an ad for help in the local paper, but is embarrassed to have done so in front of the local Growers' Association.

Rounding out the family is the Mom, the Alonsos ten-year-old son Chris, and Gloria the  seventeen-ish, daughter.

Landing on Earth, and responding to Hector's and, Troy and Dillon's head to the Alonso farm. They encounter a shabby-looking scarecrow and immediately assume it's a local.  

Hector's ad offers to sell half interest in the farm, but an irrigation quota placed there by John Steadman, of the Growers' Association, is starving him out. Our Dillon's not being starved, as Gloria takes an instant liking to him and starts filling him with food.

 Next day, Hector takes Troy and Dillon to the perimeter of his property in a wretched old truck. There, as plain as day, is a dam - small, but big enough to cut off two-thirds of the water supply. 

As Hector explains the problem, up rolls a black Mercedes 450 SEL with monograms on the doors, and out steps John Steadman who introduces himself. 

Hector relates that Steadman has a problem with Hispanics, but even more apparent is Steadman's greed as he offers to buy Hector's farm for an unreasonably low price.

Later, as Tory and Dillon go with Hector to buy seed, they are sabotaged by one of Steadman's men who throws a lit cigar into the bed of Hector's truck setting fire to the seeds.    The lads pull over, jump out and drag out the sacks of burned crops - and now it's war!

Troy and Dillon go to have it out with Steadman, demanding compensation for the lost seed. Steadman has a good play with his employees, deciding to show a bit of cheap good faith by taking the payment out of his henchmen's wages. 

He can't resist the opportunity to put one over on Troy and Dillon, and throws in an offer of untamed racehorse Satan - if they can ride him. 

This is where they make a fool out of Steadman, simply pacifying the animal with a burst of alpha waves from their wrist computers.

Dillon breezes back to the ranch and presents Gloria with the horse. 

Adama calls down from the Galactica. In order to get the seed planted and grown to replenish the fleet's hydroponic capabilities without impacting the food supply, they have to do it right away. Dr Zee plans to come down in his anti-gravity ship and coax the clouds into producing a good rain.

So, that night, under cover of darkness, Troy and Dillon use their superhuman  jumping ability to rapidly seed the Alonso's fields.  

Steadman, who is passing by, can't believe his eyes.  Young Chris is equally surprised when he sees a flying saucer sneak past his window at roughly the same time. Inside said flying saucer is a veritable army of Galactican agricultural experts assigned by Dr Zee to harvest the crops.  Also here to help is Jamie who has of course brought the Super Scouts.

The crops shoot up overnight.   Meantime, Steadman has gone to the Grower's Association with frantic revelations of leaping aliens and flying saucers.  His credibility gone, Steadman is laughed down and as a final insult they also vote to order the dam removed from Steadman's property and the water distributed freely. 

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Last Updated on Thursday, April 07, 2005