Third Season Episodes - Hunters Moon (episode 63)

On a strange planet, John is pursued by an alien hunter who regards him as prized quarry. The Jupiter 2 is in need of repairs.

John scouts a planet in the Space Pod in search of a landing field. An alien named Megazor appears with his mobile computer, Zibo. Together they disarm John and incapacitate the Robot. Megazor cages them. He is to prove his fitness to be the ruler of Zon. For this he has a collection of caged monsters.

John's capture has cut off communication with the Jupiter 2, so Don decides to try a landing. Zibo indicates John's worth could be increased by testing his prowess. Megazor gives John a spear and sets him against Invisibo, an invisible creature with poisonous claws. John tells the Robot to burn one of its tapes, and the ensuing smoke outlines Invisibo, allowing John to dispose of him. As guards bring Will and Smith to the hunting camp, John finds he is now worth even more points.

Left alone, he turns on a guard, releases Will, Smith and the Robot, and they flee. But Smith is recaptured and prepared for the hunt. John, knowing Smith is no match for Megazor, voluntarily returns to the camp and dons the protector suit in preparation as Megazor's quarry. Before the hunt starts, Will is dragged into the camp and forced to accompany Megazor as an observer. Megazor drives John into a forest where dampness begins to disintegrate the protecting suit.

Then he begins to harass John with destructor blades. Will, powerless to help, pleads with Megazor, which gives John time to stuff his disintegrating protector suit with moss. Megazor, thus deceived, descends on the suit. Will makes him hesitate just long enough for John to bring him down. Zibo announces that Megazor has failed the test. Smith, in one of the cages, tumbles out.

Ray Dutczak Comment

One of the best stories from season three. When The J2 needs repairs John and the Robot head out in the Space Pod to a planet below to investigate. The Pod is met by a forcefield as John calls it "a barbwired fence to keep things in" but eventually make a safe landing on the planet. On the planet they are met by a Monster which JR kills and is quickly met by Megazor who takes them as prisoners.

I like Megazor who is the alien in this episode. Vincent Beck does a great job with his character and plays him very well. The camp scene with JR fighting Invisibo is pretty good. The only bad aspect to the scene is when Invisibo appears, he is a monster in a white sheet. I think everyone involved could have created a better monster.

The white sheet idea would happen again in Space Creature. The Hunt scene between Megazor and JR is fantastic and done very well. Johns protective suit given to him prior to the hunt desintigrates when he goes under a waterfall during the chase. Remember, Megazor explained in his camp prior that each weapon has a defect. The climax comes with a great fight scene between Megazor and JR in which JR wins and Megazor is destroyed.

A few key points: Most of the chase, and fight scenes were filmed on Fox's Malibu Ranch. Lots and lots of recycled props in this episode. Many LIS rifles are seen in Megazors Camp along with other props on the table were Megazor explains what each weapon does. The only lowpoint of Hunters Moon for me is when Dr Smith and Will go out searching for JR and Doctor Smith looking through a cravascope ( as he calls it) falls over a big boulder. Definately a scene that could have been cut from the final draft. So,on a scale of 1 - 10 I give Hunters Moon a solid eight.

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