In a nutshell: a powerful psychic implants a shared dream in Piccolo and Dagwood and uses them to get aboard seaQuest to attempt to steal chemicals from the nuclear warheads.

Another oddity, I'm afraid. O'Neill and Henderson are both missing in action this week (maybe O'Neill is still recovering from the horrors of the last episode?) and we don't even see the bridge. Ortiz only appears in two scenes, but they are both wonderful and so it is worth watching just for those little gems.

We start with two psychics, Clay Marshall and his companion/assistant Laura. It is clear that he is doing something that has got her worried, but she fails to talk him out of it, and leaves. He then starts thumping a baseball against the wall …

…And we leap into a nightmare that Piccolo is having, clearly implanted by Clay (since we can still hear the ball thumping). During the nightmare he sees a woman (his aunt) drowning in one of the swim tubes, and Dagwood is there. Piccolo wakes up screaming, and falls out of bed – waking Lucas, who is worried enough to call for help. Dr Smith examines Piccolo, but can't find anything wrong beyond sheer terror, and is going to dismiss it as an anxiety attack until Dagwood arrives and it becomes clear that they had the same dream. Both Piccolo and Dagwood then start clutching at their arms …

…and miles away, Clay is doing the same thing. Laura fills a syringe with blue liquid, and opens his arm up to reveal not blood and bones but hydraulics, and injects the liquid. Weird. We also learn that their supply of this liquid is running low.
Meanwhile, back to the real world.

The next scene is one of the few gems in this episode. SeaQuest is apparently decommissioning its nuclear warheads ready to swap them for some alternative; I was a bit hazy on this point. Ford, Brody and Ortiz are in some hold or other moving the warheads, and gossiping among themselves on the subject of 'the worst date ever'. As the scene opens, Ford is regaling the other two with a tale of hijinks and a police chase while speeding home after his girlfriend's curfew, resulting in her father getting arrested for illegal gambling after Ford had crashed the car into their garage.

It's a fun conversation, and wonderful to see the rarely glimpsed lighter side of Ford – and a snapshot of what he was like as a youth – and of Brody, too, while the lighter side of Ortiz is seen quite often and comes out strongly here. All three are relaxed and cheerful even while they work. We've seen on a number of occasions that Ford and Brody have a strong friendly rivalry going on, and that both get on well with Ortiz, despite the difference in ranks. Ortiz seems to get along with everyone, generally by treating them all pretty much alike no matter what their rank: he is a wonderfully laid-back, happy-go-lucky character.

Anyway, Lucas then arrives – and Ford has to tell the RESGs (Random Extra Security Guys) hanging around doing nothing to let him through, as they don't seem aware that he has clearance. It's a nice touch, showing that what they are doing it top security, and that even Lucas has to prove he has clearance. When asked about his worst date, he tells them 'being here, with you'. Ouch, what's biting him? Apparently, he's in a bad mood over the warheads, a nice contrast to the cheerfulness of the other three, who seem to be enjoying being off the bridge. An example of 'Lucas the Outsider' seeing things differently to the others.

They talk some about the warheads they are decommissioning, and Brody starts to demonstrate how safe they are by banging one with a hammer … which panics all three of the others, Ortiz grabbing it and putting his hands in danger of the hammer to stop him, while Ford rather despairingly and wearily tells him not to do that. Then we get the exposition on how the warhead works (mostly from Ortiz and Lucas) in the form of a debate– there are two sections: the top bit contains a blue fluid called sentium, otherwise known as blue moon, and beneath it is a canister containing another substance. When mixed, the chemicals set off a devastating (nuclear) explosion. Remember this lesson, kids, it will be important later.

Anyway, Lucas and Ortiz then gang up on Brody on the subject of weapons decommissioning while still producing weapons being an oxymoron, erudite Ortiz backing up Lucas on this point, and when the apparently less well-informed Brody fails to grasp the semantics of this, Lucas suggests they just settle for 'moron'. This is another character point we've seen before. Lucas is a scientist at heart; Ortiz is also scientifically inclined (he'd have to be, to do his job). Brody isn't, not in the slightest. Ford doesn't seem to be, either, so I can't help wondering what function he filled in the navy before reaching his current exalted position. As second-in-command he frequently seems to spend his time standing around on the bridge watching the lower ranks work. At least Bridger has his science to fall back on.

Dr Smith has been investigating Piccolo and Dagwood's shared dream. The aunt in the swimtube is a sticking point with her, and she tells Bridger that her own one and only premonition was a vision of her aunt drowning, just before said aunt did commit suicide. The fact that Piccolo clearly hasn't forseen the future since the aunt he saw has been dead for three years is ignored. Although Dr Smith is quite blatantly imposing her own issues regarding psychic abilities on Piccolo and Dagwood, Bridger allows her to haul them of to the Chatham Centre for Paranormal Abilities to be tested. This is completely against Piccolo's will, while it is doubtful that Dagwood is mentally competent enough to make such a decision for himself.

On that note, I often find myself wondering just why Dagwood is allowed the freedom he has to wander restricted areas when he has so little understanding. He often seems so simple that he should require a third party to be responsible for him. The crew (Bridger in particular) sometimes treat him almost like a pet, allowing him almost complete freedom to roam where he pleases.

At Chatham, we meet Clay and Laura once again, and learn that Smith knows them both well – in fact, it turns out that she once dated Clay, many years ago. She comments that he hasn't changed, but doesn't seem surprised. Piccolo takes an instant dislike to Clay, but observes that he saw Clay's boots in his dream. Clay talks a lot of psycho-babble nonsense here, and in the rest of the episode.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, we get our other gem of a scene. Ortiz is still working on securing the warheads for decommissioning; Brody is hovering around him doing absolutely no work at all and distracting him with chatter. It seems Brody is worried about Lucas calling him a moron. Ortiz is amused by this revelation of Brody's sensitivity, pointing out that Lucas was only joking. He manages to keep working throughout the conversation, despite Brody's attempts to distract him from what is clearly an important and high security job. I've said this a number of times – the officers just aren't there to do any actual work and in fact merely hinder those who are trying to work. Again, I love dialogue that comes with movement, as opposed to static dialogue. This is a really good scene: it flows beautifully, and seems so natural, just two guys chatting while they (or one of them, at least) work.

It is also a great character scene, revealing the insecure side of Brody, as he admits that as the 'new boy' on the boat (although surely he's been there almost a year now?) he worries about not fitting in and about what other people think of him. Up until now, we've mostly seen his cocky side, so it is interesting to see a little of what lies beneath this flippant surface. It's also interesting that he (a senior officer on the boat) chooses to confide in non-com Ortiz who, as O'Neill observed in 'Dagger Redux', never seems bugged by anything. He is Mr Laid-Back-and-Happy-go-Lucky, which is perhaps one reason why he gets along so well with his senior officers. He's got the nerve to treat them almost as equals, and although the difference in rank is never forgotten, they respond to that with something approaching friendship. If only there had been more character interaction scenes like this, and less of the boring and shady plot. Oh, and we get several flashes of that beautiful Ortiz smile.

Okay, back to the main story. At Chatham, a very nervous and hostile Piccolo is talked into going into a regression chamber in order to 'relive the experience of being in the womb, and discover his genetic memory'. I'm with Piccolo on this: what a load of codswallop. He agrees only because he trusts Smith, and what a mistake that is. From another room, Clay manipulates both Piccolo and the machine to make it a terrifying experience. Smith agrees to take the traumatised Piccolo home.

A very uneasy Bridger agrees to let Clay and Laura come to seaQuest to continue studying the shared dream in what for Tony will be familiar surroundings; he agrees mainly because Smith talks him into it, and she is still clearly imposing her own issues on Piccolo, who would prefer to forget the whole thing. Ford objects and challenges Bridger just as Brody enters and Bridger admits to having his doubts, and tells them both to avoid Clay and Laura at all costs. He doesn't want Clay reading their minds at this particular point in time (meaning the missiles). He is only letting them aboard because they have class 1 clearance, but sets Lucas to finding out more about why they have this clearance. I'm not going to comment on the blatantly apparent folly of this course of action. Smith has got him wrapped around her little finger.

On the shuttle travelling to seaQuest, Clay lets Dagwood drive and then challenges Smith loudly enough for everyone to hear (although they don't seem to) and pushes her to read his mind. When she does and is clearly horrified by what she sees, he causes her to have an accident which Dagwood as the pilot will feel guilty about. Laura realises that Clay was responsible, but is quickly silenced and unable to stop him doing a 'neural scan' on Smith. And I couldn't for the life of me see the point of any of this other than to put Smith out of action for a while – there was no logical reason for Clay to make her read his mind, especially as he knew that doing so would reveal his intentions to her, which he obviously didn't want. Madness.

An unconscious Smith is brought aboard seaQuest, and look! There is another doctor aboard! In fact, we get to see an entire medical team actually performing medicine; wonders will never cease. How disappointed Dr Smith should be that when actual medicine was performed she was the patient and therefore unable to display her own medical skills, assuming she has any. Clay reads the mind of the doctor, revealing among other things that he has only been aboard for two weeks. Is he meant to be covering for Smith? Have they been away that long? In which case, why is the decommissioning still going on? Shouldn't they have finished by now? Or is he just new to the ship but permanent? And just why are both Bridger and Brody there to greet Clay and Laura, given that Bridger wanted to keep Brody and his knowledge away from Clay? In fact, Bridger goes so far as to tell Brody to take them to their quarters – hello? Didn't you want to keep Brody away from them? Wasn't there someone else who could do this escort duty, who doesn't know about classified stuff?

Luckily, Brody is able to block them from reading his mind by thinking determinedly about women and hockey scores. Apparently. A nice trick, though, and clever of him to think of that – I'm assuming that he did it deliberately. Maybe he has been practising because of his wariness of Smith. Or maybe that is all he ever thinks about.
Clay manipulates the doctor and tells him to order a specific drug for Smith, and clear the room. Smith wakes up in time to gasp 'no' at the drug, but we don't see if it is administered or not, or learn what effect it would have.

Bridger and Ford go to talk to Lucas, who has unearthed plenty of information on Clay, revealing that he is not only the most powerful telepath in the world, but can also implant suggestions and orders in people's minds, manipulate the way they think. Old pictures of him shock them, as he has not only not aged in 20 years, he actually looks younger – in which case, surely Smith (who has known him for well over 10 years) should have been more surprised at his appearance? They also learn that he once worked on the top secret 'Blue Moon project', hence his class 1 clearance, and realise that he has deliberately manipulated his way aboard and probably planted the shared dream in both Piccolo and Dagwood in the first place. They guess that he is after the sentium, but don't know why.

Ford and Lucas have a great little moment alone together. Lucas asks the oh-so serious Ford if he ever smiles. Ford, still deadly serious, replies, 'I can't laugh, Lucas … because when I do, I'm just too good looking'. Lucas has to laugh, realising he's been had. Ford is in a good mood in this episode. Of course he is, he's not in charge. Bridger is in charge; therefore, Ford is safe and secure as the second-in-command and has no overall responsibility to trouble him. We have seen him smiling and laughing plenty of times in the past so I don't really know what Lucas is on about, except to reinforce the myth of Ford being overly restrained.

Bridger and Ford go to see Laura, who admits that Clay does want the sentium and that she has been unable to stop him, that she has for years been his facilitator. He wants it because it is the blood in his veins – he has altered himself, believing that he could force evolution. And now he needs the sentium to live. This science behind this escaped me, but that's okay because it was clearly made up by the scriptwriter and made no actual sense at all.

Leaving Lucas alone was clearly a mistake. It seems Clay has lifted the fact of his existence and abilities out of someone's head and gone straight to him. He takes Lucas prisoner and hauls him off in the direction of the hold, picking up Dagwood along the way. Dagwood, we remember, was very impressed with Clay at Chatham, and remains so now, especially when Clay manipulates his mind to let him see an image of himself as a normal person, which is apparently his greatest desire. That's cruel. But it's an interesting (and sad) character reference for Dagwood, that he longs to be normal. Clay then easily manipulates the REG (Random Extra Guard) on the door to gain access, and seals the door with McGath's security code, which Lucas tells him he shouldn't have, and Clay points out that Lucas also shouldn't know.

Bridger tells Ford they have to deal with this themselves, instead of handing it over to security, because of Clay's psychic ability. Do they have no faith at all in their security team? They get to the door, but can't get in because of the lock-down.

Meanwhile, Smith calls out psychically to Piccolo, waking him up. What time of day or night is it supposed to be, if everyone is still up except Piccolo? He races to medbay. Then the two of them head to the hold, and Smith informs Bridger and Ford that she needs Tony there because he does have untapped psychic power – he saw Clay's boots in his dream, and Clay didn't project that. Even in the midst of all this, Smith is smug to have been proved right about Piccolo, even in this small degree.
Inside the hold, Clay is dragging the codes out of Lucas' head by force (Lucas has more staying power than O'Neill did in Dagger Redux). He gets the codes, and gains access to the warhead and the sentium within, manipulating Dagwood to prevent him helping Lucas. As he starts to take the warhead apart, he flings the 'trigger' to the ground, and a pink liquid starts to spill out. Smith calls to him, trying to persuade him to remember what it was like to love, and to let Lucas and Dagwood out because she loves them (urgh. Mush).

They seem to feel that what he is doing would kill Lucas and Dagwood, but from what I can see, they are in no danger at present except from Clay's shaking hands, because he needs the sentium and therefore is unlikely to deliberately mix it with the stuff that will make it explode. They are only in danger if the two liquids mix, which isn't what Clay intends – he wants to inject the sentium. Nevertheless. He drops the other container, which also starts to leak. Now they are all in danger. And is it just me or should warheads be made of sterner stuff? Surely they shouldn't crack and spill their loads quite so easily? From this evidence, it's amazing seaQuest hasn't been blown to kingdom come long before now, as every time they get shot at, they are risking the warheads breaking, leaking, and exploding. It's just as well they are decommissioning them, purely on health and safety grounds.

Smith tells Piccolo to call to Dagwood telepathically, and he does so successfully, persuading Dagwood to help Lucas. Could Piccolo call out like this to just anyone, or only Dagwood? Does this mean that Dagwood also has psychic power? Or does Piccolo just have a link of some kind with Dagwood? Why should this be? Just because the actors are brothers is no reason to link the two totally unconnected characters so much.

Clay then gives Dagwood the code to open the door, and the others rush in, spot the danger, and drag Lucas out to safety, yelling at Dagwood to run, which he doesn't. They lock the door and run for it, leaving Dagwood and Clay to their fate. Clay then looks at the trapped and helpless Dagwood, and throws himself over the liquids just as they are about to go off, although how this is supposed to help is beyond me.

There is an explosion. This confused me. I thought they were all so nervous because it was a nuclear warhead being decommissioned. If so, surely getting out of the blast radius is a moot point. The entire crew should all drop dead with radiation poisoning, always supposing the entire boat isn't destroyed. However, this clearly doesn't happen, therefore it is just a nasty explosion, which destroys the hold but doesn't seriously damage the boat, and isn't nuclear related. So what was all the fuss about?

Dagwood walks out singed and dazed, but apparently not badly damaged. These GELFs are made of stern stuff. Incredible. Clay has been incinerated, his flesh completely gone and only the robotics beneath remaining. He must have taken the brunt of the explosion, being right on top of it, but muffled the blast enough to protect Dagwood. Dagwood gives Smith a message from Clay, which I presume must have been passed on psychically – 'I died long ago, but before I died, I loved you'. Urgh, mush again. And Laura tells Bridger that there are others like Clay out there, but she doesn't know who or where. Again, this concept is never revisited.

Overall, the episode again has great potential, but there are too many plot holes and too much left unanswered. But there are also some great moments. If only they had ignored the psychic storyline and concentrated on the guys decommissioning the warheads, and had more of the great interaction between Ford, Brody and Ortiz. And maybe added O'Neill to the mix. I wanted to hear the others relate their own worst dates!

Having Dr Smith as so much of a focus really didn't appeal to me. I can't warm to her character at all. Objectively, I suppose we learnt quite a bit about her past here. We learn that her first psychic episode was predicting her aunt's death, which scared her so much she has never had a precognitive episode again. We already knew that she had ambivalent feelings about her abilities, but that is reinforced here by the way she so blatantly imposed her own issues onto Piccolo and Dagwood, which was very unprofessional. We learn about her past relationship with Clay, who presumably helped train her at Chatham – and also presumably abused his position of responsibility by having that relationship with her, if he was her 'teacher' of a kind while they were dating. She certainly would have been vulnerable at the time, as she discovered her abilities – if she is uncomfortable with them now, how much more so would she have been there. But it is fitting with Clay's character that he would have a relationship with a student; he is clearly very selfish.

It is all good background material for Smith, but it still left me cold. Maybe it is that smug little smile she does when she's trying to be mysterious and keep everyone else on their toes – like she knows that her abilities make them uncomfortable and deliberately cultivates her eccentric reputation, despite affecting to dislike feeling an outsider. Whatever, I just can't find anything to like about the character.

Also, why on earth did they give Piccolo nascent psychic power if they were never going to take it any further? I seriously can't imagine Dr Smith just letting it go like that – she would have nagged and nagged him to develop his 'talent'. Not that I would have liked any more psychic episodes, but what is the point of introducing this element to a character if we are never going to learn any more about it, or how he reacts to and deals with it? How his friends react to the news? Poor continuity and a wasted opportunity.