Directed by Hajime Tsuburaya. Written by Akihiko Sugano. Airdate Oct. 29, 1967.
In the most adult-oriented and serious episode yet, another alien race plots to infiltrate TDF’s Far East Base in human disguise and blow up something to make way for their invasion. We’ve seen this ploy already in “Secret of the Lake” and “Max, Respond.” But this time the invaders have a more insidious scheme, which is to sow suspicion in the Ultra Guard to trick them into believing Dan is an alien traitor in disguise. That way the real infiltrator can escape suspicion and remove Ultraseven as an obstacle. (All alien races seem to be able to immediately recognize that Dan isn’t an Earthling.)
This intra-defense team conflict is something new for the Ultra series and a nice example of the tenser character dynamic Eiji Tsuburaya was aiming for in Ultraseven. It’s shocking to see Furuhashi and Amagi turn against Dan, and even Anne seems ready to believe the spy’s deception.
The actual alien is disguised as Dr. Yushima (Koichi Yamamoto), “the brain of Earth.” While the doctor is flying back from TDF’s Antarctic research base to the Far East Base to help expand the Ultra Guard’s radar capabilities, Alien Vira uses a time-stop laser to freeze time and substitute an alien intelligence into Dr. Yushima’s brain. The Viras later communicate instructions to the possessed doctor through a television message, a weird and effective sequence, telling him to sabotage the radar system so the Alien Vira fleet can make a surprise strike. And get that Ultraseven guy, Dan, out the way while he’s at it.
Despite the title, the time-freeze laser doesn’t play a big role. Alien Vira only uses it to get control of Dr. Yushima. Maybe in an earlier draft the time distortion appeared more often to help create tension and uncanniness, but it feels like a Big Idea that got abandoned to streamline the episode.
The overall mood of “Vanished Time” is low-key paranoia and suspense. It plays like a dark espionage thriller. Many scenes are shot in tight confines and dimly-lit spaces with low concrete ceilings, and the dialogue and blocking have a slower, deliberate pace. The freeze frames for Alien Vira’s time-distortion device add extra ambience of menace, even though the time-freeze ray isn’t in use in most of these cases. This type of visual trick will become more pronounced throughout the series.
All this would work better if the episode had a finale that matched the gradual build up. When the Ultra Hawks launch to combat the approaching alien fleet and Ultraseven engages in a battle with an inexplicably enormous Alien Vira, it all feels a touch off. It’s also less exciting than it sounds. The slower pacing transfers over to the action scenes, and they’re sluggish and underwhelming. The finale may not work tonally, but going big and bombastic would at least punch it up.
The full form of Alien Vira is the best part of the ending. It has a grotesque design based on a species of slipper lobster that makes it resemble a lobster crossed with an alien facehugger. It’s freakish as it flops and floats around on hidden wires, but it doesn’t pose much threat once Seven has it out in the open. Even though I like Alien Vira’s look, a giant monster at the climax was unnecessary. Seven should have confronted the Alien Vira fleet alongside the Ultra Hawks.
Although the script doesn’t have any humor, I did get a laugh at this line from the possessed Dr. Yushima: “I wonder if there is any alien who could sneak into this heavily guarded base to do anything to me.” Hey, nobody mention the alien who slipped onto the base last week! And the week before that. I also snickered hearing Minister Yamaoka explain to the UG that “this defense base is a constant target for invaders from space.” Thanks for telling us the premise of the show, boss!
Rating: Good
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