Directed by Kazuho Mitsuta. Written by Tetsuo Kinjo. Airdate March 24, 1968.
An intense cold snap and snow storm descend on the HQ of the Terran Defense Force. Temperatures plunge below –100°F and keep dropping. Ultra Guard member Soga isn’t concerned at first, talking dismissively as he pours a cup of coffee: “A cold wave zone 114 degrees below zero is nothing to get nervous about. The atomic reactor in the power house 18 floors under is burning red. Praise human technology.”
The moment Soga says this, viewers know everything is about to go wrong in the worst way. The episode does not disappoint.
The TDF and Ultra Guard are quickly hurled into a life-and-death struggle against an alien race trying to wipe out Earth’s defenders — and Ultraseven specifically — so they can freeze the planet into a new ice age. It’s one of the most exciting episodes of Ultraseven, an unrelenting ride that never misses a chance to crank up the tension and raise the stakes.
The trouble starts when the atomic reactor of the TDF base fails, placing all 300 personnel in danger of freezing to death. When technicians try to reach the reactor, they run into the giant monster that caused the original underground tremor, Gandar. Base crew can’t use their most advanced equipment, like the Magma Riser, because the shield doors to that part of HQ have frozen shut. The TDF and Ultra Guard must rely on their own ingenuity and limited tools to fix the reactor. Personal tensions erupt when Dr. Araki (Munemaru Koda) advises abandoning the base to save lives, which Captain Kiriyama opposes because he believes retreating is the same as ceding Earth to invasion.
Outside, Dan Moroboshi is trapped in the blizzard. He’s severely weakened because Ultraseven’s biology depends on light and heat. Alien Poll, the invaders responsible for the super-freeze, appear in freakish visions to mock Seven’s imminent demise. Dan must rely on the capsule monster Miclas to fight Gandar while he tries to survive. Dan also loses the Ultra Eye in a snowdrift because writer Tetsuo Kinjo wanted to throw every obstacle possible at the heroes.
Kinjo is best known for his Ultra scripts that tackle social issues (“The ⅛ Project,” “Phantom of the Snow Mountains,” “Ambassador of the Nonmalt”). But he was also responsible for many of the best action episodes. “Showdown at 140 Degrees Below Zero” is one of his most well-constructed thrillers, managing a constant escalation of a nightmare scenario with impressive economy.
Giving the job of filming Kinjo’s tense script to Kazuho Mitsuta was a wise move. Mitsuta was skilled at handling episodes with both heavy human drama and complex visuals, and “Showdown at 140 Degrees Below Zero” is filled with both. Mitsuta keeps the action at the frozen base in constant motion, showing the TDF working tirelessly against desperate odds and without their best technology. Mitsuta shoots these scenes against darkness and chaotic backgrounds that contrast with the usual color and order of the base. The danger feels real, and some TDF members don’t make it (including one played by Kinjo in a cameo).
The clash between Dr. Araki and Captain Kiriyama over whether ‘tis nobler to stand and die or flee and live is at the heart of the episode, as it questions the priorities of the TDF. Kinjo and Mitsuta understand that underplaying this personal conflict is the best approach, since the physical stakes are already strong enough to keep everything moving. They don’t let the tension devolve into a prolonged shouting match: Kiriyama finally lets go of his obstinacy and remembers that saving lives comes before any futile adherence to principle.
The visual effects team threw their full effort into the episode, which is one of the most VFX-intensive in the show. The frozen models and the snow-buried set for the exterior of the base look fantastic; it’s easy to suspend disbelief and accept that everyone is trapped in an icy hell and that Dan is wading chest-deep through snow dunes.
This is the first time one of the capsule monsters has completely worked. With Dan too weakened from the cold to transform, he sends Miclas to fight Gandar. The majority of the kaiju action in the episode is Miclas vs. Gandar. Miclas is a bit too cute to look threatening, and Gandar has whimsical touches like comical eye stalks and a cone-shaped head. But staging their fight in a massive blizzard intensifies it and removes any edge of silliness: it’s a terrific monster battle.
The eventual fight between Seven and Gandar is a short one, as Gandar is no match for the fully powered Ultra warrior. Alien Poll was smart to attempt to kneecap Seven early on. The big action and suspense is whether Miclas can hold back Gandar long enough to give Dan a chance to survive and transform. If only the capsule monsters always got such an intelligent use in the show!
Alien Poll is an inspired villain race. Rather than the show’s usual techniques of keeping the aliens entirely off-screen or using a performer in a large suit, Alien Poll appears as small creatures who float in flames and speak in high-pitched shrieks and laughs. The effect could’ve been funny — and it sort of is — but Alien Poll still comes across as appropriately arrogant and cruel. The striking visual and the reedy voice give the aliens a nightmare touch, like shrieking demons or prophetic banshees. Nobody forgets Alien Poll.
“Showdown at 140 Degrees Below Zero” is a fantastic story of the perseverance of Ultraseven’s heroes. The entire Terran Defense Force, not just the Ultra Guard, comes through. Captain Kiriyama learns a lesson about the value of human life and his duty to his team. Ultraseven faces an almost unwinnable situation and only barely scrapes out a victory — and even then, most of the success is due to efforts of the humans at the base and poor, overmatched Miclas. It’s a thrill-packed mini-epic with a seamless weave of action, characters, and themes.
Rating: Classic
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