I get the same kind of joy out of these kinds of cheesy Sci Fi dramas that I get from reading the Pulpy sci fi novels of the same era. You can't with a straight face say that they are the best television you have ever seen. The stories are often ludicrous and far fetched, even for sci fi. But there is something charming about their innocence and naivety.
In this episode we see the crew of the polaris land at a small space colony infected with 'Methane Sickness.' We then witness their efforts to save the colony while certain members try to abandon it to save themselves.
There are about thirty separate plot holes in this episode alone. Why on earth would the colony not be provided with enough medication in event of an epidemic like this. Why are people so eager to leave if there is possibility of further infecting more people. Why did the unconscious pilot only show symptoms once rescued if he was already sick enough to be unconscious?
All these things aside, this episode has a simple premise, that it executes rather well, and as we have all recently found out, is realistically quite a scary concept. The acting of course is pretty sketchy. But if you choose, like me, to see this as one of the charming elements of a lot of shows from this time, it will only add to the experience. As does, weirdly, the inclusion of the sponsorship ads throughout. We don't really get those here in the UK, and never have as far as I'm aware, so that is something else that adds to the cheesy, 50s feel of the whole thing.
Lovers of vintage sci fi will definitely have a fine time with this.