| Dear Earth | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 17 | |
| |
| Air date | March 3, 1996 |
| Written by | Richard Whitley |
| Directed by | Winrich Kolbe |
| Episode guide | |
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Dear Earth is the seventeenth episode of Season 1 of Space: Above and Beyond.
The episode aired March 3, 1996 on the Fox Network.
The members of the 58th receive letters from home, some with good news, some with bad, while McQueen and Cooper are ordered to cooperate in a TV documentary about In Vitroes serving in the United States Marine Corps.
Summary[]
An Inter Solar System Cargo Vehicle (ISSCV) arrives aboard the USS SARATOGA with mail from Earth. Everyone in the Wild Cards gets something. Wang gets a package from his parents with a book and a piece of sod from Wrigley Field. Damphousse gets a 12-page letter from her fiancé. Nathan gets a letter from his parents, and learns that they have not yet been notified of his brother's death. Vansen gets a video message from her sister Ann, relating her pregnancy and decision to call the baby girl Marion, in memory of their mother. After standing on the fringes and discussing the fact that In Vitros never get mail, both Hawkes and McQueen get letters as well, stating the military's intention to make a documentary about In Vitros in the military. Ross takes time out from playing his guitar to explain to McQueen why the documentary is necessary.
McQueen briefs the 58th on a mission to take out a Chig supply depot and reads them the riot act over complaining about ground combat missions. The 58th takes an ISSCV to the planet Memnon and drills into the ventilation shafts for the depot in order to drop explosives down them. However, there are problems. Hawkes is stuck with the new member of the 58th, Hill, who does not like In Vitros. Meanwhile, Damphousse and Wang come under fire from Chigs, and Damphousse gets pieces of glass from her night vision goggles embedded in her corneas. Fearing that she might not make it back alive, she entreats Wang to read to her the last part of the letter from her boyfriend, only to find out that it is a Dear Jane-type letter.
Upon the 58th's return from the mission, they are confronted by the documentary camera crew in the loading bay while Damphousse is taken to the medical unit. Later, in the recreation room, Hawkes tries to bluster for the cameras and pretend that he is more adept socially than he really is, while ignoring Hill's racist comments. When McQueen walks in, the camera men converge on him, and Hawkes listens soberly while McQueen relates an incident from the AI War.
Damphousse learns that her eye sight will recover. Vansen tries to place a personal call, and finds that she will have to barter to get a better spot in line if she wants to talk to her sister before the baby is born. West argues with Ross over a form letter to be sent to his parents notifying them of his brother's death. Vansen finds out that she has been promoted to Captain, but is still more worried about placing a video phone call to her sister. She arranges a barter to use the phone, and is in time to see her niece being born.
Cast & Characters[]
Main Cast[]
- Morgan Weisser as 1LT Nathan West
- Kristen Cloke as CPT Shane Vansen
- Rodney Rowland as 1LT Cooper Hawkes
- Joel de la Fuente as 1LT Paul Wang
- Lanei Chapman as 1LT Vanessa Damphousse
- James Morrison as LTC Tyrus Cassius "T.C." McQueen
Recurring Cast[]
- Tucker Smallwood as Commodore Ross
- Robert Crow as Crow
- John Wilkie as Chig (uncredited)
Additional Cast[]
- Steve Hytner as Kolbe
- Charles Carpenter as Wagner
- Darren Gray Ward as LT John Hill
- Bob Clendenin as Mank
- John Battle as Supply Sergeant
- Jennifer Burns as Ann
- Armand Reiser as Armed Guard
- Carl Gilliard as Ophthalmologist
- Gibson Frazier as Ed
- Loren Chase as Mrs. West
- Kate McCalley as Doctor
- Scott Dorel as Sailor #1
- Jermaine Montell as Sailor #2
- Michael Wachtel as Marine #1
- Ted Mann as Slow Talker
Crew[]
Director[]
Writer[]
Executive Producers[]
- Glen Morgan (executive producer)
- James Wong (executive producer)
- Stephen Zito (co-executive producer)
Producers[]
- Tim McHugh (producer)
- D. Howard Grigsby (producer)
- Herb Adelman (co-producer)
- Ken Dennis (associate producer)
Music[]
- Shirley Walker