Out of place. It feels much
like a fairly typical late 70's science fiction tv show in that the character,
Jonah, could (questionably) see the future. In most cases the character is
usually proven wrong. Here though, he's actually right (he just didn't see
every single detail) and yet they act as though he was wrong! Banner
questions Jonah's ability throughout the whole episode despite undeniable
evidence. It gets pretty absurd...but no where near as ridiculous as the
villain: a goofy looking fat man, named Waldo that has the unexplained
ability to look just like anyone he wants. He is so convincing with these
masks that he can even fool co-workers of the slender person he is
impersonating. I really don't think the episode is bad beyond those
factors (they are BIG factors) but this is just too "small
scale" for a Hulk episode.
This is undoubtedly the most
unusual episode of the series. Most of the opening scenes serve no purpose to
the plot, other than to show the Hulk in action and to establish that Betty's
nephew Jonah really can see the future. There are some really strange things
going on with the plot, with Gamma Base now conducting science missions using
space shuttles, and Betty just happening to be one of the pilots. Waldo, the
clown-like, master-of-disguise saboteur just has to be seen to be believed. I
really can't quite figure out what writer Dennis Marks was going for with this
guy, as he seems totally out of place in this series. Having said that, it is
nice that we get to see just how the foretold future inevitably comes to pass,
with the accidental destruction of one of the shuttles and despite Banner's best
efforts to prevent him from being anywhere near the replacement. Like "It
Lives! It Grows! It Destroys!", the Hulk is treated more-or-less as a means
to advance the plot rather than an actual character.
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