Four soldiers, including repatriated prisoner of war Major John Skokes, are the last survivors of a space battle. On board a crippled space cruiser, they are slowly dying of radiation poisoning, but they are the only remaining chance to launch a strike against the alien enemy.
Opening narration[]
| "Warriors may be forged in the fires of battle, but heroes are discovered in the most unlikely of places." |
Plot[]
In this episode, "The Light Brigade" refers to the ship on which the story takes place. This leads the captain of the vessel to attempt to read a verse of the original poem to the men before the commencing of their mission. This ship is the last hope of humanity in a war against an alien race. In an attempt to turn the tide of the war, humanity is resorting to a Hiroshima type strike. The Light Brigade carries a new weapon, the subatomic bomb, to be delivered to the enemy homeworld. This bomb works by breaking down the forces which hold subatomic particles together to form an atom. As with the original atomic bomb, a very limited number were made. The first was tested on one of the Martian moons and it created an explosion of such power that there was continous daylight on Earth for several days.
The Light Brigade's purpose is to deliver this powerful weapon to destroy the enemy homeworld. Unfortunately, the aliens ambush the ship and use their unique methods to trick the survivors of the Light Brigade into failing their mission. This feat is achieved by Major John Skokes, whose physical likeness has been assumed by an alien spy, meaning the real Skokes never escaped captivity.
In the closing scene, at huge personal cost, the bomb is released over what the crew believe to be the alien homeworld. It is in fact Earth, and the mission is not only a failure but allows for the unleashing of the doomsday weapon on an already crippled humanity.
Closing narration[]
| "The greatest horror of war is the fateful transformation of our children into heroes." |
Notes[]
- The episode is a sequel to the Season One episode "Quality of Mercy". Robert Patrick reprises his role as Major John Skokes. He was the first actor to play the same character in more than one episode of the series.
- This is the only episode of the revival series with an all male cast.
- This is the only episode directed by Michael Keusch.
Cast[]
- Robert Patrick as Major John Skokes
- Wil Wheaton as Cadet
- Graham Greene as Chief Weapons Officer
- Adrian G. Griffiths as Boromir (as Adrian Hughes)
- Michael Kopsa as Engineer (as Mike Kopsa)
- Adrian Holmes as Soldier
- Nathaniel DeVeaux as Captain (voice)
- Kevin Conway as the Control Voice (voice)
| Innobotics Corporation | "Valerie 23" • "Resurrection" • "The Hunt" • "Mary 25" • "In Our Own Image" | |
| Major John Skokes | "Quality of Mercy" • "The Light Brigade" | |
| Alien Infiltration | "Birthright" • "The Voice of Reason" | |
| Strong Brothers Investigate Conspiracies | "The Voice of Reason" • "A Special Edition" | |
| Dr. Theresa Givens' Time Machine | "A Stitch in Time" • "Better Luck Next Time" • "Final Appeal" | |
| Genetic Rejection Syndrome | "Unnatural Selection" • "Criminal Nature" | |
| The New Masters | "The Camp" • "Promised Land" | |
| Dr. Martin Nodel | "Double Helix" • "The Origin of Species" | |
| USAS | "The Joining" • "The Vessel" • "In the Blood" | |
| Earth Coalition-Free Alliance Conflict | "Phobos Rising" • "The Human Factor" • "Human Trials" | |
| Jack the Ripper | "Ripper" • "Better Luck Next Time" | |
| Nicholas Prentice | "Tribunal" • "Gettysburg" • "Time to Time" | |