The Golden Man

The Golden Man
Season 2, Episode 7
Air date	February 19, 1981
Written by	Calvin Clement, Sr. Stephen McPherson
Directed by	Vincent McEveety
Episode guide
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"The Golden Man" is the seventh episode of the 2nd season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Plot

 

• Coming Soon

Synopsis

While traveling through an asteroid field, the Searcher discovers a stasis capsule with what appears to be a "gold boy" within (the alien's skin tone is the color of gold, as opposed to a boy made of gold – as confirmed by Dr. Goodfellow). Upon reviving from stasis, the alien declares his name is Velis and he desperately wishes to know where his companion, Relcos, is and that he must find him.

Soon thereafter, the Searcher is struck by an asteroid, and Asimov is trapped under a fallen piece of debris, too heavy to be moved by four crewmen, including William "Buck" Rogers and Hawk. Velis comes to Asimov's aid by touching the debris which then becomes easy to lift by psychokinetic chemistry (the ability to change the density/molecular structure of metals).

While attempting to get to the nearby planet Iris VII, whereon Relcos is believed to have landed, the Searcher is trapped on a large asteroid, unable to free itself using its tractor beams in reverse. Velis is unable to lighten the entire Searcher; however, he declares his companion, Relcos, is larger and whose powers are stronger would be able to do so. Buck, with a bit of trepidation, takes Velis to Iris VII to find his companion.

On Iris VII, Relcos has been captured by the local population and is placed in a cage wherein the townspeople force him to change their base metal utensils into precious metals. Relcos escapes by changing the metal bars to glass.

Buck and Velis are captured and jailed soon after arriving on Iris VII, it is at this point they are informed that Iris VII is a penal colony. Velis also reveals to the authorities that he, and Relcos, can transmute metals. The authorities then bring Velis to a rocketship and force him to attempt to change its weight, but he is unable. The authorities then decide to find Relcos, while jailing Buck and Velis.

Freeing themselves, Buck and Velis meet up with Hawk, who has been informed by Dr. Goodfellow that Iris VII is a penal colony and has come to the planet posing as a Federal Official. The trio is reunited with Relcos, who has been befriended and kept safe by a local stable boy, Marcos; but is later recaptured by the authorities of the penal colony. Hawk is exposed, but he, Buck, Velis and Relcos flee and manage to escape.

Later, aboard the Searcher, Relcos lightens the starship and it is able to use its tractor beams to free itself from the asteroid; repaired the ship is able to continue its travels. Velis reveals to Buck that Relcos is not the adult he appears, nor is Velis the child he appears; in fact Velis is Relcos's father. Their species age in reverse to humans with Relcos being only 5 years old.

Notes

 

• Paul Carr is known to Star Trek fans as Lee Kelso from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

Cast

Episode CastEpisode CrewProduction ManagementSecond Unit Director or Assistant DirectorArt DepartmentSound DepartmentSpecial EffectsVisual EffectsCamera and Electrical DepartmentCostume and Wardrobe DepartmentMusic DepartmentAdditional Crew

 

• Gil Gerard as Capt. William "Buck" Rogers
• Erin Gray as Col. Wilma Deering
• Thom Christopher as Hawk
• Jay Garner as Admiral Efram Asimov
• Wilfrid Hyde-White as Dr. Goodfellow
• David Hollander as Velis
• Anthony James as Mr. Graf
• Bruce M. Fischer as Loran
• Russell Wiggins as Relcos
• Paul Carr as Lieutenant Devlin
• Felix Silla as Twiki
• Diana Chesney as Hag
• Richard Wright as Onlooker #1
• Arthur Eisner as Onlooker #2
• Roger Rose as Marcos
• Michael Masters as Jailer
• Bob Elyea as Alphie
• Jeff David as Voice of Crichton (uncredited)

 

Directed by Vincent McEveety

Written by Calvin Clements Jr. and Stephen McPherson

Produced by Calvin Clements Jr., John Mantley, David G. Phinney and John G. Stephens

Music by Bruce Broughton

Cinematography by Ben Colman

Film Editor - Neil MacDonald

Casting - Joe Reich

Art Director - William H. Tuntke

Set Decorator - Frank Lombardo

Costume Designer - Al Lehman

 

Harker Wade - Unit Production Manager

 

Bob Bender - First Assistant Director

Stephen Lillis - Second Assistant Director

 

Jerry Allen - Model Builder

Ted Wilson - Carpenter (uncredited)

 

James R. Alexander - Sound

Dick Wahrman - Sound Effects Editor

 

Chuck Arrigo - Special Effects Coordinator (uncredited)

 

Peter Anderson - Special Photographic Effects Supervisor: Universal Hartland

David Jones - Special Photographic Effects Supervisor: Universal Hartland

 

Kenneth Hale - First Assistant Camera

 

Barry Downing - Costume Supervisor: Gil Gerard

 

Glen A. Larson - Composer: Theme Music

Donald Woods - Music Editor

Johnny Harris - Composer: Theme Music (uncredited)

Stu Phillips - Composer: Theme Music (uncredited)

 

Stephen McPherson - Executive Story Consultant

External links

 

• The Golden Man at IMDb
• The Golden Man at NBC.com