Continuing with the forward march of the Alliance into the heart of the Empire, this episode focuses on the inner workings of a small planet town and the effect that a large, incoming force has on them.
Also, Oberstein is being supremely clever with his tactics against his enemy, employing what is called the “Scorched Earth” plan, which was used by the Russians in WWII when Germany invaded them, leaving the invading Germans with no food or shelter, as they slowly died in the harsh, merciless Soviet snow. This plan is double-bladed, though, as the Empire’s own colonies will be potentially left to starve, if the Alliance doesn’t have the necessary supplies to keep them functional. What’s going to happen once the Alliance gets countered and those same colonies who depended on them are now left without food? Will the Empire return to save them or will they be left to rot as mere assets to another victory? We’ll see, but if the end of the episode hints at anything, is that nobody, not even these poor civilians, are safe at all.
Outside of this revelation, this episode is not very heavy in the messages or themes it delivers, showing us a different, yet obviously familiar face of war. It’s displayed in a way which is very similar to tales of yore about young love, brutally crushed by the horrors of battle and it’s never-ending hunger for more lives. We’ve heard stories just like this one before, and doesn’t technically delve too deeply into the pasts of these people (beyond their connection and the inciting incident to their current emotions, but nothing that truly reveals to us the rawness of their being), but it’s enough to make us understand their situation and why they took the decisions they did in order to save those living under their watch.
Kleingelt though, is a breath of fresh air, as a uncomplicated, unassuming old man who loves his people and simply wants no part in the war. What really works about him and his environment is that the simplicity of the land he rules over carries over perfectly to his own set of values and priorities. His access to technology is almost none, his subordinates and citizens are all country workers with plain, quite lifestyles, and no interest in the outcome of the war or other ulterior motives. He is one with is people, and they love him for it. A true, exceptional example of when politicians are the perfect public representative.
Other than that, there wasn’t that much to tackle this episode. Still poses some interesting ideas about the effects of an invasion on a planetary scale, but nothing ultimately groundbreaking or important. Still fascinating though!
The Spiral of Madness 