Higher Power (seaQuest DSV episode)

"Higher Power" was the final episode of seaQuest DSV's first season. It was originally shown on May 22, 1994.

Quick Overview: A trying time is at hand when the seaQuest's tour of duty comes to an end; Katie and Ford are up for the same command opportunity, Crocker contemplates retirement, Ben questions the future of his career, and Captain Bridger and Kristin begin an intimate relationship. However, Lucas may have the hardest time of all when he realizes that his father isn't really in his life anymore. However, the entire crew must come together one last time when Dr. Wolenczak's power plant threatens to melt the polar caps and flood the globe.

Plot

World Power, an underwater power plant, led by Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak (Lucas's father), prepares to offer the entire planet free electricity. In celebration, the leaders of the UEO declare a global holiday. With that in mind, the crew of the "seaQuest" head to a beach for a day in the sun. As the crew soaks up the rays and Ben tries to pick up women, Lucas can't find any pleasure in the holiday; he realizes that his father's work is more important than he is. Meanwhile, Captain Shelley, commander of an aircraft carrier, challenges Captain Bridger and crew to a volleyball game. Shelley, who had already lost to Bridger in other bets during the course of the day, asks for double or nothing as well as the right to convince Commander Ford to leave the "seaQuest" and serve aboard his vessel. Bridger agrees to the terms, but notices that Lucas is hardly enthusiastic about the game. Nevertheless, the "seaQuest" crew is victorious. Later that night, as World Power "turns on the lights" for entire globe, the crew applauds in celebration, but still, Lucas remains somber.

Back aboard the boat, Bridger addresses the crew and thanks them for their dedication over the course of the tour of duty. However, Lucas is not present for his speech. Bridger finds the boy in his quarters watching a taped message from his father playing on the viewscreen. Lucas claims that with everyone saying good-bye and giving Bridger presents, it's like a "bad birthday party." Bridger asks if Lucas wants him to contact his father, but Lucas declines, however, he asks Bridger to tell him "hello" if he calls anyway.

Meanwhile, at World Power, the ocean floor underneath the massive turbines begins to crack open, causing lava to spill into the water. As Dr. Wolenczak struggles to keep his plant in operation, Bridger calls, but Wolenczak declines to speak with him at the moment; tending to his work. Bridger scoffs and sarcastically remarks "what a dad" just as Kristin joins him for dinner. Bridger claims he'd be jealous if anyone else saw Kristin looking as she does and asks to kiss her, which she allows. As their embrace becomes more passionate, the hologram activates and the voice of Bridger's dead wife Carol entones throughout the room. Bridger and Kristin are shocked and surprised. Lucas soon appears on the vidlink claiming that he found a way to make Bridger's holographic wife talk as his present to the captain. Bridger is outraged that Lucas invaded his privacy. As the boy notices Kristin in the background, he realizes what he's inadvertently done and clicks the vidlink off.

Later, Kristin goes to Lucas' quarters to try to clear the air; she believes his present to Captain Bridger was very thoughtful, just ill-timed. She also explains that she understands why Lucas might feel threatened by the prospect of a relationship between her and Bridger. She claims intimacy, and not referring to sex, is very important, but Lucas says the same thing is important to him and feels that everyone, most notably his father, always puts his needs on the proverbial backburner. Kristin understands and leaves him be.

But back at World Power, the project is spinning horribly out of control and is reaching catastrophic levels. Global power begins to shut down, causing a planet-wide blackout. As Bridger and Kristin sit down to dinner, Secretary General Noyce appears on the vidlink and explains the situation. Bridger claims that Dr. Wolenczak is a smart man and should be able to find a solution to the problem, but Noyce claims that the word is that Wolenczak is dead. Watching from the bridge, Lucas is immediately crushed and slumps back into a chair in shock. Bridger orders Commander Ford to set a course for World Power.

Arriving on the bridge, Bridger finds Lucas and inquires if he's okay. He says that Noyce made a giant assumption claiming that his father was dead and now Lucas is stuck with it. Bridger also explains that he is faced with a similar problem everyday; in that, he never knows for certain if his son Robert is really dead, but reveals that the one thing that has made life worth living is Lucas and wants him to know how important it is for Lucas to know that he'll be there for him. Appreciative, Lucas thanks the captain, the man he'd come to know as a surrogate father over the course of the tour, and returns to his quarters to think. As he looks through some pictures of his father, he appears on the vidlink and calls out to his son. He tells him that he loves him just as the transmission cuts out.

As the "seaQuest" approaches World Power, the crew is stunned by what they see; a huge trench of lava steadily growing bigger, surrounding the power plant. Ortiz' sensors read it as a thermocline, but Kristin realizes that thermoclines cool down quicker than what she sees. Bridger informs Noyce of the situation and reminds him that a rise in ocean temperature such as this will melt the polar ice caps. Going to alert on all stations, the "seaQuest" is rocked by a lava stream. As it struggles to stabilize, it is hit again. Bridger goes to his console and orders the crew to abandon the "seaQuest". Delegating duties, Bridger orders everyone off the bridge; an order that everyone obeys, except for Commander Ford and Chief William Shan, who claim that Bridger can't save "seaQuest" alone. He agrees, and allows them to stay. Lucas however, knowing his father is still alive, begs Bridger to try and save him, but Bridger is not even sure if he can save his crew or his boat this time.

Chief Crocker, who had recently discovered that his wife has left him for another man, volunteers to take a sea launch over to the power plant to try and find Dr. Wolenczak. Knowing he might not survive, Crocker prefers to die at sea now rather than waste away on a barstool in San Diego. Bridger agrees and Crocker launches. Arriving at the power plant, Crocker is able to rescue Dr. Wolenczak and two of his associates. Wolenczak demands to see his son, but Crocker tells him that Lucas needs to see him and has for some time. Piloting the sea launch back to "seaQuest", Bridger orders Crocker to take Wolenczak's associates up-world.

Dr. Wolenczak tells Bridger that it'll take an enormous force to plug the lava well. Bridger suggests one-million megatons, to which Wolenczak admits might work, but is unsure where they'd get such a force. Bridger knows though, if "seaQuest" was piloted into the heart of the well detonated its warheads, it would exert such a force. He orders Shan to set the autopilot while he and Commander Ford take out their launch keys and arm the nuclear warheads. With all the weapons armed and the autopilot locked, the "seaQuest" begins to plunge into the lava well.

As the group hurries to the last sea launch, Bridger realizes that the auto-pilot has disengaged. He dashes back to the bridge, but not before telling Dr. Wolenczak to tell Lucas that "he's the best." As the three leave in the last sea launch, trapping Bridger aboard the doomed submarine, the captain returns to the bridge and locks the autopilot back on course.

As the "seaQuest DSV" plunges into its molten hot grave, the sea launch carrying Ford, Shan and Wolenczak surfaces near the rest of the "seaQuest" crew on a sandy beach. Lucas and his father reunite while Kristin demands to know where Nathan is from Ford. All he can angrily say is "OUT THERE!"

From the beach, the crew witnesses a massive explosion burst from underwater. They realize the worst, that their home and their captain are dead and gone. However, just as the last vestiges of the "seaQuest" burn up and explode within the lava well, the "Stinger" makes a quick escape from the boiling inferno with Nathan Bridger at the helm.

Looking out to sea for any sign of a miracle, Lucas notices the submarine he built wash up on the beach. As he and Kristin dash to its hull, they open the pod up to find Captain Bridger inside, exhausted, but alive.

In the following days, Captain Shelley continues to persuade Commander Ford to sign onto his vessel, now that "seaQuest" is gone. Ford claims he'll think about it as Katie announces she's taking command of her own submarine. Ford wonders why she thinks there won't be another "seaQuest", but Crocker pipes up "there'll never be another "seaQuest." Ben declares that everyone's somber mood is depressing, but Kristin reminds him that it's supposed to be. Getting an idea, Ben opens the present he originally bought for Captain Bridger, a "stripogram" hologram, to try and get a laugh out of his friends, but he soon finds he was ripped off and received a motivational speaker hologram instead of a nude saxophonist.

Back on the beach, Lucas and his father bid farewell again. Lucas sullenly claims that his father promised to show up for his birthday, but he doubts it. Bridger tries to raise his spirits, claiming that the next year will be great. When Lucas asks what they're going to do, Bridger points out that there's the small matter of building a new boat...

Background Information

This episode features the final regular appearances of Dr. Kristin Westphalen, Lieutenant Commander Katherine Hitchcock, Chief Manilow Crocker and Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg (although, Krieg would later reappear in "In the Company of Ice and Profit"), as Stacy Haiduk (Hitchcock) had requested not to return for the second season, Stephanie Beacham (Westphalen) also declined to return, and Royce D. Applegate (Crocker) and John D'Aquino (Krieg) had been released from their NBC contracts.

For a period, it was unknown whether or not the series would be renewed for a second season. With that in mind, the producers decided to destroy the ship in the first season finale, so that if the series was canceled, the show would have ended on a note of a finality. When the series was picked back up, another "seaQuest" was designed (sets, such as the bridge, sea deck, med-bay, and launch bay were completely redesigned) and constructed at the show's new filming location in Florida.

This episode was originally known as "An Ocean on Fire", but, was ultimately changed to "Higher Power" prior to airing. NBC originally aired a short "Tonight on "seaQuest"..." promo just prior to the episode's airing, which is available for viewing on the first season DVD release.

When the "seaQuest" is first hit by the lava stream, O'Neill sends out a mayday giving the boat's location, but, mixes up the two numbers on the repeat.

Trivia

At one point during the episode, Bridger claims that the melting of the polar ice caps would cause a global flood, requiring one to wear scuba diving equipment to stand on the observation deck of the World Trade Center. Clearly, the writers of the episode had no way to predict the events of September 11, 2001, making this line out of date when viewed today.

References