TV episode review
US airdate 4 January 2008 (Sci Fi Channel)

When Flash and Baylin are left holding a baby, they discover a whole tribe of Deviates...

Flash Gordon comes back after a six week gap with an episode that relies far too heavily on knowledge of past events to attract any new viewers. It does pose some questions about Rankol and how he reached his position of power – but then glosses over any answers.

Dale is hardly seen (probably allowing Gina Holden to make her guest appearance on Smallville) leaving the brunt of the episode on Flash, Baylin and Zarkov. Jodi Racicot is as annoying as ever as Zarkov and although the action sequences are well-shot, Karen Cliche as Baylin seems to have inherited one of Erin Gray's castoff costumes from the 1980s Buck Rogers series, so there's an odd air of déjà vu about them.

Ming's despotic ways seem to be returning to the megalomaniacal leader of the older serials, rather than the "New Man" version the series presented originally. Even the promised antipathy between Rankol and Ming's new scientific adviser seems to be petering out with the pair working together to retrieve the rift-opening Imex from Earth. Perfectly adequate, but Flash Gordon should be so much more. Paul Simpson

VERDICT: 6/10