It’s definitely not the show it was but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  However, this episode makes a critical mistake early on: it gives away the punchline in the title.  I imagine it was done because they intended viewers probably didn’t know what the Flying Dutchman was, but that would have been better as a big reveal.  The title could have just as easily been Ghost Ship and that would have given nothing away about the identity of the ship, while still keeping the creepy-factor intact.  Sadly, we know what’s coming right from the onset and instead get a “creep factor” of a different sort.  (Creepy = good.  Creep = not so much…)Weirdly, I was reminded of The A-Team while watching this.  Here’s the thing, the Marshall’s find a ship and go aboard.  They meet Captain Ruben Van de Meer who claims he’s been raided by Malak, the completely tedious loudmouth from Survival Kit.  Since he’s alone, he can’t get his belongings back himself, so he asks the A-Team: Jack, Will, Holly and Cha-Ka – you can figure out who’s who if the analogy strikes you. They hatch a plan and leave Holly and Cha-Ka behind to hang out with the good captain… who takes a strange shine to Holly.  Jack might love it when a plan comes together but this one almost went decidedly pear-shaped.

So let’s talk about what makes this good first.  I love the idea of the Flying Dutchman ending up in the Land.  It’s creepy enough but it’s also the idea of a lost thing from our world turning up in this place that really appeals to me.  I mean, we’ve seen it before, but I love it when a legendary ship might turn up indicating that perhaps it finds its way out every so often but always comes back.  The slow motion effect of it leaving at the end is equally eerie.  The cloudy view of it also works well.  The downside is the lack of decent special effects that make some images glaringly weak.  On the other hand, another win for the episode is the opening comedy when Cha-Ka finds a telescope, looks into it and sees Malak’s face staring back at him.  As much as I dislike the blunderbuss, I did laugh out loud.  Richard Kiel is, to the best of my knowledge, one of the few recurring characters besides Enik; it’s a shame I wish they’d forget about him.  Then we also get some educational material, albeit very slightly: we learn about sextants, telescopes and bolas.  

There is a line that caught me totally off-guard though.  Malak, a self-proclaimed god, is angry with the Sleestak for manhandling him.  Will turns to him and says, “forgive them Malak, for they know not what they do.”  This, blatantly religious comment, was wholly unexpected for a show that in previous seasons seemed to be respectful of religion.  I’m not saying this was offensive to me; I don’t offend that easily, but I would never have expected such a line.  It might not even be caught by some viewers who don’t know the religious significance, so maybe it doesn’t matter, but it’s just about what I anticipated.  However, that’s nothing by comparison to the Captain…

Ok, here’s the thing: it’s made pretty clear early on that the Captain feels Holly resembles his own daughter, so I get it: he’s thinking of (and undoubtedly missing) his own child, who he has not seen or been with in … well, who knows how long!  I get that.  What I don’t get is that, resemblance aside, this is not his daughter and he knows it.  He gets a little touchy with her, offering to have her travel with him forever… before slipping her a mickey and putting her to bed.  What did we say she is, 12??  Dude, really???  When Jack and Will come to rescue her, she’s carried out in a stupor.  Call me old fashioned, but I was totally put off by this.  As the Dutchman leaves, the Captain says goodbye to “my sweet Holly…”.  Maybe it’s that I never had a daughter of my own, but I just don’t see this as remotely appropriate behavior.  Say what you will of Jim Kirk, he never hit on 12 year olds…

This could have been a good episode but the ending really creeped me out.  I may not like Malak, but we have continuity with his presence.  We also have Sleestak, a mainstay of season 3.  Even Torchy makes a cameo again, letting the Marshall’s know that he’s escaped his prison.  None of that excuses the way the Captain behaves.  I can’t even be upset with Cha-Ka who values his ropework over the safety of the crew when he steals back the telescope at one point because, as out of character as that is, the Captain is worse and takes so much away from the rest of the episode, it’s hard to focus on anything else.  I think for all our sanity, it’s good that the Captain got the Flying Dutchman to fly off, hopefully never to be seen again.  Otherwise, the latter part of the season might have been called The Land of the Innocence Lost.  ML