by Mark Murton

Original Air Date: March 24, 1977

Starring: The Felix Team

Directed by: Virgil W. Vogel

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: The travelers materialize in the shadow of an erupting volcano and immediately seek shelter in a nearby cave. Awoken by a disturbing dream, Varian (Jared Martin) wanders away from camp and meets Arla (Belinda Balaski) a woman he saw in his dream. When he sees his friends again he shocks them with the news that he won’t be travelling with them any more as he is going to marry Arla, unaware that her people have a rather different fate in store for him.

Featured Feline: As the travelers hurry to take shelter Liana (Katie Saylor) cradles Sil-L in one arm (even though only moments earlier Sil-L didn’t even seem to be with them!)

When they stop, Liana gives Sil-L a small kiss and places him on the ground (usually a cue for Sil-L to disappear for most of the rest of the episode, but happily not this time).

They start a fire and settle down to sleep with Sil-L positioned next to Liana.

The travellers soon fall asleep although Sil-L remains awake and alert, looking around the cave.

As they sleep Varian starts to dream. As the dream becomes more disturbing Varian wakes with a start to find Sil-L staring at him.

Varian reaches over and smooths Sil-L’s head then returns to sleep.

At dawn, Varian wakes first and leaves the cave, noticed only by Sil-L who watches him go at first then follows.

Outside the cave Varian stops to get his bearings and Sil-L waits behind a nearby rock.

Soon Varian moves off again and Sil-L continues to follow.

In a clearing Varian meets Arla as Sil-L watches from the foot of a nearby tree.

Varian and Arla walk off hand in hand, again with Sil-L in close attendance.

Varian and Arla enter the city where she lives but Sil-L isn’t seen to follow; instead, back at the cave the others have been trapped by a rockfall and are lead to an escape route by the guiding cries of (the unseen) Sil-L. Eventually they meet up with Varian again and learn of his wedding plans. It isn’t clear when the group reunite with Sil-L but the cat is not at the wedding or with them when they say their goodbyes and move off. Sil-L is back in Liana’s arms when Scott (Ike Eisenmann) realises they didn’t give Varian anything as a wedding gift and insists on returning.

Fred (Carl Franklin) isn’t happy that Scott is going back alone and so Liana sends Sil-L to keep an eye on him.

This leads to some impressive cat sprinting as Sil-L races after Scott and up some stone steps to arrive at Scott’s feet just as he is entering the building. Sil-L follows Scott inside.

Scott is refused permission to see Varian, but is assured the gift will be passed on. Disappointed, Scott is about to leave when he sees Sil-L sitting nearby. Sil-L indicates a hidden doorway which we (and presumably Sil-L) saw earlier in the episode.

Scott opens the door and Sil-L leads him down some rough steps cut into the rock to a place where Scott views what is about to befall Varian.

Scott hurries back to the others and they set out to rescue Varian. Once again Sil-L disappears throughout the climax then turns up when the travelers stops at a safe distance from the exploding volcano to regroup before moving off into the ball of blue light and off to their next adventure.

Final Mewsings: Even while traveling through space and time, cats just come and go as they please.

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