Alien Nation
A flying saucer crashed in the Mojave Desert and its inhabitants turned out to be alien slaves, bred to be super intelligent and strong, and controllable by their Overseers. These Tenctonese, or "Newcomers", have been assimilated (sort of) into the population of Los Angeles. One of them, George Francisco, is a police detective with a human partner, Matthew Sikes. George and Matt fight crime together, while learning to respect the other's culture, and question his own. They also fight prejudice, as personified by the Purists, and fear, in the form of the unseen Overseers, who seek to regain control over their slaves.
- Metascore53
- 1989-1990
- 1 season
- Fox Network
- Suspense, Drama, Science Fiction
- TV-14
A flying saucer crashed in the Mojave Desert and its inhabitants turned out to be alien slaves, bred to be super intelligent and strong, and controllable by their Overseers. These Tenctonese, or "Newcomers", have been assimilated (sort of) into the population of Los Angeles. One of them, George Francisco, is a police detective with a human partner, Matthew Sikes. George and Matt fight crime together, while learning to respect the other's culture, and question his own. They also fight prejudice, as personified by the Purists, and fear, in the form of the unseen Overseers, who seek to regain control over their slaves.
Season 1 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 1989 - 1990
Episode 0
Pilot
Mon, Sep 18, 1989 120 mins
Episode 1
Fountain of Youth
Mon, Sep 25, 1989 47 mins
Sikes' issues with aging are intensified when he learns that the Newcomer life-span is almost twice that of humans. The death of a police officer during surgery raises questions about the hospital.
Episode 2
Little Lost Lamb
Mon, Oct 2, 1989 47 mins
Sikes tries to help a 16-year-old Newcomer prostitute. George deals with the intrusion of Uncle Moodri and his traditional Tenctonese values.
Episode 3
Fifteen with Wanda
Mon, Oct 9, 1989 47 mins
Sikes and Francisco must each try to deal with their own problem children while keeping a witness safe from a mob hit man.
Episode 4
The Takeover
Mon, Oct 16, 1989 47 mins
While the city suffers a riot, Francisco and Sikes alone must defend their precinct house from a gang of thieves.
Episode 5
The First Cigar
Mon, Oct 23, 1989 47 mins
Francisco comes under the scrutiny of the IRS and wrestles with the ethics of asking for a loan from an influential Newcomer that he has helped.
Episode 6
The Night of the Screams
Mon, Oct 30, 1989 47 mins
As Halloween approaches, a series of Newcomer murders seems to follow the pattern of a Tenctonese myth.
Episode 7
Contact
Mon, Nov 6, 1989 47 mins
The murder of an astronomer leads Sikes and Francisco to the discovery of an extra-terrestrial probe passing through the solar system. But is it friend or foe? Sikes' relations with his Newcomer neighbor, Cathy, develops. George and Susan discuss having another baby.
Episode 8
Three to Tango
Mon, Nov 13, 1989 47 mins
A series of murders of Binnaum, a rare kind of Tenctonese needed for catalyzing reproduction, raises fears that Purists are trying to stop the Tenctonese from breeding. Francisco asks Albert to be the Binnaum for his and Susan's next child.
Episode 9
The Game
Mon, Nov 20, 1989 47 mins
The Day of Descent, the fifth anniversary of the Tenctonese's liberation from slavery with their ship's arrival on Earth, finds Francisco depressed. A lethal form of gambling from the ship may be continuing on Earth.
Episode 10
Chains of Love
Mon, Nov 27, 1989 47 mins
Sikes and Francisco seek an elusive Newcomer woman - all of whose dates wind up dead. George worries about Susan's fidelity.
Episode 11
The Red Room
Mon, Dec 18, 1989 47 mins
A break in at a behavioral lab and a series of execution-style murders dredges up buried memories for Francisco.
Episode 12
The Spirit of '95
Mon, Jan 15, 1990 47 mins
As Susan and Buck campaign for Tenctonese suffrage, bombings and kidnappings are linked to the anti-Newcomer "Purist" organization.
Episode 13
Generation to Generation
Mon, Jan 29, 1990 47 mins
Several parties claim ownership of a mysterious Tenctonese box that leaves a trail of death in its wake.
Episode 14
Eyewitness News
Mon, Feb 5, 1990 47 mins
The line between reality and fantasy blurs when a crossed video phone line lets a boardroom of executives see a sex actress attacked. George becomes swept up in celebrity when a news crew does a week-long special on him.
Episode 15
Partners
Mon, Feb 12, 1990 47 mins
George is suspended from the force when several grams of drugs go missing on his watch. An old mentor of Sikes' returns. The Francisco family prepares for the Ejection, when the baby will transfer from Susan to George.
Episode 16
Real Men
Mon, Feb 19, 1990 47 mins
Sikes and Francisco investigate possible steroid dealings at a gym. George must reconcile his and humanity's conceptions of manhood while he is pregnant.
Episode 17
Crossing the Line
Mon, Feb 26, 1990 47 mins
Francisco worries that Sikes is hiding something when he cancels his vacation plans to help track down a killer.
Episode 18
Rebirth
Mon, Mar 12, 1990 47 mins
When Sikes comes back after being pronounced dead, he becomes obsessed with finding the Newcomer he believes healed him.
Episode 19
Gimme, Gimme
Mon, Apr 9, 1990 47 mins
George investigates the murder of the chief scientist at a company in which he is heavily invested. Buck, inspired by one of his teachers, protests that the workers at the company are being exploited. Matt sells one of his lottery tickets to Albert, only to see him win.
Episode 20
The Touch
Mon, Apr 30, 1990 47 mins
Cathy finds a boy she knew from the ship, but suspects he has been abused.
Episode 21
Green Eyes
Mon, May 7, 1990 47 mins
Tensions between partners erupt when Francisco passes the Detective 2 exam and is promoted over Sikes. Matt becomes uncomfortable with his attraction to Cathy. The mysterious death of a Newcomer judge points to a lethal bacterium being used as a weapon.