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"The Longest Day"
Written by Joyce Perry
Directed by Gordon Wiles
Original airdate: October 18, 1975
This page last updated 5/29/2020
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The clock pylon malfunctions,
causing an “endless day”.
Read the complete
story summary by Nels Olsen
Didja Notice?
Rick is seen working on the family's map of the
Land as the episode opens.
The pendants the Marshalls
wear in this episode are supposed to be the ones they received from
Rani in "Elsewhen" but they don't look quite the same. |
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Pendant in "Elsewhen" |
Pendant in "The Longest Day" |
The shot of Grumpy and Alice roaring at each
other across the crevasse at 4:32 on the DVD is borrowed from
"Tag Team".
This episode introduces the Library of Skulls.
At 5:58 on the DVD, images of the Lost City before it fell
into ruins are seen in the mists of the Library of Skulls.
We will get another look at the early city in
"The Pylon Express". |
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Rick is shouting for Enik as he wanders the tunnels
of the Lost City. Wouldn't this be likely to attract the Sleestak
instead? In fact, it seemingly does!
At 8:34 on the DVD, it appears that a metallic
necklace has been placed on one of the Sleestak in order to talk to
the skulls in the library.

The Index Skull in the Library of Skulls says
that the Sleestak are 7,000 in number.
At 9:50 on the DVD, you can see cables on the
floor of the Library of Skulls; probably power cables powering the
throbbing light in the skull set pieces
.
This episode is the first mention of the sacred
Altrusian moth which plays some role in the fertility of Sleestak
eggs.
The two football players who tackle Will in
Rick's vision in the Library of Skulls look pretty goofy in their
football uniforms! Much too tall and lanky for your typical football
player. I suspect they must be the UCLA basketball players who
portrayed Sleestaks on the series.
At 18:08 on the DVD, Rick sees a vision of a
canyon. Possibly, it is meant to be the canyon the Marshalls were
rafting on when they fell through the time doorway to the Land of
the Lost.

The opening sound of the pylon doorway is
different than in any past episodes. Is it because of the burned out
crystal matrix table? Listen:
other pylon
doors
clock
pylon door.
Unanswered Questions
Will and Holly claim they
never made it into the Lost City, suggesting that Rick's interaction
with them inside was just a vision induced by the mind-altering
smoke. But then how did the visions know that Will and Holly had
viewed the Library of Skulls in their pendants (as the "visions"
state at 15:11 on the DVD). Is it possible Will and Holly actually
did make it into the Lost City but the smoke has made them forget?
Is the smoke intelligently directed?
How did Rick escape from the Library of Skulls
without his knife to cut the ropes nor help from Will and Holly? Did
the Sleestak free him to repair the clock pylon and the smoke has
simply made him forget? Although he doesn't remember, Rick does say
"...obviously, I made a bargain with someone." Again,
could the smoke be intelligently directed, perhaps by the skulls
themselves?
Notes from the Audio Commentary by Wesley
Eure and Kathy Coleman
Wesley says that kids used to ask him if the
dinosaurs on the show were real. He would tell them they were and
that there was a big corral on the studio lot where they kept all
the dinosaurs until they were needed to shoot a scene.
Memorable Dialog
doing something to my mind.wav
tell us of our destiny.wav
the skulls do not lie.wav
all things from Altrusia.wav
the skulls are never wrong.wav
the Altrusian race.wav
how do you know.wav
not
possible.wav
we do not trust you.wav
ask the skulls.wav
we already know.wav
join the skull of your father.wav
do not let the prisoners escape.wav
the library of the whatsis.wav
maybe the Sleestak aren't so bad.wav
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