Return to the Planet of the Apes "Escape from Ape City" #1.2 (1975) (TV)

Run Bill, Run, 26 March 2008

The second episode in Return to the Planet of the Apes, "Escape from Ape City", primarily follows the plight of Bill as he is taken to Cornelius and Zira's lab for experimentation. Bill quite naturally proves to be brighter than the average human. But when brain surgery is suggested, Bill blows his cover and the apes discover he can speak. Not wanting to see him put to death, Cornelius and Zira agree to help Bill escape.

As with the first episode, "Escape from Ape City" doesn't provide many surprises for those familiar with the basic storyline found in Planet of the Apes. The plot closely mirrors Taylor's ordeal from the movie. One interesting change is that ape city and the civilization presented in this episode more closely resembles Pierre Boulle's original book. It's a more advanced culture with transportation, communication, and other "modern" infrastructure. Also, I feel I should mention that I do enjoy the way the story arc continues from one episode to the next. It gives the overall series a more natural flow.

5/10