Irwin Allen Wiki
Register
Advertisement
"Crack of Doom"

Crackofdoom

TTT episode
01x06/6th of 30 aired
First aired
Written by
Irwin Allen, William Welch
Directed by
William Hale
Previous episode
Next Episode


Summary[]

Doug Phillips and Tony Newman materialize in a tropical jungle during a volcanic eruption. The time travelers' arrival is witnessed by tribal leader Karnosu, who calls them "devils from the sky." He explains that only a sacrifice will appease the volcano. The natives overpower Doug and Tony, and are about to throw them to their deaths when a commanding English voice halts them. Dr. Everett Holland, a middle-aged scientist appears, having been sent by the Royal Society to study volcanic activity in this area. Doug and Tony are horrified to discover they have are on Krakatoa.

At Project Tic-Toc, Ann's time-fix indicates that the year the travelers have arrived is 1883. Swain, knowing that Doug has done research on volcanoes, says he'll know the danger. At Holland's island base, Doug asks for the exact date, but aside from the year and the month, Holland has lost track, he arrived in May after Krakatoa's first explosion. When Doug and Tony try to convince him that another is due, Holland says his calculations set such a possibility about thirty years hence. At Prject Tic-Toc, Jerry announces that Krakatoa blew up at 10:02 a.m. , August 27th, 1883. According to the diary kept by Holland's daughter, Eve, it's August 26th.

Doug decides they must head for Java, but Ann's new time-fix shows that Java will be inundated by a tidal wave. - only the high ground of Sumatra is safe. Neither Holland nor his daughter believe Doug's insistence that an eruption is imminent. When lava spews forth from Krakatoa, Tony accuses Holland of lying about his theories. The scientist finally admits that he wanted the chance to measure the amount of volcanic activity up to the moment of explosion, but promises to leave with them in the afternoon when his instrument readings will be complete. Doug, feeling something is wrong, scans Eve's diary and finds she forgot the International Date Line - today is August 27th!

Karnosu and his natives once again capture Doug and Tony, determined to make a sacrifice. The Tic-Toc team attempt to retrieve the time travelers one at a time and succeed in bringing Tony back into the Tunnel. As Tony steps into the complex he finds that his colleagues are frozen in an instant of time. He has no other choice than to reverse the settings and send himself back in time, but as he prepares to depart Tony spots the notes about Sumatra and takes them with him.

Tony's Return

Tony is finally returned to Project Tic-Toc in 1968. But his return has created a temporal warp and frozen his colleagues in a moment of time.

Tony materializes by the natives and, using the advantage of surprise, helps Doug escape his captors. In the melee, Karnosu falls into the volcano, becoming the sacrifice that he had craved. Eve now believes that time is running out but she is more terrified of her father's anger and disapproval. Holland overhears General Kirk's voice speaking out of thin air to Tony, and, dumbfounded, is forced to believe what the time travelers have been telling him.

Holland, Eve and the natives paddle towards Sumatra while Doug and Tony vanish from the beach back into the time vortex.

Background information/trivia[]

  • It is revealed in this episode that Doug is knowledgeable about volcanoes, and when trying to communicate with the local natives, Tony speaks some Malayan.
  • For the first time in the series, voice communication is established between the Tic-Toc personnel and the time travelers.
  • It is revealed in this episode that moving in time is all a matter of rapid acceleration.

Cast[]

Links[]

The episode can be viewed at Hulu.com at The Time Tunnel channel

Advertisement