I first saw S:99 when it originally premiered in the US. I was just a
kid, and had never heard of Barbara Bain or Martin Landau. I wasn't
really a sci-fi fan, but a huge horror fan. Some of the horror mags I
read had done articled on S:99 before it's debut featuring grisly
pictures from Year One. I was intrigued and began watching. It
grabbed me immediately for many reasons (another post for that
topic). One of the main reasons was Barbara Bain and her character
Dr. Helena Russell. Something about her just clicked with me. I found
the character absolutely fascinating, unlike any character I'd seen
before. She was strong, cool and in control when she had to be. She
also was very human at times of duress (War Games, AMOLAD) and
charming one minute... not afraid to butt heads with Koenig the next
(Dragon's Domain). Her icy beauty, her bravery, her demeanor really
impressed me. Yet she could also be vulnerable. When Helena took
command of the expedition in Last Sunset, I believe sci-fi tv history
was made. I never understood the "wooden" criticism. Bain gave a
subtle nuanced performance for much of Y1. She was the Chief Medical
Officer for all of Moonbase Alpha. Was she supposed to go around
breaking down or cracking jokes constantly? Helena Russell is my
favorite character on S:99.

Year Two Helena was very different and I'll save that for another
post.

Jeff in California