The season starts of with a “Brave New World” where SeaQuest and its crew reappear on earth 10 years after disappearing. The crew has no memory of what happened to them, but their skills and boat are still needed to stop a power hungry President of a new alliance. President Alexander Bourne (Michael York) is working against the UEO, he is making war in the oceans ever since the SeaQuest disappeared. While the SeaQuest has gone, Captain Oliver Hudson (Michael Ironside) is given the command of the SeaQuest, with the intention of stopping Bourne, not by going to war with him perse. Bridger suddenly has a grandson, he can’t find his son and his wife. He leaves SeaQuest to find them. He will stay in contact. Because SeaQuest now is a military vessel, Lucas needs to sign up if he wants to remain on the SeaQuest, he will become an ensign. After fighting a war on another planet, the aliens returned the survivors of the SeaQuest crew. Some have perished, presumably also Dr. Wendy Smith. Note – Already a better feel about this season after the season opener.

In the next episode “In the company of Ice and Profit” we see the (temporary) return of a season one cast member: Ben Krieg (John D’Aquino). Other noticeable guest star is: Tim DeKay. The SeaQuest gets involved in a businessman's scheme to use refugees and an iceberg to further his financial and political gains. Ben Krieg makes a return as one of the refugees and Dagwood becomes an official member of the crew. Ford and Hudson bud heads in the beginning. In the first 15 mins of the episode Hudson does not seem to be a captain you would like to serve under, referring to earlier incidents with Ford and O’Neill. However, in the rest of the episode you see that Hudson is not all that bad. Piccolo wants to be more than he is but cannot read, he asks Lonnie Henderson for help. Ben Krieg, with his people, are being used by Deon, to get what he wants but Lucas is able to convince his old friend. Ben does not want to stay on SeaQuest, he says they are on opposite sides now. Note - Ben was one of my favorite characters in season one. Like Lucas, Dagwood now also joins the Navy. It’s almost silly to say, but two episodes set in the ocean, as it should be!

In “Smoke on the Water” the SeaQuest is called to investigate missing undersea haulers. Leading the investigation is the Captains ex-fiancé which causes some tension on-board. Dagwood meets other Daggers during the investigation and considers staying with them. If he would stay, it would mean he becomes a deserter. Lucas has given an assignment, but in spite he orders Piccolo to do it. He gets his punishment for that when there is an incident. Captain Hudson must work together with his former lover, he stood up at the altar, which is hard for him as well as for her. Lonnie Henderson and Ford are attracted to each other. Note - Last season I believe Lonnie and O’Neill were fond of each other. In “Destination Terminal” Three members of the crew take a ride on the maiden voyage of an under water high speed train. During the trip a saboteur tries to discredit the new technology by causing an overload in the trains speed. Ford asks Lonnie as his date on the train, although it is an official function. Lucas needs to overlook everything, if everything runs okay. Piccolo needs to read a book Hudson has given him. When he says he read it and tells a bit about it, Hudson deduces he didn’t understand it or has problems with reading. He gives him special glasses for dyslexic people. Hudson, who realizes Ford and Lonnie have a thing, orders Ford to debrief her after the high speed train ordeal! Note - Stories are better, writing is better, Piccolo is also less annoying. Definitely a change in comparison to season 2.

In “Chain of Command” A rogue admiral launches an unprovoked attack on a Macronesia colony. SeaQuest is dispatched to the site of the launch which is commanded by the captains former commanding officer. Hudson, Lucas and Dagwood go to the site in Macronesian oceans. They get captured and his former commander, Admiral Vanalden (Bernie Casey), has no intention to surrender or to stop making war. He is convinced war is the only way of living. His right hand (wo)man Commander Pamela Loper (Wanda De Jesus) has no love for Hudson either, in a one on one fight Hudson however is able to get her to think about her daughter. Dagwood has killed a man and he’s having a hard time with it. On the bridge of SeaQuest there was almost a mutiny when Ford was injured, unconscious and Brody wanted to get revenge instead of carrying out their orders. Lonnie Henderson and Piccolo are able to make him change his mind.

“Brainlock” - On the eve of the signing of the new UEO charter, President Alexander Bourne and Larry Deon conspire to gain control of Lieutenant Fredericks' psyche-implant in order to program her to assassinate Secretary General McGath and cripple the UEO beyond repair. Fredericks is fighting it, she is hard on Brody when he attempts to apologize for his remarks, but in an envelop, she gives him, are not orders but a cry for help. He enlists Lucas for help. Ford is jealous of Piccolo spending so much time together with Lonnie, Piccolo has now feelings for her too. Henderson does not feel this for Piccolo but she forces Ford to make their relationship public. Note - Have to say, I really found Piccolo so annoying in season 2, but in season 3 this has changed, not that it will be a favorite character but I do not dislike him anymore. See what (good) writing can do! For some reason on IMdB this is episode 11 while it is episode 6 on the Blu-ray set. Guest stars: Michael York & Tim Dekay.

For me one of the better episodes “Spindrift” where Henderson is captured and put on trial by Macronesia while rescuing children from a disabled vessel. Once found guilty and sentenced to death some members of SeaQuest attempt an unsanctioned rescue. Brody should have had her back but he wasn’t there for her, he feels guilty. President Bourne plays Secretary General McGath like a fiddle saying she won’t be charged on espionage and trespassing but he does for having medicine on her sub while saving the children. Lonnie’s guard was a young man he said he didn’t believe what she said about his president, although you could see it in his eyes when he was witnessing his own president around Lonnie. Team of SeaQuest infiltrates the facility and frees Lonnie, in the end the young guard helps her escape but pays the price for it and Brody gives his life for her. Note - Thought this was a good episode, well acted from Kathy Evison, Bourne (Michael York) is really acting as a douchebag.

Captain Nathan Bridger returns in episode “Equilibrium”, not the strongest episode in my opinion. SeaQuest goes up against Bridger over an ecological problem that SeaQuest created 12 years ago. Bridger believes the problem with solve itself, but Lucas has a different opinion. Lucas does not agree with Bridger. Lonnie gets really sick, as does Bridger. Bridger admits that Lucas was right about the treatment. Note – Even though it is not my favorite episode it is always good to see Nathan Bridger return. Great scene where Ford tells a sick and in coma lying Lonnie that he loves her. In “Resurrection” Max Scully (Jonathan Banks) returns, this time as a leader of an underwater colony, where people are going back to the beginning, to the land. But his intentions are far from noble. With the help of Elaine Morse, SeaQuest tries to stop Scully from detonating a large nuclear waste dump. Scully is trying to destroy mankind but for a chosen few who should repopulate the earth. He uses the SeaQuest to try and destroy the world and the SeaQuest personnel with it. Elaine, Hudson’s former fiancé, manages to overthrow him and his men, and Lucas is able to counteract what Scully has done. Note – For me this was one of the strongest season 3 episode till now.

The last time we get to see Captain Nathan Bridger in the episode “Good Soldiers”, actually a solid episode! Bridger returns to retrieve some experimental data from years ago that was done on GELFs. Bridger and also Ford knew about this, Ford even was stationed there for a month and he brought in a Gelf who was going to be experimented on but Ford thought he was dead. These GELFs grew back limbs within 9 seconds, creating the perfect soldier. Dagwood gets to decide what to do with this information. Note – A bit uncomfortable to watch at times, in a good way. Knowing what humanity has done, Ford and Bridger knew of it. In “Second Chance” A reactor accident sends SeaQuest back in time to a different 1962 but somehow still our timeline, where the Cuban Missile Crisis turned to nuclear war. The only chance to put things right again is to travel further back in time and prevent the first shots from being fired. Apparently it was a US navy sub who started this war, SeaQuest must try and prevent that. Hudson gives Piccolo a book about Elvis for his birthday. A surprised and happy Piccolo says that no one ever remember his birthday. Note – Definitely one of the better episodes. It is several ticks up from season two.

In “Reunion” On a diplomatic mission, Henderson discovers that her former love, Jason, is now a prisoner and forced to work as slave labor. She also finds that Mason Freeman, Larry Deon's hired gun, is also a prisoner. When the two of them instigate a prison break and steal a submarine, they capture a UEO science outpost and hold the science team hostage. Lonnie and Lucas are being held prisoner also, they manage to rescue a number of former prisoners who didn’t agree with Freemans methods. Jason double-crosses Lonnie, which breaks her heart, he was her first real love. Ford and a team invade the outpost and free the rest of the UEO personnel but Freeman flees. Lonnie tells Ford that she don’t know if she can trust love any longer, it may be a while before she is over this. Ford gives her all the time in the world. Note – Intense scene between Lonnie and Ford.

In the series finale, “Weapons of War”, SeaQuest patrols a free trade zone between the UEO and Macronesia, Lieutenant O'Neill's online romance turns out to be a defector from an elusive Asian power known as the Chaodai, a power that attacks both the UEO and Macronesia with its impressive sub-fighter capability. Fredericks dies in combat! The Chaodai defector Lt. Commander Heiko Kimura is played by Julia Nickson (Caterine Sakei, Babylon 5). Kimura asks for asylum and also wants to join the miliary immediately, she wants to join the SeaQuest and Hudson does need a replacement for Fredricks. Hudson reluctantly agrees. Note - Seeing that they were introducing a new character here, it seems that while filming the series finale that it was not clear yet that the show was going to be cancelled!

Tony Piccolo:

Well I have to say, the character Tony Piccolo (Michael DeLuise) has grown the most over the course of two seasons. Really impressed with the change of the character from season two to season three. If you’ve read my season two blog, which I find doubtful 😊, than you know how much I disliked this character, but this is no longer the case in season three. The writers have done a good job in changing this for the better.

Watching SeaQuest on Blu-ray:

Well as you probably know, I’ve watched my rewatch on the German Blu-ray releases of seasons 1-3. I cannot stress it enough, SeaQuest looks phenomenal on Blu-ray, its live-action scenes are breathtakingly good. If not for the black bars on either side of your screen, you could think it is a new show, PQ wise. Yes the CGI has not been converted to HD but it is upscaled, it does not look bad but it is just not in the same quality. Perhaps a bit better than on the DVD sets. Anyway, I sincerely recommend you to watch it on Blu-ray, if you have the money and the opportunity!

Final Word:

I think this is my 3^rd rewatch on Blu-ray. It is such erratic in quality, story wise that is, but none of the seasons is perfect, but I definitely prefer the first season, that certainly wasn’t perfect, as I said but these 5 characters who didn’t return for season two, were essential to the first season and suddenly they were gone. Plus the fact that the quality of the stories took a deep dive. Even though the characters from season one, didn’t return in season 3, the last season definitely was several ticks up from season two. The new captain Oliver Hudson was different but he was a capable replacement, the stories were more military oriented but overall the stories were interesting and they were set in our oceans, not on land. I think there is not one below average episode in season 3, I graded 6 episodes a 8/10, so yeah, very decent.

Blog written with the help of IMdB, screencaps taken from IMdB