| ← Previous: "The Alpha Syndrome" |
Next: → "The Neuralyzer Syndrome" |
| "The Undercover Syndrome" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Season | 1 |
| Episode | 5 |
| Episode in Total | 5 |
| Air Date | November 8, 1997 |
| Production Code | 05 |
| Directed By | Dennis Woodyard |
| Written By | Steve Roberts |
| [Source] | |
"The Undercover Syndrome" was the fifth episode of Season One. It originally aired on November 8th, 1997. It was written by Steve Roberts and directed by Dennis Woodyard.
Synopsis[]
Jay goes undercover as a Tarkan bodyguard at an alien conference to protect Dirndl, Trade Minister of Tarka, from an alien assassin. But with two dozen alien races present, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Plot[]
The episode begins on a bright sunny day in New York where Kay and Jay are fighting an alien called a Sandershwart. At first, Jay uses a blaster to shoot its laser at the creature, but it’s no use. The two retreat, but Kay makes a pit stop at a donut shop leaving Jay to tame the beast himself. At the donut shop, Kay orders a pair of cream-filled donuts, one for himself and one for Jay, who was caught in the creature’s grasp by the time Kay ordered. He offers the slick a donut, but is told to stick it in the Sandershwart’s face instead of eating it. Upon doing so, the alien is knocked out due to the cream filling impacting its nervous system.
Later that night, an aircraft disguised as a Boeing 747 arrives at a hangar at LaGuardia Airport with the MIB staff present. The plane’s disguise disappears revealing that of an alien race called Tarkans which have arrived on earth for an interplanetary trade agreement conference in Maine. As the Tarkan bodyguard and his Dirndl leader disembark, the agency notices a person wearing an invisibility suit deemed to be an assassin. He knocks out two of the agents guarding the Tarkans’ entry and tries to take the aliens down with a grenade-like explosive, but remain unharmed due to the protection of the bodyguard. Kay and Jay go after the assassin outside and is taken down by the latter thanks to his Noisy Cricket. Jay is then informed that upon firing the weapon, the invisibility suit that “assassin” was wearing can’t be detected by radar of infrared. The next day, Dirndl and his bodyguard are in Zed’s office in talks with him and Kay about their arrival on earth for the conference. Jay enters the office with a tray of coffee for the alien guests, but due to the Worm Guys begging for their share of coffee, Jay accidentally loses his balance and spills the hot liquid onto the Tarkan bodyguard, causing him to explode into goo. Kay reasons with Dirndl that to make up for his bodyguard’s destruction, Jay will take his place at the conference, to which Dirndl agrees.
Kay informs Jay about what to expect and the rules for when he dons the Tarkan disguise, including learning how to speak their language. Agent V presents Jay with the neckpiece for his disguise, which features a button on each shoulder that activates the alien suit (right) and deactivates it (left), thus marking Jay officially an undercover agent. At the courtyard outside the conference building, among the many socializing aliens present, one alien with tentacles on its head greets Dirndl, but Jay mistakes it for the assassin by pinning him down, and realizing the “assassin” is actually Dirndl’s alien friend. Later, a disappointed Jay starts to cheer up upon sight of a woman named Vonda, who starts to develop a crush on her. The disguised Tarkan bodyguard introduces himself to Vonda as Jabanayoda. The two engage in friendly conversation and invites Vonda to dinner sometime later, but recommends Jay to wear a human skin due to the dress code the restaurant has.
Back at the conference, Dirndl is concerned about Jay’s presence and is greeted by a Rosanyan who starts to be attracted to Jay. He is greeted by Kay wearing the invisibility suit checking in on Jay and informing him that the minister (Dirndl) might be poisoned. As the bodyguard, Jay is also the Tarkan food taster, trying a fish-like food, which he accepts as delicious. Overhearing Kay’s comment that the food Jay tried tasted like cashews and that the food containing chrysaline can kill a Tarkan, he thinks he’s been poisoned but is then told chrysaline cannot hurt humans, even those undercover. Night falls, and trade agreement has been made and declares the signing ceremony to commence the following morning. Jay enters the restroom and sees a cranky alien, who he deems the “assassin”, pinning Jay down about to attack him. Kay in the invisibility suit arrives and uses a taser-like device to take it down. Regaining consciousness, he (not the assassin) and the Rosanyan talk their way out of the restroom.
Jay and Dirndl arrive at their cabin, but not before the former greets Vonda again. The minister and bodyguard have separate rooms in the cabin. A knock on the door is heard, and Elle arrives to alert the slick that a device may have been planted in Dirndl’s room by the assassin. He goes to Dirndl’s room and investigates the place for that device’s location, revealing to be the ceiling fan in disguise. The spider-like device leaps onto the minister’s bed and is saved by Jay before its blade touches him. It then lands onto Jay instead who crushes the machine and leaks out a liquid-y substance; chrysaline. Outside, Jay grows suspicious about the signing ceremony already underway, but despite Dirndl saying otherwise, he informs him about the assassin situation and what to expect for when later. At the conference building, the signing agreement begins and Vonda arrives. She is about to fire a harpoon at Dirndl, but Jay intervenes by throwing water onto him turning him into goo like the original bodyguard did.
As a result of this, the other aliens assume Jay as the assassin and goes after Vonda. He takes off the Tarkan suit and notices Vonda is actually an alien. Jay fires his Cricket at the beast, but it fires right back at him. Kay arrives and the two use their blasters to take it down by pointing it at its fang-covered claws. Later, Elle wheels out the now-solidified Dirndl who will be assumed to recover in about a week. Jay learns the real assassin was Vonda’s alien form. The real Vonda is present, and doesn’t recognize Jay after his attempt to ask her for dinner does not go well. The Rosanyan arrives and tackles Jay who is informed by Kay that those aliens (who are blind) detect others by smell. He walks off with the rest of MIB leaving Jay behind with his new alien friend.
Watch[]
Men in black the series S1E05 The Undercover Syndrome