"The Judas Goat" in my opinion is one of the most important episodes in the series as it points the way of the feature film's conclusion: the possibility that Logan and Jessica return to the Dome City to cause the movement and potentially inspire an uprising that would topple the power of the State. The idea that Logan and Jessica could return to the City of Domes and be a catalyst in a great rebellion where citizens due for Carousel would rise up and put an end to the endless slaughter that this event really is becomes a focus of this episode's premise. The Elder Council who dictates the nature of Carousel offer a Sandman the opportunity to sit among them, having been assigned the identity and face of a runner named Hal 14 (Nicholas Hammond). All he has to do is convince Logan and Jessica to return to the Dome City so they can be captured and "reprogrammed"; in essence, their memories will be wiped, the idea of sanctuary dying with them. Also, Logan, Jessica, Rem, and Hal encounter the human slaves of the very first runner, Matthew (great television character actor Lance LeGault), who now operates a computerized city. Matthew has become power hungry and the ability to rule over a people has warped him into the very monster he run from when he escaped the City of Domes. Because Matthew doesn't want Sandmen to find him, he informs Logan that they are his prisoners (Logan and Jessica agree with Hal to return to the Dome City and want Matthew to also come), not allowed to leave. When Hal, clever and determined, is able to convince Matthew (or so he thinks) to let them go in exchange for Rem helping fix the super computer so the city can become fully operational, a tragedy occurs and the android is left unsettled for committing a murder to save his friends. We see that men change and that the potential for freedom is just out of reach, for the moment, but Logan and Jessica are right outside the Dome City, so there's a sense that freedom for a manipulated and oppressed people is on the horizon. The threat of Logan and Jessica's murder/capture is always present during the short-lived show, and practically every episode features Sandmen as a reminder that freedom comes with baggage. The episode seems to indicate, at the beginning, to be an episode where Hal tries to get Logan and Jessica back to the city, but soon segues into the Matthew plot, the return always mentioned so we don't forget what the Elder Council has in store for our heroes. Rem's breaking the First Law in his programming is certainly a fascinating grab for viewers to watch "The Judas Goat".
Review of The Judas Goat
