Episode
                  1: The Shooting Star She Saw 
                  Airing Date
                  2000-03-06
                
            Thanks to the Cartoon Network, all 49 politically charged episodes 
            of Gundam Wing have begun airing all over again. Those of us who 
            came late to the dinner table can gobble up this entire series from 
            start to finish, just like it was originally intended to be enjoyed. 
            Since we began reviewing the series at episode #36 ("36: The 
            Collapse of the Sanc Kingdom"), we can now share with you all the 
            delicious backstories which make up the After Colony universe. 
            After watching "The Shooting Star She Saw," it's interesting to note 
            how much Relena changes from the start to the finish. This rich, 
            popular schoolgirl will soon become Queen of the World, then be 
            deposed and then finally take her place as Vice Foreign Minister of 
            the newly formed Earth Sphere United Nation. Wow -- you'll go a long 
            way, baby. 
            The story is simple enough. Relena Dorlan, who's returning from a 
            trip to outer space with her father, Defense Minister Dorlan, spots 
            an Unidentified Flying Object as it enters Earth's atmosphere. Zechs 
            Merquise, on an OZ space shuttle, intercepts the UFO, which turns 
            out to be none other than Heero Yuy in his Gundam Mobile Suit. Zechs 
            engages the Gundam in his Leo Mobile Suit with two Aires MS backing 
            him up. The Gundam crashes into the sea after taking the two Aires 
            out. Later, Relena comes upon an unconscious Heero at the beach but 
            he makes a desperate getaway. Back at school, while four other 
            Gundams appear on Earth and wreak havoc with the Alliance's forces, 
            a new boy is introduced to Relena's class. It's Heero, who Relena 
            promptly invites to her birthday party the following day. Heero rips 
            the invitation up and tells Relena he intends to destroy her. Upset, 
            Miss Relena wonders who this mysterious newcomer is. 
            I've gotta say, it's soap opera territory when Heero tells this 
            sweet young, girl that he's going to destroy her. We're not sure why 
            he feels this way. Maybe he knows she saw him at the beach and he 
            intends to keep his cover. Maybe he hates rich, popular schoolgirls. 
            Or maybe the mention of birthday parties triggers an uncontrollable 
            rage within our hero Heero. Whatever, it's a shockingly bad moment. 
            Poor Relena holds back her tears, and her temper, as Heero stalks 
            off. This kind of drama isn't what makes us tune in from day to day. 
            Because we know what's coming, though, we'll be back. 

                  Don't piss this guy off. 
            Another surprising moment is how easily Zechs overcomes Heero and 
            forces him to crash into the ocean. Sure, Heero takes out both Aries 
            suits with one shot but how in the world does Zechs in a Leo suit 
            get the best of a Gundam? And then, to point up the miscue, the 
            other four Gundams appear on Earth and cut through their enemies 
            like a warm knife through butter. Unless, of course, this is all 
            part of the master plan. Jeez, I can't wait until episode two. 

            --Ross Brooks has already bought Relena a birthday present. Now he 
            just needs an invitation.