SciFi Channel's new series "Flash Gordon" has been an easy target for critics and such -- including me.

In all the years that I have reviewed television shows, however, one mantra has remained consistent: Never judge a series by its pilot.

Of course, the pilot is a series' first introduction to potential viewers, and those first impressions always mean a lot. "Flash Gordon," unfortunately, didn't live up to some higher expectations of what SciFi Channel was going to put on Friday nights following the success of shows like "Battlestar Galactica" and even the growing seriousness of "Stargate: Atlantis."

"Flash Gordon" tries again Friday night with its second episode, "Pride." While some of the problems from the pilot still carry over -- including dramatic situations that haven't been dramatic since 1973 -- I think I may have judged John Ralston's Ming a bit too early. And its his scenes on Mongo that shows there might be some promise in this series yet.

In the episode, Baylin the Bounty Hunter (Karen Cliche) is stranded on Earth and starts getting some media attention in Flash's hometown hiding in trees and stealing potato salad. Ming, however, wants her back (and Eric Johnson's Flash as well), so he sends a big brute hunter guy named Tyrus to find them.

The whole Tyrus-Flash-Baylin triangle is enough to put even the most caffeinated person to sleep. But what has intrigued me is Ming and the Mongo sub-story that was minus any Earthly involvement.

A man trying to save his sick daughter smuggles ice -- water is a huge premium on Mongo -- and Aura (Anna Van Hooft) pleads with her merciless father to actually show some mercy. The result is something darker than you would ever expect in this series, especially compared to the main storyline transpiring on Earth. It was like watching two different episodes.

I haven't quite given up on "Flash Gordon" yet, and I'm really holding out hope that the producers found something good in the Mongo storyline and hopefully will translate that into a more interesting series. But we have to wait and see.

"Flash Gordon" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.

Michael Hinman is the site coordinator for Airlock Alpha writing out of Tampa, Fla. He can be reached at mhinman@airlockalpha.com.

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