they are aided in their first objective, and at least somewhat hindered in the second, by the leadership of captain burton. he behaves as a leader and as protector to the passengers and crew, and his leadership has rescued them from some difficulties. but burton also tries to keep the giants from ever reaching earth. in the episode "brainwash", giant police officer ashim (warren stevens) says "maybe we can find the home planet of these little people. it may be a very tiny world, but rich beyond our dreams." in several episodes, burton puts keeping the giants away from earth above the need to get his people home. at the end of those episodes, he destroys devices that would get the "spindrift" back to earth but which would probably enable the giants to journey there too.