In many ways, "Confetti Check A-OK" might have been a great first or perhaps second episode. It explains a lot about Straker--the sort of person he is, the way the job helped change him and why his wife left him (you did learn he had an ex-wife who hated him in an earlier episode--episode #5). In so many ways I loved this episode and am very glad I saw it.
The show begins with one of the officers of SHADO celebrating the birth of a child. This event causes Straker to daydream--and think about his own marriage and birth of his son.
The first episode takes place about 1970. It begins with Straker on his honeymoon with his pretty wife. They seem tremendously happy and in love. However, unexpectedly, their trip to Greece is aborted at the last minute because of work--a familiar pattern for the rest of Straker's career. The reason the problem comes up now is that General Henderson has been injured and he wants his trusted friend Ed Straker to make the pitch to a United Nations committee for the formation of SHADO in order to combat the recent UFO incursions. Seeing that Henderson and Straker were friends (almost like a big-brother relationship) was particularly striking because their relationship during the series (set in 1980) was so acrimonious and adversarial! This was a clever twist. What also was clever is that Straker's presentation and support for Henderson for the head of SHADO was so strong that this convinced the committee to put the entire operation in Straker's hands! Seeing how Straker worked 25 hour days and had to sacrifice so much of his marriage to this ultra-super-über-mega-top-secret project was rather sad--and really pulled me into the show. Its insights into Straker and his marriage were quite poignant and fascinating.
Overall, an episode not to be missed--powerful and intriguing throughout.
The show begins with one of the officers of SHADO celebrating the birth of a child. This event causes Straker to daydream--and think about his own marriage and birth of his son.
The first episode takes place about 1970. It begins with Straker on his honeymoon with his pretty wife. They seem tremendously happy and in love. However, unexpectedly, their trip to Greece is aborted at the last minute because of work--a familiar pattern for the rest of Straker's career. The reason the problem comes up now is that General Henderson has been injured and he wants his trusted friend Ed Straker to make the pitch to a United Nations committee for the formation of SHADO in order to combat the recent UFO incursions. Seeing that Henderson and Straker were friends (almost like a big-brother relationship) was particularly striking because their relationship during the series (set in 1980) was so acrimonious and adversarial! This was a clever twist. What also was clever is that Straker's presentation and support for Henderson for the head of SHADO was so strong that this convinced the committee to put the entire operation in Straker's hands! Seeing how Straker worked 25 hour days and had to sacrifice so much of his marriage to this ultra-super-über-mega-top-secret project was rather sad--and really pulled me into the show. Its insights into Straker and his marriage were quite poignant and fascinating.
Overall, an episode not to be missed--powerful and intriguing throughout.