UFO Episide Discussions: KILL STRAKER!

Hi all,

Given the fact that the UK Sci-Fi Channel just showed KILL STRAKER!
this past weekend plus Andy witnessed Ed & Mike recollecting about
this episode, I think it's a good idea to jump to this episode in our
episode discussions. Sound good? So, if you've got the time to
watch and/or comment on this episode, please do!

Then, perhaps we should take a month-long break in our episode
discussions to allow people to catch up?

--
Marc Martin, [hidden email]

Marc Martin wrote:

<<Given the fact that the UK Sci-Fi Channel just
showed KILL STRAKER! this past weekend plus Andy
witnessed Ed & Mike recollecting about this episode, I
think it's a good idea to jump to this episode in our
episode discussions. Sound good? So, if you've got
the time to watch and/or comment on this episode,
please do!>>

Right, second time round to try and give the gist of
some of Ed and Mike's commentary on the episode
(having managed to somehow delete the last effort
about halfway through - don't you just hate it when
that happens ?). Not word for word or a complete
record, obviously - but since this and all other
sessions were videoed/recorded, perhaps the con
organisers could be prevailed upon to provide at least
sound recordings for transcription ?

In fact, maybe best to break up the commentary into
two or three messages, to avoid the danger of losing
the lot two lines from the end (I couldn't face
starting again a third time !), and break up the task
of posting into bite-sized chunks.

SETTING THE SCENE:

This episode was chosen for discussion because it
basically concerns the interaction between Ed and
Mike's characters, Straker and Foster.

Ed (jokingly) suggested that the title "Kill Straker"
was chosen by the writers and/or producers/directors
as a form of wish fulfilment !

He went on to say that contrary to what some people
had suggested, the conflict between the Straker and
Foster characters in this episode was not based on any
animosity between himself and Mike in real life.
(Except insofar as that being in early middle age and
married with four children at the time, and going home
after filming to prune the roses or something equally
exciting, he maybe found Mike's twentysomething,
single lifestyle, with many lady friends, quite
enviable !).

OPENING SEQUENCE:

Female SHADO operative walking away from camera -

Mike - "Former girlfriend" !-D

Ed - a lot of work went into the opening shots, going
through at least three versions before finding the
final one, which does seem to introduce the basic
story line of the series well in a couple of minutes.

INTRO/'TEASER'

Foster and a co-pilot are flying the moon shuttle back
to Earth. A UFO appears. Straker at SHADO HQ orders
them to take a dangerous re-entry angle to escape the
UFO.
It's not enough; the UFO catches up with them, and
'brainwashes' them into wanting more than anything
else to...
"KILL STRAKER !"

Ed - that's a lot of action just for a teaser !

THE EPISODE:

Foster and the co-pilot appear to have recovered from
the UFO attack. However, Foster has become opposed to
Straker's plans for increasing SHADO's operations and
budget, even complaining to General Henderson about
what he sees as Straker's self-promotion and
empire-building. He all but openly states Straker
should step down as head of SHADO in favour of
himself.

The co-pilot tries to kill Straker on Moonbase with a
hypodermic syringe. He fails, and ends up dead
himself. Straker wonders if the co-pilot's behaviour
was caused by the experience of the UFO attack.

Mike - when Straker bursts into moonbase control in
his dressing gown, this is one of the few times in the
series he looks really peeved (Mike used a stronger
term) - basically because usually Straker's reading
reports behind a desk and others do the physical
stuff, whereas here, they've tried to go for him
personally !

Straker decides to confront Foster about the
co-pilot's attack on him, and what happened in the
time Foster and the co-pilot did not account for
between the UFO attack on them and their rescue.

Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment ! (And other
thoughts or comments, please...)

Regards,

Andy




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In message <v04210101b7397f0cb60e@[10.0.0.2]>, Marc Martin
<[hidden email]> writes
>Then, perhaps we should take a month-long break in our episode
>discussions to allow people to catch up?
>
>--
>Marc Martin, [hidden email]

Catch up with what?? Well, now that SKY are (hopefully) back on track...

(Thanks to Sheila) I'm very proud to tell you people that I've just
reached double figures in the episodes now personally viewed league!
Wow - I feel like a very liberated girl now - so what do I do now? Burn
my bra? go out partying? or just keep my head down for the next 13
stories..!!???
Di

>Catch up with what??

There are a few folks on the list who've been meaning to participate
in the past UFO episode discussions, but a lack of time has prevented
it. So, taking a month off will (hopefully) allow them to catch up
& provide any comments on the episodes we've discussed so far:

1. Identified
2. Computer Affair
3. Flight Path
4. Exposed
5. Conflict
6. Survival
7. The Dalotek Affair
8. A Question of Priorities
9. Ordeal
10. The Responsibility Seat

Besides, with me being out of town during the last 2 weeks on June, I
won't be able nag people to make comments... :-)

--
Marc Martin, [hidden email]

In message <v04210100b73aeb5e2149@[10.0.0.2]>, Marc Martin
<[hidden email]> writes
>There are a few folks on the list who've been meaning to participate
>in the past UFO episode discussions, but a lack of time has prevented
>it. So, taking a month off will (hopefully) allow them to catch up
>& provide any comments on the episodes we've discussed so far:

Okey dokey - but are we doing them one at a time or just throwing our
thoughts/ideas in the melting pot as they come to us!?

>Besides, with me being out of town during the last 2 weeks on June, I
>won't be able nag people to make comments... :-)
>
....going anywhere nice??
Di

>Okey dokey - but are we doing them one at a time or just throwing our
>thoughts/ideas in the melting pot as they come to us!?

Well, if you're discussing the "current" episode, then you're doing
it one at a time. However, if you're catching up, you can comment on
any episode you'd like!

>....going anywhere nice??

Yes! Assisi, Italy. Originally we had planned on going to Milan &
Rome too, but my wife & I decided that our time was a bit limited
right now, so we cut it down to just Assisi, where my wife had
registered for a yoga retreat... and I'm just going along to keep her
company... ;-)

--
Marc Martin, [hidden email]

On Tue, 29 May 2001 Marc <[hidden email]> wrote:

<< Given the fact that the UK Sci-Fi Channel just showed KILL STRAKER!
this past weekend plus Andy witnessed Ed & Mike recollecting about this
episode, I think it's a good idea to jump to this episode in our episode
discussions. Sound good? >>

It sure does, especially since I anticipated this move and reviewed my tape
on Monday night.

Was it my imagination, or did anybody else recognize the mini-UFO from
Conflict on the underside of Foster's Lunar Module during re-entry? I
figured that was a result of reusing footage from an earlier episode. I
also found the Alien voice to be highly reminicient of Donald Grays "This
is the Voice of the Mysterons..." from Captain Scarlet.

One nagging aspect of UFO that is particularly apparent in this episode is
the question of just where are the extra Lunar Modules stored on Moonbase?
I do not recall any mention being made of Foster's module returning to
earth before Ed and Alec arrived on Moonbase. Logic would seem to indicate
that this is the case, since no apparent means exist for removing a module
from the landing dome. And then there is the issue of who is in charge at
SHADO control when the 'big 3' are all at Moonbase.

Jeff Kuzma

--- In SHADO@y..., Marc Martin <marc@u...> wrote:

> Well, if you're discussing the "current" episode, then you're doing
> it one at a time. However, if you're catching up, you can comment
> on any episode you'd like!

OK. I got "Identified", "Computer Affair", and "Flight Path", after
the discussion time was passed. Here's a few comments, more later as I
think of them:

Identified: A UFO attacks while they are transporting the Utronic
Equipment to SHADO (allowing SHADO to detect faster than light craft).
However Moonbase detect an incoming UFO travelling at SOL 8, 8x the
speed of light. How are they able to do this without the Utronic
equipment in place?

If SHADO is so secret, why is SHADAIR diplayed prominently on the
aircraft as it arrives in LA?

Computer Affair: Alec is observant. He notices Ellis handing Bradley
his helmet in the leisure sphere. her hesitation in giving
interceptors new headings, etc.

Why do they need specific courses to evade collision with the UFO?
wouldn't just a lateral move away from each other be sufficient?
(After all they are in wide open space).

What happened to the crew of Mobile 3? The vehicle was destroyed of
course but did anyone get out? I assume they were killed but if so
everyone else was pretty casual about it in the aftermath (like Luke
Skywalker and Wedge after losing all their friends in the Death Star
raid. oh well that's entertainment)

More later

Teresa

Teresa wrote:

> Computer Affair: Alec is observant. He notices Ellis handing Bradley
> his helmet in the leisure sphere. her hesitation in giving
> interceptors new headings, etc.
>
> Why do they need specific courses to evade collision with the UFO?
> wouldn't just a lateral move away from each other be sufficient?
> (After all they are in wide open space).

That's what I'd like to know too! This stupid guy sat there and got
smashed because no one told him specifically where to go - why couldn't
he just MOVE? Is there really that much danger of hitting something else
up there?


-- Y

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>That's what I'd like to know too! This stupid guy sat there and got
>smashed because no one told him specifically where to go - why couldn't
>he just MOVE? Is there really that much danger of hitting something else
>up there?

Maybe they have to be on a "beam" like planes fly on beams or maybe in
touch with the computer so they find their way back to moonbase?

Guessing, since this subject makes me think of the Apollo 13 movie where
the drama was also in the fact that the Astronauts could have "missed" the
Earth on their way back.

----- Original Message -----

From: Phil
Merkel

Subject: Re: [SHADO] Re: UFO Episide
Discussions: KILL STRAKER!







That's what I'd like to know too! This stupid guy sat there and
got

smashed because no one told him specifically where to go - why
couldn't

he just MOVE? Is there really that much danger of hitting something
else

up there?





Maybe they have to be on a "beam" like planes fly on beams or maybe in


touch with the computer so they find their way back to moonbase?



Guessing, since this subject makes me think of the Apollo 13 movie where


the drama was also in the fact that the Astronauts could have "missed" the


Earth on their way back.





__________________



Actually, Yuctar has got a good point there. All he
needs to do

is get out of the way. They can track his movements with both SID

and the moonbase radars, and give him new numbers back to the base.



The reason Apollo 13 had such a problem, was their
propellant was

so limited, and they'd have very few shots at making corrections, if
any.

But given how capable the interceptors in this show are, I doubt
they'd

suffer from the same limitations. So he should have just veered off
in

any direction.....



....But then he wouldn't have died and caused the
big plot

controversy between Ellis and Bradley. A lot of times common sense

suffers for the cause of storyline plot.



the evil Dave



__________|__________


___\___(*)___/___

o/
\o




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Here's an observation and a question:

In "Identified" and "Computer Affair", there is a large tactical
screen opposite the window in the Moonbase control sphere. It
typically shows the earth and moon with UFO trajectories superimposed
on it. I thought that was a great effect and an essential piece of
hardware for the story. But in later episodes it is gone and replaced
by a window frame surrounding a blank wall. It was conspicuously
absent in "Conflict" and "Dalotek Affair" where it would have been
most appropriate and would have enhanced the visual aspect of the
story.

Where did it go?

Teresa