Posted by
SHADO on
URL: https://www.shado-forum.com/questions-about-A-Question-Of-Priorities-tp1512790p1512791.html
Hi Dave,
Just a few guesses on my part, but here goes:
"Others have suggested the obvious: Why doesn't Ed simply tell Alec why he ordered the transporter to fly to London?"
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Before or after Alex had diverted it? I get the impression that Straker is the type to internalize his personal problems/life instead of discussingthem openly with anyone, even Alex. He also doesn't want to show anyoneanything that could be interpreted as a sign of weakness to anyone. Using a transport for "personal business" would appear as such in the eyes of some folks. And perhaps there wasn't much point in telling Alec after Alec had already diverted the transport to Ireland, as it was probably almostalready there. He did make sure to tell Alec to get the transporter back in the air for London as soon as possible, though.
"Is it really that difficult to find the exact location of the alien? Mrs. O'Connor's house appears to be right at the shore. The wreckage of the UFO is 100 yards offshore, and SkyDiver is right next to the wreckage. Can't itsurface to try to locate the source of the transmission?"
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I remember in the episode Close Up, where Skydiver had surfaced to track the signal of a space probe (in Earth orbit, I think). As soon as a ship was spotted in the distance, they submerged again immediately so as to avoidbeing seen. I would assume that the closer Skydiver would get to shore,the better the chance of someone spotting her. Apparently something they try to avoid.
"The doctor told Ed the drug has been tested. But has it been approved for use in Britain by its counterpart of the FDA?"
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I don't think that was a consideration at this point. The goal was to try to save John's life. As it had already been given the ok for human trials in the US, Straker deemed the risk acceptable.
"Would it be a conflict of interest for a SHADO staff person (even if it isStraker) to use a SHADO plane for personal purposes?"
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One would think so. Maybe that's why Straker never explained to Alex whythe transporter was leaving New York earlier Than planned. But in this case, because the transporter was flying back to the UK from New York anyway, and Straker wasn't having it make a special trip, it probably seemed justifiable in Straker's eyes. But once Alec diverted the transport to Ireland, Straker realized at that point that having it immediately turn around back for London, without having dropped the Mobiles in Ireland, would have been a MAJOR conflict of interest.
"If Mary reall doesn't know that Ed is still doing something related to themilitary (after all, Ed used to be in Air Force Intelligence, and she was a secretary at the Ministry of Defence; how hard would it be to figure out Ed's job at the studio is a cover for *something*? ), how could she realistically expect a movie studio CEO to be able to get a drug from across the ocean sent by supersonic transport in just a few hours?"
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Perhaps figuring that Ed still has connections, military-wise, and would have a better chance of getting the drug in time than her new husband (as we don't know what connections he has, or what he does for a living).
By the way, ARE the transporters that haul the Mobiles capable of supersonic flight?
"Why doesn't Rutland get off his sorry butt and use his navy connections toget the drug shipped over?"
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LOL!!
--- On Mon, 9/21/09, Dave T <
[hidden email]> wrote:
From: Dave T <
[hidden email]>
Subject: [SHADO] questions about A Question Of Priorities
To: "
[hidden email]" <
[hidden email]>
Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 5:24 AM
I just watched A Question Of Priorities again. It is a very powerful episode, and it shows part of the huge personal Ed has paid in order to protect humankind at the helm of SHADO. (Great acting by Ed Bishop in this show.) My9-year-old son really likes UFO, but I won't let him watch this episode until he's older.
A few nitpicky questions come to mind, though. I'm not dissing the episode - as said, I think it's one of the best. But some things abou the plot makeme wonder...
Others have suggested the obvious: Why doesn't Ed simply tell Alec why he ordered the transporter to fly to London?
Also:
Why don't they have mobiles in the UK that they can send to Ireland? After all, virtually all of the UFOs that land go to England (if I recall correctly, this is only one of three episodes where they go anywhere other than southern England (the others being Computer Affair (northern Canada) and Destruction (South Atlantic) - ok, Reflections In The Water is in the north Atlantic, but it's near the Cornwall coast). If that's the case, there should be mobiles permanently stationed in the UK.
Is it really that difficult to find the exact location of the alien? Mrs. O'Connor's house appears to be right at the shore. The wreckage of the UFO is 100 yards offshore, and SkyDiver is right next to the wreckage. Can't it surface to try to locate the source of the transmission?
Even if the transporter has to land in Ireland, can't Ed send another aircraft to Ireland to pick up the drug there?
The doctor told Ed the drug has been tested. But has it been approved for use in Britain by its counterpart of the FDA?
Would it be a conflict of interest for a SHADO staff person (even if it is Straker) to use a SHADO plane for personal purposes?
If Mary reall doesn't know that Ed is still doing something related to the military (after all, Ed used to be in Air Force Intelligence, and she was asecretary at the Ministry of Defence; how hard would it be to figure out Ed's job at the studio is a cover for *something*? ), how could she realistically expect a movie studio CEO to be able to get a drug from across the ocean sent by supersonic transport in just a few hours?
Why doesn't Rutland get off his sorry butt and use his navy connections to get the drug shipped over?
Wouldn't it be better to have helicopters rather than mobiles? Or those cool VTOL aircraft that they showed in Ordeal?
I know I shouldn't deconstruct episodes to this extent, but that's what nitpickers do.
Nonetheless, it's one of my faves.
Dave T in Canada
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