The Responsibility Seat

Ed reluctantly agrees to a press interview as head of the movie studio (that is his cover for operating the secret SHADO government agency). He's pleasantly surprised that the journalist is a beautiful woman (played by Jane Merrow), but later becomes suspicious about her.

It's for good reason, she turns out to be an imposter, her name not known by the press agency who supposedly sent her. He's away trying to rectify the situation when the next UFO attack is picked up by Moonbase.

Meanwhile Ed tracks Merrow down, but she succeeds in knocking him out, and soon he's chasing her escaping in a Porsche, while he drives his futuristic brown dreadnought.

Sewell left in charge is unsure of himself in handling the UFO investigation in Straker's absence. Mysterious radio signals on the moon create suspense, balanced by Ed's more personal mystery. Ed has a romantic dinner at home with the aggressive reporter, and it becomes ambiguous: who's spying on whom? But things are heating up on the moon, where the signals are identified as coming from a Russian base there.

It's an unusual episode, juggling the two storylines adroitly until the mysteries are convincingly resolved. Could this romantic interest for the divorced Ed be a Mata Hari? At least the fans get to see Jane stripped down to her sexy lingerie before Ed gets mad and throws the conniver out.

Meanwhile back on the Moon, the Soviets are behaving erratically. It turns out they're suffering from oxygen deprivation, not evil intentions, but their vehicle might collide with Moonbase! Billington fights with them and saves the day! Whew -I thought the Cold War was in full flower. Sewell was in the hot sea for a change, and it's fun watching both of our fearless leaders try to hide their true feelings.

Straker has to do some public relations for his cover, the film studio with a reporter called Jo Fraser (Jane Merrow.)

Jo has a tape recording device which she deliberately leaves behind his office. Straker believes that a security breach has happened. Jo Fraser does not work for a newspaper that she claims to be from.

Straker goes looking for Jo Fraser and leaves Colonel Alec Freeman in temporary charge.

Freeman has to deal with a Russian mining vehicle being driven erratically on the lunar surface. The crew has been affected by a drunken like state due to a lack of oxygen.

This is an episode that hints at a potential romance for Straker and you see a more human side to him away from the pressure of looking for aliens. It is just a case of whether Jo Fraser is a go getter journalist looking for a story or someone more devious.

Merrow is certainly sultry as Jo and you can sense that Straker is tempted by her.

It was good to see Freeman dealing with the pressure of being the person in charge.