As plans for SHADO come together, a pair of youngsters have a close encounter in the countryside…

Now that some of the necessary exposition is out of the way in the opener, Andy Lane’s take on UFO hits its stride with this second episode, which combines further planning for the future of SHADO (and explaining just who the Harlington in Harlington-Straker is) with the aliens’ encounter with a young couple, and the embryo organisation’s investigation. There’s a scene about two-thirds of the way through between Barnaby Kay’s Ed Straker, Samuel Clemens’ Alec Freeman and Jeany Spark’s Virginia Lake that sets the tone well, as the American makes things abundantly clear to his subordinates as to who’s running things, and how they’re going to be. For me it’s similar to the London Eye moment in Rose, where I thought, OK, this is going to work…

Clemens’ Freeman is markedly different from George Sewell’s original take on the character (which did seem to involve a lot of leering, from a rewatch of the pilot recently!), and the relationship between him and Straker has a lot of potential, particularly given how the Commander gained his position. Hopefully the interplay with Lake won’t go down a domestic route – although a scene with Mary Straker makes me think that’s unfortunately inevitable – and keeps her as a supremely competent officer.

The thread involving the young couple works well, and Lane doesn’t shy away from the body horror inherent in the series concept, or indeed the nastiness that the aliens are capable of – this is far more of a Torchwood-type series (and I suspect will appeal to those who are fans of that range) – with Iain Meadows’ sound design leaning into that aspect.

Verdict: A well-balanced episode furthering the backstory alongside a standalone encounter. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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