User Reviews

In this adequate installment of Secret Agent you have a small band of seemingly civilized spies operating merrily under the non-watchful eye of Lisbon security chief Pilkington, who is operated by three-time guest star Robert Urquhart.

Pilkington is oblivious to the espionage taking place under his nose, being more concerned with his social status among the local British community. Urquhart plays the doofus quite well, and he'll be back in 'The Man With The Foot' to demonstrate this talent once more.

The episode has a now familiar ending with Drake paired up with a beautiful woman. Our hero never "gets" the girl, but he is often found "with" the girl come end of story. You go John.

The only spy gadget I spotted in this episode is barely worth cataloging.. but ... Drake did use a version of the exploding cigar, this time in the form of a pipe, to wriggle out of a tough spot (that he willingly wriggled himself in to). This brings the unofficial spy gadget count for both series up to 22!

When the show begins, you see a man shot and killed. This guy, it turns out, is assumed to be part of a network of spies and smugglers in Portugal. However, the man isn't reported dead--the body must have been hidden and his widow reports he is missing. So, despite assurances from an apparently idiotic British official who insists that there are no agents in Portugal, Drake decides to investigate the operation run by the widow. Not surprisingly, she and the rest ARE up to something--but they later claim they are working for British Intelligence! Huh?! Is this REALLY what is going on?! Well, it's up to Drake to determine exactly what's really taking place.

This is a rather average episode of the series. And, considering that the show was very good, this isn't a bad thing. It's full of the usual spies, betrayals and intrigue that make the show interesting decades later. The only real letdown is when Drake dives into a pond--and the underwater shot was clearly done in a swimming pool!