Patriot spy and code-crafter Philip
Cobb (David Opatashu) is taken prisoner by British Colonel Burton; Daniel is sent on an undercover rescue-or-kill mission to make sure Cobb's secrets are not revealed.
"DB" returns to a Revolutionary War backdrop with an effective grafting of a World War II spy theme, that of the key operative who must be exfiltrated or terminated. Opatashu, always remembered as the alien leader Anan 7 in the "Star Trek: TOS" nuclear war-themed episode "A Taste of Armageddon," is the target of British and Patriot attention. Irish Hollywood expatriate Edward Mulhare fills the screen as as an alternately foppish and menacing British officer, and primetime soap mainstay Lloyd Bochner goes against type as a sinister Ottawa chief.
The hour is well-apportioned among the supporting cast; generously, Fess Parker cedes significant screen time to the interplay of the characters played by the dignified Opatashu, the voluble Mulhare, and the omnipresently dangerous Bochner. And in a character expansion, Dan is ready to go Jack Bauer-ruthless in order to complete a critical Patriot mission.
The geography of the hour is somewhat confusing; Cobb is being held in "St. Vincent," (the set used to depict Salem or Williamsburg), but the only U. S. town by that name is in California. Cobb's code is in use "from Albany to New Orleans," but NO was a Spanish responsibility during the war. The Ottawas give the Shawnee a much-needed break this week as the Native American antagonists. In real life the Ottawas were Canadian emigres living in northern Ohio who served as British allies during the Revolution, but its unlikely the Crown forces ever found the need to bring some along to the eastern seaboard.
Redcoat report: around 10, and as usual uniformed as a mixture of the Royal American Regiment (blue facings) and the Royal Irish or Royal Welsh (black facings.) And in an unexpected outbreak of authenticity, the Royal Americans were deployed in the south from 1779-on.
Continental soldier count; about 6, based at the same creeksidr camp we saw a few episodes back. Their commander is Richard Webb, tv's "Captain Midnight" during 1954-56, and Kirk's death-faking rival in the " ST:TOS" episode "Court Martial." Reference is made by him to "(George Rogers?) Clark retaking St. Vincent," at best a puzzling historical allusion.
Generous and well-balanced helpings of action and suspense here, and if you can surmount the barrier of why the Continental Army thought frontiersman Boone would be a good fit for urban espionage, this is the best of the series's subset of spy thrillers.
"DB" returns to a Revolutionary War backdrop with an effective grafting of a World War II spy theme, that of the key operative who must be exfiltrated or terminated. Opatashu, always remembered as the alien leader Anan 7 in the "Star Trek: TOS" nuclear war-themed episode "A Taste of Armageddon," is the target of British and Patriot attention. Irish Hollywood expatriate Edward Mulhare fills the screen as as an alternately foppish and menacing British officer, and primetime soap mainstay Lloyd Bochner goes against type as a sinister Ottawa chief.
The hour is well-apportioned among the supporting cast; generously, Fess Parker cedes significant screen time to the interplay of the characters played by the dignified Opatashu, the voluble Mulhare, and the omnipresently dangerous Bochner. And in a character expansion, Dan is ready to go Jack Bauer-ruthless in order to complete a critical Patriot mission.
The geography of the hour is somewhat confusing; Cobb is being held in "St. Vincent," (the set used to depict Salem or Williamsburg), but the only U. S. town by that name is in California. Cobb's code is in use "from Albany to New Orleans," but NO was a Spanish responsibility during the war. The Ottawas give the Shawnee a much-needed break this week as the Native American antagonists. In real life the Ottawas were Canadian emigres living in northern Ohio who served as British allies during the Revolution, but its unlikely the Crown forces ever found the need to bring some along to the eastern seaboard.
Redcoat report: around 10, and as usual uniformed as a mixture of the Royal American Regiment (blue facings) and the Royal Irish or Royal Welsh (black facings.) And in an unexpected outbreak of authenticity, the Royal Americans were deployed in the south from 1779-on.
Continental soldier count; about 6, based at the same creeksidr camp we saw a few episodes back. Their commander is Richard Webb, tv's "Captain Midnight" during 1954-56, and Kirk's death-faking rival in the " ST:TOS" episode "Court Martial." Reference is made by him to "(George Rogers?) Clark retaking St. Vincent," at best a puzzling historical allusion.
Generous and well-balanced helpings of action and suspense here, and if you can surmount the barrier of why the Continental Army thought frontiersman Boone would be a good fit for urban espionage, this is the best of the series's subset of spy thrillers.
