While this is the 15th episode of "UFO", on the DVD set it's the third episode. Why they mixed them all up, I have no idea! The show takes a very interesting direction. It seems that there is a traitor within SHADO who, against his will, is helping the aliens! While this man is pretty highly placed in the agency, he apparently is a bit of a ninny, as he agrees to help the baddies simply because they have threatened his wife. His easy acquiescence and his wife's dumb actions later, convince me that this is one of the dumbest couples in history! When this plot is discovered and the man uncovered, the episode mostly becomes quite interesting. I say 'mostly' because I was surprised at just how stupid the traitor's wife turned out to be. In a nice show of chutzpah, she shoots an attacker as he tries to break into the house to kill her. However, he isn't quite dead and his gun is a few feet away. As he struggles to claw at the fallen gun, she just stands there!! She does nothing--just standing there until the guy can pick up the gun and kill her--which he does! What's with that?! He had already been shot once with a close-range shotgun blast and it seemed to take him forever to claw towards the gun...yet that idiot just stands there!! The episode would have gotten an 8 but I deducted a point for making a character just too stupid to live! Still, it is fascinating despite this and holds up well today. Plus, you get to see the really cool cars they built for this show. What happened to them?! I'd love one!
6 Reviews
A dramatic and gripping episode
DVD_Connoisseur1 July 2007
This episode begins in yet another forest somewhere in the UK! However, it's only seconds before we're on the moon where George Cole is studying with intent some computer readouts.
Cole plays Paul Roper, a mature astronaut who lives with his beautiful young wife (Sonia Fox). Roper is being blackmailed to provide data by a mysterious third party. Will he turn traitor or do the right thing? A dramatic and gripping story, "Flight Path" is splendid viewing and the finale is hard-hitting and uncompromising.
As always, the effects are fantastic, the visuals are futuristic and the score is groovy!
Haunting stuff. 9 out of 10.
Cole plays Paul Roper, a mature astronaut who lives with his beautiful young wife (Sonia Fox). Roper is being blackmailed to provide data by a mysterious third party. Will he turn traitor or do the right thing? A dramatic and gripping story, "Flight Path" is splendid viewing and the finale is hard-hitting and uncompromising.
As always, the effects are fantastic, the visuals are futuristic and the score is groovy!
Haunting stuff. 9 out of 10.
A dramatic diversion
lor_4 August 2023
Starring the great comic actor George Cole (of the "St. Trinian's" films) this offbeat segment deals with a dramatic blackmail plot, far removed from the futuristic science fiction "UFO" is remembered for.
It' a bit outlandish to have the aliens from Outer Space blackmailing humans to become collaborators in their attempt to conquer the Earth, but it's still suspenseful and an opportunity for Cole to have a straight, non comedic performance. In this regard it's closer to the paranoia theme of "The Invaders" than the tech-heavy "UFO".
A flying saucer chasing Cole's snazzy car of the future livens things up, cuing those patented miniature explosions that typify the Andersons' shows. The aliens aren't shown, but human henchmen under the aliens' thrall pop up as the bad guys, with Cole's wife the damsel in jeopardy, trying to protect herself with a shotgun.
Cole ends up as an unlikely hero, volunteering to save the Earth by a one-man mission on the Moon shooting down an invading alien spaceship that's using the flight plan he shared with the enemy under duress to evade Moonbase's surveillance defenses. Episode ends surprisingly on a downbeat note.
Funniest moment has commander Ed Bishop making a last-minute calculation with his trusty slide rule -I haven't used mine (leftover from engineering school) in over 50 years!
It' a bit outlandish to have the aliens from Outer Space blackmailing humans to become collaborators in their attempt to conquer the Earth, but it's still suspenseful and an opportunity for Cole to have a straight, non comedic performance. In this regard it's closer to the paranoia theme of "The Invaders" than the tech-heavy "UFO".
A flying saucer chasing Cole's snazzy car of the future livens things up, cuing those patented miniature explosions that typify the Andersons' shows. The aliens aren't shown, but human henchmen under the aliens' thrall pop up as the bad guys, with Cole's wife the damsel in jeopardy, trying to protect herself with a shotgun.
Cole ends up as an unlikely hero, volunteering to save the Earth by a one-man mission on the Moon shooting down an invading alien spaceship that's using the flight plan he shared with the enemy under duress to evade Moonbase's surveillance defenses. Episode ends surprisingly on a downbeat note.
Funniest moment has commander Ed Bishop making a last-minute calculation with his trusty slide rule -I haven't used mine (leftover from engineering school) in over 50 years!
Depressing but compelling viewing and some great footage of UFO's.
joegarbled-7948214 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I find "Flight Path" a very depressing episode of "UFO" to sit through, but compelling all the same. Guest star George Cole who was better known for comedy films like the St Trinians schoolgirl romps plays "Roper", a mature specialist with Space Intruder Detector who has a wife barely out of school uniform herself. He has some leave from Moon Base and has to go through some psychological mullarkey with Doctor Schroeder before he can go home to his gorgeous wife.
Schroeder takes an age to discover something that Colonel Alec Freeman discovers in seconds....something is seriously bothering Roper. What they don't know is that Roper is being forced into divulging information useful to the aliens, via a maggoty SHADO medical technician who is menacing Roper's poor wife. As ever, we get the cottage in the middle of nowhere, and young Mrs Roper, easily frightened, has nothing other than a shotgun to defend herself. Roper reluctantly agrees to giving the information, even though he has zero idea what it is being used for. Mrs Roper almost blasts her husband to death with the shotgun but she basically couldn't hit a barn door if she was inside the barn.
Meanwhile, Straker puts a tail on Roper as Roper is deemed "unreliable and a security risk"....an unhappy Freeman is given the task of spying on his friend, and he's even more unhappy when he hears Roper giving information to an unknown phone caller. Freeman cannot believe the treachery and figures that the only reason why Roper would betray SHADO would be a threat on his lovely wife. Naturally, Straker interrogates Roper and is stunned that Roper doesn't even know what the information is being used for, and he won't reveal his contact.
Roper is used as bait to catch the real traitor but sadly, Roper has given erroneous information and the aliens blow up Roper's car in retaliation, nearly killing him. Freeman is disgusted with the way Straker used Roper as bait, saying that it almost cost Roper his life and that the ends didn't justify the means. They both suddenly realise Roper's wife is in mortal danger from the maggoty SHADO medic but sadly, he gets to her before they do. She uses the shotgun on the medic but before dying, he shoots her dead!! An alien implant is found in the dead medic's temple.
Straker finally figures out the alien plan, an attack on Moon Base when the UFO can't be spotted visibly and sunspot activity scrambles the base's detectors. A man in a space suit with a rocket launcher needs to go out (on a "suicide mission" in Freeman's opinion) and wait for the UFO. Roper volunteers, "to even things up"....he doesn't know his wife has been shot dead. Interestingly, a cheesed off Freeman accuses Straker of showing Roper a photo of his dead wife, to egg Roper on. Now and then, he dared to show his animosity and Straker never really jumped on him for it.
Anderson's "UFO" Moon landscape has far more scattered boulders and outcrops than NASA ever bothered providing. The scene of the UFO flying low over the surface was exceedingly well done. It's realistic, spooky and the UFO looks larger/more substantial against the moonscape.
Naturally, Roper destroys the UFO but he his killed, but at least he "evens things up" without ever knowing that his wife was already dead. Again, post "Thunderbirds" and its perfect record of never failing in rescuing people, Gerry Anderson allowed a seriously depressing outcome, this was tv definitely aimed at adults. Cole was a fairly gifted comic actor over the years but he was effective as the old hack who is so totally smitten with his lovely young wife that even a death sentence for espionage (Colonel Paul Foster in the episode "Court Martial") couldn't stop him from putting her first, before himself or SHADO.
A solid 9/10.
Schroeder takes an age to discover something that Colonel Alec Freeman discovers in seconds....something is seriously bothering Roper. What they don't know is that Roper is being forced into divulging information useful to the aliens, via a maggoty SHADO medical technician who is menacing Roper's poor wife. As ever, we get the cottage in the middle of nowhere, and young Mrs Roper, easily frightened, has nothing other than a shotgun to defend herself. Roper reluctantly agrees to giving the information, even though he has zero idea what it is being used for. Mrs Roper almost blasts her husband to death with the shotgun but she basically couldn't hit a barn door if she was inside the barn.
Meanwhile, Straker puts a tail on Roper as Roper is deemed "unreliable and a security risk"....an unhappy Freeman is given the task of spying on his friend, and he's even more unhappy when he hears Roper giving information to an unknown phone caller. Freeman cannot believe the treachery and figures that the only reason why Roper would betray SHADO would be a threat on his lovely wife. Naturally, Straker interrogates Roper and is stunned that Roper doesn't even know what the information is being used for, and he won't reveal his contact.
Roper is used as bait to catch the real traitor but sadly, Roper has given erroneous information and the aliens blow up Roper's car in retaliation, nearly killing him. Freeman is disgusted with the way Straker used Roper as bait, saying that it almost cost Roper his life and that the ends didn't justify the means. They both suddenly realise Roper's wife is in mortal danger from the maggoty SHADO medic but sadly, he gets to her before they do. She uses the shotgun on the medic but before dying, he shoots her dead!! An alien implant is found in the dead medic's temple.
Straker finally figures out the alien plan, an attack on Moon Base when the UFO can't be spotted visibly and sunspot activity scrambles the base's detectors. A man in a space suit with a rocket launcher needs to go out (on a "suicide mission" in Freeman's opinion) and wait for the UFO. Roper volunteers, "to even things up"....he doesn't know his wife has been shot dead. Interestingly, a cheesed off Freeman accuses Straker of showing Roper a photo of his dead wife, to egg Roper on. Now and then, he dared to show his animosity and Straker never really jumped on him for it.
Anderson's "UFO" Moon landscape has far more scattered boulders and outcrops than NASA ever bothered providing. The scene of the UFO flying low over the surface was exceedingly well done. It's realistic, spooky and the UFO looks larger/more substantial against the moonscape.
Naturally, Roper destroys the UFO but he his killed, but at least he "evens things up" without ever knowing that his wife was already dead. Again, post "Thunderbirds" and its perfect record of never failing in rescuing people, Gerry Anderson allowed a seriously depressing outcome, this was tv definitely aimed at adults. Cole was a fairly gifted comic actor over the years but he was effective as the old hack who is so totally smitten with his lovely young wife that even a death sentence for espionage (Colonel Paul Foster in the episode "Court Martial") couldn't stop him from putting her first, before himself or SHADO.
A solid 9/10.
Flight Path
Prismark1021 August 2019
When you have an actor like George Cole guest starring, you might expect something a little special. What you get is a curiously flat performance and they gave Cole a stupid hairstyle.
Paul Roper is a SHADO technician who provides classified information to the aliens when his wife's safety is threatened. Not sure why he could not get protection from SHADO high command.
Roper's high stress levels are caught out in a routine medical check, he is also caught out giving information over to the aliens although Roper does not understand the nature of the information he is passing on. It is an approach to the Moonbase by the UFO which would evade detection.
To make amends, Roper volunteers to defend Moonbase himself by attempting to destroy the UFO with a rocket launcher. Straker meanwhile holds back information from Roper that his wife has been killed, after all there might be no need for him to hear the bad news as he himself in on a suicide mission on the lunar surface.
The episode has some very nice model work, there is a very effective car crash but somehow Roper comes out unscathed. Meanwhile his wife shoots an intruder with a shotgun and then freezes as the injured intruder reaches for his gun. Things like this lets the episode down. However the episode goes for a dark ending and from Straker, a cynical one.
Paul Roper is a SHADO technician who provides classified information to the aliens when his wife's safety is threatened. Not sure why he could not get protection from SHADO high command.
Roper's high stress levels are caught out in a routine medical check, he is also caught out giving information over to the aliens although Roper does not understand the nature of the information he is passing on. It is an approach to the Moonbase by the UFO which would evade detection.
To make amends, Roper volunteers to defend Moonbase himself by attempting to destroy the UFO with a rocket launcher. Straker meanwhile holds back information from Roper that his wife has been killed, after all there might be no need for him to hear the bad news as he himself in on a suicide mission on the lunar surface.
The episode has some very nice model work, there is a very effective car crash but somehow Roper comes out unscathed. Meanwhile his wife shoots an intruder with a shotgun and then freezes as the injured intruder reaches for his gun. Things like this lets the episode down. However the episode goes for a dark ending and from Straker, a cynical one.
Episode 3: Contrived & Unnecessarily Downbeat
profh-15 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I know I've gone over this before, but... MY GOD, is this episode's writing contrived!
First of all, we have no idea why or how Paul Roper was being blackmailed. Only when he refused to help does the enemy party threaten his wife. At which point, he agrees to help, he doesn't call the cops, and after a psychological "de-briefing" where's it very clear something's wrong with the guy, he runs into Alec who invites him out for a drink, and he puts him off.
I don't know about the earlier bit, but the moment he ran into Alec, he should have smiled, said, "SURE! How about RIGHT NOW?" And then, en route to a bar, when they were completely alone, he could have told Alec exactly what was going on, and suggested they tell Ed Straker to see what he thinks. And in the process, they could have put guards on his wife, immediately.
I mean, it's like every single thing in this episode goes wrong, only because the writer wants it to. As The Critical Drinker would say, "It happens because the script needs it to." Hey, I know bad writing when I see it!
The one bit of forward momentum we have here is when Carlin blows the UFO to bits on his first shot. The 2 previous episodes, the UFO was damaged and landed. Here, it's toast. Clearly, his aim's improving. (On the other hand, we never saw how this UFO made it to Earth, so Moonbase is still screwing up terribly.)
After his car is attacked, damaged and a gas station is blown to bits, it's miraculous that Roper is still alive, let alone in shape to then go back to the Moon and set out, on foot, to shoot down the UFO they believe is about to attack Moonbase. WHAT THE HELL was Straker doing, sending him out onto the surface, all by himself? Two or more men could have fired twice as many shots, and if one of them got injured (as he did) their chance of survival would have increased. Since they were shown to be such good friends, I'd say Alec should have volunteered to go with him. And once they took out the UFO, then they could have gone for that drink. That's how I'D have written it!
Instead, they don't send anyone to protect his wife until it's too late, and he goes on this seeming suicide mission not even knowing she's already dead. The only one seemingly upset about it is Gaye.
It also drives me crazy how his wife shot the intruder with a shotgun, killing him... but not until after she dropped the shotgun, and then just stood there in so much terror, that he had time to crawl across the floor, grab his gun, and kill HER. I mean, she not only had a shotgun, she had plenty of time to grab the gun off the floor, or at least kick it out of the intruder's reach. This is just pathetic.
It's episodes like this that probably killed the series before it ever got on the air. I mean, I can almost sort of understand why this was held back from 3rd to 15th... but running this so completely out of order just killed any later momentum there might have been. At least this early, you could see SHADO was barely getting their act together. It's miraculous they got better as they went, if they started out this incompetent.
Also bizarre... this 3rd episode has a character named Paul Roper who gets killed out on the Moon surface. The next episode filmed has a character named Paul Foster almost get killed out on the Moon's surface. Did UFO, like the Hammer Dracula films, have a shortage of character names, to have 2 guys in a row both named Paul? (I think there were 3 different Pauls in the Dracula films.)
First of all, we have no idea why or how Paul Roper was being blackmailed. Only when he refused to help does the enemy party threaten his wife. At which point, he agrees to help, he doesn't call the cops, and after a psychological "de-briefing" where's it very clear something's wrong with the guy, he runs into Alec who invites him out for a drink, and he puts him off.
I don't know about the earlier bit, but the moment he ran into Alec, he should have smiled, said, "SURE! How about RIGHT NOW?" And then, en route to a bar, when they were completely alone, he could have told Alec exactly what was going on, and suggested they tell Ed Straker to see what he thinks. And in the process, they could have put guards on his wife, immediately.
I mean, it's like every single thing in this episode goes wrong, only because the writer wants it to. As The Critical Drinker would say, "It happens because the script needs it to." Hey, I know bad writing when I see it!
The one bit of forward momentum we have here is when Carlin blows the UFO to bits on his first shot. The 2 previous episodes, the UFO was damaged and landed. Here, it's toast. Clearly, his aim's improving. (On the other hand, we never saw how this UFO made it to Earth, so Moonbase is still screwing up terribly.)
After his car is attacked, damaged and a gas station is blown to bits, it's miraculous that Roper is still alive, let alone in shape to then go back to the Moon and set out, on foot, to shoot down the UFO they believe is about to attack Moonbase. WHAT THE HELL was Straker doing, sending him out onto the surface, all by himself? Two or more men could have fired twice as many shots, and if one of them got injured (as he did) their chance of survival would have increased. Since they were shown to be such good friends, I'd say Alec should have volunteered to go with him. And once they took out the UFO, then they could have gone for that drink. That's how I'D have written it!
Instead, they don't send anyone to protect his wife until it's too late, and he goes on this seeming suicide mission not even knowing she's already dead. The only one seemingly upset about it is Gaye.
It also drives me crazy how his wife shot the intruder with a shotgun, killing him... but not until after she dropped the shotgun, and then just stood there in so much terror, that he had time to crawl across the floor, grab his gun, and kill HER. I mean, she not only had a shotgun, she had plenty of time to grab the gun off the floor, or at least kick it out of the intruder's reach. This is just pathetic.
It's episodes like this that probably killed the series before it ever got on the air. I mean, I can almost sort of understand why this was held back from 3rd to 15th... but running this so completely out of order just killed any later momentum there might have been. At least this early, you could see SHADO was barely getting their act together. It's miraculous they got better as they went, if they started out this incompetent.
Also bizarre... this 3rd episode has a character named Paul Roper who gets killed out on the Moon surface. The next episode filmed has a character named Paul Foster almost get killed out on the Moon's surface. Did UFO, like the Hammer Dracula films, have a shortage of character names, to have 2 guys in a row both named Paul? (I think there were 3 different Pauls in the Dracula films.)
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