... even without a flying nun for contrast.This was a really good one! Quite enthusiastic about it. Tight, gripping, fast-paced, complex, with several little touches that add nuance. Above average script.The plot concerns an island nation with a more-than-passing resemblance to Cuba (an important landing site for our heroes is the "Bay of Red Cliffs"), and the crew of the Seaview getting drafted into helping rescue a former-freedeom-frighter-turned-puppet president from the clutches of a military junta in league with a foreign power that it doesn't take too much imagination to see as red China. The only sci-fi angle in this one is a "Lethian gas", provided by the aforementioned pseudo-Chinese. Several tense, sweaty, stubbly scenes after Capt. Crane and a party of his men are captured, and one is even rather hard to watch as they are threatened with death by firing squad unless cooperation is given. I like how attention is paid to small details, such as a priest accompanying the squad. As was common with this b&w first season, effective, interesting use is made of close-ups and camera angles. Also of note is a prominent female character, an intense-eyed member of the resistance fighters, who is never treated as anything less than an equal by her male compadres. I did wonder what that thing on her neck was, though, and why it wasn't covered with makeup. It was a little distracting. The only moment that took me out of the story was some poor fight choreography involving Adm. Nelson. At the end there's a surprise reveal of the inside man the resistance has in the palace that probably won't be too surprising, and some admirable ambiguity regarding the fate of some characters we've come to care about.Oh, and watch out for that ring.

This is clearly a spook on Castro and the Cubans with prettier uniforms than they had back then. This guys like the druged Nazi leader on Star Trek being held hostage by an offial who's out of control. I think these guys are wearing Japanese army officers caps from WW2, like the 20th century Romans seemd to be waering two types of German military uniforms on ST, a brown SA tunic with black Gestapo pants and American police riot helmets as head gear.

I wonder if the original models used in the series are still around. I really think this show could be updated and re-aired as a new series.