UFO - The Long Sleep (1970)
Welcome to the last ever episode of UFO, & does it end on a controversial low. UFO case YP195, commands Straker's attention. He can barely remember the code-names of the others, could you? This one is particularly special.
A young woman awakens from a 10 year coma, replete with an interesting episode. Catherine Fraser runs away from home, a beautiful Hippy girl. After meeting up with fellow drop out, Tim, they rush off to the beautiful countryside where they get stoned in a barn (yes, you read that right), just as a UFO arrives to plant a devastating bomb. Stoned out of their heads they mock the aliens & steal a vital component needed to detonate it. Tim is abducted after 'injuring' himself. Catherine is hit by Straker's car after fleeing from a potential rapist truck driver, from the woods. I know, riveting stuff, you've gotta admit (?!)
Thanks to Cathy, the bomb was never detonated because she stole the vital mechanism & threw it down a canal/house-boat which Straker has to find before an alien-assimilated Tim does so. Despite the absence of a one Gabrielle Drake this is a definite favourite of mine. What I really find fab is the fact that Cathy's recalling to Straker of her flashback tale is in brown & white until the LSD scene which suddenly, goes colourfully all psychedelia for us!
Col. Foster wants to use the alien syreme left in the syringe that was used on her by alien spy Tim without thought of the cost of the consequences. Surely you want to study the alien drug for strategic purpose?!. An earthquake in Turkey, 1974, which caused the deaths of 80,000 was caused by a UFO as was this bomb was supposed to tear England in half. Okay, this is where the geek within myself has a problem!
Never ye mind the dating continuity which smells of the infamous UNIT dating of Classic Dr Who. But, the aliens goal is to abduct Humans for transplanting of their organs for themselves (refer to the Viidians in Star Trek Voyager, too!). So, WHY do they want to blow up thousands of us?!! I mean, seriously (?) The way the bomb is despatched, using a rocket into space is genius & predicts the Orion rockets, very Gerry!
This episode has a lot of controversy going for it. Because of the LSD scene it was banned for three years until one late, Sunday night, in 1973. THIS is the final episode in this series and does it end on a sombre low. No thanks to Fosters insistence in using the rest of the alien drug, Catherine ages rapidly to death in her hospital bed! During her ten year involuntary siesta her parents died, so she was all alone. Yet another Sci-Fi show ends on a dark note.
What we've got is a very dark end chapter, or was it? We were to get a sequel to this show. What we get is Space 1999. Obviously, not the sequel, but just as brilliant. This episode begins with it's usual, groovy, fast-paced intro & ends on it's slow, dark creepy theme adding to that sense of sombre finale. Still, the tragic blow of this finale is worthy of a view, R.I.P.
No copyright invasion intended.
Stewart alias Borgduck.
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