episode #30 - Jaime and the King

episode #17 of 2nd season / Air Date: 2/23/77
written by Robert L. McCullough, C. Robert Brooks and Arthur Rowe directed by Alan Crosland

As indicated by the title, this is a remake of the famous Anna and the King story (filmed a couple of times). Jaime is assigned as a teacher to the son of a Persian Gulf king (Robert Loggia, recently playing a military middle eastern leader in the 6MDM episode, The Thunderbird Connection). The son (Lance Kerwin), like his dad, believes women to be 2nd-class citizens, but a quick display of Jaime's bionics evens things out. Jaime is there because OSI believes the king to be a target, but things quickly go sideways when the son catches Jaime radioing Oscar; she's kicked out. She then has to regain the son's trust and prevent the king's assassination; this involves her dressing up as a dancing girl... and even getting into a sword fight!
This has its amusing moments - mostly about male arrogance and machismo - and also a few touching ones involving the son yearning for his father's respect. On the thriller side, the king's prime minister (Joseph Ruskin) seems to be involved in plotting against the king, so it's one those 'least-expected-inside people' plots. It's very straightforward and simple, with Jaime's bionic hearing making her privy to all the secrets hidden from everyone. There was also the above-average character development for Jaime, who resists this mission in an early scene because it would involve her using her teaching abilities for underhanded purposes - she always intended and preferred to keep her private life (including her 'real' job as a teacher) and her secret mission life seperate. BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10

Star Trek TOS actor alert: Ruskin appeared as an alien in The Gamesters of Triskelion