episode #83 - Deadly Countdown, Part II

episode #4 of 5th season / Air Date: 10/2/77    written by Gregory S. Dinallo   directed by Cliff Bole

This one is a step down from the first part: Austin spends the first act konked out in a hospital room due to a concussion and also wandering around dazed after hearing McGrath's (Philip Abbott) confession of sabotage. This almost seems like just an excuse to get some wide angle shots of Cape Kennedy. The impetus then is to just rescue McGrath's daughter, a very routine venture. Because of these developments, Austin's romance with Jenny Agutter's character and the whole rocket launch is placed on the back burner for most of the episode. It's only in the final act that we find Austin and the lady back in that rocket capsule and the actual launch only occurs in the final minute.

For some reason, I thought the final act would show Austin doing his thing in orbit, so I felt cheated at the end. Jenny Agutter is also less-utilized in this 2nd part, which seems like a waste of talent to me. In all, Austin trumping the villains near the end is all ho-hum, with minimal action. BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10