V.H. Adderly (Winston Rekert) - a veteran secret service operative who got his left hand crushed in the field longs to make a comeback. International Security and Intelligence (ISI) - his employers prefer him where he is - in the basement of it's headquarters near the boiler room in a department it calls "Miscellaneous Affairs". There he clashes with bureaucrat Melville Greenspan (Jonathan Welsh) - a supervisor with no experience in the intelligence community whom Adderly refuses to accept as boss.
Routinely Adderly storms into the offices of Major Clack (Kenneth Pogue) with Greenspan in tow to demand reassignment back in the field. It is a bad work dynamic between Adderly and Greenspan. But it is one entirely acceptable to Clack. Adderly knows too much to be allowed to retire with dignity. The purgatory of a desk job under a barnacle-like bureaucrat such as Greenspan might at least keep Adderly out of trouble until the currency of his inside information withers.
Clack nevertheless decides to put Adderly back in the field after one of these meetings in his office. But the assignment - a delivery, appears to be fully as inconsequential as the ones Adderly has been given since being cast asunder. Nevertheless Adderly soldiers on even as his rendezvous with Pete Bracken (Richard Comar) - another agent, falls through. He uses his wealth of experience and follows procedure to get the delivery made.
When he and Bracken are nearly killed they join forces to track their attempted murderer Belkin (Chris Wiggins), the sleazo crime-boss of an international smuggling ring.
This solid entry early in the series establishes the altruism of the main character more firmly whilst illustrating that character's flaw. Wherever he can Adderly sees setting things right as being his entire purpose. But that does not necessarily further the cause for good that he might accomplish. Benchmarks for the success of a spy are only supposed to be obvious to their employers. But Adderly doesn't care quite enough about that. If he did he would see that he has to take some credit to retain the credibility needed to be entrusted with getting the right thing done.
The Canadian setting was, of course, obscured to the point of being nearly invisible in this episode as well as others. That was something TV and movie producers did in Canada to maximize the marketability of the production to American audiences. A hint at the setting is nevertheless noted in the placement of a small CN Tower ornament on Melville's desk. But behind Melville's desk is a large picture of the New York skyline with "City of New York" seen printed at the bottom. It is seen in close-ups and there is no doubt at the inference meant to be drawn.
Note:
Yannick Bisson, who would go on to be one of the most ubiquitous stars of Canada's TV industry, has a cameo here as a valet at a car rental agency. He worked with Winston Rekert multiple times early in his career. As with any domestic Canadian entertainment product the community which produced it was considerably smaller than in other countries including a not insignificant one south of us. It meant you'd have trouble doing anything professionally without tripping over somebody you worked with before. I'm sure the two iconic Canadian actors got along famously. But a lot of casts in Canadian entertainment productions overlap just because of scale.
Routinely Adderly storms into the offices of Major Clack (Kenneth Pogue) with Greenspan in tow to demand reassignment back in the field. It is a bad work dynamic between Adderly and Greenspan. But it is one entirely acceptable to Clack. Adderly knows too much to be allowed to retire with dignity. The purgatory of a desk job under a barnacle-like bureaucrat such as Greenspan might at least keep Adderly out of trouble until the currency of his inside information withers.
Clack nevertheless decides to put Adderly back in the field after one of these meetings in his office. But the assignment - a delivery, appears to be fully as inconsequential as the ones Adderly has been given since being cast asunder. Nevertheless Adderly soldiers on even as his rendezvous with Pete Bracken (Richard Comar) - another agent, falls through. He uses his wealth of experience and follows procedure to get the delivery made.
When he and Bracken are nearly killed they join forces to track their attempted murderer Belkin (Chris Wiggins), the sleazo crime-boss of an international smuggling ring.
This solid entry early in the series establishes the altruism of the main character more firmly whilst illustrating that character's flaw. Wherever he can Adderly sees setting things right as being his entire purpose. But that does not necessarily further the cause for good that he might accomplish. Benchmarks for the success of a spy are only supposed to be obvious to their employers. But Adderly doesn't care quite enough about that. If he did he would see that he has to take some credit to retain the credibility needed to be entrusted with getting the right thing done.
The Canadian setting was, of course, obscured to the point of being nearly invisible in this episode as well as others. That was something TV and movie producers did in Canada to maximize the marketability of the production to American audiences. A hint at the setting is nevertheless noted in the placement of a small CN Tower ornament on Melville's desk. But behind Melville's desk is a large picture of the New York skyline with "City of New York" seen printed at the bottom. It is seen in close-ups and there is no doubt at the inference meant to be drawn.
Note:
Yannick Bisson, who would go on to be one of the most ubiquitous stars of Canada's TV industry, has a cameo here as a valet at a car rental agency. He worked with Winston Rekert multiple times early in his career. As with any domestic Canadian entertainment product the community which produced it was considerably smaller than in other countries including a not insignificant one south of us. It meant you'd have trouble doing anything professionally without tripping over somebody you worked with before. I'm sure the two iconic Canadian actors got along famously. But a lot of casts in Canadian entertainment productions overlap just because of scale.