UNCLE receives intelligence of the planned assassination of a delegation of African statesmen, which is to take place in a facility owned by industrialist (and THRUSH operative) Andrew Vulcan. However, further information is lacking — so Solo recruits Vulcan's college sweetheart, now a married homemaker, to pose as a rich widow and try to get close to him.
This episode was expanded into a theatrical film under the title To Trap a Spy.
Acts:
- "An Assault Force From Thrush"
- "Trouble On The Potomac"
- "Incident In A Hotel Suite"
- "The Assassination"
Tropes:
- Bulungi: Western Natumba, the newly independent country of which Ashuman is the leader. The events of the episode permit its continued independence by preventing it from becoming a puppet state for THRUSH.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Several elements of the show aren't quite solid yet. In particular:
- Illya and Mr. Waverly appear only briefly. (There are reports of an extant alternate cut in which, among other differences, Waverly has another name and is played by another actor.)
- The "innocent of the week" convention is played more realistically than in some later episodes, with an emphasis on the social and emotional risks involved.
- His Name Is...: Implied by the incompleteness of the reference to the planned assassination. Explicit in To Trap a Spy, in which the message is transmitted (and the messenger killed) onscreen.
- Majored in Western Hypocrisy: Ashuman attended an American university. One of his lieutenants is implied also to have had a Western education, as he expresses an affinity for British culture.
- Old Flame: Elaine is this to Vulcan. She notes with alarm that not only does he still have feelings for her, but she also finds herself reciprocating.
