There is a lot packed in here. Callan heads to West Germany for a spy exchange. Britain receives Surtees (Richard Hurndall) and Mallory (Patrick O'Connell) back who have been held for 5 years as spies by the Russians.
Only that Surtees never knowingly worked for British security. He said he was blackmailed into being a courier with compromising photos. It is a puzzle for Callan as Surtees threatens to spill the beans to the British press.
Mallory is angry that Surtees told the Russians everything with only the slightest of pressure. Mallory has also been quickly brought back into the fold even though Callan recognises that he is unstable.
A flawed complex story. Surtees is astute enough to recognise that Cross masquerading as a literary agent was sent in by Hunter. However Surtees does not realise that his phone is bugged and he is under surveillance.
Callan is given an order to kill Surtees but he thinks that Surtees was duped by a Russian agent. It leads to the question of why Surtees was arrested by the Russians and what valuable information he would have had?
I thought it would had been better if Surtees was a double agent of some sort either for the British or Russians or he was set up by Mallory who was working for the Russians all along.
It does lead to a tragic outcome and Callan was right about Mallory not being ready to return to duty.
A very good performance by Hurndall.
Only that Surtees never knowingly worked for British security. He said he was blackmailed into being a courier with compromising photos. It is a puzzle for Callan as Surtees threatens to spill the beans to the British press.
Mallory is angry that Surtees told the Russians everything with only the slightest of pressure. Mallory has also been quickly brought back into the fold even though Callan recognises that he is unstable.
A flawed complex story. Surtees is astute enough to recognise that Cross masquerading as a literary agent was sent in by Hunter. However Surtees does not realise that his phone is bugged and he is under surveillance.
Callan is given an order to kill Surtees but he thinks that Surtees was duped by a Russian agent. It leads to the question of why Surtees was arrested by the Russians and what valuable information he would have had?
I thought it would had been better if Surtees was a double agent of some sort either for the British or Russians or he was set up by Mallory who was working for the Russians all along.
It does lead to a tragic outcome and Callan was right about Mallory not being ready to return to duty.
A very good performance by Hurndall.
