Despite this episode being in season one, it represents the THIRD time General Savage was taken prisoner. In two cases, it's by Nazi soldiers and in another it's by nasty Frenchmen who want to hang him. This is the second Nazi taking Savage prisoner episode (the first begin "The Hours Before Dawn"). Considering how early it is in the series, I really think the writers were being lazy...going to that prisoner well one or two times too often already. And, in every case, the folks taking him prisoner just happen to know English...very good English in fact.
In the beginning of the story, General Savage's plane is in trouble and he's forced to bail out over water. Unfortunately, he just so happens to land where a downed Nazi pilot is in his raft...and he takes Savage prisoner. Most of the rest of the episodes, the German is barking out orders to Savage and refusing to consider working together to survive. The German (Albert Paulsen) insists they don't...and seems to like being in charge.
Albert Paulsen made a career out of playing bad guys....so his playing an evil German in this one is no surprise. On the old "Mission: Impossible" TV show and many other 60s and 70s shows, he was a go-to baddie...along with the likes of John Colicos, Robert Webber, and James Olson (among others).
So is it any good? Well, despite overusing the prisoner theme, the show is pretty good and worth seeing. Good stuff....just a bit unoriginal, as NO ONE is taken prisoner that often...especially a general!
