133. Deadly Reunion

Matthew Bernhardt, David Hermann, John Stone, et al: Espionage.

Original air date: 25 January 1970

Agents from the “Eastern Sector” (East Berlin) allow the wife of a US-based spy to “escape” the eastern sector. She is to then assassinate her husband, who is about to defect. The good inspector goes undercover to transport the wife from Berlin to the US and eventually prevent the assassination.

• One rare appearance of the Ford Cortina. This model from England was sold for a time in the United States, before it was replaced by the Ford Pinto. The Cortina’s appearance is really out of place, because the Cortina was not sold in Germany; the Ford Taunus was. And it looked different from the Cortina shown in the episode. However, the Cortina was sold in the US from 1968 to 1970, and was replaced (sadly) by the Ford Pinto. Both cars were restyled in 1970, and looked more similar. By 1977, the cars’ styling was identical. They were both replaced by the Ford Sierra.
• Speaking of cars, we also get to see the restyled 1970 Ford Thunderbird two-door coupe. SAC Colby pretends to get the car stuck, so that he can confer with Inspector Erskine.