UFO (TV Series) The Man Who Came Back (1971) User Reviews

Trust animals and blind people with their gut instincts!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 10 May 2010]

Colonel Craig Collins is shot down by aliens and crashes in the jungle. Because he's assumed to be dead, his death is official--but he's discovered eight weeks later and returns to duty. Oddly, he's none the worse for wear for the experience. In fact, he's TOO healthy but most of the staff of SHADO don't notice this discrepancy. However, like animals (from episode 1.23), blind folks can apparently instinctively tell when one is an alien or under alien influence--sort of like Spiderman's 'spider sense'. This blind guy and Colonel John Grey seem to be the only ones who recognize that he just ain't right. Can the rest of the SHADO folks recognize this before it's too late?

Considering that in episode 1.7 ("Kill Straker") Colonel Foster and a 'red shirt' were somehow altered by aliens to kill the Commander, you'd certainly THINK that the SHADO personnel would be more wary of Collins and more open to the idea that he could be working for the side of evil. To me, this is a huge hole in the plot of this episode--there was a lot of reason (other than the blind guy getting a case of the creeps) to be concerned about Collins. Plus, the plot, since it was dealt with before, isn't all that original. Despite these concerns, though, it is still an entertaining show--one well worth seeing. After all, it is interesting even if the SHADO folks apparently aren't all that smart! To find out WHY Collins is an evil piggy as well as IF they discover his plans, tune in and see.

Try Kill Straker again!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 7 July 2017]

Once more the Aliens take astronaut's body who already supposed death to send back with a mission to kill Straker, even been advised by Colonel John Grey, nevertheless with strong evidences Commander Straker refuses to believe and will takes the risks to travel with enemy together, probably could be too late, the plan to kills Straker already was made from previous episode, although the subject surfaces again!!

Resume:

First watch: 2017 / How Many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.25

A surfeit of Colonels.

[joegarbled-79482 · 8/10 · 25 November 2023]

"The Man Who Came Back" is an episode of "UFO" that I watch quite often as I'm a fan of Derren Nesbitt ("Special Branch", "Where Eagles Dare"). Derren plays Colonel Craig Collins an old friend of Commander Ed Straker who were astronauts together, and put Space Intruder Detector in Earth orbit together.

Collins is on a routine mission and returning to Earth when three UFO's appear. One veers off course and attacks SID, leaving it very badly damaged and non-operational. Meanwhile, Collins suffers a fire in his cockpit and barely makes it back to Earth alive, putting SHADO's survival training to the severest test as he survives a few weeks in a jungle. (I wonder if the writer had NASA in mind as I remember footage of NASA astronauts training in desert survival even though their Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions were planned with an ocean splashdown and recovery ship finish to every mission.) Collins tells Ed Straker that he fully understands why the destruction of the UFO's came ahead of trying to save Collins and his craft.

Collins tries to resume an affair with Virginia Lake but she finds him "different" in his behaviour, telling him that he didn't "leave the jungle behind" but "brought it back with him." At the same time, Colonel Paul Foster has been trying to cultivate a relationship with Virginia, thus, when training Foster for the repair mission of SID, Collins rides Foster very hard. It isn't really explained why freshening up his martial arts or knowing SID's systems backwards is that necessary, but Foster ends up not being able to do the repair mission thanks to an "accident" in a weight lifting session with Collins that breaks a couple of Foster's ribs.

All the while, in an episode where there is a surfeit of Colonels (only Colonel Alec Freeman is "missing") Colonel Grey who has never much liked Collins begins to believe that Collins is a changed man since his near death flight. Simple things like Collins beating him easily in a game of chess, when he'd never managed a win before, riding Paul Foster very hard (the rival in a Collins-Lake-Foster love triangle) and the clincher, being 99% certain that it was Collins who tried to kill Grey in his sleep, by emptying his quarters of air. Doctor Jackson has suspicions too, after trying out his pet project on a few colleagues and then Collins, and Collins giving an abnormal result.

With Foster unable to do the repairs on SID, the only other man capable is Commander Straker and even though Colonel Grey voices his concerns over Colonel Collins being in his right mind (under alien influence which happened in other episodes like "Kill Straker") Straker as ever, puts SHADO and its ability to destroy UFO's ahead of ANYONE's safety, including his own. Interestingly, Col Grey is put in command of SHADO HQ whilst Straker is away, no attempt at "Get me Alec Freeman." as a reminder that he still exists!

Colonel Grey was smart enough to figure out that Colonel Collins was under alien control and his mission was to kill Straker but Collins brains him in a fist fight and so, Straker takes off with Collins on the mission to SID. As can be expected, Collins loses in a fight with Straker as Paul Foster warns Straker just in time. The episode ends with the body of Colonel Collins floating off into space.

Solid 8/10.

The Man Who Came Back

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 11 March 2019]

Derren Nesbitt and Miss Moneypenny in the same episode. This could be a James Bond film in an alternative universe.

Colonel Craig Collins was shot down by aliens and is presumed dead.

Two months later he returns and he looks fine. However he might be just a bit too strong, a bit too smart and a little bit tetchy.

Most people in SHADO do not recognise any changes. A blind man who comes across him senses something odd. Colonel Grey also thinks Collins might be under the influence of the aliens and his target might be Straker.

Gary Raymond is very effective as Colonel Grey but the story is nothing out of the ordinary, in fact just derivative of an alien taking control of a human.

Straker does have emotions and it sometimes blinds him

[ZoneFighter · 3/10 · 13 May 2023]

Other reviewers seem to have missed the point that Craig Collins is an old friend of Ed Straker's and that while the Commander of SHADO likes other to think he is coldly logical with no feelings at all times, it simply isn't true. He was clearly hurt by his wife's actions in her appearances. He had an emotional reaction to Colonel Foster being beaten up. His not believing his friend is not himself is a perfect normal human reaction.

Also given all the comments about cast members from The Prisoner appearing in previous episodes surprised no one noticed Derren Nesbitt was one of the Number Twos.

Watch for guest stars and starlets!

[lor_ · 6 September 2023]

Fine guest stars highlight this episode, including sexy actresses, with Sylvia Anderson pouring on the hot costumes to boot. The adventure of the first reel: Darren Nesbitt's interceptor fighting UFOs and crashing on Earth, with him later rescued from the jungle, leads to a suspenseful story when he returns as astronaut to Moonbase. It's science fiction, but loaded with spooky elements.

It was great to see Gary Raymond, star of "Jason and the Argonauts", plus obscure beauties like Olivia Newton-John's sister and sexploitation starlets Anouska Hempel of Russ Meyer's "Black Snake"! And Andrea Allan.