Initially depicted in the pilot episode ' Identified ' as being a cheerful ladies ' man in his early 40s, Freeman is thereafter a far more straight laced more serious character who is Straker's right hand man and, occasionally, his muscle.

The ending not only shows him lying in bed recovering from the harmful effects of drug use, but has a subtext that the plot of the episode may, in fact, have been a drug-induced delusion, although actual evidence of the events such as Turner – Guest Star Patrick Allen – being found shot dead by Col Foster and guards at the start, plus Col Lake ( Wanda Ventham ) being found having been knocked out, also the gate security officer's records showing Straker's car as being ' logged out ' but not ' logged back in ' to SHADO H. Q.

But when his second-in-command, Col. Alec E. Freeman, was forced to divert the plane in order to investigate some curious UFO-related events in Ireland, Straker's sense of duty prevented him from informing and overruling him as to the plane's original mission.

The classic Dinky die-cast range of vehicles featured robust yet finely finished products and included Straker's futuristic gull-winged gas turbine car, the SHADO mobile and the missile-bearing Lunar Interceptor ( though the Interceptor was released in a lurid metallic green finish unlike the original's white ).

The overall effect of Straker's regularly referenced back story is to transform what could have been a stereotypical sci-fi character into one who is three-dimensional, complex and sympathetic.

In UFO, this appeared in the guise of Straker's " secret " office, which doubled as a lift ( elevator ) that takes him down to the SHADO control centre located beneath the studio.

One relatively consistent element of Straker's character is that he refuses to drink alcohol even though he has a fully stocked bar in his SHADO office.

Henderson, Straker's superior officer, heads the International Astrophysical Commission, which is a front for SHADO and is responsible for obtaining funds and equipment from various governments to keep SHADO operational.

') and we are led to believe Henderson effectively rammed the post of SHADO Commander down Straker's throat in " Confetti Check A-OK ".

Two key images from " A Question Of Priorities " – Straker's son being struck down and his ex-wife declaring she never wants to see him again – are repeated in flashback in two subsequent episodes, " Sub Smash " and " Mindbender ," suggesting that Straker remains haunted by these unresolved emotional issues.

He appeared twice in the drama series UFO, once as the partner of Ed Straker's estranged wife and once as the captain of a British warship under attack by the aliens.

However, later episodes such as ' Destruction ' ( where they share a working breakfast in Straker's office ) and ' Timelash ' where Henderson refers to Straker as " SHADO's most important piece of manpower ..." suggests a remaining bond of friendship.

The episode " Confetti Check A-OK " is almost entirely devoted to the breakdown of Straker's marriage under the strain of maintaining the secrecy of the classified nature of his duties.

Straker's underlying tension and unhappiness is the foundation of his wounded character, exemplified most powerfully in the " Confetti Check A-OK " episode.

Moreover, it is repeatedly demonstrated that there is no realistic prospect of Straker's circumstances ever improving, though if circumstances were different he would undoubtedly embrace change.

Foster appears to be somewhat of a protégé of Straker's, as he is shown in a number of major positions.

He masquerades as one of Straker's film producers in the studio and enjoyed a brief relationship with Col. Virginia Lake.

Lead singer Emile Straker's whistling is one of the most distinctive components of their sound, and often serves as the primary focus of the musical interludes in their songs.

Lindbergh considered Carrel his closest friend, and said he would preserve and promote Carrel's ideals after his death.

In a 1958 letter to a friend in West Germany, Paternak wrote, " She was put in jail on my account, as the person considered by the secret police to be closest to me, and they hoped that by means of a grueling interrogation and threats they could extract enough evidence from her to put me on trial.

He was the best drummer I had ever played with and for many years, my closest friend.

Lyell was also a friend of Darwin's closest colleagues, Hooker and Huxley, but unlike them he struggled to square his religious beliefs with evolution.

While at Emerson, he met fellow comic Mario Cantone, whom to this day Leary considers his closest friend.

* Geoffrey Salter ( Santo Cilauro ) is the network's weatherman and Mike's closest friend at work.

Despite being Mike's closest friend, Mike frequently ignores Geoff's issues, and their conversations often serve to reinforce Mike's beliefs.

The artist closest to him in style is his friend, the Austrian painter, Oskar Kokoschka.

In the same episode, Q says that Picard is " the closest thing in this universe that I have to a friend.

Gellar's bridesmaid was her closest friend of many years, Lindsay Sloane.

He was the cousin and friend of Blanche Parry, the closest person to Elizabeth for 56 years.

* Maid, Matron or Man of Honor: The title and position held by a bride's chief attendant, typically her closest friend or sibling.

However, this was not applied to Stibor of Stiboricz who was Sigismund's closest friend and advisor.

Bhutan ’ s relations with its closest neighbour and friend, India, has reached new heights.

Forster's closest friend, Samuel Thomas von Sömmering, arrived in Kassel shortly after Forster, and both were soon involved with the Rosicrucians in Kassel.

Later, she met the rest of the family, including her husband's youngest sister, Madame Élisabeth, who at the end of Marie Antoinette's life would become her closest and most loyal friend.

Although his influence had a definite negative aspect, he had been her closest Christian Scientist friend even after her husband converted.

Before he was sentenced to life, Andy managed, with the help of his closest friend, to sell off his assets and invest the proceeds under a pseudonym.

His closest friend appears to be Jasper, a fellow Retirement Castle resident.

Alexander indulges in extravagant mourning for his closest friend.

His closest friend, Sándor Ferenczi, with whom Rank collaborated in the early Twenties on new experiential, object-relational and " here-and-now " approaches to therapy, vacillated on the significance of Rank's pre-Oedipal theory but not on Rank's objections to classical analytic technique.

John's closest adviser was his only intimate friend, John Axouch, a Turk captured as a child at the Siege of Nicaea, who had been given as a gift to John's father.

He is Mary's closest coworker and close friend.

Sthenelus was the driver of Diomedes ’ chariot and probably his closest friend.

Piglet is Winnie-the-Pooh's closest friend amongst all the toys / animals featured in the stories.