“A Question of Priorities” is episode five of season one of UFO.
A young boy looks to be watching a murder, but it’s actually Straker’s son John being shown around the film studio.
SHADO Control announces that UFOs have been detected, but interceptors haven’t made contact because they are coming in too fast. One UFO is shooting at the other, though SHADO doesn’t know this.
Straker is taking John home when Freeman contacts him.
One of the UFOs has veered off; the other is coming in too fast to land.
Straker arrives at his ex-wife’s home. It’s awkward. She tells him he’d better leave and John, who wanted to show his father something, rushes after him and gets hit by a car. John is taken to hospital.
SHADO Control has the UFO coming in off the west coast of Ireland, but still too fast. Freeman orders ground radar alerted and Sky 1 launched.
The doctor at the hospital recounts John’s injuries. He’s allergic to antibiotics, which is a problem. There’s a promising new one, but there are only limited supplies and it’s only available in America. And there’s not enough time to get some sent. Straker says he will take care of it, then is contacted and has to leave. He contacts Miss Ealand and tells her the details on the drug and to send the transporter over with it.
The UFO is coming in too fast, but a small part separates before the main craft crashes into the ocean. Freeman orders Sky 1 to overfly the area.
Freeman is wondering what happened when Straker arrives and speaks to Miss Ealand, who confirms the drug has been picked up. He will arrange transport. Straker then sees Freeman, who fills him in on what they know. And can tell something is wrong with Straker.
Straker’s professional life is colliding with his personal one, and not for the first time, going by comments from his ex-wife. Only this time his son is at risk because of it. He hasn’t told anyone else about the drug; it’s possible this is a misuse of SHADO resources.