News reports claims that Marlowe, a mystery novel writer and an Olympic-class swimmer in the backstroke, accidentally drowns while fly-fishing in Lake Ontario in the middle of winter.  A man known to write dangerously and live just as dangerously would drown accidentally seems unlikely to say the least.  Alexander smells a rat and sends the Counterstrike team to investigate.

Cinema Verité

Simon MacCorkindale

Christopher Plummer

Tom Kneebone

Andre Mayers

Stephen Shellen

Laurence Ashley

Cyrielle Clair

Verathion

Regal Connection

In the series premiere, billionaire industrialist Alexander Addington finds out from a source at the UN that Annie Morley, an old flame of his employee Peter Sinclair, has been kidnapped after her husband, Eric, reneges on a deal with a former CIA colleague involving triggers for sleeper bombs - the latest toys for terrorists.  No one has reported it to the police and no investigation is taking place.  Against this backdrop, the Counterstrike team swings into action with direct orders from Addington to intercept the deal before the transaction is completed.

Dealbreaker

An Addington contact at the US Justice Department informs Alexander just hours before the naming of a special prosecutor, that a small time Washington DC drug importer may have plans to take down the special prosecutor, who will go to Columbia to indict and extradite a certain Columbian drug baron to the United States, in an attempt to curry favours with that very drug baron.  It is the job of the Counterstrike team to find out what is install for the prosecutor and foil those plans.  Peter Sinclair also throws in a bonus by way of shutting down the disco establishment owned by the Washington DC drug importer.

Dead in the Air

As the military junta of the South American republic of San Pedro prepares for their first democratic elections in decades, an aide to the President informs Father Vera, a Catholic priest who founded a key opposition, that the clergy was on the President's hit list and would be dead before the election.  The aide also gives him an envelope with enough information to throw this military junta out of power if the priest could present the information to the United Nations Committee on Latin American Affairs due to convene the day before the election.  More importantly, the world press covers the opening day.  An emergency call from a Cardinal in the Vatican reaches Alexander asking him to help protect Father Vera during his stay in Boston before he goes before the UN committee and elude a death sqaud sent by the President.

Now and at the Hour of Our Death

As Lord Charles Sutcliffe of the Sutcliffe Museum readies to return a priceless artifact to its country of origin by handing it to Prime Minister Milos Janzan, an old friend of Alexander, masked gunmen armed with semi-automatic machine guns steal the artifact after all security protocols have been deactivated.  Alexander telephones the British Home Secretary concerning this theft and reminds him that the new democratic government has barely came to power.  He takes the first flight to London after being stonewalled by the Home Secretary.  At the same time, he sends Peter and the Counterstrike team to London to assist in retriving the stolen artifact and expose the thief.

Art for Art's Sake

After a reception with various bankers, Pres. Pauai of Mahal retires to his hotel suite with his senior staff.  They confer on the best course of action after examining the draft agreement submitted by Mr. Portersen and many other bankers.  Unfortunately, Pauai is framed for the murder of a beautiful American blonde after he unknowingly drank the drugged champagne and slept with her that very night.  The next day, he sends General Loctuck to send his apologies to the bankers because he is ill.  Loctuck tells the bankers that much and much more, namely that the government of Mahal is not prepared to accept the draft proposal that the banker suggested.  An associate of Alexander calls him frantically pleading him to talk to Pauai in hopes of him convincing Pauai to reverse the current decision announced by the general.  Alexander makes vaugue promises to try his best and sends Sinclair to Chicago to clean up this affair.

Power Play

An environmental group by the name of Earth Now holds a protest rally outside a factory of a polluting chemical company, Grafton Chemicals, where a terrorist bomb exploded and the group's slogan was at the scene of the crime.  Grafton Chemicals becomes the third company the group has targeted for action and a bomb has exploded.  Unlike the two previous occassions, this time, the bomb killed a patrolling security guard and Bridgitte, the leader of Earth Now, is in serious trouble.  Out of concern and interest, Alexander calls Bridgitte, an old friend and godmother of Suzanne, to inquire about her involvement.  She denies all involvement with the bombing and admits that she is at the end of her rope.  Alexander sends the team to Toronto to clear her name.  The team also finds out that Grafton has a research deal with the university, where the group is based, and more.

A Little Purity

After an ugly quarrel between Count Biondino and his son, Enrico, Enrico stormed out of the house angerily.  Within hours, two masked gunmen shot dead a couple of drug dealers in broad daylight on the streets of Rome.  The police, convinced of Enrico's guilt in the crime based on the getaway motorcycle, went to see the father in hopes of arresting Enrico.  A desparate Count Biondino calls Alexander for help hoping that a more objective investigation may prove his son's innocence.

Son with a Gun

A young ambitious journalist of horticulture fails to make a deadline for his article about tulips on the Rhine.  Addington, who is a tulip connoisseur, calls his editor to complain about the missing article.  After receiving the call and reviewing the pictorial slides, she flies out to Rotterdam pompting Addington to send the team to investigate and his daughter, Suzanne, to do some more digging.  Apparently, that journalist has now went missing without a trace.  When questioned, Addington replies that no editor flies 8000 miles just to collect one article.

The Lady of the Rhine

News reports claim that Count Antonio Debroca, Alexander's old friend and the reigning master of the kinghthood, has committed suicide within hours of telling Alexander that he urgently needs a face-to-face discussion about the fate of the hostages in the Middle East, as it may have an impact on the fate of Chantel, Alexander's wife.  A mysterious source tells Alexander that Debroca was not lost but murdered.  Alexander tells the team that he suspects his friend is murdered, but wants evidence to prove his assumption and the identity of the murderer.  The team soon discovers that a murder investigation has turned into a rush to foil a madman's plot to destroy Beirut with a neutron bomb.

Knights of Aram

On a visit to his friend's vineyard, Peter Sinclair heard shots being exchanged in the cellar.  Apparently someone tried to kill his friend, Jean-Paul Grenier.  Grenier confides in Sinclair and Addington that seven other former members of Alpha Titan, a covert group that once operated in West Africa, have been murdered in the past 18 months and that their deaths have went unsolved after Alexander reveals to him that he was a former member of the group.  The obvious question is why after more than a quarter of a century since this covert group disbanded is the assassin killing his former comrades.  In order to protect Grenier's life and other living members, Peter and the Counterstrike team needs to separate the targets from the assassin and then ""kill"" them.  Thereby making the assassin a traget also.

Extreme Measures

In a failed attempt by Nikki's friend to leave her husband, an arms dealer, with her two daughters during the family trip to Paris, the daughters have been separated from their parents and are held by a colleague of her husband who is also a conspirator and plotter against the government of his native country.  Nicole approaches Alexander for help; only to discover that Alexander is interested in putting this arms dealer out of business.  She finds out that the arms dealer is in the process of acquiring Thanos, a missile targeting system for NATO in final development, and has political aspirations of his own.  It is up to the Counterstrike team to get the daughters and put him out of business once and for all.

Thanos

While Alexander exchanged light banter with PM Haddad, a terrorist group by the name of October Justice disrupted a conference between top industrialists of the world and leaders of the developing world in Normandy by storming the relatively lightly guarded chateau in which the spouses of the delegates were staying and taking them hostage.  The terrorists announced to the world the events that just took place on all external communications of the chateau.  In their second communique, the terrorists made clear that they want PM Haddad handed to them unconditionally.

Siege

In an attempt to divert the police from an impending jail break, the mastermind of an extinct terrorist organisation and the brother of the prisoner nominally ressurrect and reinstitute the terrorist group opposed to globalisation and capitalism.  The group threatens to kill one important industrialist everyday that the prisoner remains behind bars.  As the one of the most important industrial leader, Alexander becomes a target and summons Sinclair to Paris to end the threat.

Escape Route

A terrorist group intercepts Addington's car en route to a party and kidnaps Chantel Addington.  The Toronto police quickly sets up office at the Addington Toronto townhouse to track and monitor any ransom demand phone calls that might come in.  When Peter Sinclair shows up at the Addington residence, Alexander has evidently telephoned the British Home Secretary asking for Scotland Yard's best agent in anti-terrorism.  As expected, the terrorists did telephone Alexander at his residence with a ransom demand for weapons to be air-dropped into Angola.  The police tracks the call to a rural farmhouse and plans a hostage rescue mission.  After the botched raid that killed a couple of terrorists, it becomes apparent that this may be another cold case as the police packs up their gear at the Addington townhouse.  While Alexander and Peter comtemplate on future actions against the terrorists, Alexander proposes that Peter leaves Scotland Yard temporarily and assemble a private task force to h

The Beginning

Luke's old girlfriend, Zoe, gets involved with a child smuggling ring by the time she is in Paris.  She takes the child to tell Luke that the infant girl, Gaby, is Luke's daughter.  As a result, Luke goes to Addington to ask for some time off to deal with his personally problems.  Alexander suspects that Luke is probably in much deeper trouble than he knows and his instincts proves to be right.  Alexander tells Peter and Nikki to go to New York with Luke on some false pretext.

Cry of the Children

A former associate of Alexander, Amanda, plans to insert an impostor of him at a conference in order to sabotage an agreement to ban the production of chemicals that can be used to manufacture chemicals weapons, which Alexander has been working on for the past two years.  Apparently, Amanda is also involved in the assassination of George, a Greek legislator and an ardent supporter of this agreement.  Unknown to the assassin and his associates, a young gypsy witnessed the murder and has stole away on a freighter to New York, where the conference is taking place.  Alexander wants the team to go to New York and find this witness for the authorities to transport him back to Greece, where another friend of Alexander is prepared to guarantee his safety while the local police questions him.

Masks

A hard line Russian Army officer reviews the profiles of several former servicemen and selects Luke Brenner for a very special operation.  Unknown to Luke, the lady he is flirting with drugs his drink before Luke is flown out to the Bahamas to be brainwashed and conditioned.  The next day, Nikki and a very frustrated Peter wait for Luke to make an appearance for their return flight to Paris, but Luke fails shows up.  At this time, Alexander calls them with orders to prepare his New York townhouse for Suzanne, who will be attending Columbia.  Luke suddenly appears at the Addington townhouse, but his strange behaviour stirs suspicion that something wrong is going on.  This sets them on the trail of the Russian major and her assassination plot.

Mindbender

After debugging the computer at the Addington townhouse in New York, a group of Africans kidnapped Professor Robert Williams outside his home.  Suzanne sends Peter Sinclair to see Mrs. Yvonne Williams after she called twice, telling Suzanne that her husband has not come back.  After receiving a phone call from the kidnappers, he calls Luke and Nikki to New York to assist in finding Prof. Williams.  Unknown to anyone initially, there are two factions viving for power in an African trible because the monarch died from poisoning.  The Counterstrike team has to figure what is going on and find Robert before he gets hurt.

A very desparate Suzanne calls her father from Union Station in Toronto after her suppose date to the Award Ceremony for the Toronto Film Festival, Tommy, who changed her plans at the last minute is killed just moments after the rendez-vous.  In a panic, Alexander calls Nikki in the wee hours of the night after trying without success to reach Peter in Chicago on his mobile phone, which he had turned off earlier.  Apparently, those who killed Tommy has now kidnapped Suzanne and are willing to release her in return for a breifcase containing very sensitive documents concerning a miracle drug, which Tommy's company is developing.  The team soon realises that Tommy was killed because he knew too much and Suzanne will remain safe so long as those documents remains undisclosed.  Unfortunately, the team has to find the briefcase first before they can bargain for Suzy's safe return.

After successfully completed a mission for Alexander, Jason Denver, Nikki's old friend, surprises her in the bathroom of her hotel suite with the loot of a heist, that Nikki's father is suppose to fence.  She tells him that the loot must be returned the next day and asks Alexander to give her a couple of days to take care of some personal business in Cleveland.  Unknown to anyone at the time, the loot stolen by Jason includes plans for some new weapon systems that are coming into service and someone wants them.  Unfortunately, as a result, returning the heist would be more difficult than Nikki first thought.  Peter and Luke delay their return to Paris from Cleveland on the suspicion that Nikki might be in more trouble than she can handle.

The Millerton Papers

What started out as an assignment to assist the German authorities in cracking down the numerous bank robberies of East German banks by Western professionals following the reunification of the country turned out to be an attempt to bring an end a high level IRA (Irish Republican Army) operation.  Apparently, before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the East German government gave refuge to some fairly notorious IRA figures.  While in Detriot, Peter spent a very rough night in a warehouse held captive by top level anti-terror operatives who told him that this would be his and Alexander's only warning and that Addington has gotten too deep and way over his head.  Peter heeded the warning and decided to pull out after an ex-parti meeting with a top-level Home Office official who had the permission of the Foreign Secretary to discuss Cabinet level information.  Peter had a very ugly conversation with a very emotional Alexander after Addington found out that some of the characters were conne

The Dilemma

Counterstrike is a Canadian/French crime-fighting/espionage television series. It premiered on November 2, 1991 on CTV in Canada and on November 20, 1991 on TF1 in France. It also aired in the United States on cable channel USA Network, premiering on July 1, 1990. The series ran for three seasons, airing 66 hour-long episodes in total.

Counterstrike has since aired in reruns in Canada on Showcase and TVtropolis.

Cinema Verité

Seasons3

Season 1 Episodes22

Cast7

Discussion

Episode Summary