The Professionals Episode Reviews – DVD set one


Jo:
Well, we are getting well into the New Year now and, having spent some time just chilling in the glow of Christmas finished, I have now crawled out of hibernation back into the real world. With a prod or two.

So here comes my Saturday afternoon entertainment: Close Quarters. And look! We have reached disk 3 of the first DVD set. At this rate, we will have finished the entire lot by the year 2010. Hmm.

As we open on a shifty-looking chap at an airport, it occurs to me just how much about this episode I've forgotten. Shifty and a female accomplice (fetchingly attired in a rather warm-looking fur coat) hang around until they spot their mark. Shifty jabs the businesslike-looking man with a needle, hangs onto him while he sinks to the ground in agony, and rushes after Female Accomplice as she makes off with the target's briefcase. Neither makes any attempt to look inconspicuous, although surely their chances of getting away with this would be better if the did. On the other hand, since they do get away with it and not one of the many bystanders does a thing about it, maybe their approach has something to it after all.

Oh, I just paused the credits on an oh-so fetching shot of Doyle with long curls a-flying, and a focused look on his face. Ah. Is this the first one with these credits? I can't remember now.

Back to the show, and Cowley informs me (and the massed ranks of CI5 agents) that the chap we just saw murdered was indeed a businessman, as well as a politician. His businessman's uniform of suit and briefcase informed me well there. Poisoned, apparently, and Cowley very neatly avoids identifying the poison. He does, however, identify the two assassins - Franz Myer and Inge Helmut are the two we saw, but there are others in their gang. He describes them as anarchists and fanatics responsible for around a hundred deaths. Nice. And now they have arrived in Britain, Cowley wants them.

Doyle is sitting in on the talk, along with Jax, in a shirt that suits him very nicely. He's the only one in the room not wearing jacket and tie, to my amusement. Typical Doyle. Bodie, as we see next, is having an injured hand re-dressed. We learn that a bullet tore the ligaments in his hand and he gets a severe warning from the doctor about not being fit for duty. As he describes it as 'this organisation' (albeit quoting Cowley) one assumes that the doctor is permanently attached to CI5. Attired in his pink shirt, but not looking too bad despite that, Bodie attempts to talk him around, to no avail. He's off duty for another week, to his disgust.

Briefing over, and oh, Jax doesn't have a tie on either, although he is wearing his jacket. Bodie appears and tries to bluff his way back on duty, but the Cow is having none of it. "One more week."
He tells Bodie he's seen his medical report. When? Bodie has just come from seeing the doctor. Had the one more week thing already been decided before his examination? Betty is there too, and gives Bodie a funny little smile. Bodie is not amused but, left alone in the briefing room, has a peek at the board bearing photographs and details of victims and suspects.

Doyle is waiting for Bodie at the door, and they have one of their wonderful little chats that we must make the most of, as they won't see each other much for the remainder of the episode. Doyle reassures Bodie that he didn't miss much - the briefing was a routine 'stay alert' rather than a spring-into-action thing. He then reminds Bodie that the lovely Michelle is free this weekend. Julia, Bodie corrects him. The lovely Julia is free this weekend, Doyle amends his remark without batting an eyelid. Bodie brightens up, and decides to take the lovely Julia out on the river.

Out on the river with the lovely Julia, both dressed quite hideously, Bodie is struggling to row with his bad hand. Not such a good idea after all.
"The mature man knows when to concede defeat," the lovely Julia tells him as she insists on taking over the rowing. Bodie concedes and they switch places. But as he stands up to move, Bodie spots a man on the riverbank. He waves cheerfully in greeting, then frowns in puzzlement as they drift on by. A familiar face. Ah yes, as the viewer immediately recognises our assassin from the teaser, Franz Myer. Inge and the rest of the gang are not far away either, arriving at the river with supplies.

Out on the river, Bodie is a man of leisure as the lovely Julia rows.
"How's the hand?"
"Terrible. But the eyes are having a great time."
But then he remembers where he's seen that face before - mugshots. Franz Myer. That's the end of the romance for the day. Bodie is instantly a man on a mission, ordering the lovely Julia to pull in. Ashore, he abandons the confused Julia and dashes off, producing a gun from the depths of his hideous cardigan. Why did he take his gun on a romantic river ride while off-duty? For just this eventuality? Plus, just how many layers does he need - polo neck jumper, nasty shirt and hideous cardy. Chilly day? The lovely Julia is quite bundled up, too. Bodie can hold his gun, but only just, and he grimaces - seems the doctor was right. He shifts it to the left hand. In contrast Myer, in his little hut, is packing up his own (much bigger *g*) gun, with no trouble.

Bodie heads unerringly to the right hut. Very clever. Especially as he only saw Myer for a second standing at the river edge, not that close to the hut. The hut looks pretty well furnished - clearly a permanent base of operations. Or it belongs to someone else and the gang has just appropriated it for the duration. Bodie bursts in and, having the advantage of surprise, is able to take Myer prisoner. He famously produces a set of handcuffs from the pocket of his cardigan. Why oh why?
"Some picnic," he comments. Yup, I'd have to agree there. *g* He has trouble cuffing Myer, who is very cooperative. If he'd put up more of a fight he could have escaped, and the rest of the episode might have been very different.

The lovely Julia looks understandably appalled when a grim Bodie brings his prisoner back the their rowboat at gunpoint with no explanation. They (or rather, Julia) row off back to the car, but have the misfortune to be spotted by Inge and cronies in their larger motorboat.

Taking cover and heading for the carpark on foot, the lovely Julia is shocked and annoyed by Bodie's manhandling of the prisoner, but Bodie unrepentantly tells her that he's a bomber, a killer. It's very in character for Bodie to make no apology for being who he is. It's also good character stuff for Julia to be shocked at being so suddenly and unexpectedly exposed to this side of him, which presumably she hasn't seen before. They arrive at the carpark to find the gang already there, but Bodie spots a car pulling up at the roadside and you can almost see the lightbulb flashing on inside his head. Idea!

Why didn't they just sneak into the pub/boathouse we saw at the waterside, and phone for help from there?

Whatever, the funniest car chase ever follows, as the car they steal has a dinghy half-tied to its roof, which slowly but surely comes off during the chase. Plus, it has a very ticked off owner left fuming in the carpark. His day on the river ruined, plus Inge & Co nearly ran him down on their way off in pursuit of Bodie, Julia and Myer. Said boat does manage to slow down the pursuit, however, but only after Bodie and Gang Member #3 (Hans) have had fun shooting at one another, and not a grimace in sight. Amazing what adrenaline will do as a painkiller. Bodie is typically triumphant at losing his pursuers, and stops at a handy roadside pub to make a phone call. Myer gets the better of him here, though, pulling the cord out of the phone with his cuffed hands, quite cleverly. Despairing of reaching civilisation before Inge & Co catch up to them, they pull off the road and head off on foot through the trees.

Our Intrepid Trio find themselves at an imposing manor house in the middle of nowhere. Inge & Co catch up and start shooting just as the door is opened, and they dash in and start locking doors and hiding, much to the bemusement of the prim-looking lady who came to greet them.
"I'm not afraid," she calmly tells this gun-waving manic bursting into her house. Bodie produces his CI5 ID to brandish both at her and the elderly vicar she works for. Amazing what you can keep stashed away in a hideous brown cardy.
"I take it you believe in free speech?" Bodie comments to the vicar. "I want to use your phone." lol.
"He's a bomber, a killer," Juia tells their hosts quite earnestly, parroting Bodie. "And there are more outside." She can't tell them any more than that, because that's the entire sum of her knowledge about the situation.

Back at CI5 HQ and look! It's Doyle in his big checked jacket. He knocks at Cowley's door and goes straight in without waiting, just as Cowley answers the phone. It is Bodie. He rang Cowley's direct line? Handy number to memorise.
"I've got one of those faces," he announces by way of explanation. lol again. He just manages to tell them he's got Myer, but before he can ascertain his exact location the phone line is cut (Hans again. Good, as I'm not sure the other fella's name. Hristo? Christoph?). Cowley sounds quite concerned as he tries to get the connection back, to no avail.

Bodie has a fit of activity, pulling all the shutters across the windows. Nice old fashioned house that it is. Amusingly, the vicar is more concerned with rescuing the books that he flings to the ground than anything else.

At HQ, Cowley and Doyle are frustrated as they listen to the tape of Bodie's brief phone call over and over. Doyle has now shed his jacket to reveal the demin shirt beneath. Doyle though remembers that Bodie was taking the lovely Julia out on the river, and also recalls a pub he uses a lot. What a memory. Cowley puts out an APB on Bodie's car, a Capri Ghia, to concentrate in the Marlow area, and then he and Doyle rush off. Lucky they had no other pressing business to attend to today.

On the road, a bright-and-bubbly sounding radio operator informs Cowley that Bodie's car has been found, two miles north of Marlow. So they are heading in the right direction already.

Deadlock. Bodie has apparently explained the situation to his unwilling cohorts, and optimistically tells them that CI5 will be able to piece everything together and find them, all they have to do is wait. The vicar finally gets a speaking line, and doesn't sound too impressed by Bodie's cheeriness. And then they all introduce themselves. The vicar is Edward Turnbull, the woman is Sarah Price, his housekeeper. I will try to remember those names. Bodie is being too calm, too normal, as he asks for a drink. Myer thinks it's hysterical and laughs openly at him.
"You English are all insane."
Myer cleverly tries to drive a wedge between Bodie and the rest, telling them that Bodie is fooling them, that they will all die. Bodie snaps and slaps him, losing brownie points with the vicar. Myer then taunts Bodie about not being in control, and about not being able to hold a gun properly, leading us to the horrid fake-blood moment as Bodie tries to demonstrate that he can hold a gun despite the pain and injury.

The vicar is the archetypal country vicar, calm and rational and pacifist, convinced that everything will be all right if they all talk about it. Outside Inge shouts taunts, and Hans plays with his machine gun as a show of power. Bodie is visibly losing control of the situation. But he's still thinking clearly - when Inge threatens to shoot the door off, he puts Myer behind the door and makes sure she knows about it. Ruthless, but sensible. Inge continues to shout to them, pleading, wheedling, offering deals. The vicar is taken in, and tries to climb out of a window to talk, much to Julia's horror. Inge abandons her talk of peace and serenity the moment she sees him, and shoots him in cold blood. Hmm.

Poor Vicar Edward Turnbull. None of this was anything to do with him. Another innocent victim of the bloodshed.

Bodie manages to give defensive fire out of the window while Julia and Sarah close the shutters. No sign of hand trouble. He then reloads his gun. He carries spare ammunition in that cardy too?

My faith is restored slightly when the next scene has Julia redressing Bodie's hand.

To my amusement, Jax seems to have reached the riverside pub before Cowley and Doyle, despite them having set off so promptly. He tells them that Bodie's handset was left in his car, and Cowley whinges about Bodie always breaking the rules. Maybe that's why Bodie has gun, ammo and handcuffs with him even on a weekend break with his girlfriend. Cowley's orders. Another APB is put out, this time on the car Bodie stole. And boy is this episode dragging. Cowley thinks they could have gone 20 miles.
"Thirty the way Bodie drives," Doyle tells him. Ha.

Bodie is just helping himself to the vicar's drinks when he hears a noise and sneaks off to investigate. He quietly opens the door only to come face to face with Hans, and ducks just in time as Hans reacts faster and shoots. The bullet hits a mirror right in between Julia and Sarah, who dive to the floor in shock.
"Seven years bad luck," Bodie remarks, casually, locking the door again as Hans retreats, while Myer continues to talk doom and gloom.

Hans and accomplice next try to gain access through the cellar/boiler room, but again Bodie hears them coming. This time he manages to shoot and presumably kill Hans, alas (it looked more like a shoulder wound to me, but what do I know) and steal his machine gun, before shooting at and scaring off the other chap and locking the cellar door behind him. Myer takes advantage of the diversion to shout to Inge in German. Luckily Sarah is able to translate - he told his friends to attack, to not mind him. Inge is horrified at this command, while the other chap is more concerned about Hans' death. Despairing, Inge and her last remaining associate prepare their assault.

Jax, rather nattily dressed, finds the boat – a clue. They are on Bodie's trail. But will they be in time?

Bodie is still trying a show of confidence, with Myer determinedly undermining him, while trying to scare the women. Sarah is very strong. I like her. She stands up to Myer, clear-spoken and clear-headed. Julia is more obviously shaken and emotional, but still firmly on Bodie's side against Myer, who repeats his assertion that they will all die.

In the car, Cowley and Doyle have a conversation about Bodie and their partnership. Doyle states that they have been partners for 2 years three months.
"That's long enough." Cowley tells him. "Long enough for him to get up your nose."
"Oh he does that, all right." Doyle tells him. "Every day he does that."
Cowley remarks that they are chalk and cheese, but that the partnership works.
"I've watched his back, he's watched mine," Doyle agrees. "We're both still alive. At least, this morning we were both still alive."
Cowley tells him they both get up his nose, but he wants them alive. Well yes. Replacing them would be expensive, if nothing else.

Bodie is cracking under the pressure, brightly offering to organise games and singing, to keep them all alert and interested.
"Shut up, Bodie," Julia tells him. Neither she nor Sarah are falling for the false brightness, and he drops it. Just then Inge and the other chap start a charge at the front door. Bodie orders everyone upstairs just in time and they all make a break for it heading for the attic.
"What a way to spend an afternoon," says Bodie.
"Your last afternoon," says Myer, keeping up his gloomy predictions.

While Cowley and Doyle drive around aimlessly, Jax is on the ball again, finding the stolen car in the woods where Bodie left it. I find this efficiency amusing compared to the headless chicken routine of the other two.

In the attic, Myer finds the predicament amusing, and Sarah snaps at last, attacking him in tearful rage. Bodie drags her off, her hysterics calming him down considerably. He then turns back to Myer.
"I've never given much thought to where I might die. Dark alley. African bush. Or running for the last bus. But you listen to this. Wherever I go, you go. Maybe even first. Couldn't bear to leave you behind." He threatens Myer, getting angry and out-of-control, until Julia comes to pull him off. He realises that Myer is deliberately trying to rattle them and calms down again.

Sarah and Julia want to throw Myer out to his friends in the hope of escaping, but Bodie refuses. They insist that if they are going to die, they have a right to know why, but Bodie is completely unable to come up with a reason, feebly suggesting that they ask Cowley if they want to know why. Like Sarah would even know who Cowley is.
"Because I say so," he tells Julia, inspiring her anger.

At the site of the abandoned car, Cowley tells Doyle to make a guess which way Bodie would have gone. Put on the spot, Doyle suggests he would have gone for cover, and they drive off to search.

Julia snaps, and shouts at Bodie that they are all going to die because he doesn't like to lose, that he is just like Myer, violent, and they will all die. With her shouting at him that he is crazy, Bodie also snaps and slaps her across the face, effectively snapping her out of her hysterics. He then spots Terrorist #4 (Hristo/Christoph) on the roof and gets a shot off first. There's a nasty little spurt of blood as Terrorist #4 drops down dead. Bodie then spots Cowley's car and rushes up to the roof. They are going the wrong way. It is too far away for a shot to be heard, but he gets an idea and doctors a bullet. It is a long shot. But it works! The spent bullet hits the car, and Cowley and Doyle are alerted. They head for the house.

Myer then seizes his chance, trips and disarms Bodie, and treads heavily on his good hand. He yells for Inge, who comes running. As the lovely Julia grabs Bodie's gun, Inge has him in her sights, and he stares down the barrel of her gun.
"No!" yells Julia, pointing Bodie's gun at her … but at that moment, shots are fired from below. It is Doyle, just in the nick of time. Bang go the terrorist group.
"Bodie!" yells Doyle in fear for his partner, and dashes up the stairs. There, he sees a perfectly fine Bodie being helped to his feet by two women. The tone changes at once, to an offhand "Y'all right?"
"Yeah," Bodie tells him wryly, before going to comfort Julia.

Postscript. Cowley's office. Bodie turns up, accompanied by Doyle, and looking more presentable in a grey suit. He now has both hands bandaged.
"You were supposed to have returned to duty ten days ago," Cowley tells him. "But if you will get yourself involved in extra-curricular activities … Two more weeks."
Bodie is dismayed, but brightens on being told he did well. Cowley then moans about the damage to the window of his car having to be deducted – from his own pay. Tellingly, before he added that rider, Bodie looked quite prepared to accept that he would have to pay for it himself.
"Doyle, you are grinning."
"No, it's a nervous tic, sir."
"Now get out, the pair of you." Cowley tells them. "I don't want to see you again … until 8.30. In the Red Lion Bar. I intend getting the cost of that side window back – in pure malt scotch."

The end.

What can I say? A very nice final scene, with one good Doyle-Bodie moment near the start, but other than that I found this a terribly dull episode. Reviewing was for once more of a penance than a joy, I'm afraid.

Oh, but despite Cowley's final words, I don't think we actually see anyone drinking at all in this one. Other than Myer in the cabin at the river. Bodie raises a glass of the vicar's port? Scotch? To his lips, but doesn't drink.


Carol:
At this rate, we will have finished the entire lot by the year 2010. Hmm.
LOL!

Jo's inspired review has prompted me to find the notes I did in advance some time ago...

I'm also always puzzled by the way no one reacts to two dodgy characters snatching up the briefcase and legging it.  Even if the chap falling over was simply ill - which it was obviously intended people should think – their manner was suspicious enough to draw attention.  I comfort myself with the thought that Franz and Inge were undoubtedly armed anyway and any challengers would have got themselves shot before the terrorists escaped.

first one with these credits? I can't remember now.
I'm pretty sure we didn't get to see the new credits until the beginning of the second season.  The earlier eps now have a mixture with new being grafted on - you can generally tell when this has happened because there's a difference in sound/picture quality and occasionally a slight hiccup going from the end of the titles into the ep.

The briefing is how I assume most briefings go.  The extra detail provided by DVDs leads me to believe that the notepads used by the team are none other than Winfield brand from good old Woolies (maybe CI5 were economising?).  I think Betty's odd grimace is meant to be sympathetic.

Bodie's copious cardi (you're right, Jo - it must have hidden pockets <g>) together with the rest of his attire makes this a difficult episode to watch for me.  (Someone send for the fashion police!)  Julia's outfit was no doubt the height of fashion in 1978 (and I have some lurking teen mags of the time which confirm it) but I can't remember ever wearing anything remotely resembling it...

Bodie can hold his gun, but only just, and he grimaces.
The bandage is filthy just before he grabs Myer, and clean again afterwards <g>

have the misfortune to be spotted by Inge and cronies in their larger motorboat.
I can never understand why they aren't spotted sooner.  The rowboat is hardly hidden.

Bodie's well in character here, however I can never work out whether I think Julia's character is good or not.  In one way I can agree with Jo that maybe she hasn't seen this side of Bodie before; but she knows what his job is. The reason he's there and not at work is a bullet through his hand.  Her compassion for Myer makes her too innocent, at least to be a girlfriend for Bodie. <g>

Why didn't they just sneak into the pub/boathouse?
It's an episode racked with plotholes... <G>

stops at a handy roadside pub to make a phone call.
They could have gone into this pub as well...

'I've got one of those faces' he announces
I always feel Bodie could have been a bit more succinct with his explanation and got more into the short conversation.  Hans managed to get that line cut pretty quickly as well <G>

At HQ, Cowley and Doyle are frustrated as they listen to the tape
I always giggle at the clock on the wall.  8.20.  Either Bodie set out for the river *extremely* early, or Cowley needs to wind it...

Poor Vicar Edward Turnbull. None of this was anything to do with him. Another >innocent victim of the bloodshed.
Don't worry about him.  He gets reincarnated as the Minister in later eps... <g>

While Cowley and Doyle drive around aimlessly, Jax is on the ball
But why wait for Cowley to arrive?  They should have headed off after Bodie. Also, I don't understand why Doyle and Cowley go back in the car (other than the storyline demanded it) - Doyle's character is far more likely to hare off across the fields after his partner.

I find this efficiency amusing compared to the headless chicken routine
LOL!  Absolutely...

Sarah and Julia want to throw Myer out to his friends in the hope of escaping
This has always puzzled me.  They've seen how the vicar was murdered immediately after Inge's promises to release them - do they really think anything's changed?

It is too far away for a shot to be heard, but he gets an idea
I'm still sceptical that this would work either.  But it's a good storyline <g>

And my favourite part of the episode - who did shoot Inge?  I still don't see how Doyle could possibly have shot her from the angle he's at - but it doesn't really look like Julia either.  (Perhaps I should watch it again.)

In spite of not having enough of the lads together, I love this episode. Although there are plotholes, and some things are a stretch to be believable, overall the plot is a good realistic one.  I find it establishes (for the most part) elements of each of the characters we're going to see time and again.

Jo:
How nice it is that we all have different favourites. I have to admit that I find this one kind of dull, but it does have its bright spots.

After mulling over it all night, I realised how good this episode is at establishing working practice at CI5. Showing us the agents (plenty of them, too) sitting in on this briefing - which isn't about some urgent case, but is simply to raise awareness of the presence of this terrorist gang. Bodie's trip(s) to the CI5 doctor. And so on. So the ep gets high marks for that.

Julia's outfit was no doubt the height of fashion in 1978 (and I have some lurking teen mags of the time which confirm it) but I can't remember ever wearing anything remotely resembling it...
Urgh, really? I did suspect as much, but still. Hmm.

I can never understand why they aren't spotted sooner. The rowboat is hardly hidden.
I was assuming that Inge & Co in their boat weren't paying that much attention to the occupants of the rowboat - there are plenty of other boats on the river (though admittedly not on that stretch) and since they had left Myer at the cabin to set the table (how domestic!) they certainly weren't expecting him to be in another boat. So he has to shout to get their attention.

Having said that, since they are meant to be lying low and in hiding, they should have been keeping a look out ...

Bodie's well in character here, however I can never work out whether I think Julia's character is good or not. In one way I can agree with Jo that maybe she hasn't seen this side of Bodie before; but she knows what his job is. The reason he's there and not at work is a bullet through his hand. Her compassion for Myer makes her too innocent, at least to be a girlfriend for Bodie.
I imagine the relationship would have ended pretty much as soon as the shock wore off. Knowing what he did for a living, and actually being exposed to it are perhaps two different things.

Hans managed to get that line cut pretty quickly as well

Hans was great. *g* He was the one member of the gang who actually *did* anything much.

But why wait for Cowley to arrive? They should have headed off after Bodie. Also, I don't understand why Doyle and Cowley go back in the car (other than the storyline demanded it) - Doyle's character is far more likely to hare off across the fields after his partner.
Yes, I thought the car thing was odd. But I did enjoy Jax. He was fantastic, so on the ball, not to mention fast. He and Doyle should have worked together. I'd like to see that - if Bodie is out of action for so long, how great would it be to see Doyle working with someone else. We never get all that much of that.

This has always puzzled me. They've seen how the vicar was murdered immediately after Inge's promises to release them - do they really think anything's changed?
They were hysterical and clutching at straws by this stage.

And my favourite part of the episode - who did shoot Inge? I still don't see how Doyle could possibly have shot her from the angle he's at – but it doesn't really look like Julia either. (Perhaps I should watch it again.)
I'm inclined to think it was Doyle, despite the angle. I think that's who it was meant to be, despite the dodgy logistics of it.

Birgit
I have now crawled out of hibernation back into the real world
Cough - so *this* is the real world. Oh. Aha. <blink> Just wanted to make sure I got that right. <g>

So here comes my Saturday afternoon entertainment: Close Quarters. And look! We have reached disk 3 of the first DVD set. At this rate, we will have finished the entire lot by the year 2010.
Thank you, Jo, much appreciated. And I can just see us all sitting there, our walking sticks beside us and our hearing aids firmly tucked in place, typing with trembling fingers about those wonderful lads who could be our grandsons... :)

I'd like to mention a few things now that I've watched some of the ep again. I realised that I never bothered to take the finger from the ff button, and I wondered why. Now I know:

First, the terrorists. They're just plain awful. Awful faces – Inge grimaces as if the director kept telling her "remember you're an evil terrorist - try to look more vicious, will you, love?). Awful hairdos, especially Hans, although I *do* remember those from the period. Awful clothes, especially Inge - who would want to be teetering about on *those* high heels on a murder job?? Good thing she's wearing boots in the later scenes, although the flimsy little scarves floor me. Awful and totally unprofessional planning and timing. The way Inge wrings her hands while howling at the vicarage is pathetic.

Ah yes, and above all awful German - the way Myer pronounces Inge's name is already a dead giveaway that he simply can't be German, not to mention the few sentences he shouts at her from the vicarage which I barely understand. I know no one in Britain would have noticed, but it still makes me cringe. Why choose *German* terrorists if you don't even bother to give them the remotest resemblance with the real thing?

Doyle is sitting in on the talk, along with Jax, in a shirt which suits him very nicely. He's the only one in the room not wearing jacket and tie
Not true, sorry: just behind Doyle, a little to the left so he's covered partly by our boy, sits a guy in a jeans shirt, and he looks amazingly like the bloke in a uniform who was sitting in Cowley's "A squad" classroom in Old Dog (the one who asks about rank). So he did make it onto the squad after all. Or is it just me?

As he describes it as 'this organisation' (albeit quoting Cowley) one assumes that the doctor is permanently attached to CI5.
He must be, considering he's treating his patient in the VIP room <g> Maybe this explains also how Cowley gets to know about the verdict so promptly - he's probably got the rest room bugged anyway.

Out on the river with the lovely Julia, both dressed quite hideously
Indeed. Dreadful clothes are a recurring theme in this one – except Doyle for a change, I should add. Did you see the beautifully patterned tank top Sarah wears over her beautifully striped blouse? Exactly like the one I had :) Flicking through catalogues, however, I've realised that kind of stuff is at the height of fashion again these days. No further comment.

What puzzles me every time, however, is how Bodie managed to put on that posh suit and shirt he sports in the final scene and, most of all, how he got his tie knotted so neatly with two bandaged hands. I can only assume the lovely Julia did it for him, provided they're still on speaking terms. Or do you think Doyle would...? Nah. Bodie wouldn't let him anywhere near his wardrobe, I suppose.

He has trouble cuffing Myer, who is very cooperative.
Yeah. I keep wanting to shout at our Franz: Now get your act together and do something, Blödmann, it's a piece of cake for a big strong terrorist like you!

They (or rather, Julia) row off back to the car
The funniest bit is how the three of them get *into* the boat in the first place. Since the boat is bobbing like a cork, the viewer keeps wondering when the first of them will fall in. This reminds me that Gabrielle Drake said in an interview that she managed to overturn the boat in one of the rowing scenes so that she and Lewis landed in the water - and Mr. Collins was NOT amused, according to her <g>

Oh, and despite Cowley's final words, I don't think we actually see anyone drinking at all in this one. Other than Myer in the cabin at the river. Bodie raises a glass of the vicar's port? Scotch? To his lips, but doesn't drink.
He does drink something earlier, when he ever so politely makes the introductions.

Oh, and thank you Carol for identifying those notepads. Nice realistic touch, don't you think? Me mum used to work at Woolie's (called Wolli over here) in the early 50s...

That's it from me. In the *other* real world I'm going to the theatre tonight - sadly no MS or LC anywhere in sight, but at least it's something British (Pinter) Enjoy the chat!

Linda:
Thanks for getting us going on this one, Jo. This is also not one of my top episodes mostly because Bodie is such a jerk through most of it. Yes, I admit it, he's an idiot. He's an idiot for deciding to go rowing with an injured hand. An idiot for wearing those awful clothes on the river. An idiot for not shooting Myer. An idiot for hitting Julia. And let's not even go into his behavior in the house. 'Shut up Bodie' indeed.

He does look so fantastic in the first scene when he's trying to get the doctor to let him go back on duty and at the end in his suit that I forgive him all the rest (proving that I'm the real idiot <g>). Damn, he's scrummy in those scenes!

I have to admit that I love Inge, she's so awful, the clothes are insane and the acting is so over the top it's beautiful. When she's howling at the vicarage I just imagine both she and the director have seen way too many Bergman films. Damn they sure don't make TV like that anymore!

Overall a strange episode but one that I enjoy watching.

Birgit:
I can see what you mean, and think that it suits Bodie well and is even somewhat endearing in him. In real life, however, it's exactly the kind of behaviour I could happily strangle people for <<g>

And this one's has come up with another weird thought. I came across the name of the actress who played Mayli in DIAG: Megumi Shimanuki. Without claiming to be an expert of any kind (apart from being able to balance sushi with chopsticks more or less gracefully), the name sounds much more Japanese than Chinese to me. According to the plot, iirc, Lin Foh was some south-east Asian ex-dictator, and Mayli and her pals including the Embassy men came from the same country. Why is it we (as in "we fans and fanfic writers") usually talk about "the Chinese bitch" when referring to Mayli? Any ideas where that came from? And is anyone able to say what language she speaks when she's on the phone?

Tracey:
As I watched this again last night, my dear husband, Neil, peered over my shoulder at the screen (I was watching it on the PC) and said; 'This is the stupid one where he (Bodie) runs into the middle of nowhere.' After which said husband was banished from the room.

I have to admit it's not one of my favourites but it's not stupid either. I think most of which I noted down has been said already, but the ep also left me with a lot of questions.

Bodie's pink shirt, hmmm, but is it actually pink, or is it very small red and white checks? And I'm sure I can see a vest under it - let's hope it's not a string one with matching Y-fronts :-)

Someone has already mentioned the speed with which Cowley learns about the doctor's report - Bodie has just left the doc and gone to the briefing room, which assumedly Cowley hasn't left in the middle of his speech to question the doc about Bodie, so how does he (Cowley) know the outcome?

What is that brown cardie all about? It's horrible, but does serve a purpose a little later - it has a pocket in which to keep handcuffs.

I love Julie's line 'The mature man knows when to concede defeat.' If only men did, eh, girls?! And yes, her wonderful suit with the ever growing blouse collar, I bet she has a bottle of Tweed in her handbag too.

I can't believe that Bodie would leave his R/T on full show on the car seat. He still has his gun and handcuffs with him, so why leave it behind in the first place? And as the lovely Julie was surely sitting in the passenger seat, if he meant to leave the R/T behind, he would have put it in the glove compartment?

Again, someone has mentioned the pub - why doesn't Bodie go in to use their phone after Myer cuts the phone box line? There are plenty of cars parked outside so it must be open (unlike when we've visited and it's been shut!)

I find Sarah a bit of a strange one - and yes, that lovely fairisle patterned tanktop with stripey blouse - she's so calm at the beginning, 'I'm not frightened,' she says, well maybe not, but I think I would definitely show a bit of emotion if an armed man complete with hostage burst into my house. And what a huge house it is too - vicaring must have paid well in those days. Distinct lack of emotion from her again when the vicar is shot, but she finally manages a bit of anguish when Myer goads her and Julie when they're upstairs. Julie deserves the slap Bodie gives her, far too hysterical - I can't see this relationship lasting much longer.

Doyle looks gorgeous in the denim shirt with black T-shirt underneath, and are the jeans painted on? Yummmm...When driving Cowley along the country road, he checks the rear view mirror quite a lot - is he just doing as his driving instructor told him, or checking that the camera car is still there? *g*

As for Bodie's shot, well...could it? Would it? Who knows, not a weapons expert, but it seems unlikely.

And why, at the end, does Inge hesitate in shooting Bodie? I know our hero couldn't be blasted to bits, but a true terrorist would have shot him, no hesitation. But at least it gives time for Doyle to save the day - I think it was him that shot Inge, not Julie, despite the odd angle. Lovely concern for Bodie as Doyle leaps over the crumpled Inge and charges up the stairs yelling. A rare piece of Bodie hurt, Doyle comfort!

Lastly, Bodie is nicely suited in the final scenes. Did he think this would persuade Cowley to let him back on duty? And I think it makes him (Bodie) look slimmer (not that he's fat, I hasten to add *g*). Love the naughty schoolboy chuckles at the end, and Doyle's grinning.

Definitely a Bodie ep this, not much of the lads together, but still shows their concern for one another and their commitment to duty, Bodie especially. Nicking terrorists on your day off, not the usual thing to do :-) Have your wicked way with the lovely Julie on a little island on the Thames or nick a hostage? Interesting choice - I reckon her suit helped with the decision – if she had that on the outside, what was she wearing underneath?!

Bobby:
Have really enjoyed the reviews on this episode and have nothing much to add, I have to agree this has never been a favorite of mine but since reading the reviews I have re-watched it and noticed lots of things I had missed before. I am sure the only reason for the cardy had to be Bodie needing somewhere to keep gun and handcuffs. Being a Doyle fan my favorite bit is the look on his face when he queries the rubber boat.

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