I'm a Cold War spy thriller fan, so I might as well say John Le Carre fan as he was and is the master of all that he surveys. So imagine my excitement that this was coming to my screen courtesy of the delectable Auntie Beeb? I hoped that it was 'in the style of...' and immediately hoped for a Smiley or two and I'm not talking about emoticons at the end of an email. It has all of the classic ingredients and some very canny actors. There is intrigue, cross and double cross, moles, double agents, mysterious and deadly bad guys, vulnerable good guys who actually believe in 'Queen And Country' blah, blah, blah. The look and feel are excellent, the attention to detail and resurrecting the crazy strike happy hyper inflationary IRA infested 70's is spot on.
BUT ONE THING IS BUGGING ME MORE AND MORE AND IS MAKING THIS UNWATCHABLE...
The terrible trade craft. What a bunch of amateurs! If you, like me, have devoured pretty much every Le Carre book going you will know a few tricks of the trade as well. My biggest bug bear is that the defector's handlers are also used for covert and mobile surveillance - this would never happen. Not then, not now. 'Watchers' are specially trained experts and would never be known to the 'target'. It doesn't seem to matter in this. Despite the high risk of discovery and blowing the operation they follow a defecting KGB double agent on more than one occasion. They don't even change their appearance like doff/remove a hat/glasses or change a jacket or the way they walk. Come on guys?! You get it so right, then blow it on minor details like this? Was it budgetary constraints? Not enough money for the extra's? You can fill the streets of London with a myriad of period dressed extra's and rare cars in mint condition but can't afford a few nefarious looking types like ex-safe crackers, burglars and pick pockets or plain Janes as MI5 did for these kind of jobs?
Which brings me on to the question of the KGB Colonel, defecting for love, and to save the world. The KGB were very good at what they did. They knew how to dodge, dive, duck and disappear. This guy doesn't have a clue despite having a lot to hide. On a long drive through the country on a minor 'A' road he doesn't once double back, fake a breakdown to force followers to pass by or notice his own handler following 100 yards behind him in his own car with none in between?! Don't you at least change your number plates? Not in this apparently.
And the Special Met Police fire arms guys? Hanging out of open windows in plain sight with Lee Enfield rifles despite the surveillance on this occasion being aimed at trapping the main bad guy; a top KGB assassin? Surely the first thing he would do is turn up early and check for traps and anything untoward on a chilly day. Wide open windows when it's cold would stand out a mile. How do we know it's a wee bit chilly? Extras dressed for an autumn day in macs and scarves are a clue. Shouldn't they have been a bit more professional and left the windows shut to hide behind the reflections and blend in with the others closed against the cold? Bullets take no notice of a flimsy glass barrier, so why open the windows and telegraph your positions?
ENOUGH!
Despite this being quite a classy production with actors that are definitely a cut above, these stupid mistakes are making it unwatchable. I will keep trying, but I think my neighbours are getting hacked off with me shouting at the telly in an angry fashion every Thursday night.
This review will self destruct in five, four, three, two.............
BUT ONE THING IS BUGGING ME MORE AND MORE AND IS MAKING THIS UNWATCHABLE...
The terrible trade craft. What a bunch of amateurs! If you, like me, have devoured pretty much every Le Carre book going you will know a few tricks of the trade as well. My biggest bug bear is that the defector's handlers are also used for covert and mobile surveillance - this would never happen. Not then, not now. 'Watchers' are specially trained experts and would never be known to the 'target'. It doesn't seem to matter in this. Despite the high risk of discovery and blowing the operation they follow a defecting KGB double agent on more than one occasion. They don't even change their appearance like doff/remove a hat/glasses or change a jacket or the way they walk. Come on guys?! You get it so right, then blow it on minor details like this? Was it budgetary constraints? Not enough money for the extra's? You can fill the streets of London with a myriad of period dressed extra's and rare cars in mint condition but can't afford a few nefarious looking types like ex-safe crackers, burglars and pick pockets or plain Janes as MI5 did for these kind of jobs?
Which brings me on to the question of the KGB Colonel, defecting for love, and to save the world. The KGB were very good at what they did. They knew how to dodge, dive, duck and disappear. This guy doesn't have a clue despite having a lot to hide. On a long drive through the country on a minor 'A' road he doesn't once double back, fake a breakdown to force followers to pass by or notice his own handler following 100 yards behind him in his own car with none in between?! Don't you at least change your number plates? Not in this apparently.
And the Special Met Police fire arms guys? Hanging out of open windows in plain sight with Lee Enfield rifles despite the surveillance on this occasion being aimed at trapping the main bad guy; a top KGB assassin? Surely the first thing he would do is turn up early and check for traps and anything untoward on a chilly day. Wide open windows when it's cold would stand out a mile. How do we know it's a wee bit chilly? Extras dressed for an autumn day in macs and scarves are a clue. Shouldn't they have been a bit more professional and left the windows shut to hide behind the reflections and blend in with the others closed against the cold? Bullets take no notice of a flimsy glass barrier, so why open the windows and telegraph your positions?
ENOUGH!
Despite this being quite a classy production with actors that are definitely a cut above, these stupid mistakes are making it unwatchable. I will keep trying, but I think my neighbours are getting hacked off with me shouting at the telly in an angry fashion every Thursday night.
This review will self destruct in five, four, three, two.............