Cages comes across as an insubstantial episode which rather loses its way. It is so unfocussed.
George Donkin is under arrest. As sergeant Beck recalls, he robbed a bookmakers with a balaclava with just one eye hole which rather gave the game away.
However outside Hartley police station is a small protest led by wanabee Marxist Melisande Duffy who views Donkin as a political prisoner for his left wing views. She does not seem to be bothered how sincere Donkin holds these views.
Her protests attracts the attention of a local reporter.
Meanwhile Donkin tells Beck to find out what the local chip shop owner, Szabo has in his shed.
As Beck finds out, it is an old mangy bad tempered bear left over by the circus Szabo's brother performed in.
The character of Szabo was interesting, the horror he implies when he tells Beck how he was interrogated back in Hungary during the uprising was well presented. Szabo just wants to look after the bear but he does not have a local authority licence.
It is all very puerile I thought the two storylines with its political subtext just did not mesh well. Anyone who seriously thinks Donkin is a political martyr is taking the biscuit. Even the journalist does not buy it.
Young PC Roland Bentley gets infatuated with pretty Melisande Duffy though and she goes and releases the bear.
It is not going to end well for the bear. I think the audience guessed that early on.