Lovejoy (TV Series) The Judas Pair (1986) User Reviews

The best of 'Lovejoy'

[jonniecomet-14209 · 9/10 · 23 July 2021]

This episode may be one of the very best three or five episodes of the whole series. It's got all the well-loved 'Lovejoy' tropes: classic 1980s fashion (and cars); charming locations; an intense mystery centred on the actual antique item(s); Lovejoy skirting the law several times; a little too much closeness with Lady Jane; the viewers' first guess as to the culprit going completely wrong; know-it-all cops; snobby dealers; Tinker as the quiet expert; Eric stumbling half-wittingly over an important clue; and a finale in which Lovejoy holds all the cards, leaving even the viewer out of the loop till the end.

It's true Ian La Franais' script combines elements of several of the Jonathan Gash novels in one story (much as James Bond films are plot-amalgamated too); but the result is a cohesive story that includes healthy doses of esoteric details, good humour and real suspense, even life-or-death thrills. If you haven't watched 'Lovejoy' before, the first series is the very best of it and if you start with this one you'll be hooked on the programme for good.

The Judas Pair

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 28 July 2018]

Anthony Valentine guest stars with Ian McShane. It means that two Blackburn lads appear.

Valentine plays Michael Seymour, a wealthy collector of flintlock dueling pistols during the Regency Period and a possible suspect of a murder. An avid collector of duelling pistols was shot through the eye.

The victim's brother asks Lovejoy to investigate. His search leads him to the hunt of the mythical Judas pair, the thirteenth pair of duelling pistols made by a famous gunmaker. However as Lovejoy and Lady Felsham follow the clues the actual murderer is not far behind them and the pair find themselves in a burning building.

An intriguing adventure, we find out that Lovejoy is known to the police as his name keeps cropping up on the police computer. Lovejoy is also keen to engage in a duel but as always he makes sure that the odds are in his favour.

"Only a man with the quirks of a collector would kill for a pair of bloody guns."

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 18 October 2019]

Lovejoy is asked to look into the murder of a man shot through the eye during the robbery of his antique flintlock dueling pistols. Lovejoy puts his (and Lady Jane's) life on the line to find the pistols and uncover a murderer.

The Judas Pair is a solid episode that finds Lovejoy in more danger than usual. Lovejoy often talks about greed when it comes to antiques and, in this episode, we see that greed manifest itself in murder. Lovejoy's not only shot at, but also trapped in a burning house by a desperate murderer. I'll credit the writing and directing in The Judas Pair for presenting a number of credible suspects that add to the mystery. While I'm not exactly sure how Lovejoy figures everything out, especially the secret of the pistols, it's a fun watch. And there's quite a bit of tension built up in that final showdown with the murderer.

In most cases, I never really know how accurate the show is when it comes to history and antiques. Is The Judas Pair a real thing? Did a gunsmith really make a pistol for the King like the one presented here? I don't know, but it certainly makes for interesting and entertaining television.

Finally, I must mention Anthony Valentine in the role of Michael Seymour. Of all the guest stars in the first five episodes, he's the standout. It's a shame he only came back to do one more episode. I would have loved to see him join Lovejoy in a semi-regular recurring role.

7/10

Case-hardened? I think not.

[keysam-02610 · 9/10 · 1 May 2024]

My personal metallurgist (PhD and over 20 years in the steel industry) agrees with the entry in 'goofs' with regard to what case hardening actually is (though he said 'baked' wouldn't be his first choice of word).

That out of the way, this IS one of the best episodes, certainly of the early Lovejoy stories.

Poor Lady Jane gets saddled again with some of the 80s nastiest clothing (as do many other cast members); it really was an awful decade for fashion!

There's some genuine jeopardy and unpleasantness here, not to mention an insight into the psyche of the obsessive collectors of the world.

Lovejoy and Jane are in real danger, but display some very quick thinking. It's just as well the cottage boasts the biggest 'priest hole' I've ever seen. They're usually (not that I'm an expert) pretty cramped.

Like Lovejoy, I found Michael Seymour suspicious for a while. It was good to be wrong. Discovering that Judas was less of a reference to the 13th disciple than to the dodgy nature of at least one of the guns comes as a genuine surprise, and it is sad to think of a gunsmith being forced to create such a thing.

The whole episode clips along - it actually seems quite short - and is definitely one of the high points of the show.

Silly Errors

[presentationsunlimited · 9/10 · 16 November 2020]

First off there was never a gunmaker called Durs, that was his christian name. His name was Durs Egg. No one I know , in a life time of dealing with guns has ever called them 'flinters'. They are flintlocks.

Blame the likely lad!

[furstypossum · 8 June 2021]

I agree with the reviewer about names (Durs Egg, not "Durs" as a surname), but that's Le Frenais's script, not Jonathan Gash's book.