Rumpole of the Bailey (TV Series) Rumpole and the Last Resort (1983) User Reviews

"He looks so much better since he died"

[ygwerin1 · 8/10 · 30 October 2018]

RUMPOLE RIP This case sees Rumpole in an apparently hopeless cause defending an estate agent owner of a ramshackle caravan holiday park.

The Great Fraternity Of The Bar Is illustrated in abundance in this case.

In Court even Rumpole's Nemesis Judge Bullingham sees fit to pass Rumpole a fulsome tribute, in what he assumed to be an obituary.

Rumpole's Chambers Colleagues show their usual unanimous support for Rumpole.

Former Head Guthrie Featherstone's still trying to exercise his influence over Chambers, in attempting to get his misbegotten nephew into Rumpole's place.

Hoskins is still eager to get some of Rumpole's work.

Erskin Brown is desperate to get his mitts on Rumpole's family heirlooms.

The Chambers Head Sam Bollard is as Soapy as ever as he perpetually undervalues Rumpole's Chambers contributions. To the tune of only being worthy of a "small Chambers contribution" for Rumpole's Wreath.

Rippingly Rightous Rumpole

[sjdrake2006 · 9/10 · 5 February 2022]

As in most of Series 3, Rumpole is in fine form here, even if this time he has to share his Court scenes with Judge Bullingham, once more at his growling best and getting some great funny lines.

The A/B threads here are Rumpole having to undertake a 'last resort' gambit to get a defaulting solicitor to pay him, which also gains an adjournment Bullingham was not going to grant and enables him to get the same solicitor into Court to win his case defending a third-rate resort owner from allegations of fraud.

Feigning death also brings to a head the hypocrisy of his legal colleagues.

The solicitor Perivale Blythe makes his way by waiting for his creditors to die then negotiating a greatly reduced settlement. It is pretty unlikely that anyone would take work from him as his reputation would be nil and the Law Society would strike him off, though here it is explained that nobody will pursue him in case this happens. Unlikely. Nevertheless, the decade old debt to Rumpole is the basis for this episode.

Judge Bullingham is marvellous here; his tribute to Rumpole when he thinks he's perished is revealed as pure hypocrisy and he isn't even going to send flowers. (He's glad he didn't do so when Rumpole returns to life and Court!)

Rumpole's colleagues in chambers are worst of all - vultures ready to swipe his room, briefs and furniture there.

Rumpole gets a chance in Pomeroys to tell them what he thinks of them.

Rumpole's client in this case is a rather daft medallion man type who spends his whole time advocating use of computers in business (in 1983!) yet fails to spot that his machines have been deliberately nobbled.

Turns out his brother wanted the land he was using for the resort to mine tin, deliberately tampering with his business computers to destroy his trusting sibling. Rumpole ensures that the treacherous twin gets his just desserts.

Sadly this episode is the swan song of this version of She Who Must be Obeyed, though she always seemed rather too nice.

Also the last call for Fiona Allways, very pretty but rather wet, bland and doe-eyed.

Next season would see her married off to leave chambers and replaced by the much more feisty Liz Probert, providing Rumpole with a useful working colleague.

Rumpole and the Last Resort

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 15 January 2020]

Rumpole has stumbled off this mortal coil. Right in the middle of a fraud trial concerning a travel agent with non existent holidays in a caravan park somewhere in Cornwall.

The head of chambers is quickly looking for a replacement while Rumpole's body is still warm.

Judge Bullingham is moved to say some nice words in court even though he would not grant Rumpole an adjournment he was looking for.

Of course Rumpole is not dead. It is the only way he can get his fees from a shifty solicitor who Rumpole also needs as a witness for the trial of a travel agent.

Rumpole's finances are at a low ebb, not even enough money to pay his gas and electric bill.

I sort of guessed the wily tactics Rumpole would use to get one over the tardy solicitor. A nice cameo from Terence Rigby.