This is the episode which famously took about 8 months to complete - with filming being aborted due to Lewis Collins' leg injury from a parachuting accident, making it impossible for him to walk for weeks.
The producers even talked of dropping him from the show, which would have been unthinkable - but thankfully
of course he was able to continue of Bodie.
This story concerns cat burglar Sammy Blaydon - and how he becomes somehow linked to an Arabic arms/drugs smuggling operation that's currently under investigation by CI5. It seems that Sammy had seen something significant and secretive on his nocturnal break-ins the previous night, one of which was at the Arabian embassy building - something which now leaves him a marked man whose life is now in real danger.
This is an unusually constructed episode where Bodie and Doyle are instructed to 'backtrack' Sammy's movements that fateful night to discover just what it is he really saw. We also get a rare glimpse of the exterior of Cowley's apartment - and the boys waiting outside somewhat unhappy at their early-morning call!
The scenes between Liz Fraser (as Sammy's 'handler' Margery) and Doyle are hilarious, as she falls for Ray's charms... but immediately distrusts poor Bodie! The shoot-out scene at the disused power plant is effective and gripping, as is the one where the boys discover something unpleasant underneath their car...
Cowley is on good form here, barking orders and having some good one-liners of his own. Look out for Michael Elphick as the world-weary and gruff local cop who finds that the cat burglar in his custody is no ordinary blagger whom he can simply process and discharge.
While maybe not one of the real 'classic' episodes, there's still plenty here to enjoy, and it all resolves itself rather well with a suspenseful final act filmed mostly in the dark!
This story concerns cat burglar Sammy Blaydon - and how he becomes somehow linked to an Arabic arms/drugs smuggling operation that's currently under investigation by CI5. It seems that Sammy had seen something significant and secretive on his nocturnal break-ins the previous night, one of which was at the Arabian embassy building - something which now leaves him a marked man whose life is now in real danger.
This is an unusually constructed episode where Bodie and Doyle are instructed to 'backtrack' Sammy's movements that fateful night to discover just what it is he really saw. We also get a rare glimpse of the exterior of Cowley's apartment - and the boys waiting outside somewhat unhappy at their early-morning call!
The scenes between Liz Fraser (as Sammy's 'handler' Margery) and Doyle are hilarious, as she falls for Ray's charms... but immediately distrusts poor Bodie! The shoot-out scene at the disused power plant is effective and gripping, as is the one where the boys discover something unpleasant underneath their car...
Cowley is on good form here, barking orders and having some good one-liners of his own. Look out for Michael Elphick as the world-weary and gruff local cop who finds that the cat burglar in his custody is no ordinary blagger whom he can simply process and discharge.
While maybe not one of the real 'classic' episodes, there's still plenty here to enjoy, and it all resolves itself rather well with a suspenseful final act filmed mostly in the dark!
