Gwen and Michael arrive happily at a Spanish villa for a holiday. All seems well until Gwen discovers some blood in the bathroom sink but they just dismiss it as left behind after a minor accident and lack of diligence by the cleaner. However more worryingly a broken window is later noticed. Then a burly German man (he is given no name on screen or the credits) knocks at the door. He speaks no English and they speak no German but at first it just seems strange when he walks in and starts drinking straight from their bottle of wine. However matters then take a very serious turn when he points a gun at them. Despite their communication difficulties it becomes clear that this man is dangerous and they need to keep him on-side for however long it takes or risk their lives.
Generally this my least favourite episode of the core series (the final episode "The Party's Over" really being an untypical case) but on a very recent viewing I found it to be rather better than I remember although it's still one of the excellent show's lesser efforts. It's an episode I've generally been reluctant to watch, largely due to an unpleasant scene in which the German finds a live chicken which he wants to eat (it must be stressed the bird seen on-screen is a prop) and then proceeds to wring its neck. The camera focuses on his upper half with the bird out of shot but it's simulated shrieks can be hard and the looks of revulsion by Gwen and Michael are highlighted. The pair are then required to pluck the dead bird, prepare it and cook it for him. The scene is designed to show his brutality but there is ample evidence of it elsewhere and the risk is that for some viewers it distracts me from the storyline in general which is otherwise pretty good.
Leaving that aside this is a rather tense hostage drama. There is some similarity early-on with Roger Marshall's opening script for the show "Did You Lock Up?" Both depict a happy married couple on holiday who soon see their happiness shattered when they encounter evidence of an intruder (in this case in their holiday home). While the Astles in the earlier episode had to contend with a burglary and were understandably very shaken, being in the house with an intruder - one seems only too prepared to kill - moves fear to a horrifying level. Typically this was the show exploring fears felt by us all: we look upon home (including a temporary one) as a place of safety and refuge and one of our most basic fears is to have an intruder within it - most terrifying of all a violent intruder.
The language barrier adds another dimension. With the couple and the German not sharing a common language they have no means of finding out what he intends to do: his demeanour and actions make clear that he is dangerous but they don't know his specific and ultimate intentions. They do have an advantage of sorts in that they are able to talk about their predicament - and any possible ways out of it - without him understanding them but as it turns out that doesn't help them much. They know they are trapped and a safe way out seems unlikely. He is a heavy drinker and they hope that ultimately, he will lose focus or fall asleep but he shows remarkable staying power - maybe because his own liberty and maybe even his life is at stack. It is an irony that the fact they are a couple reduces their chance of an escape. Possibly one could try to get away but that would mean leaving the other so loyalty keeps them hostage. Both are aware that a miscalculated attempt to disarm the man or escape could be fatal - not just for the one making the attempt but also for their partner.
The fact that all this takes place in or immediately outside the villa intensifies the scene. Unusually for the show a courtyard outside the villa is recreated inside the studio - big enough to drive a car into - but the lack of genuine outdoor scenes or ones set in a different building amplifies a sense of claustrophobia and indeed was a feature of the series as a whole.
The final stages inject some further intriguing themes and round off a provocative and well-performed, if not wholly satisfying, episode. The following week would see another Roger Marshall script but a return to more humble British setting and one of the very best episodes of all - "Come Into my Parlour".
Generally this my least favourite episode of the core series (the final episode "The Party's Over" really being an untypical case) but on a very recent viewing I found it to be rather better than I remember although it's still one of the excellent show's lesser efforts. It's an episode I've generally been reluctant to watch, largely due to an unpleasant scene in which the German finds a live chicken which he wants to eat (it must be stressed the bird seen on-screen is a prop) and then proceeds to wring its neck. The camera focuses on his upper half with the bird out of shot but it's simulated shrieks can be hard and the looks of revulsion by Gwen and Michael are highlighted. The pair are then required to pluck the dead bird, prepare it and cook it for him. The scene is designed to show his brutality but there is ample evidence of it elsewhere and the risk is that for some viewers it distracts me from the storyline in general which is otherwise pretty good.
Leaving that aside this is a rather tense hostage drama. There is some similarity early-on with Roger Marshall's opening script for the show "Did You Lock Up?" Both depict a happy married couple on holiday who soon see their happiness shattered when they encounter evidence of an intruder (in this case in their holiday home). While the Astles in the earlier episode had to contend with a burglary and were understandably very shaken, being in the house with an intruder - one seems only too prepared to kill - moves fear to a horrifying level. Typically this was the show exploring fears felt by us all: we look upon home (including a temporary one) as a place of safety and refuge and one of our most basic fears is to have an intruder within it - most terrifying of all a violent intruder.
The language barrier adds another dimension. With the couple and the German not sharing a common language they have no means of finding out what he intends to do: his demeanour and actions make clear that he is dangerous but they don't know his specific and ultimate intentions. They do have an advantage of sorts in that they are able to talk about their predicament - and any possible ways out of it - without him understanding them but as it turns out that doesn't help them much. They know they are trapped and a safe way out seems unlikely. He is a heavy drinker and they hope that ultimately, he will lose focus or fall asleep but he shows remarkable staying power - maybe because his own liberty and maybe even his life is at stack. It is an irony that the fact they are a couple reduces their chance of an escape. Possibly one could try to get away but that would mean leaving the other so loyalty keeps them hostage. Both are aware that a miscalculated attempt to disarm the man or escape could be fatal - not just for the one making the attempt but also for their partner.
The fact that all this takes place in or immediately outside the villa intensifies the scene. Unusually for the show a courtyard outside the villa is recreated inside the studio - big enough to drive a car into - but the lack of genuine outdoor scenes or ones set in a different building amplifies a sense of claustrophobia and indeed was a feature of the series as a whole.
The final stages inject some further intriguing themes and round off a provocative and well-performed, if not wholly satisfying, episode. The following week would see another Roger Marshall script but a return to more humble British setting and one of the very best episodes of all - "Come Into my Parlour".