Foyle's War: Fifty Ships

[meganbmoore]

It was so odd seeing Amanda Root in this just after watching the second Forsyte Saga series. Elizabeth, having only a few scenes, is naturally nowhere near as developed a character as Winifred, but they were somehow both exactly and nothing alike. I really like Amanda Root, but can’t think of what else I’ve seen her in besides Persuasion, though I’m sure I have.

This had a couple nice nods to The German Woman, the first Foyle story. Sam offering to chase down the suspect (in thatskirt?) who ran off may not have been a direct nod to her bashing a fleeing suspect in the head with a trash can lid, but it was certainly reminiscent of it. But more directly, there’s the conclusion. In The German Woman, the killer is a man whose job makes him important to the war effort. Despite the fact that letting him go might be crucial to England’s future, Foyle arrests him because he is a killer, and the law must be upheld. Here, the killer is crucial in securing America’s aid, and so Foyle is thwarted by men higher up than him in the government when he attempts to arrest the killer, even though both hate it.

Really, I like that Foyle doesn’t always “get his man.” As fond as I am of a certain diminutive Belgian, it adds a certain level of interest and reality to things.

In other news, I think you could have a drink game for when main characters in this series almost die because of air raids. For that matter, I think air raids have been central to at least three of the plots. There’s the air raid that destroys Sam’s house here, the one that killed the girl in The German Woman, and then the one that destroyed the house of the guy who had been murdered just before due to a mistaken identity.

And as much as Foyle was upset at the idea of Sam sleeping in a jail cell because she couldn’t find anywhere else to stay, I wonder how much worse his reaction would have been if he’d found out she’d stayed with Milner at first. Though I guessed she would end up staying with Foyle as soon as the question of where she’d stay came up.

If he starts taking her fishing, Andrew might need to get worried.

And you know, as hateful as I found the man whose wife was signaling the submarine so her cousin could come ashore to be, I could also understand where he was coming from, as far as her betrayal and being a traitor went. But then, I could also see why she would do that. I think not taking the easy road in such cases is one of the show’s greatest strengths.

 

Comments

[madame-manga.livejournal.com]

You may have seen her in the TV version of Breaking the Code with Derek Jacobi-that's about Alan Turing of the Turing test.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Nope, haven't seen that. But I've seen a ton of BBC stuff (including what I think is every David Suchet Poirot) so she's probably popped up there.

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

As much as I hated him not getting his man here, it did make sense. And I do love that this show never takes the easy way out.

(also, the scene where the man hits his wife just--ugh. But it fits, and makes sense for the emotions and the time.)

Of course, Mr. German Man is Henry from the Rumpole series, so I'm always a wee bit amused by him--possibly more than I should be.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Rumpole is one that I haven't seen yet, but plan to.

The scene with the man and his wife...I think it works because he was shown to be awful and prejudiced before that, so there's no way you can think that they think what he does is ok, but it also makes sense for the time.

You hate Foyle not getting his man because he's Foyle and he should, and because you really hate the guy, but you can't deny the merit.