Nov 19, 2019
Special Branch: Blueprint For Murder (3.13, Thames, 1973)
"Do you know anything of my calling, Mr. Haggerty?"
"Yes I do, Father, I was brought up in the faith myself."
"Then you'll understand that there are occasions when I couldn't help you, even if it was in my gift."
"Yeah, I understand that Father, but this is important: a man's life may depend on it."
"Well let me ask you a question - as a Catholic. Tell me, which takes precedence: the laws of the church, or the laws of man?"
#special branch#Special branch rewatch#Blueprint for murder#1973#Classic TV#george sewell#patrick mower#Roger Rowland#Kenneth J. Warren#Arne Gordon#Bloke modisane#alex scott#Louis mahoney#Jean Harvey#Patrick mcalinney#James grant#Edward jewesbury#Rosemarie Reed#Ronald leigh hunt#William brayne#peter hill#Ian Black#I wondered if the last episode had been intended for the finale and swapped in transmission but I was wrong: a tiny moment in that last ep#In which North seems to freeze during gunfire becomes a key plot point here as Craven doubts his cool under fire. Its a rare example of#Inter referencing in these filmed episodes (one of the main things I've missed thinking about it). The ep itself is standard protection of#Visiting dignitary. The holidaying fella is good old Ken Warren playing a South African bigwig on business in the UK. Cue some slightly#Uncomfortable scenes in which Haggerty warns off black protestors of apartheid in a heavy handed manner. The script is fine but deftly#Waltzes along without really making any moral judgement on Warren or showing support for the free African opposition. I feel like the#Nesbitt era might have handled it all with a little more guts and a little more confidence. Scott is the lone gunman in waiting who the#Team are looking for; they repeatedly describe him as a madman but frankly his motives are more than a little sympathetic..
