Proswatch: Look After The Old Bag
That is what I call this ep in my head anyway… Am well late with this, so please feel free to come hither or ignore!
The DVD says: “A heart to heart… When a left-wing preacher’s life is threatened, Cowley sends in Bodie and Doyle to protect her. But to the CI5 agents, it soon becomes clear that their boss’ involvement is something more than professional…”
Well that seems clear, this is going to be a Cowley love story. Ooo-er…
The crowd for Annie are having a rip-roaring old time, aren’t they, in their best theatre going togs. Meanwhile at Annie HQ they are talking money… yet there is a sinister briefcase on the loose… sinister music has cranked up… bang! Oh if only it was fatal…
Cue theme! Wah wah wahhhhh! Der-ner-ner...
It’s a slide show at CI5 HQ… Annie says she has come a long way since her shooting, yet she is still wearing the same table-cloth. Ah well, Cowley still seems enthralled, although Doyle and Bodie are rolling their eyes and sniggering at the back of the class.
‘Handsome woman’ - I quite like Cowley’s description of her, very old school. But 'she’s no more than 45', Cowley, and I’m a monkey’s uncle. Bodie and Doyle obviously see right through this Worker’s Christian Alliance thing, whereas Cowley seems to have displaced his brain for a second. ‘Because I want it, because I say so…’ bit full of himself, isn’t he?
Miserable day, winter weather… nice banter in the car. But all too soon Annie is back on screen… Ida has a whiney voice. It’s that music again… the Laurie Johnson spooky special. A bit theatrical, lads in waiter jackets… but effective. Ah, us, lovable us…
Lovable us that have to share the same chair. Slantedlight pointed out that the lads are very pleased with themselves in this ep and it's true, they are very bouncy happy smug about something…
When being wooed Cowley obviously likes to be called Georgie. This is almost more information than I need. And more information that Bodie and Doyle need, by the looks of it.
Lovely banter in the car, playing off each other nicely. And debating whether their boss is attractive, Doyle seems to think so, but Bodie hasn’t had time to notice… hmmm…Oh dear, not going there. Strange clip of the car from Close Quarters cut in here, bad editing! Doyle’s dirty laugh is fab though...
... and sounds very genuine, I wonder how many times they filmed this scene?
Bodie playing Cupid, very smart in his suit. Doyle by contrast is a bit scruffy, and has to turn his face away, not quite sure if Cowley would fall for something so transparent perhaps? Nice little wink at Doyle from Bodie, and Doyle enjoys the ‘give it the once over’ comment - dirty mind he has.
Shot of Cowley imagining romps.
Cowley goes to see Annie and has his hopes dashed… although he was a bit presumptuous going ahead and getting tickets for the opera. Oh but that corny ‘sore eyes’ comment - that isn’t going to get him into her table-cloth, that’s for sure. Look at her face...
...that isn’t an impressed woman. Cowley quite likes being fairly important and can ‘wangle’ tickets… oh but there is Stanley. I’ve never read this as he is shocked he is black, more that he is shocked she has a lover. Ahh… poor Cowley. She wasn’t worth it, mate.
However Stanley is up to naughties with posh whiney person Ida, and he wants Annie to be the new Eva Peron. Handy that book was in his car. Hmm - him ‘spiritual leader’, her ‘treasurer’ - equals all the way, that pair.
Love Bodie and Doyle sitting by the sink in their shoulder holsters, Bodie reading the paper (must be The Daily Express surely), and Doyle playing hmm, well I thought it was Patience, but no. Great old 70's design sugar bowl, great banter, speculating on Cowley’s relationship (it definitely has them intrigued, doesn’t it) and the fact Cowley knows what side of the bed they get out and with whom… And then Charlie the caretaker kicks in, telling tales out of school… Love the way they keep looking at eachother, almost like ‘humour the old feller’...
...and of course the way they share making the tea - blimey Doyle has a sweet tooth. And LC slops his milk over the side, and gives that amused smile he does when something isn’t quite right on set - I might have to start collecting these, they are very obvious!
Another old army bloke mate of Cowley’s gone bad. And… Bedford?! No - that is where the bad bloke from Stakeout lived! The clock on the wall in Cowley’s office says 4.15pm here.
Bodie will be up in the circle… didn’t actually look like there was a circle in that auditorium. Bodie sounds all Liverpudlian - ‘what are these doing around the back?’. Doyle is amazed the building has a cellar, and Bodie wonders if it is linked to the main drainage system… odd conversation - does it smell around there, maybe?!
Stanley and hit man are having a rendezvous with CI5 people all around - yes, that seems a good idea. Top bloke, this Stanley. A few screws missing I feel. Like the headline next to Evangelist Annie - ‘Why A Woman’s Life Is One Big Headache’. I agree with that sentiment.
Big Billy Taylor - ‘you are big, aren’t you’ - whahahaha. Big Billy seems very proud.
Like Doyle and Bodie talking with Cowley while he drinks out of his willow pattern tea cup. There is a lot of shared decisions in this ep - ‘me and Doyle think’ - and gestures to speak, although Bodie is the one that puts everything forward.
Nice grin from Doyle at Cowley's ‘I’m obliged to you but don’t like you’ comment to his bad army friend...
...but the clock on Cowley’s office says 4pm here - how can that be?! Filmed out of sequence, perhaps?
I love Cowley’s leaving shot to Annie of ‘we were both a lot younger than’ - go bitchy Cowley!
Bad editing with real riot footage. Ooo Martin Shaw can do a two fingered whistle, I’m impressed, as I can't do them! I like Doyle’s world weary cynicism about how the media will portray the police… can’t help thinking that cordoning off a whole area will be a lot more disruptive than cancelling the meeting but it works, Annie is all dressed down in her table-cloth with no one to perform to, apart from our lads.
Oh Bodie had Annie’s measure from the start didn’t he? Like his use of ‘Ray’… ooo though Doyle, pushing your luck with the whole ‘that might just make you even’ comment - even Bodie gave him a look!
Why do B & D let Annie go off alone around the back way? Umm… anyway… poor Turner, but a very graceful dive.
Like Doyle leaping over the railings…Stanley: ‘those jokers I hired have loused it up!’ Well, bally ho. Still, no time to wonder at his odd dialogue as poor Cowley is getting beaten up and banging off that car - ouch! Now let’s see, Annie hides behind the boxes… then the bad guys hide behind the same boxes… hmm… then Bodie and Doyle are here, and Bodie signals he is running the other way - he must have run a mile around the block for him to pop up on the opposite wall, anyhow, the good bit is coming up…
Doyle looks anxious…
OW!
Fight anyway!!
Ah…
Ooops.
Bodie to the rescue!
Always thought the ‘drop everything including your pants’ was a bit odd-sounding (as ‘pants’ for ‘trousers’ is very American - here pants mean underpants!) I always felt a bit sorry for the one bloke who took his sock off.
Love Doyle wanting to faint, and holding it together, and Bodie’s concern over him, as well as his ‘don’t cross in front!’ to Annie, who is the world’s stupidest woman.
And love Bodie’s don’t pass out admonishment to Doyle, wagging his finger before he runs off for the wagon, with a lot less windmilling than usual as well! And like him helping Doyle into the wagon.
Doyle passes out on cue, twice bless the editors, and Stanley is there! Cowley sees, shoots and he scores!
Bodie and Doyle sharing a porn magazine (Knave) and drinking Cowley’s Glenfidditch as they are in his office. Wonder what page they had open?! And whose porn magazine - Cowley's?!! They leave it on his desk...
They are still being all bouncy with each other, bowing each other out the door, as deluded Annie sees Cowley in hospital. At least Bodie properly escorts Doyle out the door, taking care of his injured partner by putting his arm around him.
A timely ambulance - what do we think Annie said and do we even care? Whatever it was, Bodie and Doyle aren’t passing it on. Although Doyle says ‘are you going to tell him’ - and then ‘he asked you, you know’ which sounds like Cowley asked Bodie to ask Annie… oh where she gets her wig. Whatever. They look nice in the car debating over it!
Cue theme!