Pros watch: Man Without A Past
Late to the party, as ever! I do so enjoy doing these when I get a moment though - they make me relax, which sounds odd, but it’s so nice to just switch off and have fun. I have only read a couple of write ups so far, so if I do copy any ideas I will hopefully credit where due - but here goes (with pics!)
Man Without a Past
Or MWAP, an abbreviation that makes me think of media types giving each other a soppy air kiss. The DVD says:
“Death on the menu… A bomb in a restaurant kills bystanders and seriously injures Bodie’s girlfriend, but who was responsible? Bodie and Doyle investigate, to find out who was really targeted… and why.”
So far so Agatha Christie…Odd comma break there as well ‘Bodie and Doyle investigate, to find out etc’. Still, darlings - mwap, mwap…
A flambé! Definitely not a Beefeater or Wimpy then, I take it. Bodie has obviously taken his girlfriend somewhere flash, and is telling some ‘funny’ (benefit of doubt) story about rustling trees (or something)...
...as she chortles like a maniac at everything in sight.
He pops off to make a call before the punch line (always a winner when joke-telling - and thanks Bistokids for pointing that out!), however his girlfriend doesn’t care, everything is hilarious to her! Look at that plate! Hahahaha! More like look at the camouflaged netting ceiling decoration… actually what with the pine sidings, this sort of looks like they are filming in a jazzed up shed.
Bodie looks very happy with his girl - so many looks across to her, although it’s probably to check if she is still laughing at the napkins. But watch out for those sinister flowers!
BOOM!
Der-ner-ner… *cue go get some more wine*
Bodie’s a bit sad about his girl, but meanwhile Doyle turns up to the burnt out shed, um, restaurant, and angrily eyes everything.
IRA? Is this one of the first episodes that mentions the IRA? Doyle already has the list of everyone that visited the restaurant - quick work, but Cowley just reaches imperiously for his glasses, while Doyle preens in the light. MMM. Many Mwaps to him.
Bodie turns up all devastated and Doyle looks at him like, ‘ah mate…’
Still their eyes find each other first, and there is a definite unspoken conversation going on there, one too low for Cowley to hear.
Eugh - that is a really long line for LC to have to say in a tight, angry voice. It smacks of the ‘just one finger’ line from WTJE, but love the way Doyle shakes his head - no Bodie, not this time. Of course, Bodie always listens to things like that. The Cow looks a bit shaken that Bodie could be the intended victim - compare that to Doyle being the target in Hunter / Hunted! Positively gleeful was the ruthless old bastard then!
Still, lives in a house, a very big house in the country… Do you remember getting post like that? Post that looked like it was interesting, as opposed to demands for Council Tax? Sigh… There’s some actual plot stuff here, but more than that, there are some really shocking jeans.
No news about Bodie’s girl, so he goes to see Gino instead, who animates like a Jack in the Box. A bit odd he has a sign behind the bed for someone with the initial Mr ‘N’- I quite like to think the filming crew turfed old Norman out of his sick bed for the scene.
Doyle turns up at the hospital and just knows Bodie would be there. Still, Bodie is more surprised the restaurant owner cannot remember someone ‘that booked by phone’ - would ‘by phone’ make that more memorable?
Oh - that pyjama top… you don’t think…
Rogue
Klansmen
No. bad dream.
Right where were we? Oh Bodie was striding purposely past Doyle. I like Doyle saying ‘you great clown’ and the intonation he puts on ‘feel’ - ‘fe-el’ - probably a bit of his accent breaking out. Ooo angry eye-balling. Love the way Doyle leaps, gazelle like, after Bodie. Oh yes, fight! Roll around in public! Brawl! Damn. Bodie relents as its Ray, but Doyle doesn’t mean Bodie would ‘embarrass’ them, they don’t know yet if Bodie is the target! He is worried, but his great clown can’t see that.
Pendle…
I love the way his supposed ‘jail’ shots look like the actor’s entries in Spotlight! Hahahaha, oh that is worthy of a pic.
Back to the house, the very big house in the country… Bodie - oh! He really does do that catwalk twirl - I just thought that was something clever Crimson had done with an icon! Oh fab! Miss Forrest leaves the front door wide open when strangers call, Mrs Forrest sadly suffers from camel toe, poor lady, but if you do wear tight polyester trousers…
Stamford St, SE1 - quite a busy road to film in (the A3200), really, and it shows. Still Doyle finds an ‘in’ to Pendle - very friendly to that hairdresser girl, hand on her back across the road.
Oh but cut to Bodie - he is being chased - we know this as the Laurie Johnson special has kicked in! Gears! Over the bonnet! Get the gun ready!
Ah… oops. Love the applauding bus queue!
Doyle is at Pendle Sister place. Oh she’s hard… she’s not going to be won over by that chipped tooth smile, regardless of legions of Doyle Dolls thudding to the floor all over the world.
They really go for it in that scene I think, it’s great!
And the way MS leaps down a whole flight of stairs - MMM! Mwap!
Sister goes to call someone, yet Pendle is pegging it, with Doyle not far behind - proper running these guys are, tearing through the kids playing (which is a great set piece that to me screams 70’s - everyone played out back then - it was what you did!) and then down the road - zoooom! Great recovery for that skid, Martin! I fear for their ankles charging through the dump… and then through the wasteland and then through what looks like Hackney Marshes - so they ran full speed through London it looks like!
YAY!
Watch out for mad bloke!
Agh!
Vroom!
Wet bum!
Ouch.
Tommy though… John Castle is great!
Bodie goes to make a call outside Sketchley’s, and then goes to visit Forrest’s business partner in a really ugly office.
You can see the camera man in the reflection! How does Cowley know all these people? Still, comes in handy to check up on Bodie, who has already gone to hunt down Forest’s car. BOOM!
Is it wrong to say any episode where Doyle suffers is fab?
See, it’s a compliment to the actor, he does suffering so well! No wonder we are all hurt / comfort junkies…
Oh, Bodie tears through that house! Oh, I heard that as Bodie saying ‘I’m not here for cock I want answers’ - must have had too much wine… I am laughing too hard now, which makes me think of the way Bistokids described Bodie’s strange sideways sprawl onto the armchair - oh why?!
LC manfully does his best, but my God!
Bit of plot stuff - sorry still laughing. Right. See - that speech of Bodie’s is delivered fine - the bit that ends ‘nothing happened!’ So I think it is really clumsy script writing at other times.
Oh look - Dixon of Dock Green and his mate from Trumpton have turned up at the door.
Bodie is held at the police station until Cowley shows up, yet Cowley has to agree Bodie is on to something. ‘Where’s Doyle’ says Bodie, finally remembering there is a partner somewhere. A partner in a bit of trouble!
Cowley goes to see Mrs Forrest and uses smarm and bad jokes to undermine her. Way to go, sir! Meanwhile Bodie has found the elusive Forrest and off he goes chasing the car, who then chase him and - gears! More gears! Screechy corners!
Proper fab forward roll from LC!
Bloody hell - FBI!
I love Bodie’s eye roll.Poor Doyle, still suffering. But now we see Forrest is there with the bad guys. It all fits! But oh, go Doyle!
Inch your way across to that phone!
Groan your way over the carpet! You really do emphasise with his pain. And that is my phone he is pulling onto the carpet there (well, not actually, but I like to think it…)
Pendle goes a bit frothy, while Forrest unplugs the phone and throws the wire across Doyle’s nose. Bet that was annoying.
Carrot Holdings! I never even heard that until I think Bistokids pointed it out. Wahahahaha!
But Doyle gets free! He lurches towards the kitchen! He hears a shot!
Pendle’s flopping all over the place, rather theatrically, but Bodie is here! He has worked it all out, (and so needs a medal), and is here to fight the bad guys. Doyle finds pepper (POW!), LC does one of his amazing high kicks...
SHAZAM!
...and the job is done!
Love Bodie’s ‘you look terrible’ and the way they are with each other, as well as Doyle calling his own ambulance, and Bodie’s so pleased grin!
Aww.
Flowers for Doyle, how sweet. They are so for him really. And there he is the man in question, reading Mayfair (a soft porn mag), looking all half naked and bandaged. MMm.
Love Bodie’s grin at the nurse, and the way Doyle looks all bruised and lovable. MWAP to the pair of them!