#eddy is the named guest star for this episode but actually he wasn't really the household name he would become at this point

[mariocki]

Edward Woodward guest stars as Jack Liskard, Prime Minister of an unspecified African country and the target of multiple assassination attempts, in The Saint: The Persistent Patriots (5.15, ITC, 1967)

#fave spotting #edward woodward #callan #the saint #the persistent patriots #1967 #david callan #classic tv #eddy is the named guest star for this episode but actually he wasn't really the household name he would become at this point #in fact this ep was the first Saint episode to air in the uk in 1967 on January 6th‚ setting off a banner year for Woodward that would #be the making of his career. he'd done a few guest spots (Sergeant Cork and Mogul among them) and yes he'd had some stage success #but 67 was his year; around the same time as this Saint appearance he could be seen on the BBC's celebrated drama strand Theatre 625 as the #lead in a multi episode adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour‚ and almost exactly a month later he'd be making his first screen #appearance as Callan in the Armchair Theatre pilot A Magnum for Schneider‚ the beginning of tv immortality and bigger and better things for #the actor. here he's... well he's serious and he's sullen (two of Ed's strengths as an actor) in a role which.. is FINE on the surface but #absolutely begs some deeper questions. he's the prime minister of an unnamed African country‚ in London to negotiate the independence of #said country from the UK. it's.. a complicated issue (which this single Saint episode absolutely fails to address but I'd have been truly #astonished if it had). i mean yes we're all anti colonialism here of course (even if Simon does seem suspiciously morose about the prospect #of losing another colony in his opening voice over‚ he at least appears to be on Eddy's side through the episode) but there's a kind of #deafening silence throughout this ep: Ed is of course white. his various ministers and other government officials who oppose him are all #also white. the titular 'patriots' who oppose him and make attempts on his life and to prevent the process of independence are all white #the most obvious comparison to be drawn (and presumably the main inspiration for the character) is Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith #who had led the white minority government of what is now Zimbabwe from 1964 and had been involved in similar negotiations with the british #government (that fell apart in late 65 as Smith's government announced Rhodesia's unilateral independence; the country then became an #unrecognised state subject to economic sanctions that lasted more than a decade). the thing is‚ Smith was a racist piece of shit; the whole #reason those negotiations broke down was because of his refusal to secure black representation in Rhodesia's governance #which makes the complete absence of any black characters in this episode a major red flag. but Ed's character isn't presented as the #villain of the piece; the episode is adamant that the work he's doing is selfless and for the betterment of his country‚ and it isn't as if #Smith was a particularly popular figure in the uk at this point for the ep makers to be painting a positive portrait of him. idk #it's messy. at best tone deaf and at worst.. well. i wish Ed had had a better ep to guest star in that's all im saying

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch: 2x02 Booby and the Beast

I'm really going to try and get back to posting these once a week. But I like this episode, kicking off the pattern of kooky guest stars that will continue for the rest of the season.

Vaisey giving major LBJ conducting business from the toilet vibes.

And...half a dozen murdered Locksley builders. There's no follow up on this however - there's a throwaway line from Will later about them being killed, but no examination of how Robin and co using the information Marian is feeding them has repercussions for innocent people, and how to avoid that rather than just make up for it after the fact.

And the most ridiculous anachronism of the show so far, the Nottingham Casino, complete with green felt (although the roman numerals on the craps table is a nice touch). Do I care? Not really. At this point you either lean into the show's ridiculous camp energy or you don't.

Marian in a banger dress and killer hair, marred by Vaisey and Guy being extremely gross. "Fetch" is just...flames...on the side of my face.

This scene is so cute. From Robin's silly tinker voice, to Marian smiling only when he turns away, and her playful call for the guard at the end of the discussion.

Dexter Fletcher has arrived. I first became aware of Fletcher from the very terrible but fun show Hotel Babylon that aired concurrently with RH, but you may also remember him from Stardust as Captain Shakespeare's first mate, or Soap from Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Notably, he also directed Eddie the Eagle, Rocketman, and took over Bohemian Rhapsody when [redacted] was fired. He's having a lot of fun in this role.

I like Marian's red dress (of the same fabric she was looking at in the market, nice touch props department), but honestly Marian doesn't look that much different to justify the lechery?

It strikes me as odd that there's no explicit parallel drawn between Marian's double agent status and Allan's - while there's no direct comparison (Marian's motives being altruistic while Allan's are...not) nonetheless there are unintended, drastic consequences - the apprentice builders are murdered, Allan's information puts the gang in danger (albeit not this episode).

I want to say again how much I enjoy Much and Djaq's friendship - the looks they exchange as Stephen explains the strongroom traps (Djaq: impressed, Much: incredulous) are a delight.

There's a lot going on in this frame, including some great background acting.

Marian is under the threat of sexual explotation and/or sexual assault a great deal this episode and it feels....eeehhhhh.

Okay, I revise my earlier statement about there not being follow up on the dead builders - Robin references them again while they're training, and that the strongroom proceeds will go to their wives and families, so he at least feels somewhat culpable, and arguably his insistence that they focus on the strongroom rather than carrying on business as usual (as John argues they should do), is partly rooted in guilt . Still, it's never clear if Marian ever finds out about the builders, and if so how she feels about it, especially when something very similar happened with Lambert last season. Robin and Marian really should have a strategy of how to use her information without risking blowback on others?

I kind of love that Much is just gossiping about Robin to every ally they meet.

Guy is faceblind - discuss. Either that or he too is powerless in the face of Djaq's hawtness.

Between the pit of snakes and the strongroom, the writers were really getting their Indiana Jones on this season. Although when the floor falls away it's looks less like "fires from the kitchens" and more like the castle is situated on an active volcano.

And we get a nice little coda of the gang distributing the funds they gathered this episode - the placement of Robin and Allan in the foreground is telling - this is the episode where Allan tried to fob Guy off with some useless intel and found out it wasn't going to work. Still, at this point he chose not to betray the gang's plans to Guy, and we get a nice little moment between him and Much.

"Sovereigns of Sherwood" aka SoS would actually make a great band name.

#robin hood bbc #robin hood rewatch #2x02 the booby and the beast