Review S01e03 - Is Your Journey Really Necessary ( upgraded version)

[michaellevenson]

A sandbagger mission behind the Iron Curtain goes badly wrong. Sandbagger #2 Jake Landly is killed at the border with the West. In an emotional scene, it was Sandbagger #3 Alan Denson that shot him, to prevent capture and interrogation by the Russians.

Denson is deeply affected and wants to quit the S.I.S. to get married. Burnside in his office warmly congratulates Denson, but when he leaves, Burnside turns to Sandbagger #1 Willie Caine, " I'm not letting him go Willie, I can't cover the globe with one sandbagger"
C " you haven't spoken to him I have boss."
B " so"
C " well the marriage could all be an excuse. He now knows the cavalry doesn't always come over the hill. He didn't expect the mission could end up with him shooting his pal"
B " exactly, get rid of the girl get rid of the excuse. Find out all you can about this Sally "
C " oh boss, do you really want a digging job on Sally Graham"
B " I want you to follow orders. Follow her, I'll do her flat"
Burnside breaks into her flat and going through her diary finds the name Mick Manley mentioned.
Willie follows her, she goes to a restaurant and meets a guy called Mick. Later she goes back to his place and stays the night. Next morning Willie reports to Burnside.
B " sounds promising"
C " it's probably all innocent. We can't prove anything"
B " I'm not interested in proof, suspicion will do me"
C " oh boss boss, let him go"
Willie Caine realises Burnside is going too far.
Burnside intercepts Sally in Hyde park.
B " Miss Graham I'm Neil Burnside, Alan's boss. I've something to show you"
He hands her an envelope with photos of her from her night out with Manley.
S " why are you spying on me?"
B " you're Alan's excuse for quitting his job. You know Alan's work is governmental"
S " yes of course"
B " I want you to give him up. If not I'll tell him about Mick Manley. That you stayed overnight at his place"
S " I got drunk that's all, I couldn't drive back to my place"
B " Alan doesn't like Manley does he?"
S " no he doesn't. He doesn't get that we're just friends"
B " he won't understand when we tell him you had an overnight bag packed"
S " I didn't"
B " the way we tell it you did"
S " leave me alone"
B " or I can have you arrested for soliciting, stripped and drugged in bed with a number of guys"
S " you may have to Mr Burnside, I'm not giving him up, for you or your service"
B " I'm sorry, but you really won't know what'll hit you"

If that wasn't enough there's also a side plot about a government minister's gay brother being indiscreet in Paris and Wellingham, the Foreign Secretary aide and ex father in law of Burnside, wanting SIS to stop it.

Back to previous episode
https://www.imdforums.com/threads/the-sandbaggers-s01e02-a-proper-function-of-government.4798/

On to the next episode,
https://www.imdforums.com/threads/the-sandbaggers-s01e04-the-most-suitable-person.4813/

 

[michaellevenson]

Sally Graham is so traumatized by her meeting with Burnside that she goes onto Valium tablets. Denson realising he may be using the married idea to come to terms with having to kill Jake, decides to phone Sally to postpone the wedding.
D " look darling, I've been thinking, the last job I had was a bad one, very bad. But I've had time to think and I'm going to stay. Perhaps we should postpone the wedding"
S " of course it was all an excuse wasn't it"
D " no darling it wasn't. I'm off to Germany now, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon"
S " I'll be at the doctors"
D " doctor!, you're not pregnant are you. I know I said I didn't want children, not yet not until I'm finished with the service. I'm sorry but they really need me, and I don't want to let them down"
S " no mustn't let them down they are so nice people. After all you've never let me down"
D " I'm not letting you down darling just asking to delay things"
S " I don't think I can wait any longer"
D " you are pregnant aren't you"
S " no I'm not, what would be the point, you don't want children and YOU DON'T WANT ME"
She slams the phone down.
Meantime Wellingham assures Burnside that with his contacts in the Paris embassy he'll warn the gay Charles Romney to be discreet and not embarrass his brother Minister Andrew Romney by cavorting around the fleshpots of Paris.
Wellingham reports that Charles will not stop his behavior. He asks SIS to get photos of the sordid behavior. But Wellingham lied , he never warned Charles and instead used the photos to force Andrew to resign which was Wellingham's game all along. He didn't like the guys policies and used SIS to force him out. Burnside naturally is furious.
In Berlin Alan is on a surveillance job, crosses the street.....
Burnside and Willie in Burnside's flat.
B " Wellingham putting the squeeze on using S.I.S. to oust Romney, that's a new one. We'll remind him next time he wants a favour"
The phone rings,
B " yes, Burnside, WHAT! okay I'm coming in ( puts phone down), Denson is dead"
C " dead!"
B " got killed crossing the street"
C " something else on his mind no doubt"
Burnside and Caine go to Sally with the news, but entering her flat find her dead, with an empty pill bottle next to her.
Burnside " damn, I didn't push her that hard. "
C " hard enough obviously. She was just a kid, became scared of every car coming down the street, every knock on the door. So she took to sleeping pills and drink"
B " if Denson had lived there would be a point to it all"

Caine " is that it!! Your epitaph for Sally Graham ?, you should have let Denson go"
" I thought I saw so much of myself in him"
" hope it's a comfort to you, you're the one who has got to live with it"
The final scene has Burnside picking up Sally 's suicide letter addressed to Denson. The question is did she kill herself because of pressure from Burnside or Denson cancelling the wedding. If the latter, it wouldn't justify Burnside 's actions, but it would confirm to him what the audience know, and that is Denson was using his fiancee to come to terms with Jake's death and didn't really want to leave the service.
10/10

 

[michaellevenson]

Burnside and Wellingham ( Alan Macnaughtan) , both slippery customers with their own agendas. Also valuable allies ,when they can trust each other.

 

[michaellevenson]

Sandbaggers Willie Caine and the unfortunate Denson (right) who doesn't survive the episode.

 

[michaellevenson]

Roy Marsden, Ray Lonnen ,Jerome Willis, Diane Keen, Richard Vernon, Alan Macnaughtan and not forgetting Elizabeth Bennett as Diane Burnside's tolerant secretary.

 

[michaellevenson]