Production order: 11 | ITC code: 5120 | Airdate order: 11 | DVD order: 11
Those Responsible
Writer: Tony Williamson
Director: John Gilling
Where & When
The Sierra De Guadarrama, Spain: September 12th
The Inexplicable Mystery
A motorcycle cop, who looks remarkably like Charlie Sheen, chases a speeding car. Its movements get increasingly erratic, and eventually it crashes. When the cop checks on the driver, though, he discovers it's a dummy.
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| "I am on a drug - it's called Charlie Sheen. Boom. Winning." |
The Mystery Explained
A top-security NATO meeting is taking place in Spain. Mercenary Gilford is being paid by ultra-nationalist police chief Sarrat to sabotage it; they plan to use remote-controlled cars to make suicide attacks on the convoy carrying the delegates. The car that almost ran the cop off the road was a test run, and now they are ready for the real thing.
Review
If you're thinking the description of the teaser sounds awfully familiar, you're right: it's practically the same as that of 'The Double Death Of Charlie Crippen'. That episode was shot some months after 'Who Plays The Dummy?', but the vagaries of TV scheduling meant 'Charlie Crippen' was shown first, 'Dummy' following just one week later! (It's not quite so bad on DVD, as there's another episode separating them. Although since that episode is 'The Treasure Of The Costa Del Sol', that means two Spanish-set stories in a row...)
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| Jason picked the wrong time to showcase his inflation fetish. |
It's a pity that things worked out that way, because 'Dummy' is a far better story than 'Charlie Crippen'. Like many of the best Department S episodes, the heroic trio each follow their own particular lines of investigation, coming up with different pieces of the puzzle that only make sense when brought together. By the time they do, though, all three are in mortal danger as they're caught up in the villains' plan.
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| "This magnifying glass sucks." |
The only real weakness in the plot is why Department S were involved in the first place. Stewart and Jason, who happened already to be in Madrid, are called in right after the discovery of the dummy by crooked police chief Sarrat - the man behind the mystery in the first place! Perhaps he had a very low opinion of them; after all, we only see the crimes they successfully solve, and for all we know there could be dozens of failures for each bust...
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| Gone With The Wind-ow. |
That aside, the rest of the story is one of the show's better efforts. A lot of its success is because our heroes for once get in well over their heads. Unlike most of the show's bad guys, who turn out to be chumps, Gilford is uncommonly capable. He's cold, clever and genuinely menacing in an "I will kill you without hesitation if I have to" way, always in control of events and easily outwitting Stewart and Jason when they face him individually. It's not until they join up with Annabelle and work together as a team like some kind of Sixties-befashioned Voltron that they're able to get the upper hand.
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| Even with his life in danger, Jason couldn't help but admire himself in a mirror. |
Also worthy of praise are the action sequences as the trio find themselves trapped in remote-controlled vehicles hellbent on ending their journeys with a bang. Even with dodgy bluescreen effects, they're still fast-paced and exciting, a world apart from the laughable attempt at a car chase at the climax of 'Charlie Crippen'. Unusually, we don't get to see the bad guys receiving their just desserts at the end, but since they failed at their goal and have had their identities exposed, it's safe to assume they won't get far. It's a pity Department S never had any recurring villains, because a vengeful Gilford would have been worth bringing back.
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| Batley Townswomen's Guild presents The Legend Of Icarus. |
This episode also marked Department S's turn to use the famous 'white Jag goes over a cliff' shot first filmed for The Baron, which then found its way into almost every subsequent ITC adventure show - as well as Saturday Night Live. "Toonces, look ouuuuuut!"
Fancy Quotes
[Jason has been making eyes at the woman next to him at the bar]
Stewart: I think we'd better go back to Auto-Cam. Ten thirty tonight.
Jason: Oh, I don't like that.
Stewart: Why not?
Jason: Well, it's hardly time to have a decent meal! Midnight's a much more sinister hour.
Stewart: [glancing at the woman] Jason.
Jason: What?
Stewart: There isn't time for that.
Jason: There's always time for that. Midnight?
Stewart: [sighing] Midnight.
Jason: On second thoughts, you'd better give me an hour's grace. One o'clock?
[The woman's husband arrives and greets her]
Jason: [crestfallen] Ten thirty.
[Jason has been shot]
Stewart: Are you all right?
Jason: Agony, and it's ruined my trousers.
[Annabelle gets teary with relief on finding that Jason managed to escape death by remote-controlled Jag]
Jason: What's the matter with your eyes?
Annabelle: I think I got some dirt in them, that's all.
Cheers!
• When Stewart arrives at the Duke of Cumberland, Jason already has a glass in his hand.
• Stewart gets Jason a drink at the pub. Since it's on expenses, the moustachioed fashion plate quips, “I'll have a double.” (Only he's not joking.)
• Staking out the villains' garage in Madrid, Jason enjoys a glass of wine while waiting for something to happen.
• It's not clear if he's started a second glass while talking to Pietra later, but this being Jason we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he has.
Fight!
Stewart and Jason are ambushed by a pair of thugs at the Auto-Cam facility. Jason makes the rookie mistake of bringing an inner tube to a gunfight, and pays the price. The gunman then accidentally shoots his own buddy and flees the scene.
Jason makes a flying leap onto one of Gilford's goons and punches him out.
This Looks Familiar
The scenery docks are called upon to play the Auto-Cam workshops. There are no small roles, only small buildings.
The same rather Purbeckian hill keeps appearing in the background of the chase sequences. It's almost as if the crew were only able to close down one short length of road for filming and had to drive along it over and over...