1-01. The Good Ones Are All Dead.

Callan confronts a suspected Nazi (Powys Thomas).

Air Date: July 8, 1967. Written by: James Mitchell. Directed by: Toby Robertson. Produced by: Terence Feely, Lloyd Shirley.


THE PLOT:

Callan insists he is done working for The Section, but Hunter is not yet done with him. Using Callan's new red file as blackmail, Hunter pressures him to keep an eye on Egyptian businessman Stavros (Powys Thomas), who has been identified as former SS officer Reinhold Strauss. He isn't to kill Strauss - just monitor him until Israeli agent Avram (Tom Kempinski) can pick him up.

Callan goes undercover as Stavros's new bookkeeper, and quickly develops doubts that his soft new employer could possibly have been a Nazi murderer. Avram counters that "men change; their crimes never do." But even as he prepares for the handover, Callan investigates on his own - and also maneuvers to shift the balance of power in his relationship with Hunter.

Meres (Anthony Valentine) monitors Callan.

CHARACTERS:

Callan: One reason why Hunter thinks he's particularly well-suited to this task is that his parents were killed during the war by a V2 rocket. If he's expecting an emotional reaction, he doesn't get it. Callan insists that it was "23 years ago," and focuses most of his energy on making sure that the identification of Stavros as Strauss is actually correct. He also arranges with Lonely to get another gun, this time so that he has the means to kill Hunter if he is pushed too far - a threat he makes very clear to Hunter.

Hunter: Remains unflappable in the face of Callan's hostility. The opening scene sees Callan telling him point-blank that if he's pushed too far, he will kill Hunter before any of the Section assassins can stop him. Hunter later quips to Meres that this means that he and Callan have achieved a working relationship - "a balance of terror." He is resistant to killing Callan, and it seems evident that he still wants his best assassin back on a permanent basis.

Meres: Anthony Valentine takes over the role of Callan's rival (played by Peter Bowles in the pilot). Valentine makes a strong first impression, with a script that makes sure to provide a few good character beats. More is made of the class difference between Meres and Callan, with Callan mocking Meres' upper-class background. Meres admits to detesting Callan, but he respects his abilities.  He tells Avram that Callan is a good operative, and admits to Hunter that if Callan ever does go after him, he believes he will succeed.

Callan prepares to break into Stavros' safe.

THOUGHTS:

The Good Ones Are All Dead serves both as a follow-up to A Magnum for Schneider and as a reintroduction to the characters. The teaser re-establishes the relationship between Callan and Hunter, quickly laying out their background and their antagonistic relationship. The plot itself is strikingly similar to that of A Magnum for Schneider, with Callan again assigned a target he finds more likable than his own associates. Though there are references to the pilot, care is taken to make sure that new viewers will not miss anything.

It's adeptly done - but unfortunately, this just isn't as good as A Magnum for Schneider was, and the plot is far too similar to avoid making comparisons. Stavros/Strauss is never a compelling character in his own right, and I never really believed Callan would feel any particular respect or sympathy for him in either guise, which made the ending difficult for me to fully buy into.

That said, The Good Ones Are All Dead is still a decent episode, mainly because of how well the script handles the regulars. The characters are (re-) introduced with efficiency, and every one of them gets a moment to shine. The plot may be no more than serviceable, but the character moments are terrific.

I kind of love the uneasy balance of power among Hunter, Callan, and Meres. Hunter and Meres personally get on better than Hunter and Callan - but Hunter has more respect for Callan's abilities. Meres also respects Callan (a visible change from the pilot, and a smart one). All three are in a precarious alliance that could topple over at any moment if any of them gains an upper-hand - something Callan is actively attempting to do.

The best scene in the episode is the second of two interactions between Callan and his criminal contact, Lonely. Their first scene is a bit tedious, with Callan repeating his abuse of Lonely from the pilot almost verbatim. But when they meet later, Lonely asks Callan what it's like to kill a man - which prompts a strikingly effective moment of reflection.

"It's like eating your lunch," Callan says after a moment's thought. "If you've got the stomach for it, it's easy. Trouble is, you - you get to like it." Later, when Callan lifts a gun thinking he might have to use it, his hand tremors visibly - As if he's afraid of that very sensation.

Moments such as these make this a memorable episode, even if the central plot is noticeably weaker than the pilot's.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: A Magnum for Schneider
Next Episode: Goodbye, Nobby Clarke




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