Dick Turpin Season Two Episodes 6 - 9

The Thief Taker
22/03/80 W Richard Carpenter / D James Allen
"I’m not Turpin – you are!”

In which Turpin himself assumes the role of thief taker in order to catch…Turpin! There’s a lot of fun to be had in an episode which shows just how easily in these days someone could assume an identity. It’s a trick Richard Carpenter seems to enjoy and this time after Lord Faversham is robbed by the highwayman and offers a substantial reward for Turpin’s capture, the latter and Swiftnick assume the roles of Jeremiah Snare and Jonathan Handy. They offer to deliver Turpin and then set up an operation to frame Captain Spiker. I wondered where he’d got to and it’s great to see David Daker yelling again, especially at the end when he is carted away by Faversham who assumes he is Turpin.

It’s a more morally responsible Dick we see in this episode who feels guilty when the Cock and Bull is burned down by Spiker and later gives the money he’s earned from Faversham to Nell and Davy. The frivolous identity play is broken up by some action sequences but this is a performance led episode. Richard O’Sullivan once again successfully effects a different accent while James Villiers enjoys being the haughty Faversham. There is a slight feeling that we are seeing a re-working of earlier stories but there’s a good rhythm to proceedings and Carpenter keeps things fresh. Even Switfnick doesn’t accidentally give away their plan which I thought he would- all the way through I was expecting him to forget to call Dick Jeremiah. The rapport between the duo is tremendous now and it is the character work that propels this tall story along. As for Spiker I think anyone who watches will be satisfied with his protestations at the end as he is dragged away! A character who can be so cruel yet also amusing is an asset to any series.

The Judge
29/02/80 W Charles Chrichton / D Charles Chrichton 
“I’ll have you flogged till the skin peels off your back”

When local farmers’ lands are sequestered by Glutton to grow, of all things, turnips, and people are arrested for protesting Turpin hits on a plan to disguise himself as the visiting Judge to help them. This season seems determined to veer towards the frivolous a bit too much and this episode is definitely one that might have benefited from further development. It looks as if the idea of having Richard O’Sullivan playing a tipsy Judge was the main point of the story but it ends up being a somewhat nonsensical notion. It is difficult enough to believe that a pair of bottle top glasses and wig could fool both Glutton and Spiker but you have to wonder what Turpin planned to achieve considering this is a trial by jury. His over-ruling of protocol is bound to create suspicion and quite why Swiftnick breaks into Glutton’s house just to get arrested is anyone’s guess. Charles Chrichton was certainly a talented director but his scriptwriting here leaves a lot to be desired. Despite O’Sullivan’s amusing turn as the judge, tottering about and demanding wine, the court proceedings are dull and his ultimate escape unlikely. Surely after this and with the trials discredited Glutton would simply have Spiker round everyone up again.

To be enjoyed as well as Turpin’s antics is the first episode this season with Glutton and Spiker together. Interestingly and despite his callous behaviour earlier, it is Spiker who urges Glutton to be more cautious about the land grab. It’s also Spiker who sees through Turpin’s disguise in a strong episode for David Daker. All told though it’s a bit messy, not as funny as it should be nor as believable as it would like to be.

 (NB Episodes 8 to 13 were originally filmed after the first seven but not shown until 1982. In between Dick Turpin’s Greatest Adventure was broadcast in 1981 even though it was filmed after these episodes)

Sentence of Death Part 1
30/01/82 W Richard Carpenter / D James Allen
“I don’t want a new husband- or an old one come to that”

Dick and Swiftnick come across a coach that’s been brutally attacked seemingly leaving everyone dead but there has been one escapee- a small boy who is the King’s cousin. Now Redcoats are scouring the countryside in search of him but it’s old Isaac Rag who finds him. Meanwhile Poll receives a visitor in the form of old flame and highwayman Barnaby Husk now seeking revenge on Turpin for supposedly shopping him to the authorities resulting in a six year sentence of hard labour in Jamaica.

It’s quite a melee however Richard Carpenter knits the various stories together drawing on the considerable skills of the cast to bring life to what could easily have been an overly wordy episode. Annabelle Lee excels as the larger than life Poll while Bryan Marshall is terrific value as the bitter Husk. There is a great balance too between the serious (it’s quite rare to see characters killed in the series) and the frivolous (Poll and Isaac’s melodramatic `acting` is a lot of fun). The ever brilliant Alfie Bass also gets a delightfully rambling monologue as he tries to get the boy to talk not realising he’s German.

There is a brooding quality to the episode as well with both Bryan Marshall and Richard O’Sullivan taking the material very seriously. The threat of plague is not far away- it’s the reason why there have been no coaches for days. It also provides a cliffhanger that is not what you expect. Having been kicked out of the Inn, Husk’s return allows him to line up Turpin and co to be shot but he then collapses and Turpin warns nobody to go near him.

If recent episodes have tipped a little too far to the light end of the scale, this is a reminder of the harsh times we are watching. The episode is replete with detail as well such as the idea of the scarf to warn Turpin or the comparison Poll draws between the younger Husk then and Swiftnick now.  To break the lengthy dialogue scenes there’s also a cracking fight  between Turpin and Husk which manages to break amongst other things Poll’s precious clock.  She laments how her husband stole it specially for her!

Sentence of Death Part 2
06/02/82 W Richard Carpenter / D James Allen
“All we could do was blow holes in each other and the holes got bigger and bigger...until there was nothing left.”

In some ways there is no need for this second episode because the idea that Husk has the plague is suddenly undercut by the revelation it’s malaria which he caught when in Jamaica. Thus the episode pivots back to the way things were with Husk determined to collect the ransom for the boy as well as kill Turpin. Yet it’s a good thing we do get the second episode because it is home to some excellent scenes that address the relationship between Turpin and Swiftnick. Recently the latter’s gaffes have been treated as something of a running gag but here we see how Swiftnick feels about it and the gesture Turpin makes to help him get back to a normal life. Admittedly it won’t happen thanks to Poll’s eagerness to burn Turpin’s jacket but even so these are character scenes to savour. Michael Deeks brings an earnest honesty to the role of Swiftnick and this is one of his best episodes. He gets a heartfelt monologue that shows different acting skills to usual.

Earlier on when the characters still think they are dealing with the plague Turpin decides they should go into what amounts to a lockdown and it all seems very familiar. Its interesting how this story paints Turpin- for all his taciturn reluctance to admit it- as an outright hero looking after Husk despite the latter’s actions, risking his life to save the child then getting the pardon for Swiftnick but declining it for himself. Not to mention it is he who takes charge when Isaac Rag is ready to run away and potentially spread the plague. Richard Carpenter’s idea of someone like Dick Turpin as a central hero may have sounded odd but an episode like this shows how well it can work. Richard O’Sullivan continues to make interesting acting choices illustrating the differences between Turpin’s tough exterior and his brave actions.