It's amazing how quickly Minder hit the ground running; no bedding in, it just clicked from the start. Series one contains some really cracking episodes and i rate this one of the best. 'Aces High' has all the ingredients that made early Minder so enjoyable; gritty backstreets, old boozers, and bent card games, and when Terry, not Arthur was the main man. The poker game scenes although quite drawn out are extremely well done, and the tension is maintained without any need for intrusive background music. Anthony Valentine's character Maurice Michaelson was so good in this he was invited back for another excellent episode the following year. For anyone watching Minder for the first time and wondering why people still rave about it forty years on, i would recommend this episode as a good place to start.
Review of Aces High and Sometimes Very Low
