Milner is unhappy with his new DCS and has asked for a transfer, but after the DCS is murdered, Foyle comes out of retirement to replace him.Milner is unhappy with his new DCS and has asked for a transfer, but after the DCS is murdered, Foyle comes out of retirement to replace him.Milner is unhappy with his new DCS and has asked for a transfer, but after the DCS is murdered, Foyle comes out of retirement to replace him.
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDuring the war approximately 90 million aerial photographs were taken. Of them, some 10 million still survive.
On one occasion, a photo analyst was looking through his stereo viewer of a pair of aerial photos. He noticed an image of a man standing up against a wall, responding to the call of nature. A lot of hilarity ensued among the photo analysts and many of them took turns looking at the image. But then someone noticed something else.
Nearby was a set of strange rails and they also saw some tube-like objects - things that would have been overlooked were it not for the man in the photo. It turned out that this was a launcher for V1 "doodle bug" flying bombs. Thanks to the man's need for relief, the bombers were alerted and were able to take down a rocket site.
- GoofsThe episode opens with an obviously Catholic confession (since only Catholics practice confession and the confessor is seen praying the rosary). The character confesses to "breaking the 6th Commandment," and the priest replies: "You've killed someone?" In the Catholic tradition "Thou shalt not kill" is the 5th Commandment; it is the 6th Commandment in the Protestant tradition.
- Quotes
Rev. Aubrey Stewart: So why don't you tell us what you're doing with yourself, now you've been thrown out of the police?
Samantha Stewart: I wasn't thrown out, I resigned. Anyway, I can't tell you anything except I'm making a vital contribution to the war effort.
Rev. Aubrey Stewart: I'll drink to that.
Samantha Stewart: It's not the same, you know, sir. You should have stayed.
DCS Christopher Foyle: Really?
Samantha Stewart: Well, if you're writing a wartime history of the Hastings police, you ought to stay until the last chapter.
DCS Christopher Foyle: No... Belongs to somebody else.
Samantha Stewart: DCS Meredith, you mean. He was the one who fired me.
Rev. Aubrey Stewart: I thought you said you resigned?
Samantha Stewart: Well, I would have... Given the chance.
"Plan of Attack" may not be one of the very finest 'Foyle's War' episodes, but it is a more than welcome return for the character with him coming back out of retirement and a return to form after a slight slump in quality in the second half of Season 4. The ending here is a bit cheesy and rushed, with the conclusion feeling like it was crammed in with little time to go, otherwise "Plan of Attack" is great. Like with many 'Foyle's War' episodes, on re-watch there was much more appreciation had for how well established the character development, tone and themes are and things that didn't quite connect entirely at first made more sense on re-watches.
Have always admired the visual detail that went into 'Foyle's War' and how high quality the production values are, with beautiful costumes, the evocative way the characters are made up, the look of the houses and cars, pretty locations and authentic-looking scenery. The music is in keeping with the mood and doesn't overpower the drama while still making an impact.
Writing is intelligent, sophisticated and thought-provoking, establishing Foyle's personality with so much depth already and providing some tense and heart-tugging moments. The story is complicated, with a lot of strands that requires full attention, but clever and from start to finish intriguing. It paces itself deliberately but with so much going on it's never once dull and the twists and turns that slowly unfold keep coming. All the conflicts, social/ethical themes and how the period is portrayed are handled beautifully and tastefully and there is a real sense that war itself is a central character and has terrible implications.
One thing that wasn't picked up by me but now is and admired hugely is the tackling of what was seen as truths but some really misconceptions and seeing British during the war in a new light. This was a bold move and dealt with a lot of honesty and tact. The background information is so well researched and is every bit as interesting as the mystery itself. The character tensions were also handled very well and added a lot of intrigue.
Michael Kitchen is truly superb as Foyle, subtle, intensely determined, commanding and above all human. One of the most interesting television detectives there's ever been and Kitchen has rarely been better. Honeysuckle Weeks is charming and loyal, with some nice touches of subtle humour as ever, and Anthony Howell is wonderful.
Nicholas Day, Julian Wadham and Malcolm Sinclair is especially good of a sterling supporting cast, helped by that they have the most interesting characters.
In summation, great return for Foyle and a great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 3, 2017
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, England, UK(Cranville College)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro