Colditz 2x03, "Odd Man In"
Mar. 28th, 2012 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kindkitThis is sadly the last episode written by the brilliant Arden Winch, who wrote S1's two Dick Player-centric episodes ("Name, Rank, and Number" and "Lord, Didn't It Rain") and who himself served in British Intelligence.
Via a recaptured French escaper, Simon learns about the escape lines in existence throughout Europe to help escaped POWs get out of German-held territory. He decides that Colditz escapees need to be able to use the lines, but doing so involves getting a contact name from British intelligence. With the help of a former intelligence officer (who I think is Palmer, although I don't recall ever hearing his name in the actual episode), Simon sends a coded postcard to his wife Cathy, putting in hints that he hopes will alert her that the message is unusual and should be brought to someone's attention.
In some scenes unusually set outside of Colditz itself, Cathy takes the postcard to MI5, and over a series of meetings and letters a line of coded communication is established. This means that MI5 will be reading all of Simon's letters to Cathy before Cathy does, and will occasionally tinker with Cathy's replies in order to convey information. Incidentally, there's a mention of the now-famous, but in 1974 only recently declassified, codebreaking operation at Bletchley Park. It's suggested that there's some interest in Cathy as a potential codebreaker herself--an MI5 officer asks about her crossword-solving speed, which was one of the methods of recruiting civilians.
As these events are happening, a new escape plan is being prepared within Colditz. George Brent and a companion, Harry Turner, will escape through the exercise park by carrying two small-statured prisoners under their coats into the yard, then hiding in an unlocked gardeners' shed until exercise ends, when the two extra prisoners will take their places at the head count.
Meanwhile, a new prisoner, an RAF Flying Officer named Lawrence Page, has arrived in Colditz. He is unfriendly and disruptive, and soon comes under suspicion when Jimmy Walker, another RAF officer, talks to him and decides that his story of escape from Oflag XIV-B is impossible. Later, in another conversation with Walker, Page makes technical errors about aircraft that an actual RAF pilot would not make. Walker informs Simon, who informs Colonel Preston. Page is summoned to meet with Preston and Simon, and after requesting secrecy reveals that he is actually a British spy assigned to create and aid resistance groups in France. After his plane was shot down, he put on the uniform of the dead pilot, Lawrence Page, and assumed his identity when captured. A message is sent to England asking for confirmation.
Walker, unaware of this, tries to confront Page (whom he believes to be a German agent planed in Colditz). When he grabs Page to try to force him to confess, Page gouges his eyes, temporarily blinding him and scarring him for life.
British intelligence confirms "Page's" story and orders that his escape be expedited; Simon gives Page George Brent's place in the planned escape, to everyone's disgust.
The escape fails before it really begins, with Turner and one of the extra men being captured. Tim Downing tells Simon that Page deliberately blew the escape by drawing a guard's attention to the shed where Turner was hiding.
When Simon confronts Page, Page says he never wanted to escape. He's the last survivor of his intelligence cohort and is worn down by fear, killing, and brutality. All he wants is not to be sent out on any more missions and not to draw the attention of the Gestapo--Colditz is the safest place he could possibly be and he wants to stay there.
Moved and horrified by Page's story, Simon tells the others to leave Page alone from then on.
Timeline note: It doesn't seem to be terribly long since "Ghosts"; we see George at the head of the escape queue, and Dick makes a reference to that episode's events. Everyone's still wearing coats, so I'd say it's still late fall or winter 1943.
Via a recaptured French escaper, Simon learns about the escape lines in existence throughout Europe to help escaped POWs get out of German-held territory. He decides that Colditz escapees need to be able to use the lines, but doing so involves getting a contact name from British intelligence. With the help of a former intelligence officer (who I think is Palmer, although I don't recall ever hearing his name in the actual episode), Simon sends a coded postcard to his wife Cathy, putting in hints that he hopes will alert her that the message is unusual and should be brought to someone's attention.
In some scenes unusually set outside of Colditz itself, Cathy takes the postcard to MI5, and over a series of meetings and letters a line of coded communication is established. This means that MI5 will be reading all of Simon's letters to Cathy before Cathy does, and will occasionally tinker with Cathy's replies in order to convey information. Incidentally, there's a mention of the now-famous, but in 1974 only recently declassified, codebreaking operation at Bletchley Park. It's suggested that there's some interest in Cathy as a potential codebreaker herself--an MI5 officer asks about her crossword-solving speed, which was one of the methods of recruiting civilians.
As these events are happening, a new escape plan is being prepared within Colditz. George Brent and a companion, Harry Turner, will escape through the exercise park by carrying two small-statured prisoners under their coats into the yard, then hiding in an unlocked gardeners' shed until exercise ends, when the two extra prisoners will take their places at the head count.
Meanwhile, a new prisoner, an RAF Flying Officer named Lawrence Page, has arrived in Colditz. He is unfriendly and disruptive, and soon comes under suspicion when Jimmy Walker, another RAF officer, talks to him and decides that his story of escape from Oflag XIV-B is impossible. Later, in another conversation with Walker, Page makes technical errors about aircraft that an actual RAF pilot would not make. Walker informs Simon, who informs Colonel Preston. Page is summoned to meet with Preston and Simon, and after requesting secrecy reveals that he is actually a British spy assigned to create and aid resistance groups in France. After his plane was shot down, he put on the uniform of the dead pilot, Lawrence Page, and assumed his identity when captured. A message is sent to England asking for confirmation.
Walker, unaware of this, tries to confront Page (whom he believes to be a German agent planed in Colditz). When he grabs Page to try to force him to confess, Page gouges his eyes, temporarily blinding him and scarring him for life.
British intelligence confirms "Page's" story and orders that his escape be expedited; Simon gives Page George Brent's place in the planned escape, to everyone's disgust.
The escape fails before it really begins, with Turner and one of the extra men being captured. Tim Downing tells Simon that Page deliberately blew the escape by drawing a guard's attention to the shed where Turner was hiding.
When Simon confronts Page, Page says he never wanted to escape. He's the last survivor of his intelligence cohort and is worn down by fear, killing, and brutality. All he wants is not to be sent out on any more missions and not to draw the attention of the Gestapo--Colditz is the safest place he could possibly be and he wants to stay there.
Moved and horrified by Page's story, Simon tells the others to leave Page alone from then on.
Timeline note: It doesn't seem to be terribly long since "Ghosts"; we see George at the head of the escape queue, and Dick makes a reference to that episode's events. Everyone's still wearing coats, so I'd say it's still late fall or winter 1943.
