As a whole the 'Department S' series offers a bit of a bumpy ride, with a quite broad range in the quality of scripts and stories. All are superficially baffling, and supposed to have been declared 'unsolvable' by conventional police forces which is why Department S of Interpol is called in.
In this case a surgeon is hijacked during a delicate brain operation and an impostor takes his place. Instead of killing the patient (a top-level British diplomat), however, the impostor completes the operation perfectly to ensure his recovery.
Investigation shows the diplomat has actually been working as a Russian double-agent, and had previously undergone brain surgery by a famous Russian surgeon. This would have been obvious to any other surgeon, hence the need to have a fake surgeon complete this operation.
In a neat twist, the diplomat's condition suddenly deteriorates and another operation is needed. The head of MI5 decides the double-agent should simply die on the operating table - effectively an execution.
These final scenes are played very well. Basil Dignam makes a ruthless character very believable, while Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan makes desperate attempts to appeal to the conscience of his superior, Curtis Seretse, and is disgusted by the whole thing. The guilt-haunted reaction of Cyril Luckham's surgeon, forced to kill instead of save life, shows the impact of the situation on someone outside the security services.
As a strikingly bitter display of the workings of those in power, this episode stands above the usual 'Department S' froth and points the way to the harder-edged, cynical 1970's.
In this case a surgeon is hijacked during a delicate brain operation and an impostor takes his place. Instead of killing the patient (a top-level British diplomat), however, the impostor completes the operation perfectly to ensure his recovery.
Investigation shows the diplomat has actually been working as a Russian double-agent, and had previously undergone brain surgery by a famous Russian surgeon. This would have been obvious to any other surgeon, hence the need to have a fake surgeon complete this operation.
In a neat twist, the diplomat's condition suddenly deteriorates and another operation is needed. The head of MI5 decides the double-agent should simply die on the operating table - effectively an execution.
These final scenes are played very well. Basil Dignam makes a ruthless character very believable, while Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan makes desperate attempts to appeal to the conscience of his superior, Curtis Seretse, and is disgusted by the whole thing. The guilt-haunted reaction of Cyril Luckham's surgeon, forced to kill instead of save life, shows the impact of the situation on someone outside the security services.
As a strikingly bitter display of the workings of those in power, this episode stands above the usual 'Department S' froth and points the way to the harder-edged, cynical 1970's.
