Sherlock Holmes is contacted by an exasperated and frightened Scott Eccles. He was a guest of a Spanish gentleman at Wisteria Lodge in rural Surrey but left when his host and his servant acted weird and then suddenly disappeared. Upon arrival at the lodge Mr Eccles, Holmes and Watson are shocked to discover that the Spaniard has been found dead, murdered.
One of the worst episodes in both the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Return of Sherlock Holmes series. It's not bad, just weak by the high standards of the series.
The plot is intriguing enough and some good twists and turns. However, it feels a bit clumsy and unpolished. This is made worse by some odd direction and camera work: extreme close-ups, amateurish camera angles, arty-but-empty still shots.
Rounding off the negatives is one of the most irritating performances and characters in the entire series: Freddie Jones as Inspector Baynes. Quite loathsome and cartoonish. He reminded me of the fascist, conservative Sherriff in a B-grade Hollywood movie where a bunch of teens wander into some hick town and the Sherriff takes a dislike to them and is determined to make their lives difficult. That cartoonish.