Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) The Dirty Detail (1984) User Reviews

Twisting Tale

[omendata · 7/10 · 23 February 2021]

Rather enjoyed this one , one of the better of the mostly dreadful America efforts at a Tale Of The Unexpected. Good acting from George and cast with a good actual surprise ending for once!

The dirty detail

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 9 May 2022]

Fred Pearson's time in the army during the Vietnam War was miserable due to his bullying Sergeant Guedo (well acted by George Peppard) repeatedly giving him 'dirty detail' punishments. As a result he is left with no self-confidence and has been unable to hold down a job since his discharge. One day when he sees Guedo in a bar, boasting about his war exploits, as brash and unpleasant as ever, it triggers off a need for revenge.

This is a grim tale which touches upon the aftermath of a bully victim's state of mind, that some are unable to forget or recover from a punishment meted out to them. Of course, the twist at the end is quite good. It's nice to see George Peppard, always thought him as underrated. The actor who plays Pearson acts well, too. Overall, a good episode.

"He just would never listen."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 February 2022]

Sometimes the irony of these stories catches you by surprise. In this one, George Peppard portrays a brash, insulting ex-Marine, who puffs himself up by telling Vietnam war stories at the local saloon. He's recognized by a former member of his platoon, a guy who was always screwing up and placing other soldiers in harm's way if he wasn't hauled up short by Sergeant Guedo (Peppard). Fred Pearson (Kevin Dobson) is currently unemployed, and still prone to the same type of behavior, having lost five jobs within the past year. Seeing an opportunity to get his revenge, Pearson lures Guedo to his home under the pretense of owing him money from back in their military days. The ending caught me by surprise in this episode, more so by the fact that Pearson was actually going to shoot his former sergeant in premeditated fashion. However that's where the title of the story finally pans out, as one of Pearson's faults was not taking care of his weapon properly. That dirty detail got Pearson killed when his rifle misfired and blew up right in his face. Not a nice way to go.

Dirty detail..Or recycling of the Galloping Foxley?

[Sleepin_Dragon · 2/10 · 21 February 2016]

Fred Pearson wanders into a pub and hears a loud brash man playing pool, he believes it to be Sergeant Guedo, an officer that made his life hell in Vietnam.

I have now started losing interest with the series, the quality has dipped so much, the imagination in the writing has gone, there's no more subtlety, it's all so brash and loud.

......Another American episode, poorly filmed, unimaginative, it feels just like they decided to remake the Galloping Foxley story and change the country and characters, that worked in a subtle intelligent way, this did not. I've never thought George Peppard was a particularly good actor, he's not exactly great in this either.

Only an obsessive Tales of the Unexpected fan could take any enjoyment out of this episode, it is awful.

2/10.

A new all time low

[bmesser · 1/10 · 14 January 2022]

Good actors wasted on a dreadful script once again. The age difference between Peppard and Dobson was too great. Why would he have kept his uniform and a loaded gun he had from Vietnam?