As Rumpole limps toward the finishing line, we get a pretty decent episode though showing some of the signs of tiredness that seem to mark the last series.
This isn't in particular Leo McKern's age- in his early seventies by now but still turning in energetic performances - but in the approach the series seemed to take with the supporting characters and plots.
The supporting plotlines here are so reduced that they are vestigial.
We see Liz Probert distressed because she has learned something about her partner Dave Inchcape: Rumpole finds out what this is later- Inchcape is a Toff! A genuine member of the gentry. Heavens to Murgatroyd! Miz Liz weeps profusely at this betrayal of her socialist principles. Within about 5 minutes, Rumpole reconciles her to this - lots of lolly is usually a solvent of most moral principles and his mission is successfully accomplished. (Liz's father 'Red Ron' Probert may find his socialism somewhat undermined though.).
The other sub plot is also wafer-thin. Walter 'The Wally' Wilkinson hands himself over to the police claiming to have committed three murders and gets the treatment of a 'criminal toff' as a consequence. We only see one or two brief sequences of this subplot (the actor playing Wilkinson is shown way down near the bottom of the cast): In the end a chance meeting of Rumpole with a tramp enables him to get the evidence to get Wilkinson off: he thought he'd murdered a fellow tramp but hadnt and decided if he was going to go down, he'd go down as a triple murderer.
This plot appeared rushed and instead of perhaps contrasting life at the top and bottom of the social ladder, another Rumpole 'rabbit out of the hat' sorts it swiftly.
Other Chambers personnel have pretty much become caricatures of themselves by now but other than Liz Probert, we don't see them in this one.
The main plot concerns an invite from Hilda's cousin to come to stay at their stately family pile. Hilda's snobbery comes out at once but in fact it's only because His Lordship faces a bit of a problem: a bag lady has died in the family lake (a family friend opines that 'we all have lakes!).
The local coroner, the always-splendid John Nettleton,as Dr Hugo Swabey, dislikes Lord Sackbutt so when an old Sackbutt family photo is discovered in the bag lady's belongings, Swabey implies that the bag lady was actually Sackbutt's mother, believed dead many years ago subject to rumour: and that Sackbutt did away with this inconvenient relative.
We also get to see much-missed Roger Brierley as a competent defence solicitor and the equally-missed John Horsely (Doc Morrissey from Reg Perrin and Sir Ralph in 'You Rang, M'Lord) as a rather alcoholically jolly friend of the Sackbutts.
Evidence for the bag lady being killed is really no more than that there was no water in her lungs and the only so-called evidence for Sackbutt's involvement is a claim that the bag lady was seen talking with him the previous day, which Sackbutt denies.
We get to see Rumpole in a coroner's court for once - no robes or wigs here- and Swabey pretty much gets to say what he wants with rules about evidence relaxed. He's pretty fair to Rumpole otherwise and of course he has no power to convict Sackbutt of anything, though it seems very remote that evidence 'beyond reasonable doubt' could be established.
Rumpole pretty much demolishes any case against Sackbutt and brings significant doubt that it was murder and an unfortunate accident is just as likely.
As a finisher Rumpole produces yet another 'rabbit out of the hat' when a timely ad in the Daily Telegraph produces Lord Sackbutt's real mother who explains that she befriended the bag lady and explained her past life as Lady Sackbutt. The bag lady promptly absconded, with the photograph, to try her luck only for it to end in the lake.
This isn't in particular Leo McKern's age- in his early seventies by now but still turning in energetic performances - but in the approach the series seemed to take with the supporting characters and plots.
The supporting plotlines here are so reduced that they are vestigial.
We see Liz Probert distressed because she has learned something about her partner Dave Inchcape: Rumpole finds out what this is later- Inchcape is a Toff! A genuine member of the gentry. Heavens to Murgatroyd! Miz Liz weeps profusely at this betrayal of her socialist principles. Within about 5 minutes, Rumpole reconciles her to this - lots of lolly is usually a solvent of most moral principles and his mission is successfully accomplished. (Liz's father 'Red Ron' Probert may find his socialism somewhat undermined though.).
The other sub plot is also wafer-thin. Walter 'The Wally' Wilkinson hands himself over to the police claiming to have committed three murders and gets the treatment of a 'criminal toff' as a consequence. We only see one or two brief sequences of this subplot (the actor playing Wilkinson is shown way down near the bottom of the cast): In the end a chance meeting of Rumpole with a tramp enables him to get the evidence to get Wilkinson off: he thought he'd murdered a fellow tramp but hadnt and decided if he was going to go down, he'd go down as a triple murderer.
This plot appeared rushed and instead of perhaps contrasting life at the top and bottom of the social ladder, another Rumpole 'rabbit out of the hat' sorts it swiftly.
Other Chambers personnel have pretty much become caricatures of themselves by now but other than Liz Probert, we don't see them in this one.
The main plot concerns an invite from Hilda's cousin to come to stay at their stately family pile. Hilda's snobbery comes out at once but in fact it's only because His Lordship faces a bit of a problem: a bag lady has died in the family lake (a family friend opines that 'we all have lakes!).
The local coroner, the always-splendid John Nettleton,as Dr Hugo Swabey, dislikes Lord Sackbutt so when an old Sackbutt family photo is discovered in the bag lady's belongings, Swabey implies that the bag lady was actually Sackbutt's mother, believed dead many years ago subject to rumour: and that Sackbutt did away with this inconvenient relative.
We also get to see much-missed Roger Brierley as a competent defence solicitor and the equally-missed John Horsely (Doc Morrissey from Reg Perrin and Sir Ralph in 'You Rang, M'Lord) as a rather alcoholically jolly friend of the Sackbutts.
Evidence for the bag lady being killed is really no more than that there was no water in her lungs and the only so-called evidence for Sackbutt's involvement is a claim that the bag lady was seen talking with him the previous day, which Sackbutt denies.
We get to see Rumpole in a coroner's court for once - no robes or wigs here- and Swabey pretty much gets to say what he wants with rules about evidence relaxed. He's pretty fair to Rumpole otherwise and of course he has no power to convict Sackbutt of anything, though it seems very remote that evidence 'beyond reasonable doubt' could be established.
Rumpole pretty much demolishes any case against Sackbutt and brings significant doubt that it was murder and an unfortunate accident is just as likely.
As a finisher Rumpole produces yet another 'rabbit out of the hat' when a timely ad in the Daily Telegraph produces Lord Sackbutt's real mother who explains that she befriended the bag lady and explained her past life as Lady Sackbutt. The bag lady promptly absconded, with the photograph, to try her luck only for it to end in the lake.
