Foyle's War 1.3 - A Lesson in Murder

Plot: We open with a Mr. Beale in a hearing to be listed as a conscientious objector. He's application is denied, because he said he would help a child injured in a bombing raid. He protests this and gets hauled off to the Hastings jail, where several of the officers torment him, and then he hangs himself in the cell. Which becomes something for Foyle to deal with.

Elsewhere, the city is in full swing preparing for a possible invasion, pulling down street signs and having committee meeting about the fact Hastings is expected to hold out for 7 days without support. Which seems unlikely, considering how few weapons the Home Front unit has, according to one Raymond Brooks, the head of the local unit. The meeting involves Foyle and keeps him late, which means it keeps Sam late, so she finagles dinner out of him at Carlo's an Italian restaurant run by an old friend of Foyle's. An old friend whose son, Tony, is quite taken with Sam, and asks her to a dance. Carlo has his own worries, that he and Tony aren't communicating well, and that Mussolini may declare war on England, and what that might mean for him and his son.

Judge Gascoigne, who rejected Beale's application has a young boy staying at his home, Joe, who was sent there as part of the program to protect children from bombings, which have not materialized. So Joe's father is coming to get him, to the judge's relief. It was his daughter's idea anyway. As it turns out, Gascoigne has other problems. Beale had some pacifist friends, including one named Theo, who is perhaps not as pacifistic as he thought. Also, a young friend of Tony's, Jack Winters, is out of prison, a prison he was in because of Gascoigne, and none too happy with the judge. His daughter, Susan, is trying to secretly continue a relationship with a local tradesman, Peter Buckingham, over the judge's objections. And his wife's station is pushing him beyond his financial means. With all that, it perhaps isn't too surprising some rigged the door to his summer cottage with a grenade. Unfortunately, it isn't the judge who opens the door, but Joe. And Joe was only one day away from retirement, I mean, going home with his dad.

Quote of the Episode: Susan - 'Joe had never slept in a bed before he came here. He thought sheets were for dead people.'

Does Foyle go fishing? No, this week he and his police friend go golfing. Foyle is much worse at golf than he is at catching fish.

Things Sam is good at: Not taking any guff from jerks. Jack Winters tries to chat her up at the dance and she shuts him down straightaway. 

Other: At the preparedness meeting, Raymond Brooks chafes at not being able to tell the men serving under him exactly what they may face and are preparing for. Foyle argues that would be a mistake, I presume to avoid panic. And this is a theme that runs through the episode. People opting to withhold things for one reason or the other. Tony has decided to enlist, but had not told his father. He lies about Jack Winters being around, because he knows how his dad feels about Winters. Foyle is nervous because he hasn't heard anything from Andrew for awhile. He plays it off as a joke, that at least Andrew obviously hasn't run out of money, since he hasn't written asking for any. But that's his way, to conceal concern.

There's also a reveal about what Peter Buckingham is up to, and why it's such a big secret, that plays into this as well.

Sam and Tony had no chemistry, unless you really enjoy people being awkward around each other. Which it seems like Sam knows, but is too nice to tell him so.

Theo is played by David Tennant, who was the Tenth Doctor, and Killgrave the Purple Man on Jessica Jones. Here he's the pacifist who rages against the injustice in the system. Gascoigne is unsympathetic to people applying to be conscientious objectors, unless he knows their father.

In the continually worsening life of Paul Milner, he came home from work to find Jane with a suitcase packed. She's going to Wales to see her sister for a few weeks, and simply chose not to let Paul know. He would not have found out if he hadn't happened to come home early, although I guess she'd have left a note. She's still studiously avoiding making eye contact unless she absolutely has to. Paul says he'll miss her, she responds that she'll write, which isn't really the same thing. I guess she's wanting to break it off, but hasn't quite worked up the nerve to do so entirely. Maybe she's trying to push it to a point where Paul will do it, so she doesn't feel like the bad guy? I don't know. I really would like to get her perspective, her reasons at some point.