Episode 12 - Souvenir

       It never fails, does it? You take your first real break in years and what happens? The kids get into trouble. You just can't leave them alone for five minutes, can you...?

       Joking aside, I enjoyed Souvenir. (Apart from Backup's behaviour - I'll come to that later.)

       I just love seeing CI5 operatives acting on their own initiative! It's probably something to do with the way they break the rules - even their own. (I'll discount Malone's Rule number 1 - "Never become emotionally involved." The whole point about CI5 is that the people in it are emotionally involved - it goes with the territory. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be there in the first place. It's my belief that Rule 1 is only there (and occasionally quoted) to remind them not to let their feelings overwhelm them to the point where they can't do the job...)

       And wasn't Curtis wonderful? It seemed to me there are (well-)hidden dark and somewhat dangerous depths there. (I could be imagining it, of course - but I do hope not...) It's annoying we've had to wait 'til the penultimate episode to glimpse them, though. Still, we've learned that he was in MI6 initially (didn't MI6 used to hate CI5? I wonder why he left?) It was good to see him taking control for once, and very good that he was vindicated at the conclusion of the episode.

       Ooooh, I do want to know more about the woman Malone was with! An old friend? Someone he'd only just met? His daughter?? Enquiring minds want to know!

       The plot was fairly incredible, but enjoyable for all that. There was, however, one major flaw (well, maybe that's the wrong word...) It's all very well trying to clone Adolf Hitler, but even if it succeeded - which is far from certain - what you'd end up with is a baby with his genetic makeup - not a duplicate Führer. And by the time he was old enough to do any damage, the 'Old Guard' would all be dead - though I suppose the younger members of the New Order would probably be able to train him. Nevertheless, assuming that the child would actually grow up to become another Hitler is pushing the bounds of credibility a bit. Of course, an episode of The ^New Professionals is hardly the place to engage in a 'nature versus nurture' debate. I think that the whole idea would have been more chilling if Kensal's crew hadn't seemed quite so single-mindedly mad...

       Backup - well, what can we say about Backup? What is she doing in CI5 if she believes everything should be done by the book? And to call Malone back from his holiday... If he'd actually been needed it might have been forgivable, but it seemed to me everyone was doing just fine without the 'old man'. I was under the impression that one of CI5's main strengths was its willingness not to go by the book - to be flexible, versatile, and to think faster than its opponents. (Or was this supposed to reassure the viewer that even CI5 now has to play by the rules? If so, it failed (for me, anyway). All it did was irritate... And so did Backup.) Disappointing.

       I must admit I could have done without the daft ending, too. I somehow don't think a cocktail would make up for a abbreviated holiday...

       So, Souvenir was a bit of a mix of elements. The CI5 crew looked gorgeous, and it was great to see them in action by themselves (I thought they handled themselves very well.) The plot premise left a lot to be desired, and the ending was a little weak, to put it kindly. Yet the episode was still a lot of fun. And there's only one left to go...