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Post by jno on May 16, 2015 3:36:26 GMT
Link to episode on minder.org: www.minder.org/episodeguide/S11E04_MatterOfLifeAndDebt.htm This episode is one of the most memorable of the bunch for me, helped along nicely by the casting of the very lovely Jayne Wisener as Maria. She steals the show in this episode for me which tends to feature a bit more Jamie than Archie. With a chase or two, some unfriendly villainous behaviour at the start, a hunt for some diamonds, Jamie falling for Maria and a bit of double cross there is a lot going on in this one with twists and turns a plenty this not such a bad episode. The only downside of this one for me is 'Vlad The Imposter' - who sadly takes this tale well outside the realms of believability. Love him or loathe him in the story I think actor Steve Pemberton is great and plays him excellently. That aside, it's an ok episode which I always enjoy when I watch it. 7/10  A great performance by Jayne Wisener as Maria, the grief stricken widow of Harry Grant. |
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Post by pr1 on Apr 23, 2017 20:25:20 GMT
I quite liked this except for Vlad. I don't mind that it features an alleged psychic I just think Vlad was stupid. Nice to see Jamie taking center stage. Archie is especially well written and Shane Ritchie makes the most of it.
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Post by westldner on Oct 26, 2017 2:51:45 GMT
By this time, I adapted to season 11 being the Minder it wanted to be. I was a bit bothered about the guy that was chasing and sucking punching Jamie and I kind of knew it was going to be over because of how ridiculous Jamie kept getting on the other end of the punch and how it ended being the silly guy just sucking punching people and being outed.
I do agree with the Vlad character. The character and scenes felt extremely out of place. I think he was used to prepare the audience for the ending because it gets rather sightful towards the end but still, it was tough to wash off. If I saw the scenes again, I would say to myself 'why was that scene in there again?!'
It's just another contrast of Minder Season 11 having a more horror/dark perspective to it in this episode but at least the story holds up in my opinion.
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Post by thewoodster on Mar 4, 2018 1:13:11 GMT
My take on this was a good episode.
I think it missed a cameo from GC,but it wasn't to be.
I think if he had the ratings would have rocketed.
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manta
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Post by manta on Mar 3, 2024 19:54:22 GMT
Hmmmm. The main story of trying to find the diamonds was okay, and provided ample opportunity to build something decent on, but the wandering around the main thread was generally painful, Vlad especially so. Overall there were no laugh out loud moments, but instead groans from me. Unlike episode 3, no one in particular to lift it up - I actually found Clare Higgins more entertaining than Jayne Wisener. So I'm afraid it hovers between Average and Poor and it just doesn't flow very well, so falls into the Poor category. Next!
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Post by jno on Mar 4, 2024 4:58:27 GMT
Hmmmm. The main story of trying to find the diamonds was okay, and provided ample opportunity to build something decent on, but the wandering around the main thread was generally painful, Vlad especially so. Overall there were no laugh out loud moments, but instead groans from me. Unlike episode 3, no one in particular to lift it up - I actually found Clare Higgins more entertaining than Jayne Wisener. So I'm afraid it hovers between Average and Poor and it just doesn't flow very well, so falls into the Poor category. Next! Agree manta, I was very generous with my 7 points, I think and this is more 6 out of 10 at best. Vlad murders this episode and I voted it an average overall. Other than Vlad, it's an ok story. The more I discuss brand new Minder I wonder if it's the scriptwriters that let this down. I think Archie and Jamie are actually ok characters, other than Shane Richie perhaps overdoing it too often. Whether this could have been better with different scripts I guess we'll never know. |
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manta
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Post by manta on Mar 5, 2024 17:21:24 GMT
Agree manta, I was very generous with my 7 points, I think and this is more 6 out of 10 at best. Vlad murders this episode and I voted it an average overall. Other than Vlad, it's an ok story. The more I discuss brand new Minder I wonder if it's the scriptwriters that let this down. I think Archie and Jamie are actually ok characters, other than Shane Richie perhaps overdoing it too often. Whether this could have been better with different scripts I guess we'll never know. I think you're right jno, it's more the scripts than the actors, but yes, Shane Richie does get on my wick at times. Maybe some of the talent brought in - like Maureen Lipman in episode 3 - actually suggested some changes and improved things during the filming? Whereas other (younger?) actors don't/can't tell the writer/director/producer that it's bollox and needs some work. Just a theory. Episodes 2, 3 and 4 all had a solid central thread that could have been worked to make a classic laugh-out-loud episode. Only in episode 3 did they achieve that, IMHO. The magic of the original Minder was all the stuff that went round the central thread that somehow had them all sitting in The Winchester in the last frame with you and me smiling that they managed to pull it off. The genius of the writers is all about getting all that stuff around the central thread to logically join up, hang together, keep us glued, make us laugh and be just about be credible, even if we are hanging on by our fingernails, innit? And then delivered classically (and what looks like effortlessly) by Arfur, Tel/Ray and Dave, with assorted guests. And plod of course, one and a half steps behind. It is a very hard act to follow. |
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