Dad's Army: the Unspoken Heroes

As I said yesterday the randomizer chose Dad's Army Episode 23 Branded. For people unfamiliar with Dad's Army. It is a British comedy from the 60's that concentrated on a real threat of World War II. All available men in England that could fight in the war did fight in the war which left their homefront open and vulnerable for attack. England decided to set up an organization called the Home Guard. The Home Guard was setup of anyone who was old enough to be an adult back then to the age of 65. The Home Guard consisted of volunteers who may not of been fit for war, retired veterans, and anybody who wanted to join. So it is easy to see why this concept could lead to a great comedy considering all different types of people who could of joined. If you haven't seen Dad's Army then just imagine the open call to the public to join the police force in the first Police Academy film for all the different types of personalities you could see in Dad's Army. You have Captain Mainwaring, a man with a bit of a napoleon complex for control the head of the group. Mainwaring at times gets himself into trouble and relies on others to get him out. Second in command Sergeant Wilson he is usually the voice of reason in the show and tends to know everything going on when the rest of the group is at a lost for a thought. Lance Corporal Jones the local meat butcher good guy at heart, but can be one or two steps behind the rest. Private Frazer a Scottish man who tends to act tougher than he really is at times. Private Walker, my favorite character of the show,he tends to be the antagonist of the show always there for the laugh and the rebuttal if I had to compare Walker to any other character in film or tv it would be Hawkeye Pierce from MASH. I always say this show was great up until the time actor James Beck dies who played PVT Walker. Its from that moment on without him is when the show lost its magic. While Beck, not the main actor or even second main actor of the series, his role was so essential because he was the main foil to Mainwaring and the one character the younger audience needed to relate with the show. This show is just superbly put together from cast, story, and altogether production values. There are some shows that can be remade, but this is just one show I don't see it happening with. The series was so popular they asked the entire crew to make a motion picture film back in the 70's. The film is one of the few they made from tv series I would actually suggest to watch.

Episode Overview: Dad's Army Episode 23 Branded. We open up to find the crew doing training exercises in their headquarters Captain Mainwaring is off at a meeting so Sergeant Wilson is left in charge of the exercises. Godfrey is told to sit in a chair blindfolded and told to turn around and shoot when hears a noise, but he falls asleep and fails to do so. Wilson then takes the seat to show everyone how it is done. Just as the company is getting ready to make their moves up onto Wilson, Mainwaring motions the group to back off and Wilson is his. Mainwaring tries to fool Wilson, but fails. Wilson is called into Mainwaring's office and Jones decides to take over the exercise and be in the chair. Walker calls everyone off to go for a tea break and just leaves Jones sitting there. A few moments later we find ourselves in Mainwaring's office where he is discussing that Godfrey wants to leave with Wilson. Confused by the issue Mainwaring orders Godfrey to his office to explain. Godfrey says he had an incident with a mouse in his refrigerator and couldn't kill it. If I can't kill a mouse what makes you think I could kill a German. The conversation continues until Godfrey explains he was a consciousness objector in the first World War this infuriates Mainwaring and the conversation ends to where he no longer wants to see Godfrey in his squad. A few moments later Mainwaring tries to discuss this issue if the rest of the squad where he keeps getting interrupted by the squad through various movements after orders and then from the Warden interfering to where the company probably didn't take much from his speech. Later that day we find Pike, Jones, Walker,and Frazer discussing this issue while on duty in the hut and everything is fine until Godfrey enters the building. While the rest of the crew possibly would stay Frazer's comments like a queer smell when Godfrey entered the room and actions gets the rest of the group to leave leaving poor old Godfrey by himself. The next day the entire company is getting ready to go through a smoke house training exercise with the Warden. The Warden and his assistant thinks there is enough smoke in the building so they stop adding rags debrief the guys and so sure of himself Captain Mainwaring goes in first and then turns around and says this is nothing we need more smoke. Mainwaring goes around to where the machine is and adds the remaining rags. His crew start to go off one by one with Godfrey and him going last. Godfrey comes out and the Warden thinks Mainwaring will be find and leaves the area. Godfrey waits there for Mainwaring to come out, but he doesn't so Godfrey goes back in. We cut to Godfrey in bed being checked out by a physician it turns out Godfrey saved Mainwaring's life. Mainwaring and the crew walk in the room to wish him well. When out of nowhere Mainwaring sees a picture of a man with the highest Military honor Britain could offer. He asks who that man is and it turns out to be Godfrey. Where a few comments from Wilson to Mainwaring about not judging a book by its cover come across. Credits Roll

Episode Review: What I can say it is not the greatest episode of Dad's Army, but it is far from the worst. Walker's comments and actions in this episode really saved the episode from being bad to being your average run of the mill episode from Dad's Army. The same can be said for Wilson, Jones, Warden, and Frazer. Pike really is a non factor in this episode. Mainwaring is his normal self in this episode. I can relate with Godfrey was saying and if a soldier came in and said that then you have to take his word seriously. These issues happen in today's modern military. The only thing doesn't make sense with this episode even though it is funny is Mainwaring adding more rags to the machine to smoke the place up more. Mainwaring hates smoke he could of been the poster child for anti smoking campaigns in the 60's and 70's.

Sunday Night's Show: Being Human Episode 27 Hold the Front Page A show I watched just last month lets see if my thoughts change about this episode or not.