Sapphire & Steel #26: Doctor McDee Must Die Part 2

"Tony says I'd make a good actress. I think I'd like that." "Oh, and what do your long-suffering parents have to say about that?"
TECHNICAL SPECS: First aired Aug.12 1981.

IN THIS ONE... The youngest couple arrives in an anachronistic state of dress. The young woman dies during a game of "sardines". The late Dr. McDee shows up for the party.

REVIEW:
A fog has surrounds the house and is likely the boundary of the time anomaly. Similarly, the party guests' minds are starting to get foggy. Things from after 1930 are being forgotten, just as the house seems to have forgotten them. The addition of yet another couple doesn't give us much we don't already have (in fact, Tony is another make who dabbles in infidelity), but it's a reason to visit the rooms upstairs and realize both they and the butler have gone fully native. Veronica's reactions aren't far off Mrs. Harborough's, but she doesn't stay redundant for long. In fact, she doesn't stay ALIVE for long. Predictably, she's a victim of the little game the group is playing. The only part of the house not affected, it seems, is the modern office, and the secretary's trapped in there. Could it be the key to fixing what's gone wrong?

As time regresses, the anniversary cake's candles disappear - it's year zero, not year 50 - and Mullrine's old partner Dr. McDee shows up alive and well. He doesn't recognize is old wife, of course, and is rather rude and cruel to her. But where does he go after that? Is he the "ghost" possessed by the Enemy? It's very suspicious that the date of his death is the day after the business was born. Very suspicious indeed. Then again, Sapphire detects something "wonderful" and not "evil". From what we've seen, there's nothing to say the Enemy couldn't use strong POSITIVE emotion as a hook into our reality, after all. So could McDee be back to share in a celebration and see old friends? No resentment, because he's not aware of his own demise. It's the day before for him too.

If there's a reason to complain it's that Sapphire and Steel don't have very much to do in this episode. They're content to navigate the soap opera, but then, when you don't know what's important, everything might be. Even playing in a game of "sardines" (a variant of hide and seek) with the locals. It's doing exactly that that leads them to a study with books on chemistry (yeah, what IS this profitable business?) and local history. Sure to come in handy.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium - Things are moving forward, but Sapphire and Steel aren't moving along as fast.

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