Smiley's People: Part 2 Rewatch
April 16, 2015 9:28 AM - Season 1, Episode 2 - Subscribe
Straight from the briefing with Lacon, Strickland, and Mostyn, George steps out onto the Heath in the light of day and attempts to reconstruct the General's movements from the night before. Then, from the week before. He had two proofs.
For clarity, and in case you're watching the PBS cut or the Acorn Media cut, this episode begins with George visiting Vladimir's apartment and ends after a very long day with Lacon not staying for drinks and a brief call to La Blau Diamond.
For clarity, and in case you're watching the PBS cut or the Acorn Media cut, this episode begins with George visiting Vladimir's apartment and ends after a very long day with Lacon not staying for drinks and a brief call to La Blau Diamond.
The exchange sobarel quotes is one of a few comical moments in this episode: there’s also the Hare Krishna monk offering ‘If I may assist my brother in his task?’ while George is lurking in the undergrowth in full spy regalia. And then there’s George’s stilted conversation with Mr. Brownlow at the Savoy: how plummily he says ‘She’s very lucky: I’ve bought her a present!’ Imagine if Ann were to have inadvertently been handed this gift: ‘A French letter and a dirty picture—George, you shouldn’t have…’
That is a long day of faffing about in London, especially after the small-hours confab at the safe flat: no wonder George falls asleep in his chair. From Hampstead to Paddington then from Paddington back to the Heath. Then a stroll to South End Green before another taxi-ride down to the Savoy, and, presumably, yet another one from the Savoy back to Bywater St. to collect his car (and, one hopes, a bite of something to eat). Then the drive from Chelsea to Charlton, and another back into Bloomsbury. One hopes he only had the one drink at the Baltic Library before getting back into his car for the drive back to the Savoy and then home… Presumably he must also have stopped somewhere en route to buy the photo paper, developer and fixer, etc. he needed to make the contact print.
It’s interesting to see George alternating between good cop and bad cop with the Cravens and with Mikhel—his question to Villem and Stella if they’d had any dealings with ‘the other side’ was uncharacteristically blunt, and his leading question to Mikhel ‘It seems we all betrayed him somehow or another, doesn’t it?’ was a tricksy one, which, nevertheless, Mikhel fielded adroitly.
When Lacon comes calling, and both men are very tired, we see him notice clues of Smiley’s activities without, it seems, perceiving anything of their significance. I enjoyed how Smiley had the presence of mind to grasp that Lacon’s ‘You got back alright, I trust?’ confirms who’s been following him: ‘Where from, Oliver?’
I was curious about George’s flashback to his prior meeting with the General and Otto Leipzig: how long beforehand would that have been?
posted by misteraitch at 2:06 AM on April 17, 2015
That is a long day of faffing about in London, especially after the small-hours confab at the safe flat: no wonder George falls asleep in his chair. From Hampstead to Paddington then from Paddington back to the Heath. Then a stroll to South End Green before another taxi-ride down to the Savoy, and, presumably, yet another one from the Savoy back to Bywater St. to collect his car (and, one hopes, a bite of something to eat). Then the drive from Chelsea to Charlton, and another back into Bloomsbury. One hopes he only had the one drink at the Baltic Library before getting back into his car for the drive back to the Savoy and then home… Presumably he must also have stopped somewhere en route to buy the photo paper, developer and fixer, etc. he needed to make the contact print.
It’s interesting to see George alternating between good cop and bad cop with the Cravens and with Mikhel—his question to Villem and Stella if they’d had any dealings with ‘the other side’ was uncharacteristically blunt, and his leading question to Mikhel ‘It seems we all betrayed him somehow or another, doesn’t it?’ was a tricksy one, which, nevertheless, Mikhel fielded adroitly.
When Lacon comes calling, and both men are very tired, we see him notice clues of Smiley’s activities without, it seems, perceiving anything of their significance. I enjoyed how Smiley had the presence of mind to grasp that Lacon’s ‘You got back alright, I trust?’ confirms who’s been following him: ‘Where from, Oliver?’
I was curious about George’s flashback to his prior meeting with the General and Otto Leipzig: how long beforehand would that have been?
posted by misteraitch at 2:06 AM on April 17, 2015
Some other notes:
- George is driving a 1974 Rover 2200 SC. In brown: an appropriately staid and stolid choice.
- There are a couple of pieces of diegetic music in this episode: UB40’s The Earth Dies Screaming: an apt selection to illustrate some background Cold War anxiety. And the piano piece we hear from George’s record player is, I gather, the Prelude in C# Major from Book II of J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier: which seems like the sort of thing George would relax to. Does George even own a television set, I wonder?
- I’m not sure if George’s borrowed antiquarian book is supposed to be Olearius’s account (Beschreibung der muscowitischen und persischen Reise) of his own travels to Muscovy, Persia, etc., or the relation of the journeys of Joergen Andersen and Volquard Iversen to the Orient (Orientalische Reise-Beschreibung) which Olearius only edited. Either way, his mention of it being worth more than the Gross National Product seems more of a dig at the UK’s precarious economy at the turn of the ’80s than it does a true assessment of its value.
- Blink or you’ll miss it: outside the Savoy there are advertisements for the then-current show at the Savoy Theatre: ‘House Guest’, starring Gerald Turner and Sylvia Syms.
posted by misteraitch at 2:40 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
- George is driving a 1974 Rover 2200 SC. In brown: an appropriately staid and stolid choice.
- There are a couple of pieces of diegetic music in this episode: UB40’s The Earth Dies Screaming: an apt selection to illustrate some background Cold War anxiety. And the piano piece we hear from George’s record player is, I gather, the Prelude in C# Major from Book II of J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier: which seems like the sort of thing George would relax to. Does George even own a television set, I wonder?
- I’m not sure if George’s borrowed antiquarian book is supposed to be Olearius’s account (Beschreibung der muscowitischen und persischen Reise) of his own travels to Muscovy, Persia, etc., or the relation of the journeys of Joergen Andersen and Volquard Iversen to the Orient (Orientalische Reise-Beschreibung) which Olearius only edited. Either way, his mention of it being worth more than the Gross National Product seems more of a dig at the UK’s precarious economy at the turn of the ’80s than it does a true assessment of its value.
- Blink or you’ll miss it: outside the Savoy there are advertisements for the then-current show at the Savoy Theatre: ‘House Guest’, starring Gerald Turner and Sylvia Syms.
posted by misteraitch at 2:40 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
I was curious about George’s flashback to his prior meeting with the General and Otto Leipzig: how long beforehand would that have been?
This is a great question because you have to unpack so much stuff to even have an idea of what the answer is. It was back when Riga group was still active, presumably before George's first retirement. The General was still living in Paris, and actively working with Otto Leipzig against the Soviets. We're not quite to this part yet, but Connie Sachs gives a bit more context and timeline in the next episode too, and once we start to find out more about Alexandria/Tatiana we can factor her age into it as well. I'm guessing their meeting occurred somewhere between 10 and 15 years prior to George's recollection of it.
It took me several watches to figure out that what's happening is the continuation of that meeting. Vladimir and Otto approach their Vicar with information they think will lead directly to Karla, and ask for the resources of the Circus to go back out and haul the ginger pig in to wring the info out of him. George says he's going to need proof before allocating resources and throwing the weight of the Circus behind their plan. They never get it, Kirov disappears, years go by, etc, until one day The General receives a letter from Paris.
One little side note about the flashback: it's the only time the narrative of Smiley's People jumps backwards in time. Unlike Tinker Tailor, this story is told almost relentlessly in order. I wonder if that's just because that's how the story goes, or if Langton felt the plot was confusing enough already without jumping around a bunch like the last series did?
And then there’s George’s stilted conversation with Mr. Brownlow at the Savoy
Young Alan Rickman! He was apparently just getting started in on-screen acting at that point; he went on later on in 1982 to star in another BBC series.
Good catch on the UB40. Straight & Steady's parting remark is a gem: Tell them what I bloody want to, won't I? George doesn't often get lip back at him like that, must be refreshing. And I can't help but notice how his very next taxi ride goes, when he's wrapping up "Ann's" package: The driver yammers and yells in the front, presumably talking to his fare (between yells at traffic) but George is off in his own world and if he's ever paying attention to anything not immediately to hand it's to his obvious motorcycle shadow.
Thanks for the notes, misteraitch. You actually covered all the ones I had jotted and then some.
posted by carsonb at 8:41 AM on April 17, 2015
This is a great question because you have to unpack so much stuff to even have an idea of what the answer is. It was back when Riga group was still active, presumably before George's first retirement. The General was still living in Paris, and actively working with Otto Leipzig against the Soviets. We're not quite to this part yet, but Connie Sachs gives a bit more context and timeline in the next episode too, and once we start to find out more about Alexandria/Tatiana we can factor her age into it as well. I'm guessing their meeting occurred somewhere between 10 and 15 years prior to George's recollection of it.
It took me several watches to figure out that what's happening is the continuation of that meeting. Vladimir and Otto approach their Vicar with information they think will lead directly to Karla, and ask for the resources of the Circus to go back out and haul the ginger pig in to wring the info out of him. George says he's going to need proof before allocating resources and throwing the weight of the Circus behind their plan. They never get it, Kirov disappears, years go by, etc, until one day The General receives a letter from Paris.
One little side note about the flashback: it's the only time the narrative of Smiley's People jumps backwards in time. Unlike Tinker Tailor, this story is told almost relentlessly in order. I wonder if that's just because that's how the story goes, or if Langton felt the plot was confusing enough already without jumping around a bunch like the last series did?
And then there’s George’s stilted conversation with Mr. Brownlow at the Savoy
Young Alan Rickman! He was apparently just getting started in on-screen acting at that point; he went on later on in 1982 to star in another BBC series.
Good catch on the UB40. Straight & Steady's parting remark is a gem: Tell them what I bloody want to, won't I? George doesn't often get lip back at him like that, must be refreshing. And I can't help but notice how his very next taxi ride goes, when he's wrapping up "Ann's" package: The driver yammers and yells in the front, presumably talking to his fare (between yells at traffic) but George is off in his own world and if he's ever paying attention to anything not immediately to hand it's to his obvious motorcycle shadow.
Thanks for the notes, misteraitch. You actually covered all the ones I had jotted and then some.
posted by carsonb at 8:41 AM on April 17, 2015
It’s interesting to see George alternating between good cop and bad cop with the Cravens and with Mikhel
He's letting himself off the leash a bit, giving in to his inner Karla. It's even more pronounced in his treatment of Connie and Hilary in the next episode, and his decision to finally sever relations with Ann. This is his last hurrah, he must know, and he's playing for keeps and burning his bridges.
We're missing out a bit by not having seen his tenure as Chief in The Honourable Schoolboy, which does give some lead-in to the harsher and more obsessive Smiley we're getting here. And of course it doesn't help with working out timelines! How long was Smiley Acting Chief? How long has it been since he was forced to retire? It's not at all clear from what's on screen, other than it seems like Enderby has been Chief for some time.
posted by sobarel at 9:16 AM on April 17, 2015
He's letting himself off the leash a bit, giving in to his inner Karla. It's even more pronounced in his treatment of Connie and Hilary in the next episode, and his decision to finally sever relations with Ann. This is his last hurrah, he must know, and he's playing for keeps and burning his bridges.
We're missing out a bit by not having seen his tenure as Chief in The Honourable Schoolboy, which does give some lead-in to the harsher and more obsessive Smiley we're getting here. And of course it doesn't help with working out timelines! How long was Smiley Acting Chief? How long has it been since he was forced to retire? It's not at all clear from what's on screen, other than it seems like Enderby has been Chief for some time.
posted by sobarel at 9:16 AM on April 17, 2015
It’s interesting to see George alternating between good cop and bad cop with the Cravens and with Mikhel
I also attribute this in part to George's unwinding as the day progresses. It really is a very, very long day for him, and he doesn't see Mikhail until nearly the end of it. Already dealt with one emigree lying to his face, several other people giving him guff, and a lot of travel, by the time Smiley arrives at the Baltic Library it's no small wonder he isn't just yelling at Mikhail the whole time. Anybody but George Smiley.
Both William and Mikhail lie to him at first. William is scared but also maintaining a lie he already made to his wife. Luckily, George already has the facts in hand that disprove William's lie. When he visits Mikhail, on the other hand, George is truly fishing for information and is susceptible to the lie about maps. He needs every advantage he can take, which I guess is why he sneaks in unannounced. George totally lucks out that Mikhail's wife clues him into what really happened. Everyone says Mikhail is untrustworthy, and he is in deed untrustworthy, but why? The closest thing to an explanation given is when George lays out all the reasons to betray Vladimir. His pointed perception of the affair between Vlady and Elvira is a testament to his own awareness of marital woes. Also to his willingness to push that button with someone else when needed. So many people have tried pushing that button against George, and it never works. But he can wield that attack like nobody else, so.
Speaking of luck, George seems to have a lot of it in this episode. Catching the mailman at Vladimir's apartment (heck, not having to fiddle with keys at Vlady's building front door), finding the pack of cigarettes on the Heath, Elvira coming to his rescue at the Baltic Library, being able to see the same cabby that took Vladimir to Charlton—a lot of pieces of his investigation fall right into his lap.
posted by carsonb at 11:32 AM on April 17, 2015
I also attribute this in part to George's unwinding as the day progresses. It really is a very, very long day for him, and he doesn't see Mikhail until nearly the end of it. Already dealt with one emigree lying to his face, several other people giving him guff, and a lot of travel, by the time Smiley arrives at the Baltic Library it's no small wonder he isn't just yelling at Mikhail the whole time. Anybody but George Smiley.
Both William and Mikhail lie to him at first. William is scared but also maintaining a lie he already made to his wife. Luckily, George already has the facts in hand that disprove William's lie. When he visits Mikhail, on the other hand, George is truly fishing for information and is susceptible to the lie about maps. He needs every advantage he can take, which I guess is why he sneaks in unannounced. George totally lucks out that Mikhail's wife clues him into what really happened. Everyone says Mikhail is untrustworthy, and he is in deed untrustworthy, but why? The closest thing to an explanation given is when George lays out all the reasons to betray Vladimir. His pointed perception of the affair between Vlady and Elvira is a testament to his own awareness of marital woes. Also to his willingness to push that button with someone else when needed. So many people have tried pushing that button against George, and it never works. But he can wield that attack like nobody else, so.
Speaking of luck, George seems to have a lot of it in this episode. Catching the mailman at Vladimir's apartment (heck, not having to fiddle with keys at Vlady's building front door), finding the pack of cigarettes on the Heath, Elvira coming to his rescue at the Baltic Library, being able to see the same cabby that took Vladimir to Charlton—a lot of pieces of his investigation fall right into his lap.
posted by carsonb at 11:32 AM on April 17, 2015
the Hare Krishna monk offering ‘If I may assist my brother in his task?’ while George is lurking in the undergrowth in full spy regalia.
George is still wearing the same thing he went to the safe house in in the middle of the night! His wardrobe changes in this episode only when he takes something off, like his hat and coat and that hideous brown green scarf indoors at various places, and most of everything at the end of the day at home. But aside from that, he's just in his normal sort of frumpy old man clothes.
posted by carsonb at 4:53 PM on April 17, 2015
George is still wearing the same thing he went to the safe house in in the middle of the night! His wardrobe changes in this episode only when he takes something off, like his hat and coat and that hideous brown green scarf indoors at various places, and most of everything at the end of the day at home. But aside from that, he's just in his normal sort of frumpy old man clothes.
posted by carsonb at 4:53 PM on April 17, 2015
"Die Blau Diamand" or The Blue Diamond.
Interesting note, sir Alec gave himself a hernia filiming the smokes on the Heath scene. It wasn't luck but tradecraft. He retraced the generals steps and figured why he sidestepped. He knew the General was a big smoker and no smokes at the crime scene. George also deduced the carton was recently opened from the flat examination giving him further cause as to investigate.
Sampson with a P.
Like a Wallace Stevens poem. Not luck, as he wants mr. Lamb and no one else will do. A request.
I would never have guessed Smiley had a dark room at house.
posted by clavdivs at 6:51 PM on April 17, 2015
Interesting note, sir Alec gave himself a hernia filiming the smokes on the Heath scene. It wasn't luck but tradecraft. He retraced the generals steps and figured why he sidestepped. He knew the General was a big smoker and no smokes at the crime scene. George also deduced the carton was recently opened from the flat examination giving him further cause as to investigate.
Sampson with a P.
Like a Wallace Stevens poem. Not luck, as he wants mr. Lamb and no one else will do. A request.
I would never have guessed Smiley had a dark room at house.
posted by clavdivs at 6:51 PM on April 17, 2015
For all Smiley’s (extraordinary) tradecraft and tenacity, I’m with carsonb in thinking that there’s an extra element of dumb luck in the ease with which his investigation proceeds, even taking into account that ‘chance favours the prepared mind.’ Beyond that, the opposing team’s mistakes and miscalculations play a significant part in it too, as becomes more evident in later episodes.
One thing I forgot to mention in my longwinded comments above: OMG—they killed Bobchik! The bastards!
posted by misteraitch at 1:34 AM on April 18, 2015
One thing I forgot to mention in my longwinded comments above: OMG—they killed Bobchik! The bastards!
posted by misteraitch at 1:34 AM on April 18, 2015
Why do you suppose they did that? Poor Bobby. Kill the dog but leave the loose cash and other clues?
I suppose it could have been window dressing.
posted by clavdivs at 2:48 AM on April 18, 2015
I suppose it could have been window dressing.
posted by clavdivs at 2:48 AM on April 18, 2015
I would guess it was just to keep the noise down, as the assassin(s) would have been there in the middle of the night, and Bobby would likely have barked at them. As to why nothing—as far as we can tell—was taken from the flat, I don’t know. I would have thought the German Kodak envelope in the bin might have been worth taking. Perhaps they’d only been told to look for certain types of item, such as letters, photos, tape recordings, or the like.
posted by misteraitch at 5:46 AM on April 18, 2015
posted by misteraitch at 5:46 AM on April 18, 2015
Another interesting question, why kill Bobchik? In addition to what's been mentioned you could also borrow George's line about The General being shot in the face with a soft-nosed bullet, paraphrasing: To punish, to intimidate, and to discourage others. But just as likely it was like misteraitch says, pure tradecraft to keep the noise down while rummaging his home.
Why such a bad job rummaging? Well, not everyone can be George Smiley. The person or people who killed Vladimir and ransacked his apartment I imagine were low-level thugs sent out on a simple mission. They might have been looking specifically for the letter George was lucky enough to obtain from the mail man (Ostrakova mailed it while being watched, I believe) or they might have been looking for the film (since by then Kirov has been called back to Russia and, uh, debriefed about his encounter with Otto)?
He knew the General was a big smoker and no smokes at the crime scene.
I'm sure George knew what he was looking for when he returned to Hampstead Heath. He counted the butts in the ashtray, noted that only a few cigs were smoked out of one pack of the Gauloises, and put that together with the fact that no Gauloises were found on Vladimir's body at the scene. It's a testament to Smiley's brand of tradecraft (Moscow rules!) that the handover worked despite being sidetracked by a bullet. You can tell he's pleased with that aspect of the investigation later on when William describes how his exchange with Otto went on the ferry.
posted by carsonb at 7:51 AM on April 18, 2015
Why such a bad job rummaging? Well, not everyone can be George Smiley. The person or people who killed Vladimir and ransacked his apartment I imagine were low-level thugs sent out on a simple mission. They might have been looking specifically for the letter George was lucky enough to obtain from the mail man (Ostrakova mailed it while being watched, I believe) or they might have been looking for the film (since by then Kirov has been called back to Russia and, uh, debriefed about his encounter with Otto)?
He knew the General was a big smoker and no smokes at the crime scene.
I'm sure George knew what he was looking for when he returned to Hampstead Heath. He counted the butts in the ashtray, noted that only a few cigs were smoked out of one pack of the Gauloises, and put that together with the fact that no Gauloises were found on Vladimir's body at the scene. It's a testament to Smiley's brand of tradecraft (Moscow rules!) that the handover worked despite being sidetracked by a bullet. You can tell he's pleased with that aspect of the investigation later on when William describes how his exchange with Otto went on the ferry.
posted by carsonb at 7:51 AM on April 18, 2015
Yeah, a yapping dog being hauled to the firescape would not make that much noise. This suggests amateurs.
"I'm sure George knew what he was looking for when he returned to Hampstead Heath."
Incredible luck that.
posted by clavdivs at 10:14 AM on April 18, 2015
"I'm sure George knew what he was looking for when he returned to Hampstead Heath."
Incredible luck that.
posted by clavdivs at 10:14 AM on April 18, 2015
Incredible luck that.
For us as viewers too. If he hadn't found the Gauloises the next four episodes would have just been George sitting in Bayswater St reading and making the occasional cuppa.
posted by sobarel at 11:04 AM on April 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
For us as viewers too. If he hadn't found the Gauloises the next four episodes would have just been George sitting in Bayswater St reading and making the occasional cuppa.
posted by sobarel at 11:04 AM on April 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
If he hadn't found the Gauloises the next four episodes would have just been George sitting in Bayswater St reading and making the occasional cuppa.
Oh my dear god!
posted by carsonb at 12:04 PM on April 18, 2015
Oh my dear god!
posted by carsonb at 12:04 PM on April 18, 2015
he hadn't found the Gauloises the next four episodes
Would most likley have him chase down the "La Blau Diamond" led.
The expression on George's face when he finds the photo envelope says it all; "This is to easy".
posted by clavdivs at 8:39 PM on April 18, 2015
Would most likley have him chase down the "La Blau Diamond" led.
The expression on George's face when he finds the photo envelope says it all; "This is to easy".
posted by clavdivs at 8:39 PM on April 18, 2015
When George develops the film, what does he see that convinces him that this is the proof he seeks. We see Kirov in the photo. Proof of what, that Kirov can be blackmailed? Kirov Leds to KARLA? Why is this photo damaging enough to hide from dozzy Lacon. Was this the generals idea, to blackmail Kirov? The flashback scene affirms something in George but seems elusive to the audience.
As to the generals flat. The hit team on the Heath were pros, that umbrella says it all and we can assume a 3 person team. Unlikely they would have tossed the generals flat. What if Bobchik was killed by a watcher who, after carefully turning the flat for a specific piece of info (the letter) was actually still in the building waiting for the postman. Amatuers would left a mess and taken the cash. Amatuers would not be posted to London for that matter.
And more over WTF was Gen. Mockba rulz leaving evidence around.
Good lord George tossing the larder and clanging the pans was hard enough to watch.
posted by clavdivs at 9:39 PM on April 18, 2015
As to the generals flat. The hit team on the Heath were pros, that umbrella says it all and we can assume a 3 person team. Unlikely they would have tossed the generals flat. What if Bobchik was killed by a watcher who, after carefully turning the flat for a specific piece of info (the letter) was actually still in the building waiting for the postman. Amatuers would left a mess and taken the cash. Amatuers would not be posted to London for that matter.
And more over WTF was Gen. Mockba rulz leaving evidence around.
Good lord George tossing the larder and clanging the pans was hard enough to watch.
posted by clavdivs at 9:39 PM on April 18, 2015
I was wondering what the book had to say about the search of the General’s flat, etc., and, in the highly unofficial-looking PDF e-book edition of it I downloaded earlier, I found there was no reference to the General having a dog at all. Moreover, in the book, George gets the distinct impression that the flat hadn’t been searched prior to his arrival:
My impression was the fact of the negative’s concealment sufficed for George to take it as one of the General’s two proofs. His recognizing Otto Leipzig prompts the recollection of their previous meeting, the subject of which was Kirov. George isn’t yet altogether sure the the second man in the picture is Kirov or that the General’s proof is proof enough for him until after his conversations with Toby and Connie in the next episode.
posted by misteraitch at 1:43 AM on April 19, 2015
Why didn’t they search his flat? he wondered. Moscow Centre, like any other large bureaucracy, had its fixed procedures. You decide to kill a man. So you station pickets outside his house, you stake out his route with static posts, you put in your assassination team and you kill him. In the classic method. Then why not search his flat as well? […] why not send in the pickets the moment he is on his way? Because they knew he had it with him, thought Smiley. And the body search, which the Superintendent regarded as so cursory? Suppose they were not disturbed, but had found what they were looking for?Having introduced Bobchik as a character in the show, their options were limited to having him yap at George on his arrival, or have him conveniently taken care of in the interim.
My impression was the fact of the negative’s concealment sufficed for George to take it as one of the General’s two proofs. His recognizing Otto Leipzig prompts the recollection of their previous meeting, the subject of which was Kirov. George isn’t yet altogether sure the the second man in the picture is Kirov or that the General’s proof is proof enough for him until after his conversations with Toby and Connie in the next episode.
posted by misteraitch at 1:43 AM on April 19, 2015
Suppose they were not disturbed, but had found what they were looking for?
The General said he had two proofs, right? Clearly the negative was one, and given this bit from the book I guess the murderers found the other one? Which was what? Ostrakova's first letter?
posted by carsonb at 7:25 AM on April 19, 2015
The General said he had two proofs, right? Clearly the negative was one, and given this bit from the book I guess the murderers found the other one? Which was what? Ostrakova's first letter?
posted by carsonb at 7:25 AM on April 19, 2015
"was wondering what the book had to say about the search of the General’s flat, etc., and, in the highly unofficial-looking PDF e-book edition of it I downloaded ea..."
So this is why books are not brought into some "discussions".
You folks don't even know the two proofs for sure? Kay then.
posted by clavdivs at 7:42 AM on April 19, 2015
So this is why books are not brought into some "discussions".
You folks don't even know the two proofs for sure? Kay then.
posted by clavdivs at 7:42 AM on April 19, 2015
We see Vladimir put Ostrakova's first letter into his pocket as he's leaving for his rendezvous with "Max" / Mostyn. That's the first proof, and is removed by the Moscow Centre assassins from his body. Smiley obtains a photocopy of this letter from Claus Kretzschmar in Episode 4.
posted by sobarel at 8:57 AM on April 19, 2015
posted by sobarel at 8:57 AM on April 19, 2015
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"I'm afraid not. Just a visitor."
"Still, it's nice to be fancied, isn't it dearie?"
"Very gratifying, thank you."
posted by sobarel at 9:43 AM on April 16, 2015 [1 favorite]