Chain: Episode 4 – “David Lynton” (1990)

In the final installment of Chain, Cassidy and McRae of course attempt to bag the ring leaders of their big fraud case.  They might even succeed, if some of McRae’s overly-zealous methods don’t blow the whole thing.

 

Throughout this miniseries, Cassidy has been slowly changing – working with McRae forces him to be a bit more flexible in regard to officially-sanctioned protocol, his eyes are opened to some major corruption and darkness in society, and the case consumes more of his time, energy, and emotional investment.  And yet, in many ways he’s still the same.  Even though he’s started moving towards resembling McRae, this episode highlights the enduring differences between them.

 

When both men are chastised by their superiors for certain aspects of the case, Cassidy’s immediate reaction is understanding; he admits that, were he in their position, he wouldn’t be terribly pleased either.  On the other hand, McRae automatically assumes that their superiors are “on the take” and have their hands in the fraudulent cookie jar.  That’s the big sticking point – Cassidy gives people the benefit of the doubt, while McRae thinks the worst of people.  It’s what Cassidy stands to lose if he stays on this road, down which McRae has maybe gone too far to ever come back.

 

A final casting note:  I’m not very familiar with his work, but I realized watching the credits that one of the supporting characters in the series is played by Michael Troughton.  Why am I telling you this when I didn’t even know his work well enough to recognize his face, you may ask?  Because he’s the son of the one and only Patrick Troughton, the tremendous Second Doctor.  (Also – Patrick Troughton’s grandson totally played Harry Potter’s cousin Dudley!  These utterly meaningless bits of Who trivia are 100% vital, naturally.)

 

Parting thoughts…

 

Accent Watch

 

I wonder if PC’s accent has gotten softer over the years.  His early Scottish characters tend to sound more overtly Scottish than the later ones.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Not necessarily.  I didn’t find it terribly exciting; kind of a generic Law & Order with a focus on white-collar crime.

 

PC-wise – Eh, possibly.  It’s a decent-sized role, and he has some fun stuff.  Overall, though, the writing for McRae is pretty archetypal.

 

Warnings

 

Add in some drug references.