User Reviews

A rather depressing episode of The Lieutenant. The premise is good, but it struggles to work.

Leonard Nimoy is great in his part as the Jewish movie producer, Andrew Duggan is good. But the wife, actress Martine Bartlett, is way over the top. Describing her as "Debbie Downer" is an understatement.

You can sense from the beginning what the problem is... that Lt. Peter Bonney wasn't at this famous battle.

Sure, they try to end the story on a feel good note. "We'll make the picture anyway... with a new title!", proclaims Leonard Nimoy. Then the Colonel gives a philosophical speech to Lt. Rice. But it still leaves you feeling empty.

* * * * * * 6 STARS * * * * * *

Florida Fred.

Contains spoilers. The tension builds up as to just why the hero ex-officer's wife is so vehemently against his participation in a Hollywood film based on his world war two exploits. we see her hostility to Rice when the initial invitation is made, see it grow in intensity in further encounters, and halfway through the programme, in an intimate scene between the hero and his wife, they anxiously dance around the reason for all this angst without actually saying anything to give us a clue to what the mystery's about. Finally, she breaks down meeting Rice again, finally blurting out that he wasn't even at the scene of the heroic deed.

The big secret we waited for is that he was innocently en route to the scene, and everyone assumed he was there, so he isn't really guilty at all because he was not trying to deceive anyone.

It seems like they wanted to have it both ways-put a marine's cowardice exposed and still be heroic. Disappointing.