As the series progressed, it became apparent that the writers could not provide yet another "con" of the same quality for each episode... The pressure to produce ultimately takes its toll on even best of the breed writers and producers.
This episode is an example of this syndrome. Our intrepid team is performing one of the famous "long cons" on a shadowy character from Australia. They escape with the money as usual, but following the con the team is arrested on a faked narcotics charges. Apparently a famed star police detective was watching them and was able to perform his own "con": Somehow he had an identical case available, filled it with kilograms of heroine and switched it miraculously at an unknown point of time. Our team is forced to help him to apprehend a slippery 'super brain' thieve.
So far so good, but there begins the part of the story in which the entire plot reduces itself to simplistic or not plausible events. While being held in prison hostage, Albert becomes an easy access to the evidence storage, can exchange many kilograms of bags with white powder, can open a police safe and remove money from it. The team lands nights... using parachutes on a lit lawn of a high security estate, with guards and dogs walking along the fence perimeter. Of course, the dogs do not hear or smell anything of the entire commotion... Really? Meanwhile Stacey appears at the gate to make a "my card broke" type of diversion, and the guard is stupid enough to leave the gate open for Ash to sneak in and to work his voodoo on finding out passwords for the alarm system. When the guard will back off, Stacey hits him into unconsciousness with a single blow of her Panzer Hand.
I think this says it all, its absurd all along. The finish is equally weak. This is not the "Hustle" as we know it otherwise. But considering the number of most stunning episodes, we shall forgive them for making one even so weak conceived!
This episode is an example of this syndrome. Our intrepid team is performing one of the famous "long cons" on a shadowy character from Australia. They escape with the money as usual, but following the con the team is arrested on a faked narcotics charges. Apparently a famed star police detective was watching them and was able to perform his own "con": Somehow he had an identical case available, filled it with kilograms of heroine and switched it miraculously at an unknown point of time. Our team is forced to help him to apprehend a slippery 'super brain' thieve.
So far so good, but there begins the part of the story in which the entire plot reduces itself to simplistic or not plausible events. While being held in prison hostage, Albert becomes an easy access to the evidence storage, can exchange many kilograms of bags with white powder, can open a police safe and remove money from it. The team lands nights... using parachutes on a lit lawn of a high security estate, with guards and dogs walking along the fence perimeter. Of course, the dogs do not hear or smell anything of the entire commotion... Really? Meanwhile Stacey appears at the gate to make a "my card broke" type of diversion, and the guard is stupid enough to leave the gate open for Ash to sneak in and to work his voodoo on finding out passwords for the alarm system. When the guard will back off, Stacey hits him into unconsciousness with a single blow of her Panzer Hand.
I think this says it all, its absurd all along. The finish is equally weak. This is not the "Hustle" as we know it otherwise. But considering the number of most stunning episodes, we shall forgive them for making one even so weak conceived!
