War Games

A food manufacturing business owned by Sir Reginald Walker has concluded a top secret deal via his son Simon to continue doing business with Nazi Germany. The secretary is furtively passing the information on to someone in Hastings and falls to her death.

Sir Reginald Walker's safe is later burgled by a local called Markham on behest of his defence barrister, Stephen Beck (Alan Howard) who happens to be a refugee from Germany. The burglar finds the papers that Beck wants but he hides them instead and is later found dead when some war games are held in the Walker estate.

Foyle is the referee for the war games where he comes across Sergeant Milner's predecessor, Jack Devlin who signed up to go to war. Devlin was involved in an earlier arrest of Markham and disliked him.

This episode looks at the role of Nazi collaborators during the war. You get the sense that some British companies were not just doing business with Germany for money but that the bosses behind the companies shared their ideology which is certainly the case here.

This story had wonderful production design it was like looking at one of the early Poirot episodes. With Alan Howard in the cast it meant Michael Kitchen had to raise his game and it shows in the later scenes between the two.

I think this could had been a much better story but it felt at times just too convenient. Those little kids who just happen to find important papers before they were burned. How did they manage to just go in and out of the Walker estate so easily all the time when they had Doberman's supposedly protecting it?

Loved 'Foyle's War' and was immediately hooked when first getting into it. Love it even more now, on re-watches things that didn't quite make sense at first are clearer and things that were not noticed or appreciated before are and much admired. Everything that came over as brilliant on first viewings still are brilliant on re-watches.

Previous to this episode, none of the 'Foyle's War' episodes were bad, all of them actually being great or more. The same applies with "War Games". The all too quick and easy way the truth is revealed, and it's too out of character too for the character in question, brings things down a little but that's all there is. Like with many 'Foyle's War' episodes, on re-watch there was much more appreciation had for how well established the character development, tone and themes are for so early on and things that didn't quite connect entirely at first made more sense on re-watches.

Have always admired the visual detail that went into 'Foyle's War' and how high quality the production values are, with beautiful costumes, the evocative way the characters are made up, the look of the houses and cars, pretty locations and authentic-looking scenery. The music is in keeping with the mood and doesn't overpower the drama while still making an impact.

Writing is intelligent, sophisticated and thought-provoking, establishing Foyle's personality with so much depth already and providing some tense and heart-tugging moments. The story is complicated, with a lot of strands that requires full attention, but clever and from start to finish intriguing. It paces itself deliberately but with so much going on it's never once dull and the twists and turns that slowly unfold keep coming. All the conflicts and how the period is portrayed are handled beautifully and tastefully.

One thing that wasn't picked up by me but now is and admired hugely is the tackling of what was seen as truths but some really misconceptions and seeing British during the war in a new light. This was a bold move and dealt with a lot of honesty and tact. The background information is so well researched and is every bit as interesting as the mystery itself. The character tensions were also handled very well and added a lot of intrigue. Andrew is becoming more interesting with every episode.

Michael Kitchen is truly superb as Foyle, subtle, intensely determined, commanding and above all human. One of the most interesting television detectives there's ever been and Kitchen has rarely been better. Honeysuckle Weeks is charming and loyal, with some nice touches of subtle humour as ever, and Anthony Howell is wonderful.

Ian Redford, Sarah Winman, Laurence Fox and Alan Howard are the supporting standouts, while the episode is also notable for containing the first credited acting role of a radiant Emily Blunt.

Summing up, excellent once again. 9/10 Bethany Cox

War Games once again sees Foyle having to investigate the ugly side of the war. A business plans to make a fortune, by dealing with the Nazis.

The opening scenes are wonderfully dramatic. The story of the kids going around collecting for the war effort was a nice touch, and added a great bit of humour.

The War Games themselves provide some nice moments, you half expect Mainwaring and Corporal Jones to pop up.

Glorious production values throughout, it's as slick as always. Great costumes and design, some great scenes, including Foyle blissfully fishing by the river.

Notable for being the one that features Emily Blunt, a huge star, and a terrific actress, I thought she was excellent, as was Laurence Fox. I love it because we get Hilda Pierce, one of the best characters and performances throughout the series.

Terrific. 9/10

Every episode of Foyle's War shows some novel aspect of Britain between the onset of the war in 1939 and the entry of America in 1941. The atmosphere is one of imminent invasion from Germany with a Nazi victory likely.

This episode touches on corporate collaborators - companies who struck deals with the Nazis in anticipation of a German victory. It also shows the raw material resource shortages and the salvage drives that results.

Hardly the stuff of history books.

Another first-rate episode.

On the whole I loved watching Foyle's War fifteen years ago when it ran on PBS here America. I don't think I saw them all, so it has been rewarding to watch them again, all of them, now that it is easy to get them on streaming services.

The one was disappointing. The basic plot was good and should have been developed better. As it is, there are stereotypical characters and too too convenient plot contrivances.

Early on, a secretary is murdered by being tossed out a high window. Much later we meet her father. He happens to be a barrister who also met Sgt. Milner earlier in a totally unrelated scene. Weird; unnecessary; makes no sense.

A group of kids are able to sneak into an estate and happen to find and walk off with a valuable document. They toss it onto a big pile of other papers they are collecting for the war effort and Foyle is able to find it quite easily.

Similarly, a valuable box that is a second "MacGuffin" is hidden in a clever spot but is found quite conveniently. It's just too pat.

The "bad guys" are so bad it's almost laughable.

I hope the next episode will be more realistic.