Foyle's War (TV Series) Plan of Attack (2008) User Reviews

A worthy last comeback for Foyle

[Midsomerlover · 8/10 · 8 January 2008]

I saw this episode last week and I must honestly say that Foyle hasn't lost any of its charms. The story was very well written, it had some good actors (Malcolm Sinclair, Julian Wadham, ...) in it and a very witted and decent plot (for a moment I thought he shot Foyle there instead of himself). The storyline about Foyle, Milner and Sam getting together as a team again, was also lovely. It was a brilliant episode all together.

I will be very very sad when the series come to an end, but luckily we have the DVD's so that we can watch it whenever we like...

But, we have 2 more episodes to go. Hurry up, ITV! Give them to us!

That Old Time Religion

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 19 September 2016]

Foyle quit in the last episode, tired of the unfairness of the justice system during wartime. He is writing a book which he is dictating to Sam. Neither of them is very good at what they are doing. Meanwhile, the new guy isn't doing well. He is indecisive and uninspired. Milner is trying to do his best but is actually seeking a transfer. They are interviewing a man with treasonous intent who threatens Milner. Things take off from here. The other principles in the case are a young man who suffers from depression and guilt over his job, which is to identify enemy sites to be bombed. There is collusion going on between another guy and the captain who runs the secret facility. An apparent suicide is investigated as murder and an ecumenical council brings several priests together. One of them is German. Interesting episode.

Back on track!

[Laight · 9/10 · 1 January 2012]

The 5th season, short as it was, seemed a little lackluster--the show's energy felt as though it were fading. The good news: this is one of the better episodes in the series. Foyle has retired, but when the DSC who replaced him first turns out to be rather apathetic, causing Milner to ask for a transfer, and then is murdered, Foyle gets involved. And even though he still speaks in telegraphic sentences, and all his emotion is expressed with a tick of his lip, he is at his best. The plot is quite tight--although as always there are a few oddities, such as the fact that the murdered man was clearly slammed on the back of the head with a club before being strung up (nothing that could have been caused by his head swinging against a branch, so there really was no question as to a murder)--and the show is, as always, well acted, well-directed, and beautifully designed. But most of all, the energy returns. So does Foyle.

Which religion?

[wdwallis · 8/10 · 15 July 2008]

The story revolves around a young man who is a devout Catholic, whose conscience is extremely troubled by the death of German civilians. The opening scene has him in a confessional, and he refers to the sixth commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." any Catholic would refer to this as the FIFTH commandment, using the Catholic rather than Protestant numbering. (Yes, he was definitely (Roman) Catholic, not a member of the small group of Anglicans called "Anglo- Catholics.)

This is a petty point about an otherwise very good show. The timing is not perfect-- the story proceeds slowly and then Foyle comes up with the solution in the last few minutes. But that is a common occurrence in this series, and is the only thing that keeps the ratings below 9 or 10.

A beautifully written episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 29 May 2017]

A young Officer is found hanging in the woods, it seems an open and shut case until Milner examines the scene. Foyle is forced to come out of retirement after his successor DCS John Meredith is shot dead, but was he or former colleague Milner the intended victim?

I'll start by saying the writing throughout this episode is utterly impeccable, it's such a cohesive story with incredibly interesting elements, some wonderfully interesting historical points as well, such as the freedom of Father Keppler, and the explanation of him being a category C German.

It's a brilliant story, with excellent characters, as a viewer you will pity Jane, and utterly loathe Adam, particularly well played by Vince Leigh. Julian Wadham was born to play a Wing Commander, but thee star of the show is Malcolm Sinclair, who does a fantastic job as the German Priest.

Some lovely humorous moments, Foyle dictating his works to Sam is a wonderful moment, you get the sense that these two superb actors enjoy working with one another. The ending is perhaps a little cheesy, but you can't help but watch it with a wry smile.

Quality. 9/10

Foyle returns

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 4 November 2017]

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.

"Plan of Attack" may not be one of the very finest 'Foyle's War' episodes, but it is a more than welcome return for the character with him coming back out of retirement and a return to form after a slight slump in quality in the second half of Season 4. The ending here is a bit cheesy and rushed, with the conclusion feeling like it was crammed in with little time to go, otherwise "Plan of Attack" is great. 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 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, social/ethical themes and how the period is portrayed are handled beautifully and tastefully and there is a real sense that war itself is a central character and has terrible implications.

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.

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.

Nicholas Day, Julian Wadham and Malcolm Sinclair is especially good of a sterling supporting cast, helped by that they have the most interesting characters.

In summation, great return for Foyle and a great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox

the motet the choir is rehearsing . . .

[paulfford-1 · 9/10 · 24 November 2012]

. . . is Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus.

I wish they had a Catholic priest adviser for this episode. The following mistake would have been caught and remedied:

The church was not decorated in the way an RC church would look at the time.

There would have been a tabernacle on the altar.

The monstrance would not be on the altar without lit candelabra to either side.

No choir would think of rehearsing with their backs to the monstrance.

Men and women in a choir would be separated from each other.

Father Keppler would have worn his biretta in the top of his head, not toward the back of his head.

Another Great Episode

[Janet1612 · 10/10 · 24 June 2020]

Another great episode giving us an insight as to how people lived and worked during WWII, and the essential and secret work of the armed forces. Co-incidentally I'd recently visited Hughenden, a National Trust House, where map makers were based during the war. The exhibition there is fascinating, showing the work of the ariel photographers (who flew during the night) and the staff who transferred their images in to maps - and 3D. To think this was over seventy years ago and with minimal technology. Seeing the work at Beverly Lodge here is very authentic.

Foyle is great, as usual. I love the way he speaks to people, especially snotty-nosed 'superiors' and people like the Bishop. We have a profiteering, murders, suicide/murder and an attempted murder. Foyle investigates them all.

We see the church interfering and making daft comments like 'how dare the British bomb Germany, lives are being lost, monuments are being destroyed - they are bombing blindly'. I wonder why no one failed to mention that it was happening in Britain and all over Europe. Little did the pompous church know that the targets were brilliantly thought out, researched and contemplated. Also the daft, naive vicar visiting the lady who'd lost family and saying 'well lives are being lost all over the world, including Germany'.

Do watch it and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Two Foyle's fans live at our house.

[alzabees · 9/10 · 28 December 2009]

We look forward to watching new episodes and often order them through Netflix. We love the attention to detail that seems to permeate every show that we have watched.

In this episode two of the characters are rehearsing with their choir. Does anyone know the name of the piece that they are singing in that scene? It seems to be in Latin and for some odd reason I was singing along with the tune and cannot really remember where I learned it. I tried to that information here on IMDb, but the listing is not quite that detailed.

Thanks.

Plan of Attack

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 5 December 2018]

Foyle has retired from the police and is now writing a book. Samantha is typing it for him badly.

Milner is unhappy with his new boss, DCS John Meredith who seems indifferent to the job. Milner wants a transfer but then Meredith is killed. The target was supposed to be Milner as he received threats by a trucking racketeer he had arrested.

At the same time, Milner was looking in the case of a young man Henry Scott, who hanged himself. It looked like suicide but Milner is not convinced. The young man did secret map work for the Air Ministry and he had confessed to his priest about some unhappiness in his life.

Foyle is coaxed out of retirement. His return immediately boosts morale at the police station. Foyle sets about to investigate the goings on at the place where the dead young man worked but he needs security clearance.

Milner feels sad that he did not get to know more about the murdered DCS Meredith. As he subsequently learns that both of his sons had been killed in the war, it shattered both his life and his wife's.

Anthony Horowitz deals with several issues in this episode. Samantha's clergyman uncle returns with another bad bottle of wine. He is attending an ecumenical conference regarding the indiscriminate bombing of Germany to get them to an unconditional surrender. One of the priests is a German who fled the Nazi's and was Scott's priest. Horowitz also looks at complex racketeering scams which required inside help from the ministry of defence.

For me, casting someone who had a prominent role at the start of the 2006 reboot of James Bond 'Casino Royale' rather gave the game away! It was a good switcheroo though. Plan of Attack is a solid adventure with some nice red herrings but it is not an exciting one. There was just something sloppy and convenient about it.

The Catholic Church is like a corporation

[joejoe-44357 · 1/10 · 1 May 2022]

When television/movie writers create scripts about the Catholic Church, they need to do their homework. To become pastor of a local church involves approvals at higher levels. The Catholic church is like a giant corporation--they keep track of whom they ordain and where each priest goes. In addition, the Church is international (like a multinational corporation) and is quite aware of priests who escape as refugees and where they are placed. I remember Vietnamese priests as refugees in the United States after the fall of Saigon (Ho Chi Min City). There is no way an unordained man, a man not on any official church records, would be officially assigned to a Catholic parish anywhere. This is more than a "goof" since the entire episode revolves around this impossibility. What a shame for an otherwise good program.