SMILEY'S PEOPLE {EPISODE 6} (TV)
Summary
The final installment in this six-part miniseries about retired British spy George Smiley and his reluctant return to the world of espionage, based on the 1979 novel by John le Carré.
In this episode, Esterhase impersonates a bank official and confronts Grigoriev about "grave irregularities" in his secret account — as well as his various affairs — and the outraged attaché is hauled before Smiley, who calmly confronts him with inescapable proof of his financial crimes. Trapped, Grigoriev is forced to confess everything, and he gives a detailed description of his meeting with a mysterious "priest-like" man, whom Smiley knows to be Karla. Karla, aware of Grigoriev's many misdeeds, declared that the Soviet was now his "soldier" and instructed him to open the bank account under a fake name and use the funds to care for Alexandra, supposedly an ex-agent who became an invalid as a result of her harrowing spy adventures. Grigoriev adds that he was tasked with routinely reporting on Alexandra's condition as determined through a series of "special questions." Smiley informs him that he will not be making his next visit to the remote clinic.
Smiley himself visits the clinic under a false name and gently questions Alexandra/Tatiana, who is highly suspicious of her "Uncle" Anton and has very jumbled and grandiose ideas about her mysterious father, whom she believes to be a powerful and influential figure. She begs Smiley to rescue her from the clinic, even chasing down his car as he leaves, though he is forced to leave her behind. Smiley then writes a letter to his nemesis Karla to be delivered in place of Grigoriev's weekly report, bluntly declaring that Alexandra is clearly Karla's daughter whom he hid away under false pretenses, have chosen to "place love above duty." Acknowledging that he murdered Vladimir and Leipzig (and likely Kirov) along the way, Smiley promises that Alexandra will be safe and well-cared for if Karla defects to the West; if not, he will be left to the non-existent mercy of the KGB.
Smiley and Guillam head to Berlin and keep their eyes on Glienicke Bridge, the so-called "bridge of spies" between East and West Germany, and the agents are elated when a lone, unassuming-looking man crosses the Havel River and wordlessly allows himself to be captured. Smiley finally looks into his enemy's eyes, and Karla purposefully drops a lighter, a long-ago gift from Ann that he had stolen from Smiley many years ago. Smiley chooses to ignore the gesture as Guillam excitedly declares that they have finally "won." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: BBC
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: 0:49:27
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:05641
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; Spies; Cold War; Murder; Literature - Adaptations
- SERIES RUN: BBC - TV series, 1982
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Promos - "Blood Feud"
- TV - Promos - "Sadat"
CREDITS
- Jonathan Powell … Producer
- Simon Langton … Director
- John le Carré … Writer
- John Hopkins … Writer
- Patrick Gowers … Music by
- Alec Guinness … Cast, George Smiley
- Barry Foster … Cast, Saul Enderby
- Bill Paterson … Cast, Lauder Strickland
- Michael Byrne … Cast, Peter Guillam
- Bernard Hepton … Cast, Toby Esterhase
- Anthony Bate … Cast, Oliver Lacon
- Siân Phillips … Cast, Lady Ann Smiley
- Rosalie Crutchley … Cast, Mother Felicity
- Michael Lonsdale … Cast, Anton Grigoriev
- Patrick Stewart … Cast, Karla
- Tussie Silberg … Cast, Alexandra
- Lucy Fleming … Cast, Molly Meakin
- Julia McCarthy … Cast, Millie McCraig
- Andrew Bradford … Cast, Ferguson
- Richard Leech … Cast, Uncle Harry
- Dudley Sutton … Cast, Oleg Kirov
- Vladek Sheybal … Cast, Otto Leipzig (The Magician)
- Inioo Gallo … Cast, Franz
- Margaret Henry … Cast, Mrs. Tremera
- Lucinda Curtis … Cast, Sister Beatrice
- Victoria Elliott … Cast, Grigorieva
- Marion Garai … Cast, Litzi Meinertzhagen
- Margrit Knecht … Cast, Dolly Meinertzhagen
- Lucinda Curtis … Cast, Sister Beatitude
- Joe Praml … Cast, Skordeno
- Eugene Lipinski … Cast, De Silsky
- Roswita Dost … Cast, Sanitarium Nurse
- Hans Peter Blumer … Cast, Thun Cafe Proprietor
- Silvia Jost … Cast, Bernese Housewife
- Leila Soravia … Cast, Bernese Child
- Patricia Bornhauser … Cast, Girl Hiker