Skip to 2:10 if you don’t want this episode ruined by seeing what comes ahead.
Warning; there will be spoilers in my review.
More delicious views of Scotland.
I loved survival training, it was a brilliant experience.
I bet that if it had included enemy soldiers and the chance of me being caught it would have been an even greater experience.
In short, I’m jealous of the students.
I’m not sure the wide open rocky Highlands would have been a good training ground for agents dropped in flat overpopulated Holland.
Is it weird that when I was a little girl I did these camouflage and concealment exercises and considered them fun games?
I later did them with my sister and her friends as well, had lots of fun sneaking up on each other and seeing if we could spot each other hiding in fields.
The enemy hut exercise sounds like fun, again something very similar to the games I played as a child but also as a grown-up.
I remember doing something very similar when a group of friend and I spend a weekend at a holiday cottage.
It was a lot of fun and I was rather good at sneaking.
The one thing about this German guard I don’t like though is that he is taking his job very seriously and isn’t smoking.
In reality most soldiers hate guard duty and get tired of walking around real soon and are less concentrated.
And especially in the 1940s they’d regularly stop for a few seconds to light and enjoy a cigarette.
A good moment for an enemy to strike.
Then again, it is of course best to train for the rare soldier who always pays attention and doesn’t smoke.
Student Clitheroe and I are about the same age, which makes me even more upset about not having taken part!
Mind you, she is clearly in better physical health than I am and her life sounds like it was quite a bit harsher than mine.
This makes her better prepared for this job than me on several levels.
I like how the show gives us bits of background information on the students when it matters, when it is actually suitable in stead of introducing everyone at the beginning when you as a viewer generally couldn’t care less.
Oh no!
Student Thomas has injured her leg.
She’s one of my favourites, I hope this doesn’t damage her chances.
Barris makes the crucial mistake of not making better use of Jeffreys, she’s the groups super hero.
To be honest, he’s making quite a few mistakes.
Before we continue, lets think about how we would do it.
Well obviously I’d send Jefferys ahead on her own to deal with the guard, liberate the prisoner and while she’s at it deal run to Berlin and deal with Hitler.
Alternatively I’d appoint a spotter, the person with the best eyesight and ability to keep track of where the German soldier is.
Then I’d appoint the ones best at sneaking and being stealthy to approach the cabin, rushing from cover to cover, looking back towards the spotter for the all clear signal for their next move.
Assuming only one of the team members reaching the target indoors is enough to win the task.
How would you do it?
Let’s see how the students continue.
It looks like the high-ground team is following my plan, spotters telling the approachers when it is time to go.
However the approachers should be fast in those 45 seconds they have to move forwards but still make sure they can hide quickly when the time is up.
I might consider using a bird whistle as a signal, risky, but a good warning if the sentry is suddenly turning back.
Oh no!
Copsey got spotted.
Team one failed.
Barris is not very good under duress, he’ll probably blame the lack of sleep and in all fairness that is a reasonable reason, but it also makes you a liability in the field.
Student Sany is an Afghanistan veteran and he and Jefferys decide to make a run for it, going against Barris his command but rightly so, on the other hand it’s not very good teamwork.
Two new names have moved forward as favourites, Davis and Sany have done well during this task.
Now I don’t know if blackout regulations where that strict there in the Highlands, but if they were, that would have been a serious breach!
I’m not surprised Barris is leaving.
He seems to have been talking himself into giving up from the moment he had a bad night sleep.
8 remain.
Crossing the loch is one hell of a challenge.
That water is cold, so very very cold.
I’ve had near heart attacks just stepping in puddles that cold.
And of course if you’re my generation, the Jaws tune is always in the back of your mind…
Jefferys has a problem with cold water and is nervous and this is one of the tasks where being small is not a bonus.
She has been amazing with all the other tasks so far so I doubt she is at risk of being send home, nevertheless, I’m watching with crossed fingers.
She manages it, well done!
Ah Telemark!
Another famous story that, unfortunately, a lot of people know little or nothing about.
It is great that thanks to this show more people will learn about another important story.
Fingers crossed now for Clitheroe, I don’t understand her phobia but can see that it clearly is a serious issue for her.
If she can do it, it would indeed be a life defining moment.
I catch myself whispering encouragement at the screen.
She made it, that is extremely brave.
I have a lot of respect for her.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again; it is a bigger achievement to do something you fear than doing something you don’t fear at all.
Bravo.
Moving at night in the dark is quite difficult.
Another bit of training that is also a great party game.
This is a very difficult challenge but some of them manage to get close.
Next they have to climb ladders on a cliff.
I had to do the same except the cliff I had to climb was in Austria, had snow on it and no ladders.
I enjoyed it, climbed down, then back up and down again because I got bored waiting for my comrades.
Mind you, when I did it, there was no rain, but I also didn’t have any equipment, whatsoever.
Crossing the gap between two ladders does seem like one hell of a challenge.
Especially of course for a man with an artificial leg, Copsey impresses again.
A historical segment reminds us that most SOE agents suffered from ’emotional disturbance’.
It is painful to realise how many people, throughout the centuries, returned home with PTSD in a time when we really didn’t know how to deal with it.
Bajaj is the only student who fails but decides to try again when she sees everybody else succeed.
Once more I find myself whispering words of support at the screen.
Well done!
There is a lot of conquering fears going on in this show, which is always inspirational to see.
Looking forward to the next episode.
Historical Reality Television 