As the fourth episode of The Ipcress File begins, we see Ian Randall (Brian Ferguson) with a gunshot wound to his leg as he returns to Rashida Boustani (Shireen Farkhoy) and her son. He dumps the money out onto the table. Harry Palmer (Joe Cole) tells Alice (Anastasia Hille) what happened as she types out a record of his account. He explains how he fired his weapon and killed the man who attacked him. Major Dalby (Tom Hollander) tells Harry he doesn’t want men who enjoy this type of thing and they usually don’t last long with him, but they sometimes find themselves with no choice. He explains under normal circumstances the forensic office of the Beirut Police Department would return personal possessions to the next of kin or retain them in an investigation.

Since they weren’t able to find a next of kin, Dalby managed to make a reasonable offer for the man’s possessions. He shows Harry the Russian-style gasmask the man was wearing as well as a Czechoslovak sub-machine modified to fire Soviet Tokarev ammunition. They also have an overcoat from a Moscow department store, a suit made at Factory 15 in Nizhny Novgorod, and shoes from Omsk. They found a ticket for route 58 on the Leningrad tram network. The autopsy report confirms the man died due to gunshot wounds to the chest and head. Dalby shows him the x-ray of the man’s skull while pointing out his bridgework. This type of work isn’t available to the average KGB gunman or readily available in the Soviet Union.

As a result, it is believed that it was American dentistry. Dalby argues it was the tram ticket that sealed it because they were trying too hard. Harry admits he is having difficulty being convinced which is why Dalby is sending him on a mission. He is going to snoop, stir things up, and find out what he can. Alice will give him further details, but he will be going with Jean to Diego Garcia. Harry asks whether Jean’s instructions will be the same as his, but Dalby responds by telling him not to worry because she knows what to do. On the airplane, Harry looks through files regarding Ian Randall. Meanwhile, the Minister (Paul Higgins) asks Dalby whether he intends to send two spies to an H-bomb test.

Dalby explains it is a neutron bomb and Dawson’s area of expertise. Although he doesn’t know if Dawson will be there, he believes certain people there will be aware of where he is. After the Minister approves the mission, Harry and Jean (Lucy Boynton) arrive at the Grant Madison Airbase on Sopinofu Island. They’re welcomed and taken to the command center. While Harry rides in the bus toward the command center, he looks at the picture of the little girls he took off the man he killed. Dalby meets with General Cathcart (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) at his usual place. The General asks him about sending a couple of spies to Sopinofu. Dalby explains their treaty on nuclear cooperation entitles them to send anyone with the requisite clearance.

When he is asked what they’re hoping to observe, Dalby says the march of progress. General Cathcart asks if they should be busy searching for that missing scientist. Dalby questions who says they’re not. Once they get off the bus, Harry asks Jean why they’re not talking and whether that was part of Dalby’s orders. He wonders if it has anything to do with that night at Adem’s, but Jean doesn’t want to talk about it and it doesn’t matter. He apologizes although she claims she just misread him. Jean knows he doesn’t want to be here after what happened so she suggests they just focus on their assignments. Then, Captain Skip Henderson (Corey Johnson) talks security while reminding them there will no photography on the base.

Radios and other forms of communication are forbidden. The Captain explains there is a Russian nuclear-powered submarine 20 miles offshore. He is saying this to make sure they don’t think this is some genteel scientific gathering. He goes on to say this is preparation for war. Dalby looks at a picture of himself with Dr. Polina Lavotchkin (Anna Geislerova) before waving to Mrs. Dalby (Alexandra Moen) who is outside working in the garden. After retrieving a hidden gun, Dalby heads to the Helsinki Airport in Finland.

A group of military men talks to Jean until Paul Maddox (Ashley Thomas) interrupts to ask her to dance. Harry watches from the bar as Jean thanks Paul for rescuing her. He is there because the agency likes to keep up with the latest defense developments. Paul asks if she can step outside since there are things he’d like to talk about. Dr. Karen Newton (Nora-Jane Noone) approaches Harry to tell him his girl has left although he says she isn’t his girl. He tells her he is getting divorced before she asks what brings him to the tropical paradise of Sopinofu. He says he is an observer for the Ministry of Defence in England. Karen asks whether that is supposed to fool someone, but Harry isn’t sure since she is the first person he tried it on. As for Karen, she is a civilian psychiatrist from Stanford University.

She claims she is there to study the long-term psychological impact of working with nuclear weapons. So far, it turns every man into an a-hole. She explains there are about 87 guys for every woman here and each man becomes convinced he is every woman’s dream. They believe a big explosion is going to happen. Harry jokes that is what he is waiting for too. Jean tells Maddox that Dalby suspects Professor Dawson was abducted by Americans because they can’t complete the weapon without Dawson’s expertise. She is there to identify high-ranking personnel and establish links with likely future sources. Paul tells her Dalby is in Helsinki and plays his cards very close to his chest which is why she doesn’t know why he is there.

He admits that makes them wonder about the nature of his hand since someone has thwarted their efforts to retrieve a vital asset. It could be Dalby or someone he recruited like Palmer, but he doesn’t think it is Jean because she doesn’t have a blemish on her record. Palmer is capable and nearly got himself killed in Korea. Paul wonders if Harry is resentful that he didn’t get the medal he deserved for his service in Korea. Jean thinks he is wrong about Harry, but Paul says they’ll find out. Harry kills a mosquito and asks Karen whether the radiation will kill them all. She reminds him they’re not supposed to discuss the bomb. As they continue talking, Harry admits he doesn’t think he was a smart kid although he might’ve been annoying.

After he reveals he kept asking for more than was on offer, Karen says they call that ambition in America. His dad was a docker so his ambition was living long enough to retire. Harry somehow decided he was too good for that. Karen says it all comes out. She might be a psychiatrist after all. As they go inside for a drink, Jean watches them through the window of her room. Harry tells her to take a seat before going to the kitchen for drinks. When he returns, he is surprised to see Captain Henderson waiting for him and Karen gone. They go back and forth a bit before Captain Henderson asks to see Harry’s passport. Once Harry hands it over, he is asked the nature of his business, but he can’t discuss that. The captain gives his passport back and leaves without saying anything.

Dalby gets off a bus and uses a payphone. Someone on the other end asks to take his order before he hangs up. He goes into a building nearby, uses his cane to block the door, and goes out on the other side to lose his tail. In a flashback, Dalby tells Harry about Karen Newton who knew Radley from Stanford. Harry is tasked with finding out what she knows one way or another. Harry meets with Karen once again to ask where she went last night. She says she doesn’t like Skip Henderson because she thinks he might be a psychopath. Harry supports that diagnosis. He asks Karen whether she met Theodore Radley at the university. She says they met and she worked with him briefly. When asked to describe him, she uses the word clever.

She also says he was curious about human nature and innovative in his approach to therapy. Palmer tells her about Radley being shot dead a few weeks ago so he never met him and wanted to know what he was like. Karen admits she was naively thinking the reason he was there was to see her. Harry says it might be since he might be using his inquiry as an excuse. Dalby gets the paperwork Gregor wanted before he gets into a car and gets blindfolded in the backseat. Jean calls Mrs. Dalby while pretending to be from the Ministry of Records department only to learn her wife thinks he is in Brussels for the trade negotiations. In a flashback, Dalby tells her she’ll be under surveillance so she’ll need to fake a certain disillusionment and even a distrust of himself, Palmer, and their entire organization.

He wants her to gain his confidence and make him careless. Paul listens to Jean’s call to Mrs. Dalby before he is interrupted by Captain Henderson who says it sucks. Maddox tells him he needs to be patient and they’re all grieving right now. Skip can’t do anything because they have an interest in Palmer, but he’ll be the first one to know if anything changes. Paul promises him that Harry won’t be going anywhere. When Harry returns to his room, he finds a note asking him to play a game of pool so he joins Paul moments later. Harry tells him he’d rather be at home. They can detonate the bomb so he can go ahead and get on the airplane. Paul says he knows it has been difficult for him on a personal level since Jean told him.

First, he gets married young and his infant dies. Then, he meets a beautiful, intelligent, high-class woman. A relationship seems inevitable, but it doesn’t happen. Paul asks if he is right, but Harry insists it is none of his business. Then, Maddox claims Jean has asked to join the CIA. He wonders if there is a reason besides more money and resources. Harry isn’t aware of anything. Dalby is shown blindfolded in the car while Harry calls Karen to see if she wants to go for a stroll. She is busy right now so she invites him to the drive-in later. Once the call ends, she visits Captain Henderson who says the man has been dealing with flashbacks and isn’t fully focused. She wants to do what is best for the patient and not use a technique in a way it wasn’t intended.

Skip argues she doesn’t have a patient and instead describes him as a scientific instrument that is crucial to the mission. It is her duty to ensure a smooth operation of that instrument so he can fix these glitches before the test. She is told to play the tape to focus those thoughts of his. When she does, the lights come on and we see Professor Dawson (Matthew Steer) secured to a pair. Later, Paul asks Jean if she got in touch with Dalby. He knows she did but says it might be innocent. He claims he feels bad if he has caused unjustified suspicion although she thinks he meant to do just that. She admits she isn’t sure about that and he might be right that Dalby might be involved in something. Paul says it wears them down not knowing who to trust and what to think.

Once she agrees with him, Paul reveals he intends to recruit her. He tells her to look at the future of having 20 people working under her and 5,000 square feet of real estate at Langley. After he gives her a rundown of the potential benefits, she says she might have to think about it. Dalby’s blindfold is removed as he is taken inside a building. He gives the Soviets what he promised Gregor before Polina is brought out to join him. While they’re distracted with the paperwork, Dalby removes a handgun from his hat and shoots all three men. Harry goes through the paperwork regarding Ian before removing a paperclip to replace the button on his sleeve. The paperwork says something about establishing a connection with Lumumba’s associates.

A handwritten note says not to worry because he’s a good guy. Harry compares the handwriting to the note he received from Paul Maddox earlier. It looks like a solid match. Paul tells Jean that Palmer came to see him earlier and wanted to shoot some pool. He describes the encounter as strange. Then, they started talking about her. Jean says she knows what he is doing because she has done it herself. He asks if she means unsettling her with surprising insight with the aim of manipulating her. When she asks what Harry said about her, Paul claims he told him about the wedding falling through. Her fiancé called it off and she was all messed up about it. He goes on to say Harry asked him to be respectful of her emotional vulnerability, but Jean doesn’t believe he said that.

Karen tells Harry she’d rather have a practice in Beverly Hills. Instead, she is in a place where she doesn’t want to be. She claims this is therapy and Harry is being the therapist. Shortly after that, she excuses herself and leaves her diary on the floor of the car. On one page, he finds the word IPCRESS and a meeting at 2:30. He rips the page out of the book. Dalby stops the car and asks Polina if they should go in. While Jane returns to her room, Harry asks Karen to tell him about Ipcress. She doesn’t want to talk about it although she admits it is unethical. Instead, she talks about Harry and the woman who might be angry at him even though he doesn’t want to think about why. He doesn’t know why he got divorced. Then, he got this job that he doesn’t even know if he likes or why he is doing it.

They sent him halfway around the world to watch a bomb go off, but he found himself in a cheap cabin drinking cheap whisky with a cheap woman who is almost as unhappy as he is. She says they should make themselves happy. While Jean sleeps later that night, she gets a visit from Paul who has something to show her up near North Point. When they meet with Henderson, he tells them a couple of guys came up here to hang out and saw a male figure walking away. They checked it out and found a VLF transmitter that could be used to communicate with the Russian submarine. Paul asks him if they found anything else while Jean finds a cufflink on the ground. In the morning, the military police pick up Harry for questioning.

He is asked where he was between midnight and 2 AM. Harry says he was in his accommodation. He goes on to say he watched a western with Karen before they had a drink at his place. She left after that so he can’t corroborate his story. Harry notices a picture of the two little girls behind Captain Henderson and asks about it. Skip reveals they’re his goddaughters. Their father who was one of his best friends passed away three weeks ago in Beirut. When Polina wakes up, she asks Dalby whether he regrets what he has done, but he says no. She asks why he wouldn’t touch her then. He doesn’t answer and instead tells her she’ll have to be debriefed in London. It will be done by agents from his department who will assess her truthfulness and value as a defector.

Although they’ll write a report, it’ll be up to Harry to make a recommendation to the Ministry of Defence regarding her status. He admits he thought she was dead. As he sits next to her, he explains he’ll return to London alone, she’ll present herself through the appropriate channel, and he will be waiting for her. Next, Harry and the others are taken to the bomb which will be detonated tomorrow. While they’re alone, Jean notices the paperclip on Harry’s sleeve and warns him he is being set up as a Soviet spy. He tells her that Maddox was Randall’s handler in the Congo and they worked together before. Jean confesses she won’t be able to do anything for him, but he already knows that. Dalby was right about Harry killing an American intelligence officer in Beirut.

The Americans abducted Dawson. Harry says he was with Dr. Newton last night although he didn’t tell them to avoid getting her into trouble. Jean asks whether it was personal or professional, but Harry claims he doesn’t know. She questions whether he talked to Maddox about her emotional vulnerability. He says of course not. She wonders if she had a lucky escape. Harry hands her the paper from Newton’s diary with IPCRESS written on it. Next, Harry asks Newton where Dawson is and stresses the point that he doesn’t have much time.

She encourages him to focus on getting off this island because he is in a lot of trouble and she is too. She didn’t know he was a spy at first since he seemed honest and decent. Karen asks what he saw when she spoke to him. Was she a source and someone to be used? Harry asks her to believe him. Jean sits down with Paul to give him the cufflink that belongs to Palmer. When Maddox asks where he is now, Jean suggests he is up near North Point waiting to be picked up by a submarine. He agrees to send out a helicopter before she asks if Harry’s bedroom was bugged. Paul says her left her at 0017 and returned at 0138. Once she returns to her room, Harry asks her whether he bought it. She warns him that they’ll be coming for him so he should get whatever he can from her now.

He wants to tell her something before he goes. She knows he didn’t say anything to Maddox. Harry kisses her. Paul calls General Cathcart to tell him they can likely contain this. The general says everything looks good in the technical briefings so tomorrow should be a great day for humanity, but he doesn’t want any loose ends. The guards begin searching for Harry while he tries to gain access to Karen. He enters her office and finds signs of a struggle before discovering Karen on the ground. She is already gone. As the alarm sounds outside, Harry flees the office. He knocks out a guard outside and takes his gun. He enters Paul’s office and tells him he should kill him.

Paul doesn’t think he has it in him anymore. As for Dawson, he just took off in a helicopter about ten minutes ago. Paul doesn’t know where he is going, but he should help them make the finest atomic weapons the world has ever seen. The military police and Henderson come in to apprehend Harry seconds later. The next day, Jean is shown on the bus while Harry has been beaten and left in a cell. As Dalby returns home, Polina turns herself in and Jean prepares to watch the bomb explode. Gregor says goodbye to one of the men Dalby shot and killed. Ian gets a visit from someone who shoots him. Harry looks up and finds Henderson looking at him. The bomb explodes just before the episode ends.

 

The Ipcress File Review

I’ve enjoyed every episode of The Ipcress File so far despite a few hiccups and minor complaints here and there. Having never watched the original, I cannot say whether one or the other is better. The series has its own unique style that many will like, but it obviously isn’t for everyone. As I said previously, the story might be a little longwinded for six episodes. It likely could’ve sliced an episode out and still achieved the same story with less filler.

Regardless, I’d recommend The Ipcress File because it is better than the majority of stuff I’ve been watching right now. I’ll have to wait and see what happens before I give a final opinion though. The episode scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of The Ipcress File can be found here. Find out how to support Reel Mockery by following this link.