As the finale of The Ipcress File begins, Paul Maddox (Ashley Thomas) tells Cathcart on the phone that he is confident they’ll locate him and that the operation can be a success with a few modifications. General Cathcart (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) wants to make sure that there will be no connection to them if Harry surfaces. Paul says he should have no memory of the treatment or Chinese cover operation. They agree to meet in London before the call ends. After that, Paul meets with Housemartin (Urs Rechn) to give him information about Harry and the people who know him. Housemartin promises to find him. Harry Palmer (Joe Cole) is shown hiding out in an old camper.

Jean Courtney (Lucy Boynton) goes through Paul’s file before meeting with him at his place later that night. While he cooks, Jean is given permission to look around. She tries to install a bug in his light switch while he isn’t looking. Although she manages to do it, she leaves the screw on the ground. As they sit down to dinner, Paul says they have an induction team ready to guide her through every step. In six months, they could be working together on missions and other exciting stuff. She asks if it would be like invading Cuba with a bunch of mercenaries. Paul admits there was no air cover either. He goes on to say he felt angry and let down by the president. As for Jean, she says he is a good leader who pursues better relations with the USSR and at home.

She claims he favors progress. Paul agrees. He tells her about his best friend who shot himself in the head about a week ago before asking whether that is progress. Paul argues this is a chance to get away from what has gone bad. He calls Dalby’s outfit an anomaly while suggesting it doesn’t have a future. When she says she wants to find out what happened to Harry, Paul believes it is time to move on from Harry. Next, Harry goes to a payphone to place a call. In the morning, Deborah (Tamla Kari) arrives at the RV with the clothes he asked for. Although she can’t stay long, she offers to make him a cup of tea. After she leaves, Chico (Joshua James) and Alice (Anastasia Hille) present their findings to Major Dalby (Tom Hollander) who says he will make his recommendation.

Chico encourages him to set aside any other influences or personal inclinations. He meets with the Minister (Paul Higgins) to say he thinks his team gave too much weight to intangible suspicions. Dalby says he believes they should accept her application. Then, he learns that the department is being wound up. The Minister claims he was outmaneuvered and didn’t have any ammunition to defend the department. Dalby tells Polina (Anna Geislerova) that he is going to struggle to deliver what Stok demands, but he might be able to find another job at the ministry. There is no guarantee he’ll have access to anything Stok doesn’t already know. As they kiss, Chico takes pictures of them from a distance.

Later one night, Housemartin goes to the camper to deal with Harry Palmer. In the morning, Jean meets with Carswell (Irfan Shamji) to listen to a recording from last night around 1:33 AM. In the recording, Paul learns from a man that they’ve got him. Then, they play another recording from later in the morning of Paul talking about his programming. Carswell plays a recording of Maddox dialing out. He managed to listen to the dial tones and come out with the number 077814. She receives the address linked to that phone number. Chico meets with Alice to tell her he went to the German embassy to see what he could find about Polina. They had a file that shows her brother died in 1947. Chico asks whether she is going to tell him or if he should.

Jean puts a handgun in her pocket before approaching the property. She is confronted by Paul and Housemartin who has a gun. Maddox tells Housemartin to put the gun down because Jean won’t shoot anyone unless she has to. He takes her inside where he explains he is tired since he has been through a lot. Once she gets to see him, Harry says he is fine now. Jean suggests he looks just like Professor Dawson did. She asks Paul whether they used the same technique so he takes her outside for an explanation. Maddox admits he was an angry man two years ago because their president lied and they got shot to hell for it.

He hated him and mixed in circles that were talking about revenge. One day, he got a call that connected him to Bobby Kennedy who spoke to him about the vision he and his brother had for America. It was a vision he could share. He also told him about a group of men who wanted to destroy that vision. It was a loose conspiracy of men who did not want progress. Paul was invited to join a deep-cover operations to infiltrate that conspiracy. Once he got in, they came to him with a plan for Palmer. If Palmer hadn’t escaped, he’d been on the roof of the airport taking out JFK on the tarmac. Now, Harry isn’t going to kill anyone because his programming was incomplete. Paul has been given orders to stick as close to his contact as possible and learn as much as he can for future proceedings.

Since they brought Harry here, they’ve tested him and discovered there is some memory loss from the treatment. He is getting better every day. Jean says she is going to take him away and Dalby will be informed of everything that has taken place. That works for Paul who says he’ll stay undercover and they can blow the plot. Daly goes back home to pick up a few items. Mrs. Dalby (Alexandra Moen) enters to ask whether he was in Vienna for her. When Dalby says yes, she claims she is happy for him. In that case, she won’t mention it to the people who pay her. He asks who and whether they’re British. She says it is British with the government, Home Office, MI something or another. They sat her down and told her all about her husband’s job.

She thought it was fair enough since he had been lying to her. In exchange for the information, she was paid 18 pounds per week. She primarily told them about his comings, goings, and phone calls. Both lived a lie in their own way, but she is glad it is over. She won’t tell them about his other woman because it is none of their business. Jean admits to Paul that she didn’t trust him. She asks whether he is going to settle for revenge or get what he was promised on the phone call. He can’t have bother. Jean wonders which he wants more. Paul doesn’t say and instead tells her to take Harry. Gregor Stok (David Dencik) tells Dalby that Polina’s brother will go on trial in Moscow at the end of this month. Once he is found guilty and sentenced, his family will be evicted from their apartment and they will have nothing.

Dalby says he needs more time while Stok reminds him their agreement depends on his ability to access confidential information. Gregor hopes that won’t be a problem. Dalby admits he has done so much for his country over the years, but they never trusted him anyway. Harry thanks Jean. Although he is free, there is still a chance that Maddox is lying. Jean agrees it is about how much he is lying or whether he knows the full story. While there is too much they don’t know, whoever recruited Paul will still have their plan in place. Harry tells her that the gun is a Mauser C96 semi-automatic 9mm parabellum. It has a detachable stock to improve its effective range and it fits inside a small case.

He admits that just came into his head. He remembers they kept it in a sort of cupboard under a seat next to the window. He wonders why they did that, but Jean doesn’t know. He gets out and goes inside. Next, Cathcart meets up with Paul and confirms the president was find company. Once the General asks if they’re okay, Paul says they are. Dalby tells Harry that he has read the report so he should let him do the talking. If there are any questions, he should leave them until after. Harry questions whether he was concerned about him when he went missing. Dalby suspected the Americans had figured out his purpose and either took him into custody or killed him.

Dalby says that is what happened. They meet with the Minister to discuss what happened to Dalby. The Minister knows that they intended to assassinate the elected head of state. They started with a secret brainwashing program that was used to control the scientist of their closest ally. To cover it up, they framed Harry with murder and espionage. The Minister asks whether he is expected to believe this before he excuses Palmer for a moment. Once Harry leaves, the Minister asks William Dalby whether Harry will try to flee because this is highly sensitive stuff. He goes on to say the Prime Minister and President have to be informed. Kennedy will be with them for 48 hours as he meets the Queen and tours the house.

Then, he will go down to Mac’s place at Birch Grove. The Minister suggests inviting him to give the President’s private secretary a personal briefing. He believes they can get this information where it matters and save Dalby’s neck. Later, Dalby calls Polina to tell her he has good news and will visit her in a while. Chico and Alice listen as they agree to go to dinner around eight. Harry tries to figure out what he did to his fingers so Jean suggests it happened when he was escaping. He doesn’t think so. Harry says it comes back, but never completely. There is so much he doesn’t remember. He doesn’t know if some of it is real, imagined, or put there by them. He worries that he is still under their control although Jean says they don’t know that. She mentions the gun, but he doesn’t remember telling her about it.

Once Harry says he wants to know what else there is, Jean suggests it might be better to leave it. He wants to know and will do whatever it takes. Paul and Cathcart watch a news report before the General shuts off the television and says he knew the father before the stroke. He was a bootlegger and a patriot. When his son was elected president, Cathcart naturally had assumptions. Cathcart says they all make mistakes while Paula says theirs is the privilege of atonement. The General says he sometimes think Paul needs to think about his place in world history. Paul says that didn’t do him any favors last time. Cathcart asks if he sold the story to Jean about infiltrating the conspiracy and Bobby calling him up.

He says yes and it might be true. Cathcart says maybe those scars he got from Cuba are a figment of his imagination. We see that their conversation is being recorded. Chico approaches Dalby to talk about Polina. Alice shows up at Polina’s place and tells her Dalby won’t be coming. Chico tells William that Polina’s brother died in 1947. Alice asks Polina about feeling proud for deceiving a decent man like that. Polina questions whether Alice thinks she has any feelings. She asks whether she’ll see him again while Dalby admits he has been a fool from the beginning. When Dalby met the brother, he thought he seemed like the decent sort. You have to admire their patience since they waited 10 years. Dalby calls that good intelligence work.

Polina tells Alice she would’ve stayed with him if they hadn’t found out because she is a patriot. However, she doesn’t think Alice can say who she loves and does not love. Once the officers arrive, Polina says she has a gift for Dalby in the form of a traitor’s name. He didn’t betray their country to the Russians though. Harry tries to get Jean to inject him with the medications so he can remember what happened, but she doesn’t feel good about this. She believes it was different with Dawson because he was damaged. Palmer yells while asking what else is in there. She asks whether he would open her mind with all of this. Harry apologizes before admitting that was selfish of him. Jean questions whether he is going to stay. Housemartin gets into a car with General Cathcart.

Alice tells Dalby about the spy. He thanks her. The next day, he visits the Minister at his home. She serves them tea before listening through the door as Dalby asks the Minister about being employed by the intelligence service of the United States. He also knows that he regularly provides them with information regarding his communications with the Prime Minister. In return for this, he receives roughly $30,000 per year. The Minister’s wife calls someone to tell them Dalby is there. The Minister admits his information is accurate so his source should be commended.

He tells Dalby about his great-grandfather who became a farmer in Kenya where he worked hard. His son and grandson did the same. They reaped the rewards until the fiasco of Suez made them look weak and unfit to rule. Now, Prime Minister Macmillan has lost his nerve and bleating on about a wind of change blowing across Africa. The Minister complains that their nation has lost everything because they’re a second-rate power with no navy and can’t afford their own bombs. Any man can see that the future lies across the Atlantic. He does this for the benefit of their nation and the money because he’d be a pauper without it. Dalby questions whether his team was assigned to Dawson’s case so he could block them if they got too close to his friends.

Two members of the CIA arrive outside so they can look after Dalby for a while. He is warned he’ll be killed if he doesn’t cooperate with them. Carswell calls Jean because he thinks she would want to hear what was on the tapes from last night. As Dalby is driven away from the Minister’s place, he asks the two CIA agents how they’re going to deal with him. When the car stops, Alice shoots the two men from a nearby car. Dalby gets out to join Alice and Chico in the other vehicle. Housemartin gives a briefcase to the Minister and tips his hat to him. Back at the office, Dalby says Macmillan’s residence is at Birch Grove. Maddox claimed they abandoned the plan to assassinate the president, but the plan was supposed to take place at Birch Grove.

Although he doesn’t think the Minister was going to bring him there, he would bring Palmer there. Seconds later, Palmer is picked up by a driver who plans to take him to Birch Grove to meet with Dalby and the Minister. Alice tries to call Harry to warn him, but he is already gone. Jean picks up a folder from some guy while Paul listens to the President’s moves on the radio. Once he finds the missing screw, he discovers the bug. Harry meets with the Minister who leads him to a room upstairs. He says there will be a photocall outside after lunch. After that, the Minister will arrange for the President’s Chief of Staff to meet Harry. He gives Harry instructions while insisting Dalby will be joining him later.

Jean returns home only to find that Harry is gone. Paul calls Cathcart to tell him she knows while the General says everyone will soon enough. Maddox encourages him to stop the operation, but Cathcart isn’t going to do that. After the call, Housemartin breaks into Paul’s house and attacks him with a knife. Paul is stabbed in the side before Housemartin leaves him on the floor. Jean listens to the recording of Paul from this morning. She hears them talk about Paul telling her and whether she believed the conspiracy bit. Paul also says it might be true. He squirms on the ground while trying to reach the nearby telephone. Alice places a call to the Minister of Defence while insisting it is urgent. The Minister excuses himself from the table.

Harry looks through the window as they prepare for the photocall outside. The phone next to him begins ringing. When he picks it up, he hears someone talking to him. He is told the pain will stop when he is ready to kill the enemy. We see him being tortured and forced to watch subliminal messages of sorts telling him to kill JFK. Paul manages to pull the phone down from the desk. Harry sits the phone down and finds the gun in the cupboard near the window. Paul calls Jean to warn her to get out now, but Housemartin bursts inside before she can escape. While they scuffle in the kitchen, the Minister picks up the phone and is told it is Dalby who enters and punches him. He pulls his arm behind his back while demanding to know where Palmer is.

While Harry prepares to shoot the president, Jean grabs a knife which she uses to stab Housemartin in the neck. The Minister is left on the floor as Dalby rushes to prevent Harry from killing the President. Jean grabs the gun and shoots Housemartin dead. Dalby confronts Palmer to try to convince him that the man outside is not his enemy. Harry remembers pressing the metal into his finger as it begins bleeding onto the gun. Once Harry turns the gun onto Dalby, he begins seeing him as the enemy. He fires twice and hits General Cathcart who enters the room with a handgun. Dalby takes the rifle from him. Jean is there when Paul is taken out of his home on a stretcher. A news report talks about the meeting at Birch Grove and the decision to go all out for a test ban treaty with Khrushchev.

Harry watches the news in a theater. Dalby meets Polina at the airport so he can say goodbye before she returns. They agree they may meet again one day before Polina leaves. Gregor asks Harry whether he brought his gun this time only to find out that he did not. When he says he seems to have forgotten, Gregor warns him he will pay for his naivety one day. Harry can’t believe Gregor would ever harm anyone, but Gregor insists he is mistaken. Gregor tells him about coming to a place like this with a girl when he experienced some sadness or memories he didn’t expect. He confesses he used her as cover to engage in espionage. She meant nothing, but his heart surprised him.

Gregor explains they’re weak inside because they’re human. Harry says like Mr. Dalby. Stok says he took advantage of her to which Harry admits is part of their business. Harry gives him something from Dalby. It isn’t complete since that would be too much. Palmer leaves the theater and gets into a car with Jean before saying they should go to dinner. Gregor looks into the briefcase and finds the IPCRESS file.

 

The Ipcress File Review

While The Ipcress File had some ups and downs, I still felt it was mostly entertaining. The finale covered everything that needed to be covered and sufficiently explained what had been going on all along. It had some intense moments with some of the main characters nearly meeting their demise. The acting was great from the main characters all the way down to the minor characters.

It was a happy ending for most characters with some good twists and turns along the way. I can’t compare it to the film since I’ve never watched it, but I enjoyed The Ipcress File. It was enjoyable with an easy-to-follow story that kept me guessing from episode to episode. I’d like to go back and watch the film. In fact, the series was good enough that I would read the novel if I had time to do so.

The finale scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of The Ipcress File can be found on Reel Mockery here. Learn how to support Reel Mockery by following this link.