Writer: P.J.Hammond

Transmitted: Thursday, 19th July, 1979 at 7.00pm
 

What Happens?

The soldiers attempt to execute Sapphire, but Steel 'freezes' them with his low body temperature. Under Sapphire's guidance, Helen then guides Steel to the kitchen while Rob lights a fire to warm him up. Sapphire and Steel trap the 'refraction' creatures in the freezer chest before there is a knock at the house door - a booming giant of a man appears through it, and Sapphire reveals this to be Lead - another of her kind. Lead and Steel consider how to deal with the haunted room, while Rob and Helen help Sapphire burn all the books and pictures in the house. But one book, "Mother Goose", refuses to be burned, and flies away from them. A particular page flies out and Helen is mentally forced to recite the rhyme on it. Suddenly, a great wind fills the room and threatens to engulf them...

What Do We Find Out?

The ship story which has been given great emphasis in all the episodes so far turns out to be the Marie Celeste - Steel claims to have sunk the "real" ship, leaving a copy to be found abandoned.

We learn a lot more here about Sapphire and Steel's background - and even meet another of their kind, Lead (unfortunately the name doesn't have quite the same dramatic effect as Sapphire and Steel. What next, Arsenic? Silicon?). It's revealed that there are "127" of them, which is corrected to "115 - transuranics are unreliable... unstable" (which nods to the title sequence).

Steel's special power is revealed in more detail here - as is suggested by the end of the previous episode, he can indeed lower the temperature of his body to "273.1 degrees - near zero" and 'freeze' the photograph Sapphire appears to be trapped in (or by). He seems to be able to do this (on a purely mechanic level?) by tinkering with the Jardine's freezer (it's not clear how). Although we don't see it here, Lead's purpose seems to work in conjunction with Steel's, and involve "insulating" him while he carries out his freezing task. It's not clear if there is any actual risk to Steel in using his power, but he does seem visibly uncomfortable and has to 'recover' by heating himself up afterwards. Further elements, Jet, Copper and Silver are also mentioned - Jet "sends her love" to Steel, leading Sapphire to give him a mischievous look. Clearly, the intention was to establish some sexual chemistry (or, at the very least, jealousy) between Sapphire and Steel. We never meet Jet, but a similar device is used when the character of Silver is introduced later. Copper is "having trouble with Silver".

Lead asks Sapphire "are you still the cook I remember?" suggesting again either that there is some kind of culture where they come from, or that Sapphire has cooked as she is seen to do here when on a mission (is it a joke? Cooking in the previous episode seemed to consist of 'magicking' up some food out of nowhere). Lead thinks this assignment will be "good training" for Sapphire (and Steel?), suggesting she (or they) are relatively inexperienced.

Is Sapphire about to send that cake flying into Steel's face?

"The Problem With Lead"

With "Sapphire and Steel" one is reminded somewhat of the Doctor Who story "Enlightenment". In that four-episode adventure, the Doctor meets 'eternals', blank, empty beings who are supposedly animated by lesser-lived but ultimately more fulfilled human beings. In fact, the timing of "Enlightenment" (screened in 1983) makes it not unlikely that "Sapphire and Steel" was an influence on its concepts. A typical Eternal in the story, Striker (played by Keith Barron), frequently talks with a blank, stern expression on his face, as if his body is an empty shell, the being within merely hosting it. This is strongly reminiscent of the way Sapphire and Steel often behave, i.e in a manner totally lacking in normal body language. The creative Doctor Who fan might like to ponder if Sapphire and Steel are in fact Eternals?

Much criticised in "Enlightenment" is Lynda Baron, who decides not to play her Eternal character with the same detachment, but instead to imbue her with a wicked sense of villainy, perhaps at odds with the lonely, God-like nature of the other Eternals. Unfortunately, the same lapse of judgement affects Lead in Assignment One, amd he comes over rather like a comedy character in an otherwise serious drama; in short, there's nothing to suggest he belongs in the same dimension as Sapphire and Steel. That said, we shouldn't be too harsh; at this stage we haven't met any more of the beings - so it could just be Sapphire and Steel that are detached. Certainly the script seems to think that these beings are far from aloof - Jet is having troubled relations, we are told, and Lead certainly seems to enjoy his food in a way that a human might. Are Sapphire and Steel perhaps the odd ones out, hence why they team up and are sent on missions alone? More likely is the fact that the beings are ALL rather sinister creatures, but some gain more enjoyment from adapting to life in our world than others. Sapphire seems to relish interacting with humans in the same way Lead is enjoying his food. Only Steel shows no enjoyment at all from what he has to do.

Lead towers over Steel

Creepy Moments

That damn book with a mind of its own must have scared a few kids.

Mystery Dissolved

What's the use in Helen guiding Steel to the kitchen if she can't touch him and he knows the house already? Why did Steel leave a copy of the Marie Celeste to be found abandoned (rather than leaving everyone to assume it simply sunk)? (Some preservation of the natural order of history might be the answer; again, have Sapphire and Steel been in the future and are trying not to change the recorded history of the ship being found empty?). Tamasin Bridge again smiles her way through the supposedly chilling climax of events, and much of her dialogue is inaudible. Rob's arms-outstretched impression of Steel is a bit embarrassing, and at odds with his maturity at other times.

The Bottom Line

Whilst the previous episode of the story featured lots of plot exposition, this mixes some scary advancement (the notion of the book coming to life and the 'storm' at the end) with some different kind of exposition - namely the lively introduction of a 'new' character from the leads place of origin in the shape of Lead, and plenty of chit-chat about the different elements, thus increasing intrigue about just who Sapphire and Steel are. Lead, however, is a bit of a disappointing one to meet, and perhaps if we'd met Copper (played in my world by Scott Fredericks) or Jet (played by Wendy Craig) it would have been less unwelcomingly comical.

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