Thames Thursday - "Sapphire and Steel" Assignment 4

This week's topic is Assignment 4, "The Man without a Face".  I started writing an overview earlier this morning, but it turned into a dissertation. 

Some folks have commented on not being able to watch Assignment 3 with the animals in the abbatoir.  Assignment 3 didn't bother me as much as this one. There was something that felt just a bit too creepy or sinister. Since it gives me the creeps just thinking about it, I'll summarize quickly the assignment as briefly as possible. 

Everything takes place in a tenement building. The downstairs is a second-hand shop. Steel says that it is a depressing place; a room full of potential triggers. "Nothing here but the belongings of the poor, the hopeless, and the dead."

There are apartments upstairs.  The landlord and Ruth, a tenant, have been missing for months.  In going through photos, Sapphire finds they have been locked into a photo that is 97 years' old. 

Sapphire and Steel discern that the landlord was manipulating photographs. The new landlord takes the photo manipulation further; releasing children from some photos and trapping Ruth and the former landlord in another photo.  Steel figures out the photo manipulation technique, including the use of a prism, and was able to use the darkroom equipment to reproduce a photo of Liz's missing roommate, Ruth. Upon finding the photo of Ruth, the creature, the "new landlord", set it on fire, killing Ruth.

Sapphire and Steel are both locked into photos a few times.  The two enlist the aid of Liz, Ruth's roommate, during the last occasion. Being trapped in a photograph together, the dreaded creature, the image of a man used by time, an image with multiple faces, enters the photo where Sapphire and Steel are.  In order to free themselves from the photo, while trapping the creature inside, the following telepathic exchange occurs between Sapphire and Steel: 

Steel: [We can... we can make a mirror. Make a mirror from... from this... this glass.]
Sapphire: {But how?}
Steel: [If we concentrate, both of us! Think of Mercury, and Silver!]
Sapphire: {Yes.}
Steel: [Think of what they can do. Borrow from their minds! It can be done if we both concentrate!]

This is the first time that we learn that Sapphire and Steel can "borrow" the powers of other elementals.

With the help of the tenant, Liz, Sapphire and Steel escape the photograph, leaving the creature trapped inside.  Steel suggests they find the kaleidoscope in the second-hand shop. Sapphire locates the kaleidoscope, and Steel uses it to trap the creature inside.  The kaleidoscope would be placed within a shipwreck, which would remain frozen for another 75 years.  When Liz asks, what will happen in 75 years, Sapphire says they will be waiting, and Steel comments that there would be other shipwrecks.  Steel also tells Liz to get rid of any photographs of her and to never have another photograph taken.

There is some interesting dialogue in Assignment 4.  Liz and Sapphire are rather merciless in teasing Steel. While Steel is sitting in the apartment with Liz, she comments about having turned on the stereo again. The following conversation occurs:

Liz (talking about the stereo): "Nice, isn't it? You can't dance to it, but it stops you feeling lonely. I suppose you wouldn't know." Then Liz says: "Did she choose that suit for you?"
Steel: "What did you say?"
Liz: "You can turn it off, if you like." When the music continued, Liz looks over at Steel and says: "It's her, isn't it? You can't do anything! The first time, that thing just stopped. She did it, didn't she? Picked your suit, as well?"

Steel makes no comment in reply to Liz as Sapphire draws his attention away from her.

When Steel figures out the photographic technique, he demonstrates what he has learned for Sapphire:

Steel: "Tricks! Tricks, tricks with film, tricks with cameras. We've been looking for proof. For evidence of some great photographic discovery! Mr. Williamson, photographer, was no more than a clever conjuror! Light patterns. Multiple images. Mirrors! That was the extent of his talent! Excuse me."
Steel plugs in a projector near Sapphire's feet and says: "To someone like Ruth it was no doubt talent enough! A few, cheap tricks to impress the ladies!!"

Sapphire: "Well, at least he bothered to impress them."

There are two other things I noted - Sapphire's comment to the "man", that they have only one face, and the concept of mixing old and new together (as in A1) is mentioned again.

It seems that Steel doesn't understand some of the Earth-based phrases Sapphire uses.  Early in the assignment, Sapphire uses the phrase, "A genie in a bottle." Steel doesn't understand, and she doesn't explain.  Later, when Steel solves the problem of what to do with their time gremlin, he tells her about using the kaleidoscope.  This time, Steel uses the phrase, "A genie in a bottle."

This is still a dissertation, isn't it?  Those are just a few of my observations about A4.  What are your thoughts?