Fall of Eagles: Absolute Beginners

The opening narration by Michael "Gandalf" Hordern sets the scene:

"Tsar Nicholas ii - sentimental, petulant - practises the divine right to rule at his palace outside St Petersburg, and frowns at a changing world. Minister of the Interior von Plehve, more vigorous by nature, organises repression with system, if not subtlety. Both in Russia and beyond her frontiers, the question is no longer 'whether revolution?' but 'how?' and 'led by whom?'"

Aside from bookending scenes featuring Tsar Nicholas and von Plehve (played by Bruce "Bargain Basement BRIAN BLESSEDalike" Purchase, who does have the ability to tone down the ham when he's not doing sci-fi, it seems), this episode is a character study of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known to the world as Lenin, played by Patrick "Karla" Stewart. This was an early role in his career and Stewart gives an absolute tour de force throughout, and makes this one of the best episodes of the series.

Since the previous episode, Lenin has been forced into exile from Russia with his wife. He goes to London and meets up with an old friend, Julius Martov. They work towards founding the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, but we see the differences slowly creep in between them, and Lenin's character is such that he always puts his own ambition, for his Party to work the way he wants it to, as being more important than his friendships. And Stewart captures that coldness and ruthlessness very well.

Other characters we meet along the way include Trotsky, an early role for Michael "John Farrow" Kitchen. Trotsky switches allegiances between Lenin and Martov to further his own ambitions, and seems better able than Martov to not take the infighting personally.

The leader of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party is Plekhanov, played by Paul "Immaculate, I'd say" Eddington. He has arranged for the Party to hold its second conference, which Lenin wants to use to reshape the Party in line with his vision of what is necessary for the Party to be able to lead revolution in Russia.

The conference begins in Brussels, where Lenin has to do a deal with Plekhanov for his support, and part of that deal is that Lenin has to withdraw his own support from Trotsky. The conference is then broken up by the Belgian police, leaving Lenin and Trotsky to confront each other over the betrayal that has just taken place.

The conference resumes in London where, despite Lenin's cunning attempt to get himself two votes, Martov defeats him. Lenin then pulls every dirty trick he can to get control back, in the events that would split the party into Bolshevik (Majority) and Menshevik (Minority) factions.

More than any other episode of Fall of Eagles, this matches the stereotypical "mannys talking in rooms" image of old TV costume dramas, and the audience is not spoon-fed what is going on with all the political infighting and double-dealing, you are expected to be able to keep up all by yourself.

It isn't action-packed chases and explosions, but it is fascinating, riveting stuff.