One to watch again and again and one of a few minder episodes that get even better with every watch.
Jack Wragg an ex cell mate of Terry arrives in the Winchester after returning from Spain with a surprise party in the Winchester and a big fat wad and a story about now being an honest businessman.
He flashes the wad around the Winchester Arthur , Des and Dave get the lions share and then try's and fails to make amends with an old enemy ,a nutter called Archie Simpson.
By this time his arrival alerts local
Police and his various requests for his handed out money get all of the recipients into serious trouble at various points of this superb episode.
A good story and plot that weaves very skilfully throughout and also loads of great scenes around London pubs, soho clubs , rain sodden back street garages and viaducts and redundant waste lands.
Terry and Arthur bounce wonderfully off one another in this one and the climax is arguably one of the funniest of the whole series.
The fairly large cast seem to enjoy every minute of this one and fine performances from the guest stars who play Wragg and Simpson make it a very enjoyable 50 odd minutes.
Well worth a watch again , brilliant comedy drama.
4 Reviews
Back in Good Old England
Prismark1022 April 2021
Pete Postlethwaite puts in a turn as Jack 'Oily' Wragg.
He was a former cellmate of Terry and he went to Spain to run a bar after his release from prison.
Having won the Spanish lottery. Jack is back in London for some business opportunities and he splashes the cash. He really is secretly planning a wage snatch.
However his old associate Archie Simpson is still sore with Jack when he messed up their last job. Archie has his knee smashed in.
Action, comedy and double dealing. Then there is Arthur Daley stuck with a load of flared jeans. Although I do wonder how Arthur gets taken in with some dodgy guy in Soho. You would think he would have more street smarts.
David Hargreaves is effective as the nutter Archie. He and his goons even damage the Winchester Club.
You just know Postlethwaite is dodgy as Jack, but he has some charm with him.
There is some wonderful dialogue and the finale leaves several characters waterlogged.
He was a former cellmate of Terry and he went to Spain to run a bar after his release from prison.
Having won the Spanish lottery. Jack is back in London for some business opportunities and he splashes the cash. He really is secretly planning a wage snatch.
However his old associate Archie Simpson is still sore with Jack when he messed up their last job. Archie has his knee smashed in.
Action, comedy and double dealing. Then there is Arthur Daley stuck with a load of flared jeans. Although I do wonder how Arthur gets taken in with some dodgy guy in Soho. You would think he would have more street smarts.
David Hargreaves is effective as the nutter Archie. He and his goons even damage the Winchester Club.
You just know Postlethwaite is dodgy as Jack, but he has some charm with him.
There is some wonderful dialogue and the finale leaves several characters waterlogged.
Peak Minder.
granty-9517124 October 2020
For me Minder reached its zenith in series 3, and possibly no episode has ever bettered this one - the first 15 minutes alone contains more great dialogue than some sitcoms manage in an entire season! Back In Good Old England also contains one of the best running jokes in comedy history when Arthur is conned into buying 500 pairs of flared jeans, sparking comments like "Nobody wears flares anymore" and "Don't flare up!"
The plot involving an ex con returning from the Costa Packet to plan one last blag is classic Minder and Pete Postlethwaite is superb as the wonderfully named Oily Wragg; there's even an hilarious sub plot involving Des and a stolen motor. Classic Arthur moments include blowing a puff of smoke from behind a curtain, and falling into the river Thames; it's pure tv gold that will still be entertaining 40 years from now.
Stitched together leftovers
ArtVandelayImporterExporter21 July 2023
Series 3 of Minder is a lot of fun, with several top-notch episodes involving comedy, fist-fights, cons and the Ol' Bill.
Well, they can't all be winners.
As Series 3 nears its end, we get an episode that comes across as four random stories stitched together. Yah, Pete Postlewhaite is the guest star who is the common thread, but it's a thin connection at best.
There's no mystery here. Nothing funny. One really stupid punch-up in the bar.
They even manage to pointlessly shoe-horn in Dez, who is usually a reliable supporting character but here serves no real purpose.
Easily bottom shelf episode from Series 3.
Well, they can't all be winners.
As Series 3 nears its end, we get an episode that comes across as four random stories stitched together. Yah, Pete Postlewhaite is the guest star who is the common thread, but it's a thin connection at best.
There's no mystery here. Nothing funny. One really stupid punch-up in the bar.
They even manage to pointlessly shoe-horn in Dez, who is usually a reliable supporting character but here serves no real purpose.
Easily bottom shelf episode from Series 3.
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