The Rack is a very atypical episode of the fondly remembered show THE PROFESSIONALS . It's a show best remembered for its high octane machismo involving shoot outs and car chases but could also include quieter moments of drama , so much so that one of the stars Martin Shaw started getting delusions of grandeur that he was a seriously hardcore thespian luvvie that he used his a contractual obligation for not allowing repeats to be enforced
The episode is atypical in that the protagonists don't actually shoot anyone which probably made it a somewhat tame episode than that to what we were used to . It's basically a court room drama but one that has very strong relevance today and that is - what happens when society is under attack from bad guys ? Doyle defends himself from a violent drug dealing villain who is later found dead under the custody of CI5 . and a high flying lawyer does everything in her power to disband the organisation . It's essentially the idealistic trying to disband the practical because they don't agree with the practical . It might be a bit far fetched in the other commentator saying Gordon Jackson deserved a BAFTA but his speech to the idealistic lawyer as to why CI5 exists does sum up why democracies needs armies , and police forces and all the other " violent " institutions that bleeding hearts despise
The episode is atypical in that the protagonists don't actually shoot anyone which probably made it a somewhat tame episode than that to what we were used to . It's basically a court room drama but one that has very strong relevance today and that is - what happens when society is under attack from bad guys ? Doyle defends himself from a violent drug dealing villain who is later found dead under the custody of CI5 . and a high flying lawyer does everything in her power to disband the organisation . It's essentially the idealistic trying to disband the practical because they don't agree with the practical . It might be a bit far fetched in the other commentator saying Gordon Jackson deserved a BAFTA but his speech to the idealistic lawyer as to why CI5 exists does sum up why democracies needs armies , and police forces and all the other " violent " institutions that bleeding hearts despise