by Mark Murton
Original Air Date: December 15, 1972
Directed by: John Hough
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: The Protectors, Harry Rule (Robert Vaughan), the Countessa Caroline di Conti (Nyree Dawn Porter) and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt), find themselves embroiled in a game of double cross and triple cross involving some priceless jewels.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The trio are employed to oversee the safe delivery of the jewels, but the crooked Charlie (John Neville) has other ideas and kidnaps Paul, keeping him chained up in a barn at an isolated farm with a ticking time bomb set to go off if Harry and the Countessa don’t find a way to steal the jewels for him. As Harry and the Countessa enact their plan, Paul is struggling to free himself and in the process he knocks the bomb onto the floor. He braces himself for the explosion but when it doesn’t come he opens his eyes to see a brown tabby cat emerge from behind a bale of hay.
The curious cat approaches the bomb and starts to investigate.
Much to Paul’s alarm the cat starts pawing frantically at the device (or rather the foodstuff undoubtedly hidden beneath the dynamite).
Paul tries to shoo the cat away but instead it becomes ever more frenzied in its efforts.
Having discovered where Paul is being held, Harry and the Countessa race to the location and arriving at the barn Harry drives straight through the wall which finally distracts the cat from the bomb.
As the Countessa frees Paul, Harry runs outside with the bomb to dispose of it (the only victim being an unfortunate scarecrow) and the next shot shows the cat standing nonchalantly on a box washing itself.
Paul comes up to the cat and makes as though to scold it but his heart clearly isn’t in it as he ends up giving the kitty a scritch instead.
Final Mewsings: Who knew dynamite smells of catnip?!
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