Circles of Deceit: Sleeping Dogs

This is the second of the quartet of TV movies starring Dennis Waterman as John Neil, a former veteran of the SAS, now doing highly dangerous work for the security services. It follows on from the first movie, with Neil living an isolated existence following his narrow escape from the clutches of the IRA only to reluctantly return to the shadowy world of secret intelligence at the behest of a new 'controller' - convincingly played by Susan Jameson. As she's already been seen in a couple of the earlier aired of the movies, I suspect transmission of this one was delayed due to political events of the time.

Neil has to liaise with a former KGB officer (Leo McKern) who as an 'introductory offer' gives the name of two 'sleepers' in the UK. What at first seems like a routine investigation into this pair soon has explosive repercussions with several murders culminating with an attempt to wreck an Irish peace conference, with Neil falling back into the hands of his IRA foes at one point. He also finds himself falling in love but could he settle down with the kind of existence he leads? A fast-moving thriller with a strong performance from the star.

I received four of these on two discs. I'm not sure but I think it was a series of four TV movies rather than a series.

Dennis Waterman stars as John Neil, a troubled American operative who lost his wife and boy in an IRA-set fire, has been encouraged again to help with the case of an ex-KGB officer, Petrov (Leo McCreary) who wants to sell secrets to the U.S.

When asked for an idea of what his info is, Petrov gives John two names, both of whom seem to be members of a cell. John finds himself attracted to the woman, Annie Shepherd (Francis Barber) as he attempts to learn information from her. Meanwhile, it seems like someone doesn't want anyone talking.

Decent show with a good cast that includes actress Susan Jameson, who would be Waterman's New Tricks costar 20 years later. I admit I like Waterman better when he's playing a more relaxed, jaunty character. In the role he plays here, for me he has a put-on intensity and uses one expression, an angry one. It just doesn't come off as being organic.

Dennis Waterman is so prolific -- if you like him, you will probably like this as well.

There were four films made with Dennis Waterman as the reluctant agent who after the loss of his wife and child in a terror attack is unwilling to rejoin the game but is nonetheless persuaded to do so by chief Susan Jameson, a very cool dark lady in perfect control of many dark and weird and random operations, for which she succeeds in engaging the very hot-tempered and volatile Waterman who is constantly threatening to wander off and break all engagements, but who nonetheless seems to succeed in fulfilling them. This is not the best one of the four episodes, it is rather muddled, as Moscow interests and intrigues are mixed up with terror projects of the IRA, and there is a German agent mixed up also, a certain very unsympathetic Schroeder, whose motivation never is explained: he just acts "on his own behalf", but one suspects that he was mixed up in that German terror attack which killed Waterman's wife and child, lost some dear beloved like him and therefore had reasons for infinite revenge. Leo McCarey plays a former Soviet agent who too quickly is sorted out, like another IT expert agent as well, whom we actually see being murdered. There are too many thugs, violent murders, loose ends and unexplained mysteries and motivations here, although it is a great action thriller, though second to "Dark Secret", which probably is the best one of the four.