Having been enjoying this series to date; I was a little disappointed with this episode; it wasn't terrible, even bad 'Hustle' beats a lot of what on TV. Once again the team decide to target a deserving victim; this time Dale Ridley, a former game show host turned property developer who has incurred their wrath by demolishing one of Albert's favourite drinking establishments. Of course he is fair game because he isn't above bribing officials and in his show biz days expected a large fee for his 'charity appearances. Knowing he is after a big deal in London the team pretend to be an American firm needing a British front to buy the old film studios from which Ridley was fired. Matters are complicated by the fact that Ash has been lumbered with his eleven year old godson who is keen to help with the con but almost ends up ruining it.
The story itself was okay, if somewhat routine, and I did have a chuckle are the deliberate awfulness of the 'popular '80s game show'; the disgraced host who still used his catch phrase was somewhat annoying though as was the child; I'm just glad he left at the end of the episode so we won't have to endure his character any more! I think it was a mistake to have a comedian playing the mark as his character never felt like a threat to any of the team; for the programme to work the viewer must at least think there is a possibility things might not go entirely the team's way; here the only surprise was that they didn't take even more money off him!
The story itself was okay, if somewhat routine, and I did have a chuckle are the deliberate awfulness of the 'popular '80s game show'; the disgraced host who still used his catch phrase was somewhat annoying though as was the child; I'm just glad he left at the end of the episode so we won't have to endure his character any more! I think it was a mistake to have a comedian playing the mark as his character never felt like a threat to any of the team; for the programme to work the viewer must at least think there is a possibility things might not go entirely the team's way; here the only surprise was that they didn't take even more money off him!
