Some Raffles and Callan Gifs

[firestorm717]

I made a few gifsets for Raffles and Callan that I posted on tumblr awhile ago, and I figured I'd share them here too. The Raffles gifset is from one of my favorite scenes - the ending of Mr. Justice Raffles. In that episode, we're introduced to Lady Camilla Belsize, a strong-willed suffragist and most capable adventurer, whose fiance goes to Raffles for help regarding a villain named Brigstock. At first, Raffles flirts with Camilla but doesn't take her seriously, refusing to tell her what's going on with her fiance... so Camilla tails him to Brigstock's flat (not an easy feat!) and saves his life as well as Bunny's twice in the same night. Raffles is left awestruck and utterly smitten.



Raffles (1977) - S01E10 - Mr. Justice Raffles

Raffles: My most humble and grateful thanks for saving my life. Twice in one night.
Camilla: I simply followed you from the Duchess’s party.
Raffles: Why? To demonstrate that women are as good at adventures as men are?
Camilla: Yes.
Raffles: They’re better. No man could hope to equal you.
Camilla: Oh, I allow men as equals.
Raffles: What a colleague you'd make. What a partner.
Camilla: At cricket?
Raffles: No. Well, it doesn't matter, you have one already. I can only hope...
Camilla: For what?
Raffles: Hope once again to be in danger of death that you may save me.
Camilla: I should like that too.

Raffles finally sees Camilla as an equal, neither condescending to her nor putting her on a pedestal, and I think that's just beautiful. I never thought I'd find such a healthy depiction of love in a TV show from the 70's. The line "What a colleague you'd make, what a partner" is what made me fall for the series. Plus, it hits my kink for the male damsel in distress, gazing adoringly at his female knight/rescuer! If only more modern shows were like this *sigh*

Next up, I've giffed a shippy Callan/Meres scene from the very first episode of the series. It's so funny because Meres is always praising Callan's skills and poking his nose into Callan's business, such that even a foreign agent who's just met Meres can see he's got a massive crush on Callan.



Callan (1967) - S01E01 - The Good Ones Are All Dead

Meres: And why have you been quarreling with Callan?
Avram: He annoys me.
Meres: He annoys everybody, but he's a damn good operative.
Avram: You like him.
Meres: I detest him. He's still good.

This isn't the last time a near stranger observes that Meres "likes" Callan. In the season 2 opener, the new Hunter makes an identical comment, and Meres repeats that he detests Callan... then proceeds to do everything in his power to ensure Callan returns to the Section as his partner. The gentleman doth protest too much?

Finally, because I love me some angst, I've put together a gifset for an AU in which Meres is forced to hunt down and kill Callan. I hope it will inspire a few of you ;)



Callan (1967) - Alternate Universe
The Section frames Callan for espionage, and Hunter orders Callan’s former partner, Meres, to bring him in. Tragedy ensues.

Hunter: Well, that closes the red file on Callan. Something you wanted to add, Meres?
Meres: No, sir.
Hunter: You liked him, didn’t you?
Meres: I detested him. But he was a damn good agent.

The dialogue snippet is mine, of course. But in my head, I can hear Meres's voice tremble as he forces the lie from his lips: "I detested him."

Comments

[missanthropicprinciple]

Wow these are great!

[firestorm717]

Thank you! <3

[potentiality_26]

These are lovely!

I do love that Raffles scene. I'm especially fond of this line: Well, it doesn't matter, you have one already. It's really common in these sorts of storylines- when a man has feelings for a woman who's already in a relationship- for him to either try to sabotage or downplay that relationship, or angst about how she "belongs" to someone else (especially when that person is a friend). But this line so beautifully telegraphs none of that. It's about her and her choices.

Oh, the repetition of "I detest him" gets me every time. Because by the second time you're pretty sure he does protest too much or he wouldn't be trying so hard to get Callan back in the section after a direct attempt was made on his life.

And the AU one hurts my heart (in a good way).

[firestorm717]

Thanks! ^_^ And yes, that Raffles line is wonderful too. I love that he respects her romantic choice here and leaves it up to Camilla whether they meet again as friends. That "I can only hope..." line is deliberately passive, which gives her a polite out, if Camilla's answer is no. In general, Raffles is very gracious about rejection. In "A Bad Night", he invites the lady to call him "Arthur", which is an intimate form of address, and doesn't pursue her further after she insists on "A.J.", as it's clear she's establishing a professional boundary. (I did find the two cute <3 and would've loved to see them as a forbidden couple on opposite sides, Raffles the gentleman thief, and her as the lady detective).

It always strikes me as weird that Meres doesn't hold a grudge against Callan for what Callan did in season 1. Either Meres just considers it a hazard of working for Colonel Hunter, or Callan/Meres made up somehow before season 2... perhaps on the "firing" range? ;)