‘Wow, golly and gosh!’ Doctor Ben exclaims as the tank is opened and the remains of burnt corpses are found in side. A German bullet is discovered, and another historical cover-up is suspected.
Later, a tent catches fire and a dog is killed with a shovel, events that almost spark a miniature European war as Gillian’s team points an accusing finger at the interfering Germans.
It eventually transpires – in a contrived and entirely obvious fashion that is now a Bonekickers trademark – that the burnt corpses, buried tank and dog slaying all had something to do with Joan of Arc’s corpse, a relic that could, according to the script writers, have changed the course of World War I had it been discovered.
Elsewhere, Doctor Ben exclaims ‘Shit, shittetty shit shit shit!’ for reasons I can’t recollect – though I suspect it’s a childish attempt to erase the memory of his ‘golly gosh’ Famous Five style outburst earlier on.
Perhaps the episode’s only point of interest is ‘Dolly’ Parton’s increasing alcohol consumption – he’s rarely glimpsed without a bottle of red wine in his hand and a ruddy glow about his cheeks. In his defence, it can’t be easy having to appear in Bonekickers every week; its unremittingly dire quality would be enough to drive even the Maid of Orleans to drink, and if the BBC have the gall to commission a second series I have a feeling that poor old Parton will end up with a pretty expensive smack habit.
