Overkill (Murder Most Horrid episode)
Encyclopedia
"Overkill" is an episode of the British
comedy television series Murder Most Horrid
. It was written by Steven Moffat
, who had worked with director Bob Spiers
on Press Gang
and Joking Apart
.
message intended for her mother, an assassin
(Carmella Vessa, played by Amanda Donohoe
) steps into her room and holds her at gun
point. Using the recording as blackmail
, Carmella forces Tina to don a special coat
that is equipped with various deadly gadget
s.
Tina sets out to find Doverson, the leader of a group that opposes the assassin, whose office is across the road from Tina's hotel room. Along the way, Tina commits several murder
s, often unintentionally. When Tina finally meets Doverson, Carmella uses a radio
in the coat to announce that the jacket
is equipped to explode kamikaze
style. Furious, Tina grabs Doverson's rifle
and shoots at Carmella, still in the hotel room across the road, causing her to drop the detonator. Still aiming the rifle
, Tina forces Carmella to climb onto the chair and put the noose around her neck, and tells her to toss the audio recording out the window onto the pavement below. Tina heads downstairs to grab the tape recorder, handing the rifle
to Doverson, who hesitates before using it, giving Carmella time to shoot him. However, this causes her to lose her balance on the chair and hang herself in the process.
In the street below, Tina reclaims the tape recorder just as her mother appears. Carmella's chair falls on the detonator, which causes Tina, who is still wearing the coat, to explode just as she greets her mother with the words, "I've got so much to tell you I could burst!" The recording device falls on the ground in front of Tina's mother and starts to play: "Dear Mum, as you will know by now, I am dead. How are you?"
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy television series Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999....
. It was written by Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
, who had worked with director Bob Spiers
Bob Spiers
Bob Spiers was a director. He is particularly noted as the director of the early series of Absolutely Fabulous , the musical comedy Spiceworld, and of the second series of Fawlty Towers . He also worked with Steven Moffat on Press Gang and Joking Apart...
on Press Gang
Press Gang
Press Gang is a British children's television comedy-drama consisting of forty-three episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993...
and Joking Apart
Joking Apart
Joking Apart is a BBC television sitcom written by Steven Moffat about the rise and fall of a relationship. It juxtaposes a couple, Mark and Becky , who fall in love and marry, before getting separated and finally divorced...
.
Plot
Tina Mellish (Dawn French), a desperate social worker prepares to hang herself in a hotel room. As she concludes an audio recording of a suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
message intended for her mother, an assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
(Carmella Vessa, played by Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe is an English film and television actress. She is known for her 1980s relationship with popstar Adam Ant and her later work on television — including L.A. Law and Emmerdale — and her roles in successful movies including Liar, Liar.-Early life:Donohoe was born in London, the daughter...
) steps into her room and holds her at gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
point. Using the recording as blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
, Carmella forces Tina to don a special coat
Coat (clothing)
A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of some of these...
that is equipped with various deadly gadget
Gadget
A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...
s.
Tina sets out to find Doverson, the leader of a group that opposes the assassin, whose office is across the road from Tina's hotel room. Along the way, Tina commits several murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s, often unintentionally. When Tina finally meets Doverson, Carmella uses a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
in the coat to announce that the jacket
Jacket
A jacket is a hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear...
is equipped to explode kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
style. Furious, Tina grabs Doverson's rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
and shoots at Carmella, still in the hotel room across the road, causing her to drop the detonator. Still aiming the rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, Tina forces Carmella to climb onto the chair and put the noose around her neck, and tells her to toss the audio recording out the window onto the pavement below. Tina heads downstairs to grab the tape recorder, handing the rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
to Doverson, who hesitates before using it, giving Carmella time to shoot him. However, this causes her to lose her balance on the chair and hang herself in the process.
In the street below, Tina reclaims the tape recorder just as her mother appears. Carmella's chair falls on the detonator, which causes Tina, who is still wearing the coat, to explode just as she greets her mother with the words, "I've got so much to tell you I could burst!" The recording device falls on the ground in front of Tina's mother and starts to play: "Dear Mum, as you will know by now, I am dead. How are you?"