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SophieVokins93
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The Bill: Cry Havoc (1991)
No words
You may notice that a lot of episodes were characters die/get seriously injured are voted highly on here and this is no exception and is perhaps a great example of why they are rated so highly.
Alec Peters is out and about and gets mixed up with a violent criminal, who ends up stabbing him. The whole gang rallies round to help, even Brownlow pops up at the hospital. While we are all waiting to find out if he lives or not a few other things are happening.
1) Cryer is facing his own mortality and age reflecting on Penny's shooting (S3) and the stabbing. One of the first times you see him get quite defensive about it telly Kathy to get back to the cad room. A nice mention of Penny as it always drives me nuts in shows when characters leave and they literally fall off the earth like they never existed... The Bill was a rare exception.
Next we have poor Barry Stringer, he has lost contact on his radio and is on his way to a get a new one when he bumps into the criminal covered in blood. Obviously unaware of the stabbing he thinks the guy has been hurt. Now really Barry is one of the few who would follow this guy into a derelict building and end up almost dying as a result.
I wonder who's idea it was to have June Ackland stay covered in blood for so long? So within character for her.
Marc Warren plays the criminal in question and he has become somewhat typecast. The first thing I saw him in was A touch of frost ep called "Paying the Price" (with various other greats stars) and he played a nutter in that one too. Why not I say no point fixing whats not broke.
Overall fantastic and sets the scene for a lot of what happens in the next few months.
The Bill: The Square Peg (1991)
Goodbye Phil
So, Phillip Young has finally snapped.
I must say part of me wished they had continued this arc somewhat, kind of feel a lot of bad feeling that Phil died without having to face up to what he had done to Norika. I love Norika and her strong reaction to Phil's death just shows how much of a good person she was and how conflicted she felt towards him. She was his only friend until the sexual assault.
I think this has to be one of the best representations of reactions to suicides I've seen. Tony feeling let down and annoyed about it to others feeling sad and wondering what happened. Some guilt from those who playfully teased him as well.
I'm very surprised Jimmy Carver hasn't made more of the Norika arc since the last episode we saw with Phil had Jimmy trying to knock his door down. So many unanswered questions and sadly Phil won't be one who is spoken about much or in very high esteem.
He never really fitted in with the group but Arin Alldridge played they part well and you really did get to witness his slow decline. The story arc popped up as suddenly as it has now ended. I can't help but think that one last middle finger to the relief was the fact that he signed on at work planning to kill himself through the shift, perhaps hoping Norika would find him maybe?
Lovely little mention to the jasmine allen estate, something of a throw back to June's assault saga.
The Bill: Forget-Me-Not (1990)
Kathy's past
Kathy Marshall has always been a character who kept her cards to her chest. We know already by this point, due to a comment made to Viv Martella that she was in a domestic violence marriage previously. This was also referenced a few episodes before in a comment to her GP.
She is called a to DV situation where it is all brought back. She has also spied her ex husband who is using tricky means to find her because he is in trouble.
Quinnin has upset her by an odd comment made in the canteen which she may have reacted to worse than usual due to spying her ex in the station. He immediately feels bad and wants to apologise, showing his development, not just in himself but also as a member of the relief.
A bit confrontation happens in the hospital where Quinnin gets involved in the situation and comes to Kathy's aid essentially building the bridge.
So hard to watch and yet this is one of my faves... I never get bored with it. Also a great calm before the storm moment between Viv and Kathy where they discuss her past. Viv makes a comment about people putting up with DV and immediately apologises for it but that she "will never understand it". A great way to show the difference between the characters.
Viv is also made aware that the DS who just caught her attention is actually Kathy's abusive ex. Cryer also smells a rat and is seen investigating the situation, the assumption is he knows about Kathy;'s background as they never actually make it clear who does and doesn't know. He wants her however a bit too late.
A lot of character development all round.... and Kathy's defiance against her ex at the end where she shows she has the upper hand (despite still being terrified) I imagine would inspire other DV victims all over the world.
The Bill: Attitudes (1990)
The start of the downfall of Phil Young?
So Phil Young, who eventually will leave in not the best of circumstances (all i will say to not spoil it for those who haven't seen) seems to get his first lead in an episode.
Very interesting episode which seems to show the start of his mental health decline that becomes much more highlighted next season.
What I find most interesting about this one is the highlighting of the thin line between work place joking and work place bullying. I'm sure that Garfield, Stamp and Loxton didn't plan for that reaction from Young. Cryer and Peters seems to be a bit more on the ball, again highlighting their time in the force.
The flowers side plot adds some amusement into an otherwise serious episode.
The Bill: Workers in Uniform (1990)
Hollis at his finest
Well... Reg Hollis has always been something of a station joke. This episode really shows him well and sees him stand up to others some what.
Also really highlights the "they can give and they can take away" atmosphere of work. I honestly love this episode.. Only downside is the side storyline between Quinin and Turnham purely because it reminds me of how horrid Quinnin was at the start.
Brownlow as well features heavily and him and Hollis are in my top five fave characters... Defo worth a look, i love the "behind the scenes" type episodes.