A Beginning

The community is at loggerheads once more, as the seeds traded for the petrol prove to be
useless. Both Greg and Abby are becoming tired of command. Abby speaks privately to Jenny
and her suspicions that Jenny is pregnant are confirmed. She feels that she has nothing
compared to Jenny. John and Lizzie alert the community to the arrival of a group of survivors.

Abby leaves Greg to deal with the situation. These survivors have been driven from their
community by armed men.

They are willing to move on but want to leave a sick woman with them. The community
decides it would be too risky to take her in and send them away.

The group's predicament alerts them to the question of defending themselves. The idea of a
federation of settlements is raised, and they decide to invite representatives from different
communities to hold a conference to discuss the matter. Arthur sets out on his bike to deliver
a letter stating the proposal to each known community. The sick woman is found abandoned
outside the back door. Abby and Greg argue about what to do with her.

Abby overrules Greg and takes her inside to be looked after. Abby slips away the next
morning to have some time by herself.

She encounters Jimmy Garland again and she learns that he has won his war with Knox after
the latter died in an accident. He takes Abby to a cottage which he uses as a refuge from
Waterhouse, which he now runs.

Abby spends the night with him and the next morning he asks her to stay with him and offers
to help her find Peter.

Meanwhile Greg gashes his wrist whilst using a saw and a tourniquet is applied to heal the
wound.

The sick woman recovers. She is a medical student called Ruth. She advises Jenny how to
stitch up Greg's wrist properly. Ruth also tells Jenny how she had been living on a barge
with some people and been taken ill whilst on a trip collecting some drugs.

She reveals that one of the people was Dr. Bronson, whom Abby met previously, and that
another was a boy called Peter Grant!

Arthur arrives back at the grange having successfully contacted various nearby communities.
He is greeted by Emma, Paul, John and Lizzie.

Abby and Garland make their way back to her community. Garland has come to attend the
conference organised by Arthur.

Abby has made the decision to stay with the community but has agreed to visit Garland often.
Abby gets something of a welcoming committee as she arrives back at the grange and Jenny
immediately tells her the news about Peter.

Episode Review

The finale to the first series attempts to tie up a few loose ends and establish some new directions. For this reason the episode comes across as unfocused and bitty, but it is by no means a let down. The consummation of Abby and Garland's relationship, the issue of leadership of the community and the fact that Peter is alive, close certain chapters, whilst Jenny's pregnancy, the arrival of Ruth and the first sign of a federation of communities open others.

Carolyn Seymour and Richard Heffer are the stars of the episode. Unfortunately both are giving highly polished performances for the very last time. Abby and Garland once more seem perfect for each other and the viewer cannot help to appreciate the love they so obviously share for each other after just two encounters.

The comments about those characters who are supposedly living at the community, but have not been seen since their introductory episodes [Laura, her baby, Norman and Donnie] have become quite farcical by now. The viewer is not fooled for a moment.

It had seemed impossible, in what could never be described as an optimistic series, that Peter would have survived the death. News of this therefore comes over as astonishing rather than trite. The closing scene is uplifting and a perfect ending to a wonderful first series. So much so that the viewer could never have expected the horrendous situation that kicks off the second series with such sickening force.

Rating: 9/10

Episode 13: A Beginning

writer: Terry Nation
first broadcast: 16th July 1975

Regular Cast:

Abby Grant: Carolyn Seymour
Greg Preston: Ian McCulloch
Jenny Richards: Lucy Fleming
Jimmy Garland: Richard Heffer
Arthur Russell: Michael Gover
Vic Thatcher: Terry Scully
Paul Pitman: Christopher Tranchell
Emma Cohen: Hana Maria Pravda
Charmian Wentworth: Eileen Helsby
Lizzie Willoughby: Tanya Ronder
John Millon: Stephen Dudley

and introducing...

Ruth Anderson: Annie Irving

Guest Cast:

Burton: Harry Markham

designer: Richard Morris
director: Pennant Roberts
producer: Terence Dudley
episode recorded: 13th-17th June 1975

For biographies of the guest cast in this episode click here