Revenge

Vic is extremely depressed and makes a half hearted attempt to shoot himself as he is feeling
useless and isolated.

The community meets to discuss how they can help him. He feels that his teaching the
children is unimportant. Greg and Paul risk a trip into a town and find him a wheelchair. They
also bring back a supply of books which might help in his teaching.

However he still believes his teaching work to be futile and instead starts to tell stories to
John and Lizzie which are clearly about his own experience of Anne Tranter, the woman
who left him for dead in the quarry. He is still eaten up by thoughts of revenge.

A petrol tanker arrives it is driven by a man called Donnie. His passenger is none other than
Anne Tranter. Greg and Anne recognise each other.

Greg tells her that Vic is alive and living with them. Anne requests to stay upstairs where Vic
can't get to her.

Greg tells Abby about Anne and Vic's history. She thinks it best that Anne leaves, but would
like Donnie and of course the petrol to stay. The children tell Vic of the new arrivals. Vic
wonders if the new woman is the Anne that abandoned him.

Everyone except Anne and Vic has gone out harvesting. Donnie has joined them for the task.

Vic recognises Anne's voice calling out to Donnie on their return. Donnie doesn't know the
details of Anne's dealings with Vic but agrees to leave with her in the morning.

That evening Anne stays upstairs to eat but Vic asks that she come down and sit with them all.
Despite her reservations she comes down to dinner.

Vic exposes what she did to him to the whole group. Donnie asks if he can become a member
of the community. Anne will leave alone in the morning.

That night Vic manages to drag himself up the stairs to reach Anne. Anne had anticipated this
attempt and is waiting for him at the top of the stairs armed with a scythe.

Anne drops the scythe to comfort him and Vic seizes that moment to take her by the throat and
start to throttle her. Anne pleads with him, telling him that above all else she wants to live.
Vic relents.

Anne and Vic stay together talking until dawn. After which she leaves on foot, watched by Vic.

Episode Review

Revenge is simply a superb piece of drama. The series long lead up to the conclusion of the Anne and Vic story, which began in Genesis, and was continued in Spoil of War concludes here with much style. The effectiveness of the episode is down to the fantastic Myra Frances and the new Vic, Hugh Walters. It was a great shame that Vic had to be recast just before his hour of glory, but Terry Scully's nervous breakdown left the production team with little choice. That we immediately accept Walters as Vic is testament to his acting skill.

This is the first episode where Abby and Greg take a back seat and its a necessary move. Its just a shame that supporting characters such as Vic weren't given the chance to shine on a more regular basis. He becomes a three dimensional character here for the first and last time.

The most memorable scene is without a doubt Vic's gripping confrontation with Anne at the top of the stairs. In which his desire for revenge is portrayed as strong as Anne's desire to survive. But in this new dark age where survival is all, Anne naturally wins out. The viewer suspects that Anne was always going to come out on top and its Vic's resignation to this fact which brings the episode to its close. Its a mature touch that despite everything Vic still finds Anne strangely compelling. The cripple cannot help but watch as she purposefully walks away from the community into the unknown, in one of the most effective closing credit sequences in the entire series.

Rating: 10/10

Episode 11 : Revenge

writer: Jack Ronder
first broadcast: 2nd July 1975

Regular Cast:

Abby Grant: Carolyn Seymour
Greg Preston: Ian McCulloch
Jenny Richards: Lucy Fleming
Vic Thatcher: Hugh Walters
Anne Tranter: Myra Frances
Arthur Russell: Michael Gover
Paul Pitman: Christopher Tranchell
Emma Cohen: Hana Maria Pravda
Charmian Wentworth: Eileen Helsby
Lizzie Willoughby: Tanya Ronder
John Millon: Stephen Dudley

Guest Cast:

Donnie: Robert Tayman

designer: Richard Morris
director: Gerald Blake
producer: Terence Dudley
episode recorded: 28th May - 1st June 1975

For a biography of the guest cast member in this episode click here