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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 358859" data-attributes="member: 23">12 April - 22 May 1979 3132 - 3153 continued Since the most disappointing of the anti-climaxes came with the most exciting of stories, it’s safe to say that the bigger the investment, the bigger the anti-climax.The return of Linda was something that filled me with something between indifference and frustration. She’s an irritant - that’s the purpose of the character I know. She’s an absolute nightmare: sexually harassing men while undermining Benny, aggressively making her presence felt where she’s most unwanted and getting under everyone’s skin. And all the while noisily chewing gum like Violet Beauregarde on speed.I had no prior knowledge of this storyline but, with everyone having reasons for being angry at her and Benny looking rather menacing while speaking about her while holding heavy garage tools, I could see this becoming a whodunnit murder storyline.As it turns out, it wasn’t a whodunnit, but a “bad guy frames innocent character” story, with new manager (and head honcho’s son-in-law) Colin Dutton accidentally killing her during a lover’s quarrel as he tried to end their affair for good, and immediately putting the blame on Benny.While it went on, as people reacted to both a death on the premises and one of their most affable colleagues being the key suspect and a wanted man, I found it a truly gripping storyline. The word spreading combined with speculation, suspense and police questions gave the episodes a special energy of the kind one would expect to see in a new season following a cliffhanger. As things went along, it began to seem Benny’s position was untenable.As mentioned, only the speed with which the storyline wrapped stopped this from feeling like an all-time classic. Mac persuades Benny to return and tell his side of the story. The police are just about to cart him off when in comes a phone call saying a pub owner had seen Linda at a country pub with Colin. And suddenly, the officers - whose key objective this whole time had been to bring in Benny at all costs - pat him on the back and tell him to have a cup of tea and - despite there no other form of evidence, warrants or even a discussion as a team - haul off Colin instead. In the next episode we hear that Colin has confessed and that’s that.Frankly, this is one storyline that I felt wrapped up too quickly as there was still gold to be mined (I’d love to have somehow seen George or Ed Lawton felt about Linda’s death) . But if it had to wrap at this point, it could have been better planned and more satisfying.  As it was, I was left feeling whoever wrote the episode wasn’t told it needed wrapping up until after they’d written it, and so this was hastily tacked on without any interest or creativity. Still, there was more good than bad with this story.Somewhere we have been given a decent ending is with Sandy leaving. I understand this isn’t the last we’ll see of him, but since it’s written as though it is, I’d have to guess that it was at least a possibility that Roger Tonge wouldn’t return, probably due to his deteriorating health. Sandy’s difficult decision to leave has given some great moments. Most surprising for me has been the conflict. Sandy’s anger over his feeling that he has been given special treatment all these years and wants to stand on his own have given some of Roger Tonge’s best dramatic scene. In his latter episodes he’s been everything from frustrated to plain old bad-tempered, and it’s taken me aback because he’s usually so sanguine and jovial. If anything it’s brought home how this character has chosen the path of optimism and positivity no matter what’s come his way, and the same appears to be the same of Roger himself. I suspect the frustrations he expresses have some truth to them, and so does the realisation that no…  he hasn’t been given special treatment. If provisions have been made, they’re only to keep him working hard for as long as he chooses or is able. All concerned have been wonderful in these scenes. I can imagine the angry moments between Noele and Roger in particular weren’t the easiest for the actors to shoot, and they’ve crackled with electricity. For however long he’s absent, I’ll miss Sandy.Back at the motel, Alan Hawksworth is played quite a bit in the foyer. It’s perfect Xrds music, and I’m sure I’ll think of the series whenever those songs whenever one of them crops up in my playlists from now on.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?