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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 442514" data-attributes="member: 23">8.01-8.05As mentioned, in the previous write-up, I had a signifiant spoiler about a major exit when the Bergerac wiki entry for Series Seven’s finale casually mentioned Susan’s death in the first episode of the Eighth. Compounding this, the back of the S8 DVD mentions that Bergerac investigates “the murder of his former girlfriend”, making sure I was in no doubt about the nature of her exit.Disappointing as it was, I was curious to see how this series would pull off this storyline and there were enough unknowns to invest me.While I knew that Susan Jameson would appear in the episode, I had no idea if she would get any real screentime. Since murders generally happen early in the episode I thought she may simply appear as a corpse or perhaps get a cameo before being killed off-screen. Considering she was indeed killed relatively early in the episode, she was given a few decent scenes as we followed her around leading up to her death. What’s more she was dressed to kill, with an über-dramatic red hooded number she was wearing to an evening event, and last seen alive arguing at a harbour while waves crashed around and The Communards’ Don’t Leave Me This Way provided an appropriate soundtrack, abruptly cutting off and reverberating into eternity as the scene dissolves to Susan’s body washing ashore à la Ciji Dunne.The story gave Susan and Louise Jameson a strong exit from the series. Yes, a scene between Susan and Jim would have been the ideal, but life isn’t always that clean and at least this way we’re left with the imagery from Series Seven’s closer of Susan waving Jim on to his new life.I’m glad I drank in and appreciated the episode because, unfortunately, it felt as though it limped on a little in some of the episodes that followed. Novel as it is, Tony Robinson mincing round with a permed mullet, dressed like Crockett from Miami Vice and speaking in an inexplicable accent became more than tedious. Even throwing David and Barbara Hunter and Ken Barlow’s mum into the scenario improved things only a little.Then came another of the series’ supernatural horror episodes. These can be hit and miss, and this one was more miss than hit.Geoffrey Palmer elevated the following episode, an otherwise middling affair in which he is stalked by Enders’ Phil Mitchell. Then Entente Cordiale suggests the beginning of a new direction, or at least a new love interest for Jim. Time will tell whether it will work.Formerly supporting characters getting bumped up to main cast can sometimes be a clue about the status of a series. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really good to see David Kershaw and John Telfer get recognition for their reliable work and their commitment to the series (even if poor Ben and Willy don’t get proper opening shots, but el cheapo stills from the present episode) but there’s also a recognition that others have left. Susan, of course, but also gone is Peggy, replaced by a bland and generic younger woman who occasionally mutters a line or two. What’s more there’ll be no Ice Maiden after her last appearance last yearJohn Nettles is as charismatic as ever, with Terence Alexander continuing to be reliable and watchable, but the ever-thinning ensemble is feeling very noticeable at this point. Had the series ended with Jim sailing away it would have left me wanting more. I hope I feel the same way at the end of Series Nine.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?