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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 364938" data-attributes="member: 23">Episodes 25 - 30 25 January - 9 February 1983With me having forgotten about Gavin’s sudden death, it’s disappointing that it was telegraphed ahead of time when I glanced over the summary for Episode 28 a few days before watching. Not for the first time, it’s a reminder to me that I shouldn’t do this, but I also realised that I couldn’t have avoided it anyhow. With the episode being the first one I watched last night, and the STV app never emembering where I left off, I always have to scroll though to the episode anyway, and there’s no way to click on it without seeing the summary.No matter, the way it was done was incredibly effective. It was simultaneously naturalistic and visceral and for my money is one of the more realistic-feeling screen deaths. Even plot-spoilt as I was, it felt quite startling because of it suddenness.Gavin’s body being on-screen for so long added to the grim reality of the situation. The scene, for example, when Roger went back into the bedroom alone to retrieve Petra’s address book, gave me a great sense of unease because there’s that part of me that could buy into the idea of it being a practical joke, with Gavin springing up to scare his adversary. And I suppose that’s how it genuinely feels to be around a dead body. Culturally, we’re just not used to it, so I suppose the episode in some way began to challenge Brits’ sometimes unhealthy attitude towards mortality.I find Petra an endearing character. There’s something very vulnerable about her a lot of the time and it’s easy to see why characters want to care for her. I’m less sure about Alexandra Pigg’s dramatic range when it comes to the bigger stuff in this episode (there was a lot of sniffing à la Crossroads’ Iris). I’ve been surprised to see that she would later win a BAFTA for Letter To Brezhnev, making me think that either I’m underestimating her or she is about to grow legs. Either way, it’s put that film back on my radar.The immediate aftermath of Gavin’s death saw the arrival of (Free) George Jackson. Marie has also appeared in the credits, though hasn’t had a scene yet, apart from a long shot of her helping Petra into Gav’s 3-Series (I think it was Marie, though I initially thought it was Heather, so who knows).Once again, the neighbours’ often uncomfortable responses to the interactions Gav’s death has necessitated have been enjoyable. Heather encapsulated this wonderfully, with Roger bringing Petra for her for support, and Heather whispering that she doesn’t know what to say and then jumping on the first opportunity to leave the house. It’s such a refreshing change from the soap matriarch who always knows just how to fix a situation or person. And as Petra told Barry, she was glad Heather had gone because she’s “not like us” and doesn’t get them.I’m not sure how I feel about the chemistry between Barry and Petra. It certainly seems in character for him to feel OK about physically comforting a woman whose husband is still in bed next door (recent episodes have seen him shagging the wife of his football team’s manager), but it all feels indecently quick. But then the Close is a hotbed of dysfunction, so perhaps it’s organic enough.Roger and Barry being the first two neighbours Petra stumbled into after finding Gavin dead has seen a detente between the two men, with Barry going as far as to tell Future Frank Rogers that Roger is all right.Meanwhile, the Collinses didn’t send flowers to Petra because they couldn’t afford them (I hope they at least managed a card). Their forgetting about Gavin’s funeral until Annabelle, with horror, found herself following the funeral cortege also felt enjoyably at odds with your typical soap community where all the homes are well-represented at the funeral and wake (while the service was offscreen, Barry appeared to be the only regular present at the wake).There’s been some great stuff with the Collinses recently. Paul’s increasing depression and Annabelle’s annoyance at his unreliability and perceived laziness around the house brought things to a head with her storming out of the house after calling him useless. This gave us perhaps the series’ longest two-handed scene to date, when Paul caught up with Annabelle at a church and they talked it out.What’s more, the renewed understanding between them led to a topless post-coital scene with Annabelle’s head on Paul’s stomach which - by virtue of featuring two middle-aged, middle class people - felt somehow more risqué than it would have with photogenic youths in the same setup.Lucy’s getting political at school, and is fiercely debating with future Kathy from Emmerdale (here billed as “Melinda” Burrows).The Grants haven’t exactly been doing nothing, either. In between supporting Petra and sleeping with a married woman, Barry’s apparently done Demon Duane over and thrown him down the steps of his block of flats, leaving him unable to ride his motorbike for a while.Damon’s received another great clout from Bobby for something or other (I think it was bunking off school, but Damon’s been up to all sorts, so I forget). And Sheila’s again confronted Karen about taking the pill.</blockquote>

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