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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 348242" data-attributes="member: 23">Tug Of War / Home Fires / If You Were The Only Girl In The World continuedFurther opening up the series, there’s now a medical-spinoff-within-the-series taking place as we follow Georgina to the hospital to begin her medical career. On paper, lengthy scenes (in some cases almost entire acts) devoted to day-to-day hospital procedures such as bathing sores with iodine and pottering about the sluice don’t sound particularly thrilling. And thrilling they’re probably not. They have been absolutely compelling, though. The ward setting and the sluice with its subway tiles and metallic coldness have provided a delightfully drab backdrop. Most of these scenes taking place during the dark evenings mean they’re full of atmosphere. And there’s lots of dialogue between Georgina and her fellow nurses.Georgina has broken the rules - being persuaded by her Sloane Ranger nurse friend (who thinks the whole thing a lark) to sneak out to a party during a short break - and it’s come not only with consequences to her career, but to her conscience, since a patient who had come to trust and depend on Georgina died during the night when Georgina had returned late to find herself locked out. It seems death is following Georgina everywhere this year. The stern-but-fair Matron was played by Valerie Lush - best known to me from And Mother Makes Three/Five and French Fields. She’s a terrific character and I was sorry this appears to have been her sole episode since we’ve now followed Georgina to pastures new.Up to this point in the series we’ve had a “downstairs” view of the world, with overseas an exotic, elusive mystery. Foreign climes are teasingly mentioned with privileged ease by those upstairs upon departing for or returning from their latest little change of scene, or in reference to an absent character (and to explain an actor’s short break or even complete departure from the series. Most notably of late, we’ve had a few little updates on Elizabeth who appears to have remarried and borne a couple of new little heirs). Indeed, it’s been a relatively rare event to see life beyond the walls of 165 Eaton Place.Now, though, we travel to France with Georgina as she nurses on the front line. The best part, though, isn’t getting to “visit” different places, but watching Georgina grow as both a nurse and person. Ever the English rose, Lesley-Anne Down has proved to be an asset to the series this year, crying real tears and showing genuine grit as Georgina’s ingenuous innocence has given way to a more self-assured adult as she’s blossomed. Oh, and one of her new colleagues in France is none other than Miss Babs herself: Celia Imrie. Never a bad thing.There's also been a little more of the incestuous frisson between Georgina and James, with an underlying sense that she has come to France specifically to be near him. Their hungry looks and close physical contact upon embracing make me wonder what's still to come with these two.Back in Belgravia, Hazel’s dalliance with a young airman feels rather like a spiritual remake of Lady Marjorie’s affair with Captain Hammond back in Series One’s Magic Casements. This time round, though, it appears to be a far more chaste affair, with a passionate kiss seeming to be the extent of Hazel’s infidelity. It is still a betrayal, though, and this being a case of emotional infidelity makes this perhaps even more fascinating. Hazel and James’s marriage has always been rather strained and James’s caddish nature makes this feel almost understandable. In true soapy style, word got to Lady Prudence who spoke to Hazel about her indiscretion and how this looks from a lady whose husband is overseas. As always it was Hazel’s almost transparent response that made this so watchable.It has to be said that Prudence steals every scene in which she appears and she’s become a favourite character of mine. I particularly enjoyed the battle of wills between Prudence and Hazel over the use of Eaton Place to entertain returning officers (Prudence wanted it. Hazel didn’t). Richard was caught in the middle and - to her credit - Hazel even rebutted Prudence invoking Marjorie’s ghost to try and garner points. In the end, Lady Prudence won her round by appealing to Hudson’s pride in front of Hazel, her phrasing suggesting that Hazel thought it would be something the overworked servants could’t manage, which guaranteed his response that it would be their pleasure. Hazel gained some ground by refusing use of the drawing room. And since she got herself a young airman out of the deal, it could well be checkmate. But I can't see Prudence letting the game end here.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?