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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 441517" data-attributes="member: 23">7.01-7.04 Despite the opening episode being titled Sea Changes, the transition has been smooth between the sixth and seventh series. There have been no shake-ups that can typically define a new direction, and the status quo is pretty much organically maintained. Instead, as things have gone along it feels we’ve taken a deep dive into character and location study.Somewhere round Tangos In The Night, Charlie talks to Jim about life in his social circles and how cruel it can be for those who are unwelcome for whatever reason. He tells of a man he knew who entered a room as a guest and left five minutes later, practically destroyed because that was the will of his hosts and their social clique. Jim smiles, but I’m sure it’s understood that this reflects a very real drawback of life on a small island. There’s no getting away from the malice and people can be very quick to judge and condemn. Living in a small town, I’ve seen this pattern and been on the receiving end to an extent. The thought of this pattern playing out on an island the size of Jersey isn’t attractive. Reinforcing this, Jim later stresses the island’s dimensions - nine miles by five - and throws in that if one drives very slowly, it might take almost an entire hour to drive round the whole thing.Jim and Susan’s relationship being put to the test in The Other Woman is a highlight. It reminds me of those soap whodunnits where convincing evidence plants doubt in the mind of the viewer about this character we thought we knew (think Gary Ewing as the prime suspect for Jill Bennett’s “murder”). The story cleverly uses the series’ history to strengthen its case. Susan’s earlier affair had come out of nowhere, and with Jim away at work a lot and the relationship still fragile from the earlier betrayal, we have to ask ourselves (a) why couldn’t it happen again and (b) just how well do we really know Susan outside of Jim’s own lens. And off the back of that, (c) might she just be capable of a crime of passion. It’s all so unlikely at first, but as evidence mounts one can’t feel 100% sure.It’s certainly a terrific episode for Louise Jameson, with Susan angry at Jim’s questions, and absolutely furious at Crozier when questioned by him, telling him he would love it if she were guilty, and he couldn’t wait to be there for the kill. That got me thinking back on the relationship between Susan and Crozier to see if there’s any hint of resentment, and while I can’t think of earlier examples, I completely believe this moment. I’m sure she and Jim will  have discussed Crozier - even offscreen - and not always flatteringly, so it’s natural that such an outburst would come at this point. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of Jim and Susan being in generally a good place during this episode before things got too messy. There’s a great moment for the characters and the series when Jim and Susan share a montage of their happy, sunny day out to the soundtrack of Joan Armatrading’s Love and Affection (pre-empting the 1976 single’s re-release by two years). The montage then segued into a scene where they sit in Susan’s XR3i convertible on the beach during that golden hour before sunset. As they enjoy each other’s company, Susan comments how funny it is that they are getting on so well when they are coming to an end. And she responds to Jim’s perplexed reaction with kindness. She knows him well enough to understand that he won’t have seen the signs, and there’s no hint of drama. It feels pragmatic and borderline objective. Jim characteristically suggests they should continue the discussion in a horizontal position and Susan’s willingness is scuppered only by the car becoming sunk in the sand and ultimately needing a tow. In the context of the story it works by establishing that Susan has had one foot out of the relationship for a while, but even without this it’s a winning scene in the broader context of the series. It’s one of several reasons why The Other Woman is an instant favourite episode  for me. Certainly top ten and quite possibly a top five.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?