User Reviews

A man walks past a shocking scene played out in the living room of Kathleen Smith, in which her estranged husband shoots and kills her friend Jack Derham.

There's definitely a degree of ambiguity around this story, in fact I watched this sequence twice, to try and piece together what actually happened. A second viewing didn't really help much, I'm still unsure as to whether or not the whole thing was a setup, and whether or not Frank had murder in mind.

A great production once again, I think the later episodes of the show were better, they certainly had more of a dramatic feel.

What a strong cast Jeremy Clyde arguably steals the show as Frank Smith, the drunken brute of a husband to Kathleen, Jacqueline Leonard would join EastEnders soon after this, I think she was quite a well known character there.

7/10.

Edward Woodward narrates the story of what looks like a love triangle.

In 1926 a passerby witnessed an altercation between Frank Smith (Jeremy Clyde) and Jack Derham who Smith suspected of having an affair with his wife Kathleen Smith.

It resulted in a gun going off and Derham getting shot in the stomach and later dying. The jury disregarded the witness's testimony and Smith got off a murder charge. It was ruled as an accident as Derham interfered as Smith tried to shoot himself.

The story itself is murky and rather fictionalised by the production team. Frank Smith was wealthy and a drunk. He squandered the family inheritance and went into violent rages towards his wife.

She wished to divorce him and got friendly with Derham, both denied any impropriety.

In reality Derham was cut from the same cloth as Frank Smith. Another overprivileged cad who had designs on Kathleen. Something this production glosses over.

It might be Smith wanted Derham out of the way and his plan worked. He did get convicted for an unlawful possession of a firearm and served a year in prison.

It was well acted by Jeremy Clyde who kept it all lively.