The following is commentary on Episode No. 49 ("A Faint Refrain") from members of AFAMILYATWAR-LIST. If you wish to add your thoughts to what is being said on this page, become a part of our discussion group by clicking the "Join" button.
Richard Veit
This is the first of the postwar installments, and it is notable for Michael Armstrong’s reappearance in the series. Not since Episode No. 30, the black-and-white "Salute the Happy Morn," have we seen Michael, and nearly three years have elapsed, from December 1942 to October 1945. Military personnel are beginning to return home, and that includes Michael, who has served as a non-combattant in Germany and elsewhere, and his girlfriend, an attractive widow named Frances Redmayne. For the first time since his recovery from war-inflicted ailments, both physical and psychological, John Porter finally comes face to face with Margaret's adulterous lover, the father of her still-born baby. It is a dramatic moment that perhaps never would have come about, were it not for some ill-timed decisions by the principals involved. And yet, so naturally scripted and character driven is the episode that this confrontation does not seem to be contrived or the machination of an omniscient writer: it is entirely believable that John should choose not to visit his mother without Margaret's companionship; Michael does indeed bear information from Philip to pass along to Edwin Ashton; and Margaret may well wish to stop by the Mackenzies' rather than return home with her husband, with whom she has just had a bitter row.
The two sub-plots are relatively minor, though each will resurface with greater significance in later episodes. Helen Hughes is determined to fulfill her need for independence by moving into a flat of her own. She soon changes her mind, apparently in response to the pitiable drunkenness of her brother, Sefton Briggs. Meanwhile, now that S.R.N. Freda Mackenzie has qualified as a hospital matron, she and Ian are debating the practicality of having children of their own. Neither is unreceptive to the idea, but Freda counsels patience, "choosing the right time…the right moment."
Some random comments about "A Faint Refrain"…
In a departure from the norm, this episode begins with titles over the opening footage rather than the signature "sandcastle" motif. This approach quickly establishes the fact that the war has ended, and service personnel are returning from abroad to the Liverpool docks.
Some humourous banter captures our attention at dockside, and we can sense that military protocol has become much more relaxed than it was during the urgent days when Britain's very survival was in question.
When Michael emerges from a local shop, the newspaper he has purchased appears to be an authentic one, of 1945 vintage. Unfortunately, there is a trade-off for such historical accuracy, for the paper has become quite brittle during the intervening quarter-century, and the wind is tearing it along the yellowed crease. Still, bravo for the propmaster's attention to detail, one of the many behind-the-scenes efforts that make this series so special.
There is a very conspicuous display of graffito on one of the buildings in town, reading "Yanks Go Home." Was this a common sentiment in Britain at the time?
I notice that the "B" word occasionally is heard, here and elsewhere in the series, whereas such language (no matter how justifiable in terms of realistic conversation) would not have made it past the network censors on American television in the early 1970s. Today, of course, it seems that anything goes on both sides of the Atlantic.
The public scenes in "A Family at War" (restaurants, trains, pubs, parks) are inevitably well depicted, with interesting props, costumes, and stage action. I enjoy watching the background extras, who do a fine job of appearing to be real people and very much a part of their time and place.
I am impressed by the subtle acting nuances of Ian Thompson (John Porter) as he is talking with wife Margaret in the train station's lounge. Try though he might, John's eyes betray just the slightest guilt about Marjorie when her name enters the conversation.
The tension between Freda and Michael is quite palpable in their scene together in the Ashton home, and I get the feeling that both wish someone else would enter the room at any moment. These on-screen characters do not seem to care much for each other, their personalities being so very different. This, no doubt, is what makes her supposed infatuation so hard for me to accept.
What an effective dramatic device it is (either by writer Jonathan Powell or director Baz Taylor) to have Sefton arrive just as the volatile encounter between John and Michael reaches a fever pitch. It is almost unbearably suspenseful for viewers to wonder what is happening in the other room while Edwin and his brother-in-law stand conversing near the front door.
Later, when John storms from the house after telling Margaret that he needs to settle something, where does he plan to go? As we soon discover, John does not venture to the hotel where Michael is living with Frances. Is it just bold talk on his part? Does he truly intend to confront Michael again but then changes his mind? Or does he "settle something" elsewhere (as with a couple pints at the pub)? This line puzzles me.
We see that it is Margaret who actually goes to the hotel room. Indeed, she stops there for so long that it suggests that she really does wish to see Michael again after all—if for no other reason than to put any lingering doubts to rest forever.
My only regret at this point in the series is that we do not get to see Harry and Celia Porter again in "A Faint Refrain." For this selfish reason alone, I wish Margaret had consented to accompany her husband on their proposed journey to Chorley. But Harry does appear in the very last episode, so that is some compensation.
