Return of Favours - Episode 6 (Tuesday 9th February 1971)

The story...

Young couple Roger and Judith have been enjoying passionate meetings in a smart flat. Not in itself unusual except that the flat belongs to Judith’s friend Maureen who lets them use it for that purpose. One day the couple are shocked to discover a middle-aged man in the flat – and he is shocked to see them also. The man – Gordon Marsh – is actually Maureen’s husband but she hadn’t told him about this unusual use of the flat, perhaps because their marriage is on bad terms.

Although he is annoyed at his discovery Gordon not only lets them stay but offers them tea and cake. However they find his behaviour unnerving rather than conciliatory. Oddly he has a bandaged hand which he explains rather unconvincingly as the result of scalding himself on the kettle. A room in the flat is locked which Gordon claims is due to it being redecorated. Although Roger is a painter and decorator and asks to see the room Gordon refuses to do so and seems very evasive.

Afterwards Judith tells Roger she is worried about Maureen’s welfare as she hasn’t been seen for a while. Judith fears the room is locked because Gordon has killed his wife and the body is in there but how can they find out? Is Gordon just a man who has been toying with a couple he thinks have taken liberties or is he actually dangerous? Roger’s painting and decorating book will take on an unexpected significance…

Gordon (George Cole) with his mysterious bandaged hand

Review

Another excellent episode, this time written by Jeremy Paul with Kim Mills again directing (he directed six of the last seven episodes as well as the opener). The honours very much go here to George Cole as Gordon. Although he is now best-known as a comic actor this was a period in his career in which he tended to do “straight” roles and he excels here as the disconcerting, even sinister Gordon. Gordon’s annoyance at the use of his flat is understandable, especially given that he hadn’t been told, but it is clear he has deeper reasons than this for his reactions. Jealousy seems to be playing a part. His marriage to Maureen is failing and he can see Roger and Judith enjoying a relationship that is now very distant from him. It seems he feels an attraction towards Judith and a consequent antipathy towards Roger (who he discovers is also married which intensifies the dislike). However for all these feelings he seems to be toying with them rather than telling them to leave as many others would do. What is his purpose? An excellently drawn and performed character.

Robin Ellis and Jennie Linden play the part of the nubile and confident (or maybe over-confident) young couple very well. In a pattern not unfamiliar within the genre it is Judith who particularly picks up on something being very wrong while Roger plays the role of sceptic and tries to allay her fears. There is a small but important part for ubiquitous series guest star Caroline Blakiston as Gordon’s disaffected wife Maureen. There are some surprises which lead up to a provocative and memorable ending. Overall another very satisfying instalment of the show which again demonstrated that less is often more and that a very small cast, few sets and no music can still make for a fascinating production.

Anxious times for Judith (Jennie Linden)

Notes

The following year Jennie Linden and Robin Ellis appeared as a former couple in "Night of the Stag", an episode of the London Weekend Television series The Frighteners, a show which explored some similar themes to Shadows of Fear but was shot on 16mm film and all on location in comparison to the latter's studio-bound, videotaped and more theatrical style.