The following is commentary on Episode No. 20 ("A Time to Be Born") 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

The principal storylines in this episode are (1) the illicit bacon enterprise of Sefton Briggs, in collaboration with Mrs. Foster’s brother, Harry Jenkins, and (2) the impending birth of Margaret’s illegitimate child, fathered by Michael Armstrong. Most of the fifty minutes are devoted to these two intriguing developments, though there is also a sub-plot dealing with Freda’s unrequited attraction to Michael.

I find Harry Jenkins to be quite a colourful character, unscrupulous to the core but so very clever in his scheming that he is more than a match for the wily Sefton Briggs. Though Sefton cannot be described as a sympathetic character, still he possesses enough redeeming qualities (love for son and family, patriotism, steadfast belief in traditional values) that I, for one, do not wish to see him ruined financially and relegated to a life of solitude. It is in those occasional instances when he breaks the law for his own selfish gain that I sense he should reap what he sows. This particular venture into the black market is a rather serious offence, and Sefton’s concomitant loss surely is no more than he deserves. This is dramatic writing with a sure hand, leavened with just the right amount of comedic relief.

Throughout “A Time to Be Born” and, for that matter, the preceding episode ("Hope Against Hope"), we are kept in suspense regarding the fate of Margaret’s second child. Jean cautions Edwin that Margaret’s injury could cause her to lose the baby, and she tells Sheila that Margaret has not felt the baby move for days. And yet, medical examinations seem to indicate otherwise, that the pregnancy remains a healthy one, and we are assured that Margaret will be recuperating at Shropshire after the baby is born. These conflicting accounts create a powerful scene in the hospital waiting room, when Edwin is informed by his wife that Margaret is fine, but the baby was stillborn. Jean recalls a day five months earlier when the two of them were sitting in that same room, and she suggested to Edwin that Margaret’s loss of the baby would, in some ways, be a release. Now, however, she suspects that the baby’s death might actually serve to bring the young couple closer together.

Some random comments about “A Time to Be Born”…

Edwin tells his wife to accept the fact that Margaret and Michael want to spend the rest of their lives together, but in the end Jean’s instincts are vindicated, for it is she who never abandons the hope that John someday will return.

We witness Jean Ashton’s duplicity when she begs Sheila to stay the night so there will be no bed for Michael Armstrong. Then, with a look of abject innocence, she says to Edwin, “I told you, didn’t I?”

One sub-plot that falls flat for me is Freda Ashton’s unconvincing crush on Michael Armstrong. As well as Barbara Flynn portrays the “lovelorn” Freda here, still I never believe it for an instant, and it seems extraneous to the story as a whole. Sorry, but I must label this hollow affair as a rare false step in “A Family at War.”

An excellent passage of writing occurs when Freda complains to her father and cousin, “Oh, you men. Always ganging up.” This comes soon after Edwin and Tony have suggested that Margaret might accuse them of this very thing if they sided with Michael in requesting that she visit the doctor. This is a very funny sequence!

Another wonderful line is heard at the Briggs home when Sefton asks Tony to keep him company at the pig’s slaughter. Tony exclaims to his father, “Take part in an illegal enterprise, wearing the King’s uniform?” Indeed, some of the finest moments of humour in the series are found in Tony’s cynical remarks to Sefton, and this one, I think, is a gem, delivered with perfect comedic timing by Trevor Bowen.

Two impressive camera shots should be noted. Both are similar in content, zooming in to close-ups for good dramatic effect. One occurs when Sefton hears the pig’s fatal squeal, and the other takes place at the moment when Jean hears Margaret’s painful cry from upstairs. In both cases, a quick cut adds to the impact. Good photography and editing.

 


 

John Finch

Richard should be a professional television critic. He accurately spots where a script has failed. In this case, the (assumed) interest Freda has in Michael. A grave mistake, which I only became aware of when I watched the taping and it was too late.