What does everything think of the last ever episode "All For Love". Do you think it was a good way to end the series?
I thought it was ok but certainly does not represent the series at its best. I thought it was far too expository and predictable.
Right, finally watched the last episode!
True, it's not the best of episodes, but it is better than many, espcially in the last series. It is set partly in Jersey, even if we don't see much of it. Charlie is there, as is Jim's ex, plus the bureau crowd (unfortunately not including Barney). Also, it points pretty clearly to a brighter future for Jim.
Maybe the plot twist was a little obvious, but we got a nice performance from Bill Nighy and an early glimpse of Philip Glennister as a bonus. All in all, pretty satisfactory.
Interestingly, it was made in 1991, apparently as a single episode given that the preceding episodes were all made in 1990. So the cast and crew would likely have known or at least suspected that it was the last ever episode when they were making it. Quite something after 10 years.
I think I was relieved it was not TRULY AWFUL like the majority of the final Season 9 episodes were!
Loved that Debbie came back!
Hated that Jim was seen at his worst and lowest in the very final episode after ten great years of Bergerac.
Angry that for the final episode, so LITTLE of Jersey featured and most of the story was based in the UK. I think they missed a trick and should have featured it heavily and gone out with a bang (locations/backdrops-wise)
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Yeah actually I've viewed the episode again since my original post nearly three years ago.
It's not as bad as I thought it was then - it's quite well directed and pretty flashy, especially when compared to earlier episodes. It's certainly the best episode of Series 9 and I suppose was a bit of a return to the character that was originally conceived 10 years earlier. Bergerac had become a bit dull in his middle age, the blazer and cream slacks look was surely more for Hungerford!
Agree also that Bill Nighy was great in this, a total contrast to the borderline narcoleptic roles he has become famous for! And obviously Debbie was there and we are left to wonder if they fully reconciled.
It was known during filming that this was to be the last ever episode, John Nettles had decided to leave the role due to declining quality and budget cuts (this bears up in several interviews he has done). They might've got another couple of series out of it, I don't know.
Nice that there's a double (or is it treble?) cross between various groups of baddies, but I didn't really engage with this episode.
It seems wrong for Danielle to have upped and left just like that. The Salisbury setting seems a bit wrong (second time in Salisbury this year, I note), and the last episode should have been a proper Jersey conclusion.
Nice that Debbie was back, and Charlie was on good form, but Jim was not served well.
Less awful than most of the rest of the final two series.
Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Not brilliant and certainly doesn't capture the feeling of earlier episodes.
Acting-wise thought probably John Nettles' best episode.
It's a strange plot. You are left wonder whether Cressida actually intended for her husband to kill Barry, or whether she was just playing the two men off against each other to see who won the game.
I agree that it's John Nettles' strongest episode in terms of acting, he was really good in this. It was also nice to see the relationship between Jim and Charlie completely solidified when Charlie disposed of the tape which incriminated Jim.
The direction was also pretty good on this episode, much better than the flat direction for most of series 9.
Overall though, nowhere near the strongest episode of Bergerac. There are a million better ways they could've ended the series, but the impression I get from interviews with John Nettles is that the BBC basically weren't interested in it anymore. Doubtless they would've let it run forever though if he hadn't quit.