MovieChat Forums > Survivors (1975) Discussion > Spoliers, Saddest Death

Spoliers, Saddest Death

posted 17 years ago by Stevie_Pearson
11 replies | jump to latest

Which death did you find saddest?

Ive not seen series 3 yet, but so far.

it had too be Paul, it was sad seeing a really decent character go out like that was so sad, the laid back lovable hippie cowboy really seemed like he was laying down some roots with Ruth at White Cross, and died doing such a valiant act.

Arthur was quiet a loss too, as the character had quiet alot more milleage in it, as a more direct and bureocratic tier member of there community.

"I have Come Here Too Kick A** And Chew Bubblegum...And Im All out Of Bubblegum!"

[–] egrorian 17 years ago

Perhaps Paul I agree and I felt sorry too for poor old Arthur Russell. And not forgetting Wendy.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Banjo_oz 17 years ago

I find the deaths of Paul, Barney and Greg deaths all pretty tragic (though Greg really brings his on himself, for being so pig-headed!) on the one hand. But on the other hands, I really like that they all get "good" deaths in the show... like Wendy, their characters are written out but this serves the plot and/or gives them a well-deserved send-off.

Contrast their deaths to those of Vic, Emma, and the other Grange victims - important characters we've come to care about - who die off-screen and are soon forgotten. Consider, too, Tom and Arthur, who's deaths seem random and clumsy to me, and throw away their major development and story arcs as if the writers suddenly decided they were bored with them.

And of course, there's the likes of Ruth and Abby, (and to a lesser extent, Daniella, Melanie and Alan) who are established as very important characters, yet then disappear from the show without fanfare and are never seen again.

Ahem. That rant aside, I'll try again...

For me, the most tragic deaths were Barney (since he in no way deserves his fate), Arthur (I really liked him, as he grew from the man who arrived that night at the Grange), Lewis Fearns (a meaningless death when he was just trying to help) and John Millen (he's only in one scene, but Pat makes such an impression in the role that I was genuinely sad and angry at his death). Special mention to the "angels" too... guest characters, but so nice and kind, and they survived all that time only to die after all, just for opening their door to Abby. :(

[–] stephen-alford1 17 years ago

To me, any death post plague is tragic and disappointing. Imagine coming through a worldwide plague that killed 99% of people only to die pointlessly and needlessly.

[–] Banjo_oz 17 years ago

To me, any death post plague is tragic and disappointing. Imagine coming through a worldwide plague that killed 99% of people only to die pointlessly and needlessly.

Agreed. Reminds me of Stephen King's book 'The Stand', in the chapter some call "no great loss", which deals with those who survive the plague, only to die (usually pointlessly) in the aftermath.

[–] carpet_seller 17 years ago

When did John Millen die? He didn't AFAIK. John Millen is the 9 yr old boy who finds his mother.

There were 3 notable deaths

The angels (collective as a singular death)
Barney
Paul.

I'd like to remember the off-screen off-script "dead" i.e. the ones we never see again.

Anne - she wandered off

Donny - he arrived with Anne and stayed behind with his petrol tanker, but we never saw him again.

Mick - The boy found by Charles and Laura - Never to be seen again

Laura - pregnant with Charles' child - never to be seen again

The other woman who announced (whilst rocking chair next to the fire) to Laura that she too was with Charles' child.

Charles' child - only one of the two was born alive but we never found out which or what happened.

"Elsie" The Spinning wool lady mentioned by name by Charles, spoke 1 line (I think), appeared in 2 episodes but was never cedited.

Mina & child - disappeared.

[–] Gary-161 17 years ago

Laura pregnant with Greg's child? I don't think so. There was one pregnant women who took refuge with the Survivors and her husband came looking for her with an armed posse. She was not seen again but was said to have later died in the house fire.

Charles impregnated a lot of women. Maybe you are thinking of him?

[–] carpet_seller 17 years ago

You're right I confused Greg with Charles, it's corrected now.

[–] Banjo_oz 17 years ago

When did John Millen die? He didn't AFAIK. John Millen is the 9 yr old boy who finds his mother.

John Millen was the barge operator played by Pat Troughton in episode 2:10 "Parasites", whereas the boy (series regular) who later finds his mother is John Millon (surname spelled differently)... why they decided to name two unrelated characters so similarly is a mystery to me!

As for the "disappearances"...

Anne Tranter - she walks away and is never heard from again, but although I'd have loved to have seen her return (a great character, IMO), her failure to reappear is really no different from the many other characters who "pass through" the main cast's lives (eg. Lincoln, Alistair, Mark Carter, etc.).

Donnie - though he is not seen again, he does indeed join the cast at the Grange and presumably stays with them for a year or so, since he is expressly said to be among the casualties of the big fire in episode 2:01.

Mick & Lorraine - apparently left Charles' original community together after Lorraine's baby died (in childbirth).

Ilsa & Charles' baby - had her baby, and left on her own way, if I recall... been a while since I saw episode 2:01, where this is mentioned.

Mina and her child - did indeed vanish, though she and Peg (the woman who ran the dairy) are said to be sick in the episode Arthur dies in... it is possible we are to assume they both die too, since we never see or hear of them again (but this is a pretty sad and pointless fate for Mina, IMO!)

Laura and Norman - Laura has the baby, and apparently Norman stays on at the Grange, however neither are ever seen again... though I seem to remember Laura's baby being present or at least mentioned in the final episode of series 1 by Emma Cohen. Neither Laura or Norman are mentioned in episode 2:01, meaning they likely have left long before the fire.

Melanie, Alan, Sally, etc. - all the young people who were fairly important in the stories towards the end of series 2 disappear in series 3... can anyone remember if they get mentioned again?

Ruth Anderson - like the young people and even more of an important character, Ruth totally vanishes in series 3... again, can anyone tell me if she gets mentioned again?

[–] poofta1970 15 years ago

Bizarre as it may seem I thought the Angels were a happy death, left alone they would have eventually died of old age (if they lived that long) thinking what few people had survived may have become savage and vile but instead they died knowing that some good people had survived (including a couple child actors which frankly would be enough to let me give up the ghost...only joking kids).

[–] Damon312 8 years ago

So the two elder women living on the Grange estate perished in the fire also? One of them was Arthur's secretary and the other was a kind of other figure to Wendy.