Sign It Death - Series 2 Episode 7 (Saturday 9th March 1974)

Story

A tranquil rural setting is followed by a genteel dinner scene but that is the prelude for probably the most dramatic Thriller teaser. Tracy Conway emerges from behind a curtain where she has been hiding and then stabs to death Mr and Mrs Carter and their daughter - and then cleans and tidies up. The murder remains unsolved and some time later Tracy takes a job as a temp working for businessman Richard Main. it turns out she is obsessed with romance and "getting her man" and will kill anyone who tries to stop her - the Carters were such victims and now she has Richard Main in her sights. She sees the first obstacle to her romantic fantasy as Main's secretary Prue whom she follows home and then kills. Tracy seems to captivate so many around her - especially the men - but can she win over Richard and who will she target along the way? 

Review

One of the most popular episodes of Series 2 with plenty of talking points. My views have fluctuated on it but overall it is a very fine if sometimes flawed affair which deserves its impressive reputation.

The teaser is easily the most violent and dramatic. Indeed its level of violence makes it a little untypical of the show's approach - there are more murders in a couple of minutes than in the whole of many episodes. For a long time it was only available in edited format in the ITC version and lost a little of its impact but thankfully it is now fully available. Striking features such as the fine shot of Tracy hiding behind a curtain and Miss Carter struggling to open the door - apparently an inconsequential piece of humour at the time but tragically ironic later when she cannot open it to escape attack - are now restored. There are questions about the plausibility of this assault, as a young woman kills three people with very little trouble - Mr and Mrs Carter in particular seem to be frozen with fear - but it's still quite effective. Probably there was a place for one or two teasers in the series to adopt a more graphic style.

The most surprising thing in the teaser, and a typically Thriller twist, is when Tracy starts to clean up after the murders, not in the sense of removing evidence and "covering her tracks" but to make the scene neat and tidy. Evidently this is not a conventional killer! Tracy is one of the most memorable Thriller villains with a marvellous performance by Francesca Annis. Her immense charm is evident with almost all male characters captivated by her. However charm also has the potential to rub some people - maybe jealous but sometimes able to see beyond appearances - up the wrong way as we see with secretarial assistant Sally. Bill Lewis does not like her at all either but his reasons are more legitimate. There is something amiss with Tracy, and it makes him very uneasy. This darker and more troubled side to her is very well outlined and makes the character so riveting. Her obsessiveness marks her out from many other villains and prevents her being a simple psychopath. Behind the happy exterior - and the ruthless attitude to those who get in her way - is a sense of insecurity. Behind the efficiency is a fantasist who allows her romantic ideals to get out of control. Richard Main and many others fail to see these things but Bill and Sally are more than aware. The froideur between these two and Tracy is superbly documented and makes for some great scenes.

Tracy Conway (Francesca Annis) - romantic but dangerous

Tracy's feminine charm is a key part of the episode's preoccupation with gender. Those viewers with less traditional views are likely to raise eyebrows at much on-screen here. The vision of the sexes presented is far from progressive to contemporary eyes. Tracy is obsessed with romance and pleasing men. In her spare time she reads romantic magazines and sews a wedding trousseau. She even attacks her victims with her sewing scissors! The direction often lingers on her legs and may seem voyeuristic. The men - with the exception of Bill - are more than happy to play up to her. The irony is that Bill is an ardent womaniser but something about Tracy makes him uneasy.

"Girlfinders", the employment agency, is especially anachronistic - it wouldn't even be legal these days. However it's the behaviour of the men running Girlfinders that might most alarm some viewers as they fawn over Tracy while Mr. Seddon even makes a play for her, which she rejects in literally cutting fashion. In another scene even Richard slaps the backside of his secretary Prue, behaviour that would now be construed as harassment although he otherwise conducts himself professionally. Adult women are routinely described as "girls", including by the police officers. It can seem somewhat patronising.

Extra evidence for the "prosecution" might be the feather-headed Sally. Not only is Sally rather dizzy but she falls to pieces around Richard. On the other hand Sally shows much more resilience and sense in opposition to the duplicitous Tracy. The other two female characters though offer some challenge to the stereotypes. Prue, before her brutal demise, is a very able employee who shows no romantic interest in her boss or anyone else. Richard's wife Janice is perceptive and rational.

Sally resents the newcomer Tracy but maybe she sees things others overlook

However it is best to see such depiction in context. The early 1970's were not particularly progressive and this is a reflection - albeit exaggerated - of those sexist times. Nor should we be under any illusion that attitudes have completely changed and even now some viewers with watch and see nothing untoward on-screen. It may be that the writing and direction were being rather playful and tongue-in-cheek on the subject of gender. It is wise to realise that attitudes change and at the time of broadcast this would not have struck most viewers as especially contentious or controversial. No doubt a contemporary version of the story would be less stereotypical but what we see here is a depiction of gender of fifty years ago and even those viewers of today who dislike those stereotypes can appreciate it as a reflection of its time; all works reflect the eras and attitudes when they were produced and it is unfair to judge them by the standards of today. 

Leaving aside these wider issues, there is so much to commend here. The story is a very fine one with many highlights, aided by skilful direction by Shaun O'Riordan. The encounter between Prue and Tracy is very well done and in contrast to the teaser the violence is kept off-screen. The office politics between Bill, Sally and Tracy are a real highlight as well. Bill is a funny character although one could imagine he might be less fun to actually work for - especially for a woman. His womanising is hard to take seriously but his suspicions of Tracy are excellently conveyed - a fine performance by Edward Judd. Generally there is an undercurrent of humour that is well-handled. The two junior detectives supply some of it before the much sharper Barnes takes control. Overall the police characters are stronger than usual here. Leaving aside gender issues the only aberration occurs in the form of Mrs. Vinkel - housekeeper to the Carters - where a combination of poor writing (including references to courgettes!), bad costume, bad hair-dressing and awful acting produce possibly the most cringe-worthy scene in the whole of Thriller. Fortunately she is soon gone and the episode thereafter maintains quality and momentum 

The climax of the episode is a fascinating finale and rounded-off with a brilliant final line.  All considered this is one of the most distinctive outings of Thriller, both highly entertaining but provocative in its style. It may not be one of the very best but it makes a lasting and powerful impression.

Notes

This is one of the few Thriller episodes with no American actor or character (and the last but one to do so). However Francesca Annis does play Tracy with something of a transatlantic accent with her character having worked in the Bahamas. There are also favourable references to American employers and qualities in general and some uses of American English e.g. references to a "misrouted call" and "attorney" rather than lawyer. With no American on-screen these touches may have given the episode more of a connection to US audiences.