Death in Deep Water - Series 6 Episode 7 (Saturday 22nd May 1976)

The story...

American Gary Stevens arrives at an airport and sheds a sober disguise. Soon after he is confronted by an assailant but manages to knock him out and catch his plane. His troubles though are not over as in the next scene an unseen figure tells a hitman called Burton that he wants Gary dead.

Gary is next seen in a quiet coastal location in England. He very much keeps himself to himself, his only social contact being a fisherman called Doonan. One day he hears hammering at the door. He is alarmed and takes his gun as he prepares to answer - he knows he is a hunted man. However to his relief the unexpected caller is simply a swimmer in a bikini who wants refuge from a storm.

The swimmer doesn't reveal her name but she knows exactly who Gary is - or was. She knows he has been involved with organised crime and is on the run. Over time she visits on a number of occasions and an emotional and physical relationship develops between them. She is intrigued by his background and believes him to have been a prolific hitman. She quizzes him on this but he gives nothing away. She says little about her own background - only later do we learn her name is Gilly - but does reveal that she is married to a rich old man. Gilly makes it clear that she is motivated by money and is not a pleasant person - "I'm bad news Gary". However he remains fascinated by her and it becomes apparent that he is under her spell. 

Eventually Gilly makes Gary a very dubious proposition that could make them both very rich. However things are not quite what they seem and Gilly may not be the only potential bringer of bad news.....

Review

After watching the home videos back in 1994 I was eager for more Thriller so the Bravo repeats were much anticipated. Frustratingly the first few screened had featured on the tapes. This was the first "new" story and it did not disappoint at all. It has a special place in my Thriller memory, and probably many other "Nineties" Thriller fans.

The final series had overall been a little underwhelming so far with only one really strong story in Dial a Deadly Number and a very solid one in Kill Two Birds with the others below par by the show's high standards. It was fitting then that the very last episode to air in the UK should see such a resounding return to form. Not only is it a daring and innovative effort but it is deeply satisfying.

Kill Two Birds had brought gritty, professional criminals into Thriller and some of its influence lives on here. The teaser, like the one for Birds, involves action but to an even greater degree as we see an apparently sober businessman warily removing his disguise before fighting off an assailant, then taking an international flight. This is easily the sort of sequence one might see in a film or ITC action series. We then learn that an unseen man wants Gary dead. As we later discover Gary is a professional criminal like those in Birds but of a rather different and maybe more Thrilleresque nature - a hitman.

However Gary then goes on to confound our expectations of a brutal, cynical killer. He is living a quiet life, under an alias, trying to keep a low-profile and - it appears - aiming to go straight. When Gilly makes her impromptu call he is visibly shaken at the arrival of a stranger but they seem able to get along. However Gilly proves to be an even bigger enigma. She never even reveals her name to her lover. On the surface she seems quite innocent but there is something amiss. She warns him she is "bad news" but in what way? Despite his background she holds the whip hand. She knows his secret and she plays on his weaknesses, manipulating him into a very dangerous situation. For all that Gary is at risk even if he keeps his head down as the hit-man Burton seeks to track him down but his relationship with Gilly leads him to take chances he can ill-afford. Ultimately it leads to a climax which certainly bucks the low-key conclusions of Series 6 and is one of the boldest and finest, a truly fitting end to the show.

Gary seems in two minds as Gilly makes him an enticing but dangerous offer

There are many fascinating aspects. Unlike other episodes this one does not break down neatly into the three categories of hero, heroine and villain. In fact there is no hero or heroine figure at all. At the outset we have an ostensible villain in the fleeing gangster Gary Stevens. However Gary plays down his past and appears to be trying to go straight. He isn't a hero by any means but does not fit the conventional villain role and it is possible that if he had never met Gilly he would have lived out a quiet, law-abiding life in his coastal retreat.

The young blonde Gilly might seem to fit perfectly the traditional Thriller heroine when she first emerges. However it is soon apparent that she isn't cut out for that role at all. She is certainly a very calculating individual who seems unruffled by events - not the kind of person Gary needs in his life at all. However there is a third villain - the hitman Burton - and it his actions which play their part in the extraordinary conclusion which bucks the usual Thriller conventions.

Thriller was notoriously modest, with even newly married couples routinely sleeping in single beds. Occasionally villains engaged in adultery but that was largely off-screen with no bedroom scenes. However in this episode we see Gilly in bed, apparently topless underneath the sheets, while Gary has just risen. It seems clear that this unmarried pair have been sleeping together. Gary then sits on the bed and they kiss. Gilly is also seen in her bikini in many scenes. By comparison with preceding stories this is quite audacious, although it would be unremarkable today. It is though significant that the two are villains: in Thriller deviance and illicit sexuality are often linked, though not as blatantly as in this example.

The characters are great. It is hard not to feel sympathetic towards Gary. He is a hunted man and whatever his past does seem to be trying to keep out of trouble until Gilly tempts him. Her exploitation of him wins him further support. It is remarkable writing and acting skill that encourages us to feel this way about a killer. Bradford Dillman deserves the highest praise for his display. It is testimony to its quality that this may have the edge on his performance as Stan in The Next Voice You See. Possibly even better though is Suzan Farmer as the duplicitous and scheming Gilly. There are many excellent female characters in Thriller and she ranks with the best. Gilly is a truly original figure and really challenges the stereotypes. Some of her comments do suggest she does feel guilt at the sort of person she is. When it matters though, her conscience comes a clear second-best. 

Burton, the hitman is another fine creation. A more unlikely killer one could not see but maybe a middle-aged, bespectacled, sober-suited figure who feeds the swans and helps his fellow tourists is the best possible cover for a hitman. Although his American accent is shaky Philip Stone is highly impressive. The scenes in which he chillingly discusses Gary with his boss are excellently played and directed. The uncredited Ed BIshop is suitably menacing in his brief unseen contributions as the crime boss. Particularly striking is the scene where Burton and other hired killers each receive a photograph and wads of cash - the essentials for their deadly assignments.

Altogether this is a splendid effort. The ending is utterly superb but even without it this would have been one of the best episodes. Perhaps it was a sign that there was more mileage in Thriller that could have been tapped. Maybe though this was just the right, beautiful note on which to end such a marvellous show.

Notes

Location filming for this episode took place in Devon and this is confirmed by a road sign on-screen. Despite this I struggle to get the idea out of my head that is set in Scotland! This is despite the fact that the only Scottish character is Doonan (played by Ian Bannen). However a leaflet at the hotel where Burton is staying refers to the Scottish ferry port of Stranraer and this may also have encouraged my thought.

Ian Bannen had earlier appeared in Won't Write Home Mom - I'm Dead - both episodes directed by James Ormerod and both rather atmospheric in tone.