This is one of the greatest episodes of a sitcom ever aired. I have watched it many times, and from the moment Carmen Silvera, as Mrs Grey, appears, the tears start to flow, so that by the time the devastated Mainwaring is left standing on the platform, I am a snivelling wreck (and, like Ms Parish's father, I'm 6'3" ["so don't you go getting any ideas!"], Male and heterosexual!)
The standard of acting in this episode is beyond belief. The way Mainwaring whimpers "But I...I don't WANT you to go" in the railway station cafe would break a heart of lead, and the moment when he finds a vase of dahlias on his desk is absolutely beautiful. He can't grow flowers because "Elizabeth" believes they attract earwigs! This is a wonderful glimpse into his miserable home life, from which he gets a brief chance of escape. But it proves all too heartbreakingly brief. Watching the two of them act out these poignant, emotional scenes, then realising that both of them are themselves long gone, gives you an insight into our mortality, what a short time we spend in this life, and... Maybe we should grab these opportunities to find happiness when they come along?
Review of Mum's Army
