| Episode
Seven:
Scene 1: It is the end of
Perrins. Reggie is in his office sorting through papers and filing them
in the bin. Doc Morrissey enters to say his goodbyes. He tells Reggie he
is to become 'Professor' for good, teaching English in Southall. A short
while later, Joan and Tony enter to say their farewells. Tony has changed,
he now thinks of Shakespeare as a 'real laid back bard'. Later, at the
front gate, Reggie is saying his goodbyes to C.J. Back in the office, Jimmy
is holding a gun as he talks to Reggie. For security after the attack,
he assures him. He too says his goodbyes and leaves, but not before returning
to ask if there's any free food that he can have. Within a few minutes,
there is the sound of a gunshot and Reggie races to the window, thinking
the worst, but it is only Jimmy's car backfiring as he drives off. Next,
David and Prue Harris-Jones tell Reggie and Elizabeth, in perfect unison,
that there are jobs for them back in Haverfordwest. Finally, Tom and Linda
leave, and her parents stand on the pavement to wave them off. |
 . . .
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| Link:
There are 'For Sale' signs in the properties along Oslo Avenue that were
once owned by Perrins. A 'Sold' sign is in the front garden of 38 Leibnitz
Drive, the Perrin's new home. |
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| Scene 2: Elizabeth has a
meal prepared on a green-baize card table in an unfurnished home. Reggie
returns from the labour exchange, but has been unsuccessful in finding
a job. Next day, Reggie opens a letter from the personnel manager of a
company called Amalgamated Aerosols, offering him a job. He phones the
manager's secretary to arrange an appointment, but wonders how they have
heard of him. |
 .
|
| Link: Thursday morning,
Reggie is once more in his pinstripe suit, and is walking to his interview
through the 'philosopher's estate'. Down Leibnitz Drive, right into Bertrand
Russell Rise and left into Schopenhauer Grove on his way to the station.
He arrives at Amalgamated Aerosols, hesitates before going in to the large,
concrete building, then enters. |
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| Scene 3: He knocks on the
door of the personnel manager's office, and enters. Mr. Fennell greets
him in French, and Reggie replies in French. They have a conversation like
this until Reggie speaks in English, and Mr. Fennell realises that Reggie
is not in fact Monsieur Duvavier, whom he was expecting. He tells him he
must be the person the managing director F.J. wants to see, and sends him
through to the office next door. He knocks, and the call of 'come!' sounds
all-too familiar. |
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| Scene
4: F.J.
welcomes Reggie and tells him he is the brother of C.J. He invites
Reggie to sit down, and the chair farts. He puts Reggie on the spot by
asking him his views on nozzles. Reggie tells him they are the things on
the top of air fresheners, you can never tell which way the arrow is pointing,
and always get an eyeful of air freshener. F.J. rings Mr. Fennell to ask
him his opinion of Reggie. By the tone of F.J.'s voice it is clear Mr.
Fennell does not think too highly of Reggie, but F.J. is the boss and gives
him the job, working in the air freshener and deodorant division. |
 . . .
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| Scene 5: It is Monday, the
first day of his new job. Reggie is back on the 8.16 to Waterloo. It's
as if nothing has changed. Even the same old faces stare at their newspapers
opposite him. Reggie is troubled by this feeling of coming full circle
in his life. He stands and talks to himself sermon-like about having to
be a part of the commuter life once more. His fellow passengers say nothing. |
 . .
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| Scene 6: Reggie enters Aerosol
House, and finds his office. There is no one to greet him, so he hangs
his umbrella on the hatstand, but the peg falls off. He sits behind his
empty desk, finding only a stale coffee cup and a bent coat-hanger in its
drawers. His new secretary Iris Hoddle enters, attractive but not very
bright. She hands him a cup of coffee, and Reggie asks why there isn't
a notice on his door telling everyone - and Reggie - what his position
is. Miss Hoddle says she will ask C.J., and Reggie chokes on his coffee
at the sound of the familiar initials. He learns that C.J. is head of the
department, above Reggie. As if by magic,
C.J.
enters through the adjoining doors. C.J. tells him that his job is
to be his think tank, and sends for his two 'yes' men, Muscroft and Rosewall.
After introductions, C.J. tells Reggie to attend the market research session,
known as the 'smelling', that is taking place in Borehamwood the next day.
Watch
video |
 . . .
 . .
|
| Link: Reggie sets off to
work again, not look forward to his 'smelling'. On the train, he makes
a joke about roll-on deodorants, then instantly regrets it when his fellow
passengers look at him like someone who's just escaped from a madhouse. |
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| Scene 7: At the 'smelling',
Reggie tells the gathered employees to enter the booth, spray each air
freshener in turn and write down what each fragrance reminds them of. Reggie
enters the booth first, and finds it more enjoyable than he thought. |
 . .
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| Link: Walking back through
the 'philosopher's estate', Reggie chastises himself for his behaviour
at the smelling, but does not regret it. |
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| Link: Next morning, Reggie
is handed his briefcase and umbrella by Elizabeth, and Reggie kisses his
wife twice instead of the usual once. Elizabeth starts to think that today
will be different. |
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| Scene 8: In C.J.'s office,
he reports to Reggie that something unusual happened at the smelling yesterday.
He reads out the
results
of each fragrance's evocations. Every single one has one vote for 'Bolivian
unicyclist's jockstrap'. C.J. has an idea who is the culprit, but tells
Reggie to start an investigation into the matter. |
 . . .
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| Scene 9: Reggie knows that
C.J. knows it was him. Reggie has suddenly started to refer to things by
the names of kitchen utensils. He sends for his secretary Miss Hoddle,
whom he calls Miss Kettle when she enters. He dictates a letter admitting
his actions, and starts to imagine a scene from his past which has suddenly
become very inviting again. He calls Miss Hoddle and asks her to look up
the times of the trains to the Dorset coast. The beach is calling once
more. |
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