100 Things of Pros - 8: Thinky-things via letterzines - no girlfriends in season 4?!

[byslantedlight]

I've been slowly reading through some old letterzines this snowy weekend, The Hatstand Express, c1986, and in one of the letters Jane (of Australia) points out that by season 4 we don't see a single girlfriend in the eps! And I thought - isn't that an interesting thought!

So here's my list of season 4 eps (granted, Jane might have had a different bunch in mind - but not necessarily "transmission order", cos that only applies to the UK and she was in Australia. I think I remember that our eps were mostly shown in production order (from some research by kiwisue and constant_muse. Anyway - here's season 4, for me, and she may be right - after the first few eps, they do seem to fall out of girlfriends, don't they? Or...?

It's Only a Beautiful Picture...
Blood Sports - Doyle and Anita Carrebreros - but she's really part of the job
Hijack - girls from the ministry - but the lads seem to be dating them together?
You'll Be All Right
Kickback
Discovered in a Graveyard
Foxhole on the Roof
Operation Susie
The Ojuka Situation
The Untouchables
Cry Wolf - Bodie doesn't try to get off with Susan Grant!
A Man Called Quinn
Lawson's Last Stand
No Stone
Spy Probe

Has anyone else noticed this?! *g*

Comments

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

It seems to me it's come up before, but hell if I can remember where or when. But it makes sense doesn't it? They would have had to be together by then! *g*

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Yep, it's one of those great things about Pros! *g* (I'm sure we've discussed this before on LJ, haven't we?) At any rate, it is a fun little ah ha! fact.*g*

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Oooh, now there's an interesting one. And are the girlfriends pretty constant throughout the other seasons or do they come and go so to speak? A whole topic we could link in with the women in Pros research/discussion/rewatch :D

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

oh, this is news to me!! how fascinating!

Hijack: no, Doyle is dating Deborah from the MoD. Her friend Amanda is dating the Eastern bloc diplomat.

Just musing, but does this contribute to the air of world-weariness of later eps? They can't even be bothered chasing girls (or at least pretending to)? More joie-de-vivre in the earlier eps where girls come and go, they compete for them, share them...

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

also in series 4 (production order)
The first ep in series 4 was The Gun - Bodie's (ex?) Inger.

Wild Justice - the girl in the yellow jumpsuit appears to be Doyle's girlfriend, and Bodie is dating Jennifer Black.

Also the blonde girl Doyle leaves behind at the cricket match at the start of Bloodsports.

ETA: but your argument stands as The Gun and Wild Justice are the first two eps of S4, meaning the only identifiable girlfriend (as opposed to a female friend on a day out) from then on is Anita in Blood Sports, and there are none at all in the final 5 eps that were made in 1981.
I don't agree Anita is just part of the job, though, Doyle does seem to be attracted to her.

Which means Bodie's last girlfriend in canon is the prim Jennifer Black, who it seems to me appeals to him mainly as a status symbol, a trophy girlfriend if you like. And her pronouncement is
I should say Bodie doesn't have women problems. It's us women that have Bodie problems. . hmmm.

[ladyhawke2.livejournal.com]

I watched IOABP last night and Blood Sports tonight, and sadly I think Anita was much more than just work. *mutter* I also prefer my lads to be exclusive so I have to stick with them getting together after the series, but I'll be interested in your findings! Maybe, even though not together, they are getting tired of dating women but not ready yet to say that they've fallen for each other?

It's amazing the lovely scene you get if you mentally rub out Anita in that scene where Doyle is kissing her, and add in Bodie instead. It's not just any old kiss, there is a -lot- of promise in it.