You may notice that a lot of episodes were characters die/get seriously injured are voted highly on here and this is no exception and is perhaps a great example of why they are rated so highly.
Alec Peters is out and about and gets mixed up with a violent criminal, who ends up stabbing him. The whole gang rallies round to help, even Brownlow pops up at the hospital. While we are all waiting to find out if he lives or not a few other things are happening.
1) Cryer is facing his own mortality and age reflecting on Penny's shooting (S3) and the stabbing. One of the first times you see him get quite defensive about it telly Kathy to get back to the cad room. A nice mention of Penny as it always drives me nuts in shows when characters leave and they literally fall off the earth like they never existed... The Bill was a rare exception.
Next we have poor Barry Stringer, he has lost contact on his radio and is on his way to a get a new one when he bumps into the criminal covered in blood. Obviously unaware of the stabbing he thinks the guy has been hurt. Now really Barry is one of the few who would follow this guy into a derelict building and end up almost dying as a result.
I wonder who's idea it was to have June Ackland stay covered in blood for so long? So within character for her.
Marc Warren plays the criminal in question and he has become somewhat typecast. The first thing I saw him in was A touch of frost ep called "Paying the Price" (with various other greats stars) and he played a nutter in that one too. Why not I say no point fixing whats not broke.
Overall fantastic and sets the scene for a lot of what happens in the next few months.
