Farewell Fiona

Dad’s Army is a comedy but it contains many moments of drama too. As the series progressed, Perry & Croft mined ever deeper into to the personal lives of the characters. Captain Mainwaring’s loveless marriage is frequently referred to in passing but in the episode Mum’s Army it is tackled head-on as Mainwaring falls in love with the elegant widow, Fiona Gray.

Their fledgling romance fails as she realises that their behaviour puts at risk his marriage, job and respectability – and she chooses to end the relationship. The episode ends, with a direct nod to the classic film Brief Encounter, as George and Fiona part on the platform of Walmington-on-Sea station.

You’d need a heart of stone to avoid shedding a tear and Arthur Lowe puts in a wonderful dramatic performance – I love how Croft held the final shot of his face as he watches her departing train. Not a word is spoken but Lowe expresses a world of sadness.