This was such a sad story, from start to finish. while not a typical RMT thriller by any means, it was certainly a typical Elspeth Eric jaunt into psychology.

The only word I can find to describe this episode is "peculiar."

Every character in this situation has something "peculiar" with it. The train conductor which everything around him seems to happen with no control or feedback from him... he's sort of a silent observer - until the end when he comes to the father.

The strange man whom we never hear from, but whose presence is so powerful over the girl... just what was it that he was ill from? hmmm...

The strange woman, the wife who appears and disappears at random. Who was she exactly? I kept thinking that she was actually a future version of the young girl.

The father. He seemed to have no particular control over his daughter's well-being... most parents, it seems to me, would be able to somehow be able to connect better with their child and retain more of a responsiveness from them. The idea of control not being a "controlling" nature, but only in the normal, parental way. He gave off a sense of helplessness, an administrative parent, not a firm, sensible one.

Then there's the young girl herself. Beyond peculiar. I felt sorry for her, but at the same time she drove me a little bananas. Maybe it was the character, maybe it was the actress... maybe both. She gave off a sense of disconnectedness, a person who questions every question. Perhaps she was in some trance-like state, but if this episode was testament to her personality, then i'd have to say she was a bit too self-centered.

But again, it was a sad show. The train being phased out of that stop gives indication of the dimishing relevancy of trains over the last centure; the conductor man who was seemingly losing himself as well into irrelevancy; the strange woman, potentially losing her husband; the father potentially losing his (or his paternal control over) daughter; the strange man dying; and lastly the young woman retiring into her wreckless trance only to give her life up for the ideal of love.

i really sank into this episode, and while i didn't love the actual story, i cannot deny how well written and performed it was. The emotion and character strength of Elspeth Eric either hit or miss, and this episode hit very hard.

i gave the show a 5. not a typical RMT and not what you might typically expect... it drew me in and held me all the way through, and to be honest, the ending choked me up a little.

excellent pick! thank you!