Wednesday 8 October 2008

My Top Ten Kavanagh QC Stories: No 3 In God We Trust

Oh, bless...

In God We Trust… (First screened in the UK television on 14th April 1997, writer Russell Lewis.) Driven by a desire for justice, and to help his former colleague Julia Piper, now married to an American lawyer, Kavanagh flies to the US to assist with the appeal of a convicted murderer on Florida's death row. While he's away his wife, Lizzie learns that she has Cancer.
From the very beginning you can tell this is going to be a very emotional and powerful story, starting with the murder shots being shown in black and white.

But there is also humour within the story the scene in the underground car park with the gunman is rather funny until Julia’s waters brake, and James has to rush her to the hospital then you know it’s serious.

James fighting a lost cause trying to get William Dupree clemency when the governor Cotton is against him because of his grandson, who he knows did the killings.

The brutal truth of the execution of Dupree and the grandmother screaming but you don’t hear her, and then after it’s over you see her drained, she wasn’t the only one by the end of this story.

The scenes at home with Lizzie and James are delightful and charming, James and the viewers still not knowing what’s coming.

The Boat scene is one of the most emotional scenes I've seen on television and it was beautifully acted by John and Lisa, I just loved it. When James says “I don’t know what to do” Lizzie says: “All you have to do is love me”, and James replies “Always”, tears me apart, it so reminds me of my mum dying of cancer, and I never got to tell her how much I loved her!!

3 comments:

leila_poole said...

This episode still makes me cry, and I've seen it more times than I can think. Its that last set of scenes where Lizzie tells James she is dying, the pain in his face says it all, and when he says 'I don't know what to do?" and she says, "All you have to do it love me." He says "Always" gets me going everytime! A very emotional episode.

Lollipop said...

This is a powerful episode which I don't watch often because emotionally it rips me apart. Between the stark, brutal reality of the execution, and the helplessness and despair James and Lizzie suffer over her illness, I'm drained by the end of the episode.

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness!!! LOVED this episode too!!