Home Fires - what happened at the end?

[stonecircle]

Whose house did the plane crash into? It clipped the chimney of the house where the baby was being born, but then you could hear the baby crying when everyone was standing looking at the plane. Confused!

[PollyPerky]

I don't know. I asked the same thing! The implication was that they'd all been killed except the baby but who knows! Was sorry for Kate and was convinced the wedding was going to be called off.

[topcat2014]

I wasn't really sure how the bookkeeper woman ended up being responsible for the factory shutdown - I thought she was just reporting on the dodgy suppliers?

I think it was the doctors house the plane crashed in to.

The butcher was in the front room - baby being born in the back.

No mention at the end of the usual "series returns in the new year" - but I think they will.

Glad Pat managed to start getting her own back.

[PollyPerky]

Sorry- I meant Pat (not Kate.)

One thing- both my mum and I were saying we can't remember the names of the more minor characters- I don't know if this is a script issue, but apart from the leading women were were both pushed to name any of the more minor characters.

Are we just not hearing their names enough?

It's clearly been left open. I thought Pat would get to her chap, I thought the woman ( see, name eludes me) who married the airman would call it off having been clocked by the gay WAF, and I thought the factory would survive.

The bookkeeper agreed to monitor the books and 'spy' on the goings-on when the dodgy suppliers were allowed to carry on selling substandard material. It was a set up by the police to catch them. I don't think it was a fair call though because the police used the factory to catch them then closed them down as if they were complicit when of course they weren't. If the bookkeeper had told the owner, she could have acted but then the police wouldn't have got their men- so it was the police who were in the wrong to prosecute.

[Rhubarb01]

I assumed it was the doctor's house that was hit by the plane. I hadn't realised that the butcher (can't remember his name either) was the person in the front room. I suppose that they are hoping for another series or it will be a terrible ending to the series with so many unresolved stories.

I suppose the crash is a good way of writing out a few characters who might not want to do another series - reminded me a bit of Emmerdale. I don't think the doctor has much to do in general and now the son of the butcher is back the butcher is a bit superfluous too.

Pat's story is probably the most compelling and I'd like to see what happens and whether Bob will get his comeuppance soon. I'd happily not see the silly Radio Operator/Telepgraphist again. I can't believe she was deemed intelligent enough for the job. Poor old Mrs Scotlock she does keep dropping herself in it but I'm just not very sorry for Samantha Bond character (is she Frances?).

Quite a few people have said that they don't remember the characters names. I think there are just too many characters and stories. Everyone gets a bit of story line (a bit like a 'soap') but in six episodes there isn't enough time to explore any of the stories very thoroughly and it's factually a bit dubious in places as well. I think I would have kept it to three or four main stories and that's why we can't remember their names.

I'd watch a series three if there is one.

[diddl]

" now the son of the butcher is back the butcher is a bit superfluous too."

But I thought that the son wouldn't be able to do the work (ever?)?

Didn't think that Pat & Marek would get together-how would that work?

Closing the factory (forever?) seems harsh.

For the duration of the war as they were supplying parachutes, but after that surely the MOD(?) has no juristiction?

[Rhubarb01]

I was just being flippant about the butcher diddl partly because they'd conveniently put him in the front room to be hit by a spitfire and partly because from a plot point of view I couldn't see what he was going to do now that his son had returned and he didn't need to convince his wife she wasn't potty anymore. I didn't think the doctor had much to do either from a plot point of view in this series and wondered if the actor had a better offer as I've seen him in plenty of other dramas and he doesn't get to do much in this. Although I did enjoy the moment he decked the lecherous squadron leader!

Aside from the joking I do think it's all a bit too rushed in plot terms. Thinking back many moons ago to a World War Two home front drama that was on ITV 'We'll Meet Again' (I saw it when I was quite young and it has been repeated on 'Yesterday'), it focused on four or five relationships which were interlinked and it was spun out over thirteen episodes. That's the difference with drama today. No one takes the time to really tell a story because of the cost, I suppose, although there seems to be a fear that an audience can't concentrate very long on dialogue or will bother to watch for that many weeks.

[diddl]

"I was just being flippant about the butcher diddl"

[reallybadidea]

Wikipedia says that series 3 has been confirmed by ITV.

I've enjoyed the series in spite of myself because much of the writing is incredibly weak. What on earth was posh Mrs Cameron doing helping to deliver a baby?! Random or what? And Samantha Bond is extremely slow on the uptake. I think even our dog had worked out her husband had left 20% of the factory to his illegitimate lovechild before she did.

[Groovee]

I was a bit confused too.

[Rhubarb01]

reallybadidea yes you're right - why was Mrs Cameron there? They really have tried to turn her character around rather quickly. Do we think Francesca Annis wants out of the next series as well? At this rate I'd only be prepared to bet on the baby making it!

[temporaryrecruit]

It was all too rushed and too many characters and storylines, Pat's story is very good.

[Akire]

Yes was cliff hanger thought was doctors house too but pay lives next door. Yes yes to names pat is only one I can remember! Though doctor room was length of house and he was in room opposite. Not sure what posh lady was doing, doctor down business end , doctor wife hold hand so??

[CoolforKittyCats]

why was Mrs Cameron there?

She was 'prominent' in the community. The same sort of person was present when my DF was born on VE Day apparently.

I think Bob will assume Pat has been killed. Maybe her way of getting out?

[Chocolate1985]

Has anyone saw the latest that ITV won't be commissioning a third series ? I'm so disappointed really loved Home Fires and thought it was nice having a female led cast and the storylines were a bit different from the usual . Especially because of the ending of series 2 I can't not know what happens !

[Inkanta]

Yes Pat told him what for at least, before the plane crash - the bastard!

[Rhubarb01]

Yes, just seen that confirmation that ITV has cancelled series 3. What spectacularly bad planning! Fancy lining up a cliffhanger ending with story lines up in the air and then cancelling it. In a way it makes the entire two series a bit pointless. As much as it wasn't perfect I think it probably deserved bringing to a proper conclusion with the stories resolved where possible. I don't think they should have allowed series two to end that way without knowing for sure that they were going to get a third series. Well, you never know it seems to have quite a few fans so perhaps someone else will pick it up and conclude it?

[Akire]

That's awful!! Surely we need a Christmas special please please!

Will Pat met up with polish guy and live happier ever after?
Did butcher couple and baby get off ok?
Did doctor die in crash saved death from cancer instead
Will Noah's grandparents become to ill and what's her name have to keep and grow to love him.
Will butchers injured son find love?
Will vicars husband make it back ok?
Will pay husband go back from line and get pay back ?
We NEED closure!!!

[stonecircle]

Oh what a shame - I really enjoyed this series too. I agree they crammed too many storylines in but very watchable. If they weren't sure of a third series they could have shot two endings. Pat finally giving her husband what for and storming off down the road to see the Polish troops disappearing down the road and realising that she'd found her voice too late would have been better. It's obvious posh woman is going to be bringing Noah up after all the references to heavy bombing in Liverpool and that the teacher is going to be unhappily married etc.

The plane crash was completely unnecessary!

[Chocolate1985]

I really hope someone else picks up on it even if there were errors and it was a bit rushed it was good and I love anything set during the Second World War . Can't think why they wouldn't commission another series when it's not exactly awful . I'm so sad I actually emailed itv after signing a petition to bring it back

[EvansOvalPies]

ITV - Pffft!! They did exactly the same thing with Island at War (around 2004-5 ish)? Based on the German occupation of the Channel Islands, Laurence Fox and Philip Glenister were in it. Series pulled, so no-one will ever know what happened with the end of the story. And it was a good series, much better than Home Fires, actually. ITV are crap!

[Woodhill]

Why wouldn't they want to continue it, is it not popular.

Wish the whole series was longer.

Is it expensive to make

[ladybird69]

It can't end there with so many unanswered questions! For heaven's sake things were just starting to get going

[CoolCarrie]

I am so angry with itv for not continuing Home Fires, but crap like X factor, Britain got talent? ( sometimes I wonder if that's true) emmerdale, and other expensive rubbishy stuff , and now they are going to do the voice as well are on all the bloody time!

Couldn't stand downtown Abby, not a patch on Upstairs, Downstairs imo. BBC did a excellent version of up/ down stairs written by Heidi Thomas, but cancelled that after only two series as well. I thought it was head & shoulders above DA. Heidi Thomas is a brilliant writer who did Cranford which was wonderful.

All Home Fires fans should add their names to the pertition on Charge.org.
We fans deserve a Christmas special at least to tie up all the loose ends, but I think it could have run for years.

[Inkanta]

'I wasn't really sure how the bookkeeper woman ended up being responsible for the factory shutdown - I thought she was just reporting on the dodgy suppliers?'

Yes - I thought that as well. All that shaming she got - what on earth did she do wrong?

[stonecircle]

She was a government mole in the factory and knew there was something dodgy going on but couldn't warn Samantha Bond's character as they wanted to catch them in the act and bring their whole operation down. If she'd said anything then they'd just have been warned off. Basically she chose to do the right thing for her country at the expense of her friend's business. Difficult choice.