This episode really caught me off guard. It starts off with the seemingly bland story about a young woman who is unsatisfied with her job (working for the RAF as a communications officer). However, by the end of the episode, I was absolutely captivated by the emotion of the story. She wants to quit her job, but her superior officer (an unmarried older lady who has worked for the RAF for 25 years) refuses to allow her to quit. Consequently, the young woman feels trapped, knowing that she is missing out on the life she dreams about. She doesn't exactly know what she wants, but her life changes one day because of a chance meeting in an empty pub. In walks a salesman, an awkward and eccentric fellow, who unsuccessfully attempts to sell cherries and gherkins to the hostile pub owner. Sitting at a nearby table, she witnesses the salesman's fiasco (which includes him accidentally breaking some of his jars) and he ends up accidentally sitting beside her. They strike up a conversation which doesn't go particularly well at first... but, as some of the best conversations do, it takes both people in unexpected directions... In fact, a single conversation can change your whole life. Like I said above, I became captivated with how the conversation proceeded. The acting and writing is excellent. The two leads play such three-dimensional characters, eccentric, imperfect, insecure, but both with big hearts, and seeing something in each other that nobody else has ever seen. Without giving any spoilers, I just mentioned that certain complications occur, which leaves you in suspense to the very end about what is going to happen between these two characters. I also want to mention the wonderful performance from the young woman's superior officer. Despite not having that much screen time, she is a three-dimensional character, and you can see glimpses of her emotions underneath her gruff exterior (and hints of a life story, a mix of nostalgia and regret - perhaps giving us a picture of how the main character would've ended up). A wonderful episode which I highly recommend.
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