5. Jerry Blake - The Stepfather
What do we all want from life? A good job? A nice lifestyle? A loving family? Check, check and check. For a lot of us, the loving hug from our spouse as we return home from work is all it takes to prove that all is good in the world. Its the same for Jerry Blake. Or Henry Morrison. Or Bill Hodgkins. Or whoever the hell he is. Its hard being an adoptive parent, and the fact that Jerry has taken on such a brat as Stephanie is testament to the man himself. She fights at school, is rude to teachers and, eventually, gets expelled. On top of that, she is cavorting with a local boy and staying out late. She even thinks her stepfather is a murderer because he talks to himself in the cellar. Of course, he is a murderer, but thats not the point. We all talk to ourselves, dont we?! Jerry just wants a life like in fifties American sitcoms. Apple pie and white picket fencing. If it wasnt for Stephanies anger management problems, hed have it too. He even buys her a dog and she doesnt say thank you. When Stephanies psychiatrist goes beyond his remit and tries to set Jerry up, Jerry slips with a plank of wood and accidentally kills him. And pushes the burning car off a cliff. And walks away whistling. Hes clearly devastated by his actions. Like any good man, Jerry decides to turn over the page and start again with his family. Sorry, start again with another family. Okay, maybe he shouldnt have tried to kill his wife and adopted daughter but, look at it this way, he didnt. He didnt even do anything to the dog. And what does he get as a reward for not killing them? Hes shot and locked away in a mental asylum. Thanks very much.