Bouquet of Barbed Wire

Prue Sorensen (Susan Penhaligon) is a university student who, after becoming pregnant, marries American actor Gavin (James Aubrey). Her father, Peter Manson (Frank Finlay), is a publisher who appears to have an unhealthy relationship with his daughter and becomes distressed over her pregnancy and marriage. The pregnancy creates tension between Peter and Gavin, which Prue exploits for her own amusement. It is implied that Prue has engineered the marriage and pregnancy to provoke her father.

Prue and Gavin stay at her parents' house for the weekend, ostensibly to smooth over relations with Peter. However, this endeavour fails and Peter barely acknowledges Gavin's presence. Prue's mother, Cassie (Sheila Allen), is more accepting of Gavin, despite being aware that Prue is playing her father and her husband against each other. Prue suggests to Gavin that they invite Peter to accompany them on a summer holiday in France, yet when Gavin approaches Peter about it, he declines.

A young woman named Sarah Francis (Deborah Grant) is hired as Peter's new office secretary. Soon it becomes apparent that Peter is attracted to Sarah, but he does not pursue her. During an argument with Cassie, Peter says he is struck by Sarah's ambitious drive, and contrasts it to what he perceives as Prue's recklessness. Sarah is an independent woman who is seeing two men, one of whom visits her flat against her landlord's rules. Drama ensues when Sarah's alcoholic father arrives at the apartment unannounced.

Cassie, fearful that the family is growing apart, suggests that she and Peter go on holiday to Scotland with their two young sons, showing them the places they visited on their honeymoon. Peter remains increasingly obsessed with Prue, and mistakenly believes her pregnancy has ruined her life. He grows resentful towards Cassie, who he believes has sided against him with Prue. Meanwhile, Prue refuses to speak with Peter because of his treatment of Gavin. Later, Gavin hits Prue while she is sick due to her pregnancy, resulting in Prue's refusal to go to work. He later apologises profusely for hitting her, claiming that he will never do it again.

Immediately after Prue is agitated by Gavin, Peter admits to Cassie that everything she said is true. Cassie realises that both the affair and the accusation are evidence of Peter's twisted obsession with Prue and orders him to leave; he spends the night at Sarah's apartment. Later, Cassie is called to the hospital where Gavin has admitted a badly beaten Prue. When Gavin visits Cassie the next day, he claims that she had been putting him to beating her as a means of self-punishment. He pleads with Prue to stop making him hurt her; she ignores him and casually says that she "had it coming".