Episode 12 (21st November 1972)

Jack gives Tom the sack following a heated confrontation, whilst Ruth decides to move to Leeds, and informs Tom it's up to him if he comes or not.
==Plot==
Tom lazies around the farm, irritating Matt. Marian questions Jack about Ruth. They argue about whether she was forced to marry Tom because she was pregnant and whether she should have married Tom at all. Jack says he does not believe in marriage, but he tells Marian that he loves her. She tells him to go and leave her alone - she despises him. Matt and Jack go to Bradford and buy a landrover for the farm. Henry asks Marian about Jack, he talks about the possibility of him having a wife. Marian tells her father that there will never be anything between her and Jack. She visits Joe and he admits to her that he'd been drinking prior to the accident and was coming to visit her to warn her about Jack, he says she hasn't got a hope with him. Marian tells him she knows, Joe thinks Jack has told her about his wife. She mentions to Joe that when he's out of hospital she'd like to resume the fishing lessons, as friends. He tells her where to buy a good rod. Matt returns to the farm with a land rover. Peggy is impressed. Ruth takes her children to the village, she runs into Jack and asks him to sack Tom. Jack tells Marian he loves her and wants to marry, she refuses. Matt and Tom row over him smoking on the farm. Jack visits Ruth at home and offers to buy Jackie's childish pictures for 100 pounds. Matt begins to look for another job, fed up of carrying Tom. Tom tries to walk over Jack by guilting him into a pay rise, hinting that he needs to pay for Jackie's welfare, and hints that Jack is his real father, and Jackie's welfare is really Jack's job. Jack gives him 2 weeks wages and then sacks him. Tom tries to blackmail Jack and threatens to tell Henry that Jack has been sleeping at Inglebrook House while he is in hospital. Jack tells him to get out, threatening to report him to the police for blackmail if he returns. Jack tells the family he's sacked Merrick. Ruth has packed up all of her and the children's things and tells Tom that she is moving to Leeds and it's up to him if he comes or not.
==Cast==
===Main cast===
*Annie - Sheila Mercier
*Jack - Andrew Burt
*Peggy - Jo Kendall
*Joe - Frazer Hines
*Matt - Frederick Pyne
*Sam - Toke Townley
*Marian - Gail Harrison
*Wilks - Arthur Pentelow
*Amos - Ronald Magill
*Ruth - Lynn Dalby
*Tom - David Hill
*Sandie Merrick - Jenny Mayors-Clark (uncredited)
===Guest cast===
None.
==Locations==
*Beckindale village
*Tom and Ruth Merrick's cottage - Kitchen and back garden
*The Woolpack - Public
*Inglebrook House - Downstairs rooms
*Emmerdale Farm - Farmhouse kitchen/living room, yard, hay barn, field
*Road outside Emmerdale Farm land
*Unknown hospital
==Notes==
*Last appearance of Tom Merrick until 2nd December 1980.
*Last appearance of Ruth Merrick until 7th January 1974.
*First appearances of Jackie Merrick played by an unknown and uncredited child actor and Sandie Merrick played by Jenny Mayors-Clark.
*The unknown child actors portraying Jackie and Tommy Merrick appear uncredited.
* TV Times synopsis: Episode 12: At the hospital, both Joe and Mr. Wilks have been questioned about the accident. Jack is arranging a special trip to Bradford with Matt. In The Woolpack, Tom Merrick embarrassed Ruth by pointing out that their eldest child has the same Christian name as Jack Sugden.
*This episode was included on the following commercial releases:
**Emmerdale Farm: Volume One DVD released by Network on 15th October 2007.
Category:1972 episodes
Category:Emmerdale Farm episodes
Category:Episodes released on DVD