Sunday 18 March 2018

Sunday Comments March 18

Billy seems to be the object of an intervention with Granny Geraldine and Summer's teacher taking the leads and pointing out that while understanding he's had a lot to deal with, he doesn't seem to be handling his recovery well. Poor little Summer keeps blaming herself. Even Granny can see that Summer is taking on the carer role like she did when her first dad was dying but Geraldine pleads with Billy not to put her through that again. She wants Summer to come to hers so she can provide a more stable environment. Temporarily, so she says. Billy gives in and tells Summer she is going with Granny and Granny promises not to be so strict and horrible. Poor kid is in bits but Billy promises she can call and visit whenever she wants. They do seem to have softened Geraldine a little bit though her attitudes haven't really changed. I think she'll just keep them to herself a bit more.

Later, Billy is in a lot of pain. He spots an antique pocket watch which gives him an idea. Next time we see him, he's in an empty church and Lee arrives. Lee doesn't have any more methadone and can't get hold of the man he gets it from but he does have something that just might help. Heroin. And they went there. Though we didn't see it, it was clear that he and Billy took heroin while in the church and were practically in comas by the end of one episode. I believe the TV "watchdog" people got a few dozen complaints about that. It is rather controversial, I have to say. Even *I* was looking over their shoulder for lightning bolts!

When next we see them, they've made it back to the flat in one piece and Billy is horrified at what he's done. In the church, no less! He is easily persuaded into another hit if he has something to sell. Lee suggests Summer's game console. Don't do it, Billy! Later, Eva can't get hold of him, he's not returning her calls and she can't find Eileen for the spare key. Someone that does have the spare key has skived off school and run home. Billy doesn't seem to be home. She does some cleaning up and hears Billy and Lee come in later just as the school calls and leaves a message. She hides in the bedroom but she knows they've done drugs.

Poor kid. She comes out and Billy looks like the seventh level of Hell, like he's been strung out on H for months instead of this only being his second time. To be fair, he's been necking pills for weeks. He insists she go back to her grandmother because he can't look after her, he doesn't want her there. She runs out just as he leans over the sink to upchuck. Another "I'm an addict" box ticked, I think.

And Summer, she ends up in Number 11. Eileen is still in the pub but Phelan is there and she pours her little heart out. He promises her they'll sort it out tomorrow. Phelan came home earlier and found out that Eileen tried to take Nicola's box of belongings to her and ended up in a shouting match. Phelan reckons it's probably for the best. He admits to being angry at Nicola but not at Eileen. They have more important things to worry about now that Summer's on their doorstep and Billy's pressed the Easy-Addict button.

Geraldine shows up on the doorstep of Number 11 looking to see Summer. Phelan's hackles rise but Eileen takes the steering wheel. Eileen allows a reasonable hearing but Geraldine's claims that she and Eileen are not that different threw that argument out the window. Eileen at least, has never abandoned her children (though she has disowned them for a day or two on occasion. It worked, Eileen might have won this round, but legally Geraldine has the upper hand.

Another off shoot of all of this is Peter's reaction. He sees what Summer is going through and feels really bad about being an instigator of the whole thing. If he hadn't tried to take revenge, Billy wouldn't have fallen and injured himself. He confessed to Toyah about the Christmas episode and how Adam ended up getting Billy hooked. Toyah took it well, at least to his face.

Tyrone is enjoying having Sean around with all his extra cooking and enjoying Gemma pitching in keeping the girls occupied. Both good friends to have. But he also seems to be giving Gemma an extra look now and then. I like when we hear a bit about Gemma's background. This week it was her grandparents, married 50 years, sang in pubs as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton and her gran did more to bring her up than her own mother did. Ty went to thank her for her help with the girls and take her a homemade muffin just as Fiz walked around the corner.

Nice to see Fiz is back. She asked if the girls have been behaving and is told they were little angels. Things have changed for her and her little family. thanks to Sean's cooking and Tyrone's participation in the fight, we are led through an explanation as to why Tyrone has lost weight though really, the actor has slimmed down though the years. Through the next day home, we see Chesney running into Daniel and Sinead all loved up everywhere and he can't stand it, feels like they are rubbing his nose in it and Fiz feels bad for her little brother.

Brian still hasn't made the connection between the musical Grease and character Danny Zuko and the actual country Greece and there have been a few amusing scenes about that. It might be a 50s style hair do but it doesn't actually look that bad on him. At the bar, Eva makes a remark about Brian's hair. He's still not clued to the fact that Danny Zuko from "Greece" is a character in a musical circa the 1950s which Eva mentions in connection with "Grease". Nope. still doesn't get through.

Yasmeen has apparently got the aisles and contents of Freshco memorized and can speed-shop her way through it. Liz might be the queen of karaoke and the bedroom but discussing intimate details with her son's girlfriend is a bit too close for comfort. Which is what Beth and Tracy were hoping rather than having Liz tag along with them. Looks like Rosie is developing a crush on Imran.

Phelan tells Kate and Alya they're going to have to get a new person to occupy Luke's old room. He can't afford to have it empty. It's a bit of a blow but they agree to try to find someone. Zeedan has just the person, Sophie! Sophie isn't so sure Kate would like it but asks anyway. She'll need somewhere once Tim and Sally sell up and move away. Kate tiptoes delicately around the subject, she certainly didn't bring it up and offer the room to Sophie. Alya tells Zeedan she wouldn't mind Sophie moving in but we all get the feeling Kate minds very much. She and Sophie might be dating but Kate's heart is definitely somewhere else. Alya tells Sophie it's fine and it looks like the spare room is now filled.

Kate doesn't look all that happy about it. Zeedan looks like it was a job well done. I guess he figures putting Sophie in the flat with Kate will keep Kate away from Rana and it will hurt Rana who admits later that it does have that effect. Imran takes Zeedan to task for rubbing Rana's face in everything. Kate decides she's going to have to talk to Sophie after all, telling her it's too soon in the relationship for them to be living under the same roof. Sophie's disappointed but it can't be helped. Kate told Rana later.

And then Kate finds Craig in the corner shop talking to Mary about moving out and suggests Luke's old room. Probably a safer bet having him there than Sophie. Less drama until the Kate and Rana thing explodes. Poor Sophie seems to realize something's not right but focuses on her own growing feelings for Kate instead.

That leaves Sophie again looking for a room since she doesn't really want to go with Tim and Sally. I don't think they're going to end up selling after all so it probably a non-starter of a plot. She does need to find something that will be more fulfilling than being a window cleaner. Craig doesn't waste any time before getting stuck in at his new home, turning off the burners and unplugging things.

Zeedan makes a kind gesture buying Rana a coffee in the cafe but doesn't stay to chat with her either. She took it as a somewhat peace offering. Imran is gutted that she's being the put-upon one in the relationship. Zee is less than happy when he finds out Sophie didn't move in after all. He ditched Leanne at the cafe so she followed him home to talk to him and offer advice on the new place he hopes to open. But the conversation and visit with no further agenda other than friendly support had Zeedan coming on to Leanne with an attempt at a kiss. She pushed back and was out of there like a scalded cat. Oops! At least he didn't let it lie and went straight to the pub to apologize. Leanne doesn't think Zee is going to be able to put up a front for a whole year.

Kate took her suspicions about Zeedan and Leanne to Rana and Rana admits their "trying to make it work" is a financial arrangement only. Cue tea and sympathy. The end result is that Kate and Rana are back together and Zeedan caught the conciliatory kiss. Oh heck. Rana tells Zeedan she's going to be with Kate, either in secret until the year is up or not, he's got to accept it. Zeedan has been the target of a couple of people's opinions on this whole year of a farce wedding and when Rana finally shows up he tells her she can see Rana as long as they're discreet. It's all about the money, baby.

Gail and Sarah are horrified that Bethany's going back to the club. Bethany figures she might as well get paid for being leered at and she can make a lot more money than at the salon. Yes, but at what cost? She'll find out soon enough.

Maria and Beth nearly catch Craig at his morning rituals, safe-proofing the kitchen but he manages to scale it back though mentions he needs a new watch battery. Maria has noticed Craig has been a bit obsessed lately but Beth has to agree but puts it down to the upset over Bethany. In a bit of an argy bargy, Beth and Sarah shout about trying to get Craig to talk to Bethany to get her to see sense about the club. He doesn't think she'll listen to him but Sarah's desperate.

The new manager is creepy and takes one look at Bethany and says she'll do. He passes over a very skimpy outfit that everyone has to wear. She's still only dancing in that "wave your arms around and wiggle your bum" way, which is to say, not all that sexy really. There's a group of men in having a stag do and one of them is fair haired. The organizer of the stag catches a look at Bethany who has defied the manager and worn her own outfit, something slightly less revealing.

She's got to dance for the stags under a warning about wearing the bikini next time. The stag organizer immediately grabs her and is giving her a difficult time, the lads all start changing "Jason" (the groom) but she suddenly sees him as Nathan with the accompanying chant, freaks out, breaks a bottle and lashes out at the ghost of Nathan. She's then arrested for assault and she wants Craig back then, oh yes. Seeing her in distress sends him into counting like a mad man.

The whole story comes out when the police interview her when Sarah gets there to be her "appropriate adult" (Bethany isn't 18 yet). She thought the man was Nathan. She has had quite a knockdown. She's been arrested, all right and will be in court in a few days but is out on bail until then. Poor Craig feels that he wasn't able to protect her. All his rituals and counting and he still couldn't do it. She thinks she's scared Craig off and is frightened she's going to see Nathan everywhere. Sarah assures her that she only had a moment, not a psychotic episode.

David put it all in perspective. She's lapdancing out of anger, not for control and maybe she should go back to therapy. It might work better now that she sees things aren't quite what she thought they were.

She had her court appearance, wearing an outfit the very opposite of skimpy. Didn't know she even owned something so dowdy unless she borrowed it from Gail! But Craig is still there to be her rock (so she's still not questioning his apparent obsessions like turning the electrical switches off. Anyway, the man she attacked decided not to press charges so the charges were dropped. I can never understand why, when the person that was under attack drops the charges, that the police still prosecute sometimes and sometimes they don't. If the law was broken, it was broken and a major assault like a glass in the face is major. Bethany has realized that she does need more counselling so that's one plus at least.

Beth's not happy that Craig is moving but the poor lad must be yearning to have some privacy, not just from his mother. He's been living for a houseful for years!

In other developments, the former medical centre manager, Moira, has been to a tribunal and has been given her job back and back she is! Liz and the doctor are both horrified. Then, when Moira returned looking for Liz in the pub, Liz spent as much time as she could trying to avoid her by hiding in the ladies' room. She testified against Moira in the tribunal and thinks Moira's out to get her. Liz and Eileen have it out in the toilets with Liz asking Eileen to help her.

But later, after Moira drove Eileen spare, Eileen and Liz share a bottle of wine in the bog. They kind of do make up over her feelings for Phelan. Eileen feels she's losing all her friends because nobody likes Phelan. Liz suggests a "get to know Pat" party. They were rumbled in the toilet later by Leanne while Moira is beating Josh at the dart board. Turns out Moira's not upset at all that Liz told the tribunal she was mentally unstable. They believed it so she couldn't be dismissed on any mental health issue. It was what got her job back for her.

Now Liz and Eileen are back as mates but Billy's problems are weighing on her. Liz points out that since Todd is no longer with Billy, it's not really her problem. Don't forget,though, he lived at Eileen's for quite awhile so it's natural she'd feel maternal about him plus what happens with Summer.

The project manager of the Mill development, Mona, is after Phelan again. She's ticked that he's taking a day off now and then. Sounds like she's a workaholic when all she has to come home to is a houseful of animals. Phelan lost all the colour in his face. They've already started draining the swamp where the bodies are! Oh heck!!!!

One look at Phelan's face on the morning after the revelations of the night before, and you'd be saying to him "cheer up, might never happen" when, in fact, it has and the dead bodies are probably going to be uncovered by the swamp water draining any time now. Eileen's busy sorting out the "Get to know Pat" party, not realizing she herself needs to get to know him as well because she might think she does but does she really? She's given him a list of things to do and wants him home by 5. Who gives a party on a Monday night? Well, I guess a lot do.

Seems nobody minds a week night party including Gina and Dev and number 11 fills up slowly. Liz and Eileen sticking together because Eileen is worried that the guest of honour is nowhere to be found. and because Eileen more or less had to invite Moira Here things get emotional because for all his faults, Phelan is always honest with her, she says, and always calls when is on the road and expected back. Important it may be but two dead bodies about to be discovered kind of trumps that. Pat is pulling one of them out of the water as we speak and it's tough going. The wind is blowing and it's snowing a bit. He drags the bodies into the structure and along a scaffolding to where a huge cement mixer is on and pouring concrete into foundation bits.

Back at Eileen's, Moira shows up and is as obnoxious as ever. Some things don't change! Gina jumps at the tequila bottle, promising Dev she will only have the one. By contrast, Sally's dinner party is quiet and genteel with sophisticated music playing in the background. Before Kate can have a word with Sophie, Sally calls for attention. She mentions that Sophie is selling the window cleaning business and they're all very proud. Sophie admits she needs to concentrate on a better future. Kate still wants a word (timing, ladies, could be so much better). They go outside, Kate splits up with her. She knows Sophie is falling for her and she doesn't feel the same way. Tears flow down Sophie's face as Kate flatters her as a lovely person who deserves someone wonderful. Kate leaves her there crying on the doorstep.

Sally's having a posh dinner party on the very same Monday night as the rival Phelan party. Rosie ropes Imran into being her plus one and Tim would rather drink beer than wine and is not looking forward to it at all. Kate and Rana also plan to come out together or at least, Kate has to break up with Sophie. This night is going to be a disaster. Kate sees Zeedan and questions him about the circumstances behind the deal with Rana's parents. He can't stop her and Rana from being together so if he thought he'd get her back, he thought wrong. Gina tells Sally they were already invited to the party at Eileen's so she and Dev won't be at Sally's.

PHelan gets to the Mill a bit late and his boss mouths off at him for it. The next two blokes near the outlines of a building, are running a machine that's working on draining the water. The canal with concrete sides (that defines it as more than a pond at least) has a very visibly lower water line than before. Phelan takes a good look at the canal and looks quite anxious. The water line continues to drop. The skivvy is sat beside the water pretending to be talking to head office but in reality, having a natter with his old mum. He's the last one on the site for the day bar Phelan who's anxious to get rid of him because he can see one of the bodies has started to be revealed on the other side of the water. He plays to the man's ego and his offer to stay on is snapped up.

The weather has turned to a mucky sleeting rain. Phelan has managed to get the bodies into the foundation! Eileen texts him and he sends one back. Phelan's text about a work disaster has put Eileen's mind at rest. Eileen calls him back to see when he might arrive except, as his phone rings and vibrates, before he can get it, the vibration makes it fall off the scaffolding where he'd laid it. Plop right into the heady mixture of liquid concrete and two dead bodies. I don't know why he thought it was worth it, but he climbs down to fetch it even though it will never work again.





Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

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