Tuesday November 4th 2003

Brookside......the final episode and the end of an era

After seeing Jimmy being bundled in a car at the end of last weeks episode, this week Jimmy is being taken to an unknown destination. As he is driven along a motorway, Jimmy tries to fathom out the reason for his abduction, suspecting it must either be something to do with Cinerco or his drug dealing neighbour Jack Michaelson.

Back on the close Marty hurriedly walks by Jack on his way back to the house after visiting Christy in hospital. He is agitated and distraught as he explains to Jan that Christy is seriously ill and might need an operation. Jan responds that they should move away from the close, Cinerco and Jack Michaelson, but Marty doesn't see why he should be forced to leave his home. Desperate to get revenge on Jack, he tries to contact Steve, but discovers he is working with Tim in Wales.

In the Gordon house Sean is also in a furious mood after what happened to Luke. Ruth tries to calm him down and tells Sean to forget about Jack. Sean replies he would rather kill Jack than forget him, and says that they will have trouble selling the house with the likes of Jack living on the close. Both Sean and Marty become even more annoyed as they watch through their windows, at what seems like a continuous stream of young teenagers collecting drugs from Michaelson.

Meanwhile Jimmy arrives at his destination, and is blindfolded before being led into a house. He feels the barrel of a gun pressed against his forehead, as a voice with a strong Liverpool accent says " I am going to ask you a question, and you are going to say yes ". Jimmy is terrified as the unknown voice continues " and the question is ", just at that point the blindfold is removed as Lindsey walks into the room, and the voice ( belonging to Barry Grant ) says " can I marry your daughter "
Neither Jimmy or Lindsey are amused as Barry explains that abducting Jimmy was just a joke, and that he thought Jimmy would see the funny side. Barry wants Jimmy to give his blessing to him marrying Lindsey, but Jimmy is not happy and replies that he will sleep on it.

The next morning Lindsey takes Jimmy to Barry's house, a large mansion on the outskirts of Newcastle. When she gives him a change of clothes, Lindsey is shocked to see his chest covered in bruises, so Jimmy explains about his run in with Jack Michaelson, and also relates how he had a cancer scare a few weeks ago. As they continue talking about recent events Jimmy decides to give Lindsey his blessing, after she tells him that marrying Barry will give her security, and she loves him. Lindsey has another surprise in store for Jimmy when she asks him to leave Brookside close and come and live with her and Barry in Newcastle. Although at first Jimmy seems reluctant to leave the close, after Barry tells him that Wills can come to stay about it Jimmy becomes quite keen on the idea. Barry decides to join Lindsey and Jimmy when they return to the close to pack Jimmy's possessions.

There is an angry confrontation on the close when Sean accuses Jack of being responsible for nearly killing Luke. Sean is further incensed when Jack shows no remorse, and boasts it's not his fault if kids want to buy drugs, he only supplies them. There is more bad news for the Murray family when Marty receives a phone call from the hospital, Tony has been admitted on a suspected cocaine overdose, having been found collapsed in a park with Suzie. After hearing about Tony Murray, Ruth agrees to let Sean ask his brothers for help to sort out Jack once and for all.

Once back at No 10 Lindsey helps Jimmy pack and reminisces about the good times they had on Brookside Close, while Barry having noticed that No 5 is up for sale, is eager to look round his old home. On his way over to the house he meets Sean and Stuart, and asks them to tell him all about Jack Michaelson. Meanwhile Bev has called round to see Lindsey and passes on all the latest gossip about how Jack was responsible for putting Christy, Tony and Luke in hospital.

When Steve and Tim return to the Murray house from Wales, they are also horrified to hear how Jack Michaelson put both Christy and Tony in hospital. Tony remains in a coma while Christy will need a operation to repair a torn kidney. Tim is eager to confront Jack, but after what happened to Christy, Steve advises they should wait until the time is right.

Tim calls on Jimmy and is surprised to learn Jimmy is planning to move to Newcastle, but understands his reasons for leaving. Later when Tim relates how he want's to stop Jack Michaelson before he hurts anyone else, Barry asks if he has heard the story of " The strangers field ". and as Tim hasn't heard of it, Barry tells him the story. He tells him how in the old days, if a stranger came to a village, and his face didn't fit, and he upset people, they would kill him. He would be taken to a field, killed and buried, with every villager taking part in the killing. He continues, that if they clubbed the stranger to death, everyone would hold the club, and if a knife was used, everyone would stab him, and afterwards no one would breath a word about the killing. After listening to what Barry has to say, Tim realises that Barry is suggesting a good method of killing Jack, without anyone being accused of the crime.

Jan finally manages to convince Marty that they should sell up to Conerco and leave Brookside Close, even if they do lose money. Meanwhile Jimmy has second thoughts about leaving the close, and tells Lindsey he wont be driven out of his house by Michaelson, and will stay until after he has been dealt with. Lindsey tries in vain to make him leave with her, but Jimmy is adamant about staying, and asks Barry to help. However Barry has his own problems to sort out, after learning that Damon's killers have been released from jail. Barry tells Jimmy when Damon died, he vowed revenge if ever they were released early after being sentenced to life imprisonment. He suggests that Jimmy talk to Tim and ask him about the story of " The strangers field ". As Barry is about to leave in his car, he sees Jack and gives him an icy stare. When Jack asks what he is looking at, Barry replies" history "

That evening while Lindsey is staying with Jackie, Jimmy meets up with Tim and Steve for a serious discussion, while Sean also receives an important phone call. Later Jimmy, Sean, Tim, Steve and Marty set off into the night, and shortly a violent struggle can be seen through the windows of Michaelsons house. As the struggle continues upstairs, Michaelson can be seen bound and gagged at a open window. A rope is place around his neck before he is pushed through the opening and left to hang from the upstairs window, a short while later he is dead.
It's now 7:50 am the next day and the Milkman arrives as usual, just as he did 21 years earlier. This time the sight of Michaelson's body hanging on a blue rope from the window of No 8 causes him to drop some bottles. The sound of breaking glass is heard by Jimmy, working on his computer and Marty resting in bed, while Nikki also drops a glass when she sees Michaelson as she prepares breakfast.

The police are soon on the scene questioning the residents of the close, but everyone seems to have an alibi, and no one seems concerned about his death.
Jimmy assures Nikki that Jack's death had nothing to do with him, while Sean explains to Ruth that he spent the night at his brothers house. Meanwhile Marty and Bev both believe that no one will miss Jack Michaelson, and that the police will probably conclude he was killed by another drug dealer.

A few weeks later, as Sean loads up his van in readiness to move to their new house, Kirsty has to say goodbye to Steve, while promising to keep in touch by phone. The Dixons are also preparing to move, as are the Murrays and Jimmy. Steve has his own plans and tells Marty he will be moving to a new flat with Tanya, a girl he met in Wales.
Before he leaves Stuart calls on Jimmy and gives him a couple of computer disks, which Jimmy then gives to Ron when he sees him and Bev leaving the close. Jimmy also gives Ron some pictures, which he had once uploaded to the Internet. The pictures and disks were of Bev and Ron in revealing poses, so Ron is pleased to have the remaining copies, and thanks Jimmy, but jokes that he hopes he will never see Jimmy again once he has left the close. As Ron drives off in his Moby, the Cinerco workers continue their work boarding up the houses, while Jimmy now in a despondent mood surveys the almost empty close.

The next morning Christy, now apparently completely recovered from his operation, approaches Jimmy for a chat. Jimmy is having a bonfire in his front garden, having decided to burn most of his possessions before leaving.
The Murrays are looking forward to a new start and are soon on their way with their furniture loaded in Christy's van, while Nikki leaves the bungalow for the last time, and joins Jimmy in his front garden. Tim is also about to leave and offers to collect both Nikki and Jimmy in the limosine when they are ready to go. Nikki has decided to stay with Margi for a while in Brussels, while Jimmy will be leaving for Newcastle.

As they wait for Tim to arrive in the Limo, Nikki and Jimmy sit outside No 10 by the fire while Jimmy has a final rant about how things have changed for the worse in recent years. Just before they leave he and Nikki board up the widows of the house themselves, rather than let Cineraco do the job.

Tim arrives to pick them up, but as they drive away, Jimmy shouts for Tim to stop the car, as he has something to do. As a final act of defiance he breaks into each house on the close and leaves all the taps running. He then paints across the boarded up houses in large red letters " Game Over " before adding the letter "D" to the Brookside Close road sign to make it read Broookside Closed.