Diane Murray stares pensively out the Murray front window. It’s the morning after the dinner party with the Evans pere et fille, and it’s obvious she’s extremely bothered. She pays no attention to Marty as he hovers in the background, and she’s scarcely bothered by Antony who enters the room. It’s his last day at junior school and not before time, as he shows her the frayed state of his school tie.
Interrupted in her reverie, Diane looks at the tie. She cried rivers the day he left for junior school and now he’s finishing. She can scarcely believe it. Isn’t Antony sad? Antony confesses that he’ll be glad to leave. In fact, he can’t get to senior school quickly enough. As the boy leaves the room, Marty comments upon Antony not being too sad about leaving the school, but again, Diane is lost in thought.
The Plank enters, shirtless, (an obvious ploy to turn on all the tweenie viewers), demanding to know the location of his blue shirt (which appears to be hanging, neatly ironed, on the door behind him - but remember, there’s sawdust in that-there head of his). Diane, distractedly replies that the shirt is probably in a ball on his bedroom shirt from his foray Saturday night. And Marty, wordlessly points to the door. Plank realises his faux-pas and asks if both his parents are putting in an appearance tonight at the ‘showroom launch’.
Diane doesn’t reply, but Marty says that the pair will attend. After all, he wouldn’t miss an opportunity to see his oldest son playing gopher to ‘Geoff the Meff’. Plank dashes off, shirt in hand.
Tim is walking Emily to work. They appear to be the next Mike and Rachel-in-waiting, because they are bewailing the fact that they are skint. Tim hates being skint all the time and even moreso now that Mick’s on his case for the rent. Emily, in true Rachel fashion, assures him that it won’t always be like this. (Won’t it?)
Tim asks her if she would consider asking Diane for an advance on her wages, but Emily isn’t sure. Diane hates meting out subs at the best of times and lately, she’s been in a right narky state. But Emily promises she’ll try to ask.
At the same time, Darren and Victoria emerge from the flats and walk in the direction of the surgery. Darren is in a right narky state too, saying that he’s about to start the day in a job he hates where the people hate him. Victoria protests that there are some patients who would be lost without Dr Darren, to which he responds that there appear to be a couple of blue rinses for whom he writes repeat prescriptions, but no one special. He moans that if he suggests treatment, either the Authority is too slow in organising it, which makes it his fault in the eyes of the patients or if the treatment is quick, then it’s not what they want. He wants out.
Back at the Murrays’, Marty and Diane are on their own. Marty seems to have forgotten their altercation of the day before. He’s more concerned about Antony’s attitude, or rather lack of it, at the thought of leaving junior school. Marty wonders if the boy’s been being bullied again. Diane, however, isn’t interested in Antony’s problems at the moment. Like the good mother she thinks she is and isn’t, she’s concerned with herself and the burdon of confessing to Marty something which happened the night before.
She has something to tell Marty, but before she tells him, she wants him to promise that he won’t kick off when he hears it. Intrigued, Marty asks what she wants to tell him. Again, she insists that he promise not to lose his temper. What she is about to tell him, he can never tell another soul. She confesses to him about Geoff making a pass at her the night before.
Marty asks if Geoff touched her up, but she assures him it was only an awkward attempt at a pass. She put him in his place and he left shortly afterward, highly embarrassed. Marty is annoyed, jumping up and saying that he would kill Geoff for this. Diane stops his action, reminding him of his promise. It was nothing, she said. She was feeling sorry for herself and her predicament and she unburdoned herself to him, for want of someone to listen to her woes. She’s sorry she did that now. Marty remarks that that’s exactly the type of person Geoff was - his own wife leaves him and he thinks that entitles him to try to score with another man’s wife. Diane asks Marty abruptly if he loves her. He responds in the affirmative. Then, says Diane, he’ll do what she asks and promise not to say a word to anyone about the event, as it might have repercussions for Steve.
If Brookside used background music, we might next have heard Tschaikovsky’s ‘Death March’, because we next see Katie Rogers trudging along the Parade. Her hair is greasy and unkempt, her blouse hangs out of her skirt and she has a face that would make a wet weekend in Brighton look miserable. She runs into Rachel, who speaks to her, tentatively.
Katie, sarcastically, yet seeking comfort in her self-pity, asks Rachel if she isn’t afraid Mike will see her talking to her. Rachel says she only wanted to ask Katie how she is. Katie replies that the police have released Flint’s body. She has to go to the Chapel of Rest the next day to view it and she’s afraid to go alone. She’s wondering if Rachel would go with her.
Looking around uneasily, as if she thinks Mike might be lurking in the surrounding foliage, Rachel replies that she can’t really go. Isn’t there someone else who could go with Katie - Nisha, perhaps? Nisha’s on holiday, explains Katie, and her own family are scattered. (Er, what about going with the Moffatts? After all, Katie was seriously involved with Flint.) Rachel apologises again, but reiterates that she can’t risk causing havoc in the Dixon household.
Back at the Murrays’, a newly reconciled Diane and Marty sit wrapped in each other’s arms on the sofa. Diane tells Marty that she understands why he did what he did in supporting Adele, even though she doesn’t approve of abortion, personally. Marty is still bristling about Geoff, saying he needs a good hiding. Diane is still adamant that Marty should do nothing about what happened, but they both agree it would be best if they don’t attend the grand opening tonight.
At the Farnham house, Max and the kids present Jacqui with a birthday cake and presents for her 25th. Max says he hopes Ron wasn’t too put out with Jacqui not being able to spend the day en famille. Jacqui explains that she told Ron she’d do something with the family at the weekend, as she had to work that day (which is stupid, as the Dixons seem to always be around the house and the Farnhams are just next door). Anyway, Jacqui informs Max that one of her prize clients at the Health Club has given her two tickets to a big gig downtown on Friday night and she want Max to attend. Max is flattered, but remarks that it’s been years since he attended anything like a gig.
At the Walk-In Clinic, Darren, carrying a child, helps a singularly ungrateful mother and another child out the door, remarking on her surliness with: ‘There goes another satisfied customer.’ At that moment, Victoria enters, suggesting that she take him to lunch next door. Darren, however, is totally fed up. He’s fed up to the hilt with his job, his patients and the paperwork. He doesn’t want to go to lunch, he wants to leave. Victoria is astonished. Darren reiterates that not only does he want to leave, he wants to do so now, at this moment. ‘If we don’t do it now,’ he tells Vic, ‘we’ll still be here next year talking about it.’
In the background, a miserably Katie answers a phonecall listlessly. (Did no one ever think that the reason Darren’s patients are disgruntled is that they are greated and treated with misery by the po-faced receptionist?) Also, where are the patients? The damned surgery is always empty when we see it, yet most surgeries are chocca. Interrupting his conversation with Vic, Katie informs Darren that some woman from the Health Authority wants to speak to him re patient waiting times. (WHAT PATIENTS?!) Darren says he doesn’t intend to speak to her. But, Katie insists, he always speaks to her.
Not now, says Dazza. As of now, he’s quitting. The Health Authority can sue him for breach of contract if they want. They’ll have to reach him in South America or Asia or someplace remote. All his patients can be referred to other members of the practice. He’s out of there NOW. Victoria is elated and the pair embrace.
Antony Murray is leaving the garage, having just bought a bar of chocolate when he encounters the charming pair, known as Paige and Imelda. Not beating around the bush, the girls inform him that they’ll be needing some spends for their summer hols and ‘suggest’ that he obtain some for them, preferably from the garage.
Uncomfortably, Antony explains that he’s unable to do that. He got caught nicking goods and money for them the last time and his parents were told. Well, then, the girls suggest, what about the salon? After all, his mother worked there. What about, say, a tenner apiece? It wouldn’t do for word to get out that Antony Murray was afraid of girls, would it? Antony protests, whereupon one of the girls announces (in a brilliantly contemporary play on words), that if Ant doesn’t get the money for them, he’ll get DECked.
Back at the Farnhams’, Max and Jacqui are in the middle of a game with the children, who are upstairs, making noise. Jacqui is dressed in what has obviously been Emma’s Hallowe’en costume of a witch’s cape and hat, and Max is decked out in Harry’s cowboy hat. Suddenly the doorbell rings. The pair are puzzled at whom it could be, as no one was expected. Max answers the door to find Lisa looking at him surprisingly. She enters the room to look even more surprised at the costumed children.
Max swiftly explains to her that he and Jacqui were playing a game (Lisa’s eyebrows rise even further) ... With the children upstairs, finishes Jacqui. Lisa accepts this with some disdain, and ignoring, Jacqui, asks Max if she might have a word with him. Without saying anything, she tilts her head in Jacqui’s direction, wordlessly requesting that Max ask her to leave. When he doesn’t, she purposely turns to Jacqui and asks if she would mind leaving her and Max alone.
Jacqui asks if what they are about to discuss concerns Harry. When Lisa admits that it does, then Jacqui holds her ground. She’s staying. Anything that concerns Harry, concerns her and she should be present. Max agrees (funny how Max didn’t insist on this in the first place, but that’s Max). Lisa then actually changes tack and says that she’s come to clear the air with Max. As she’s the children’s legal guardian, she’s come to realise that she’s got to get along with Max. Some of the things which she has to discuss with him, are personal and go back ages.
Max looks at Jacqui helplessly, and the girl takes the hint, offering to take Harry and Emma to the park. As she leaves the room, Lisa follows her with a peculiarly triumphant and sly look on her face.
Surprise! Surprise! Diane Murray’s actually made it into work. AND the Salon appears to be a hive of activity! Emily is telling Diane about Mick’s proposal to Yvonne, in which Diane appears to be taking immense interest. As she finishes her tale, Emily suddenly asks if she can have a quiet word with Diane. She knows Diane doesn’t approve of subs, but she and Tim are skint and Mick has been asking for their rent, in which they are a week behind.
Taking pity on the girl, Diane relents, but assures her that this is a one-off and Emily will get her payslip at the end of the week like everyone else. She hands the girl the cash and Emily stuffs it into her little blue purse. But just at that moment, Emily is called to do a shampoo. She puts the purse under the upper ledge on Diane’s reception desk.
Lisa Morrissey and Max are having a chat over tea. Lisa is admitting that she feels she’s been too hard on Max in the past. She admits that she never really liked or trusted him - in fact, she could never understand what Susannah saw in him. But for the children’s sake, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and make an effort to get on with him. Max is at a loss for words, to say the least.
As a matter of fact, says Lisa, just to show how sincere she was in her efforts to get to know Max, she’s suggesting that he and the children accompany her on holiday Friday. She and a few of her friends are getting together in a farmhouse in the South of France and it’s going to prove to be a good time. The children would enjoy themselves as there would be other children there.
Max is uncertain how to take this, especially since he and Jacqui have plans for Friday evening. But Lisa continues pursuasively. It would be an excellent opportunity for her to spend time with her niece and nephew as well as with Max. Again, Max is literally bowled over.
Over at the Salon, Antony Murray enters morosely. Diane is busy, but she comments on the fact that the boy’s finished school early. Antony explains that there was nothing more to do, so they let them out. As Diane is talking to him, he spies Emily’s purse lying on the reception table. At that moment, Emily calls out to Diane that her lady is ready for Diane. Diane leaves and Antony grabs the purse. He only intends to take two tens out, but as he’s trying to do so, two butch-looking older girls enter, and he stuffs the purse in his jacket pocket and leaves the Salon.
As he leaves, Paige and Imelda are waiting and they hustle him for the money. Before he has time to reply, they find the purse in his pocket and opening it, find the extent of Emily’s wages. Futiley, Antony tries to explain that they can only take 20 quid, but the girls are beside themselves, saying that they’ll have a great summer hols with this to spend. Too bad, they wouldn’t be going to the same secondary school as Antony next year; they would have to find someone else to do their robbing for them. And they skip off.
Miserably Kate is taking a misery break from the surgery, when she runs into Rachel again. Rachel has been having a think, a rarity for her, as whenever she uses her grey matter she usually comes to a faulty conclusion. Rachel has decided that she’ll go with Katie to the Chapel of Rest the next day. Katie asks about Ron and Mike minding. Rachel assures her that they won’t need to know. (What is so disturbing about lying to your husband in order to support a manipulative person who’s only a friend to you when it suits them?)
By now, it’s the end of Emily’s shift and Tim comes to pick her up. She meets him at the door of the Salon and suggests that they treat themselves to a drink next door at the bar. Tim is surprised as they are supposed to be skint. But Emily tells him that Diane gave her a sub. Now they have the money to pay Mick’s rent and they deserve a little treat, so they’ll have a drink. Emily just has to get her purse.
Returning inside, she reaches under the ledge of the table, but finds nothing. She searches frantically for the purse, surmising correctly that it’s been taken. Tim is aghast. He asks her why she didn’t put it in the back room, but Emily said there wasn’t time as the place was so busy. (How funny to see Emily react when given a taste of her own medicine). The pair are distraught as they are even more skint now than usual.
Lisa and Max are still having a conflab. This time Lisa is remarking about the inordinate amount of time Jacqui seems to be spending at the Farnhams’. Max tells Lisa that he would never have made it out of his abyss after the death of Susannah, if it hadn’t been for Jacqui. But Lisa reiterates that she’s intent on making herself more of a part of Max’s and the children’s lives, so that should ease the burden on Jacqui.
Marty Murray sits reading the paper, whilst a tear-streaked Antony is sitting on the floor watching yet another episode of The Magic Rabbits. Diane enters. What a day she’s had! And to top it off, someone had pinched Emily’s purse from the Salon - and it had ALL the poor girl’s wages inside. Turning to Antony, she asks him if he noticed anything fishy about those two girls in tracksters who entered the Salon briefly. Antony runs crying from the room. Marty remarks that the boy’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he came home. He thinks Antony’s taking the leaving of his junior school harder than he’s letting on.
Darren and Victoria stand outside the Surgery, taking leave of everyone. The two Blue Rinses stand to one side with Dazza, heaping him with kisses and good wishes. Victoria is taking leave of Katie. She asks to be remembered to Nisha and tells Katie, as a means of comfort, that even though it doesn’t seem that way now, Katie’s hurt at the loss of Flint will mend. This all takes time. She’d been through the same thing with the death of her husband Mark.
In an incredibly ignorant and cloying show of arrogance in the face of her own self-pity, Katie disdainfully dismisses Victoria, telling her that she and Mark couldn’t POSSIBLY have known the sort of love and affection Katie and Flint knew (no, hardly, Victoria and Mark were infinitely more articulate than these two gutteral guttersnipes), and she accuses Victoria of being patronising. (That’s right, Katie, loove, use your self-pity thinly disguised as grief to give you the opportunity to say what you like to people you’ve always disliked).
At that moment, Rachel appears and is apprised of the fact that Darren and Vic are leaving. Rachel is concerned that Jacqui isn’t about, as she and the couple were friends. Vic explains that they’ve contacted Jacqui on her mobile and she’s coming right over. Almost at that moment, Jacqui appears, with Harry and Emma in their pushchair. As she appears, Miseryguts disappears into the surgery, spitefully.
Jacqui, Vic and Darren exchange tearful good-byes, the couple promising to send Jacqui postcards from places she’s never heard of (which shouldn’t be too difficult, as she’s never heard of most places outside of Liverpool). As they drive off, Rachel remarks to Jacqui that she reckons Jacqyi will miss the couple immensely. Gazing into the surgery, Jacqui remarks: ‘Not half’.
At the end of the day, Plank Murray returns home and plops wordlessly down in a chair in the lounge. He’s upset because the showroom launch took place sans an appearance by his parents. Finally, he sarcastically remarks how nice it was of them not to show up. Geoff pretended that it didn’t matter, but Plank could tell that it did.
Diane apologises, saying that they had intended to come, but Marty had been called away, as one of the classrooms at school was flooded again. Plank sees through this, and reckons that they didn’t show because Marty didn’t like Geoff. In fact, Plank is so presumptuous as to reckon that Marty is actually jealous of his own son, the Plank of Merseyside.
After all, the Plank has lucked into a good job, with good wages. He’s got a good car out of the deal and he’s dating the boss’s daughter. In fact, he stands a pretty good chance of taking over the business someday. While Marty was still slaving away in a low-paying job as a school caretaker, cleaning up after school kids.
Marty refuses to take this, saying that he loves his job; and that at the end of the day, he’s his own man, he’s not being bought by anybody. The Plank plonks away in a sulk.
Jacqui is back at Max’s after Lisa has left. She’s glad that Lisa and Max have agreed to a truce between them. As she gets ready to leave, Jacqui says she’ll see Max on Friday. But Max hesitantly tells her that they will be unable to attend their gig. Lisa has suggested, he says, that they go on holiday to France with her on Friday. The way Max words this, Jacqui assumes that she is included in the invitation, but Max explains that it covers only himself and the kids.
Of course, Max doesn’t want to go, but Lisa could make life difficult for him, in her position as the children’s guardian; so he thinks it best that he go with her. Jacqui is distraught that they have to keep their relationship a secret, but Max astonishes her by saying that he thinks it’s high time that Lisa knew about their affair.
Summary © 2001 Marion Watts
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001