Here it is then, Paul's last episode. Despite the fake-out of a couple of months ago when it seemed that Billy was going to help Paul's assisted suicide, this is the end. It doesn't start off well with Billy hungover, irritable and missing his phone with Summer making irritating comments and banging on about the cloud, which Billy doesn't understand. I'm starting to find the cliche of Gen X not understanding technology a bit irritating. We've been using t'internet since Windows 95! As soon as Billy goes out to look for his phone, Paul's breathing suffers and Bernie rings an ambulance. David finds the phone at Chariot Square, but the handset is broken. Rather than taking it to iSmash, Billy and David go to Freshco to get a new phone and whilst they are sitting on a bench talking about which celebrity chef they fancy, Paul is struggling for breath back at the flat. Kit uses his detective skills for good for once and tracks down Billy in the supermarket, but there's a broken down lorry in the car park blocking traffic and Billy has to run rather than get a cab. At the hospital, the family gather around to say their goodbyes and Billy has to say farewell over the phone as Paul slips away.
Amy's asked for more shifts at the Bistro, which is probably bad news for the mulleted millennial. Leanne (who's probably been demoted to a level 1 now) seems to think Nick shouldn't work at his own restaurant and he agrees to take some time off in order to report Rowan to the feds for blackmail and also to have a break from Leanne's level 8 stomping. However, Leanne is convinced by this to use the files she copied from Rowan's laptop to help bring down the Institute. Unforch, Rowan comes round and says that the Institute will go after him now and spins her some sob stories. He says he can get Amy's money if she deletes the files and he also starts flirting with her, but when he's got what he wants he calls her a gullible fool just as Amy, Toyah, and Nick burst in and say the police are on their way. Now Rowan's been brought down and Joel can't be long behind, who is going to be the new baddy in chief?
Ken is worried about Amy trying to replenish her inheritance and tells Cassie that he's going to help her from his premium bond win, to Cassie's disgust. Not sure how she thought she was going to get the dough? Subtle persuasion? Some kind of sex thing? She does manage to get Ken to think about paying her to go on holiday with him though.
Nice to see Ruby's birthday acknowledged. It isn't usually (I know the date as she was born on the the same day as my nephew). It's not about her today though as Ty finds out that the traffickers have been banged to rights and so Alina Pop! is going to be round to collect Dorin for good.
And finally, Carla turns up at the cop shop to turn herself in for knocking down St Stella of the backroom all those years ago the boy she deliberately drove into. Swain tells her she'll likely be charged with ABH. Betsy turns up for mummy-daughter lunch and then storms off again when she sees Swain with Carla. I prefer Betsy when she's getting Mason into trouble rather than doing a Battersby-style stomp.
Rachel Stevenson - on
bluesky
