It was a case of making them an offer they could refuse for both Carla and Roy. Cafe owner Roy Cropper decided there was no place like home and, not unexpectedly, turned down American smoothie Milton's big money blandishments of transforming Roy's Rolls into the railway-themed high tech chain Beef Encounter.
Showing his metaphorical cojones under that anoraked exterior, he defiantly and proudly declared: "When I said I do not wish to pursue your proposal, I meant it. I have what I need here."
The newly assertive Roy accused a bemused Milton of "showing off in front of my mother," asked him "not to interfere any more" and in the final straw scolded the American that: "In this country, it is maths, not math.." Steady on, Roy! "Am I wrong to be content the way I am?" he later wondered to Hayley. Mother Sylvia was not impressed. "I wish he was half the man you are," she told Milton. "He is - in his way," conceded the Man for U.N.C.L.E. As ever, a lovely, finely judged performance from David Neilson as Roy.
Meanwhile, lying Frank slithered snakelike back to the factory, as if all was normal, to work alongside his business partner, Carla, the woman he, had, ahem, raped. This turned out to be a ruse so Frank could offer to buy out her share in the factory at an insultingly reduced rate, as he rightly guessed she could not bear to be in the same building as him. But his plan backfired as she entered Underworld in the evening to find Frank there, only for him to coldly gloat and shower her with abuse. "All you wanted was to be with that alcoholic boozer .. take the money and go, you lost, we both know that." "I came to accept your offer," Carla announced, then told him she'd changed her mind and was ready to be back in charge. "I'd rather see this place burn ... I'm staying."
Speaking of warring couples, reluctant house sharer Steve turned off Tracy's electricity in her part of the house, so Tracy retorted by turning the thermostat on his heating down. All this is not thawing Steve's antipathy to Tracy, who declared he did not want to see her "whining, selfish ugly face - sorry faces, both of them." I'm not a huge fan of this somewhat tedious storyline - nor of the children's healthy school lunchbox saga. Talking of which, Peter was summoned to see headmaster Brian over his poor little bereft son Simon's bad behaviour (though his lunchbox was deemed praiseworthy) following the departure of "mum" Leanne but Peter angrily accused Brian and Julie of gossiping about his private life.
Dim witted would-be model Rosie, a character long past her one dimensional sell by date, meanwhile, as a vehicle from her imminent exit from the show, has been approached to appear in a reality show featuring "the hottest girls in town" . Probably the best place for her.
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