Some moving scenes and great acting were predominant tonight. Dev's kindness to Stella was thoroughly well-acted and wholly believable. The powerlessness of a family who love someone was well presented tonight too, with neither Eva nor Gloria able to stop her drinking at such a destructive rate. It seems as if Dev might have succeeded. Gloria's apology to Dev over what she had said about Sunita, shows that at least she has some self-awareness and humility.
In the factory, Eva is very defensive towards any comments about her mum. Beth thinks that Stella must have known that Karl was in some way connected with the fire, but of course Beth is concerned about her son Craig, who Sinead is looking after today as he's not at school. Eva reacts viciously to any hint of an attack on her mother as she explains that, 'If I hear any of you badmouthing her, I'll have your heads on a stick.' Maybe it wasn't a good idea for Stella to visit Craig, but we can understand that she would have wanted to make amends, a worthy ambition, but at least she's trying, though as Craig runs off, it seems it was too early, but at least she tried.
On a visit to see her friends in the factory, Hayley, showing her superior, altruistic character, even with terminal cancer, makes no judgement, simply asks Eva, 'How's your mum?'
So Sally is playing it cool. Will it pay off? They're just two single people enjoying each other's company, aren't they? Surely Sally shouldn't have desperate housewife stamped on her forehead as Sophie suggests, should she? Well whatever Sally should or shouldn't have stamped on her forehead, this new cool Sally is someone Tim welcomes. He speaks to Jason of how he thinks age gives women confidence, so they don't want all that commitment stuff. Hmm - big talking point there.
As for Jason, just how much has he matured of late? Hardly recognisable now as the young man who was a bit, well, dim might best describe him and who certainly had more brawn than brain. As Stella said when Jason tried to comfort her, telling her that Karl had everyone fooled, Karl hadn't got Jason fooled. His well-publicised, about to happen, romance with Eva will be very interesting indeed. The mother and then the daughter - what will Eileen's take on this new relationship be?
A very welcome appearance from Mary this evening, at least for some of us. Dev's children are undeniably very fond of her and not just because her arrival gave them an excuse not to eat their father's 'soggy pasta.' They ran to her and she was clearly thrilled. Did anyone see what was in her tin? Such wise and comforting words she gave to Dev. 'You believed in Sunita and your faith in her has been rewarded.'
And that's not all from Mary tonight. She assists with finding the owner of the pigeon, a pigeon called Beyonce, by telling Tyrone to look on the plume for identification, and talks of how pigeons saved lives and how one pigeon in particular, Gustav, brought news of the D Day landings. It's good to see Mary in this way and not just as some eccentric, worn down sidekick for Norris to insult.
How touching to see Roy and Hayley in their bed tonight - Hayley saying she'll teach Roy to drive and then testing him on his highway code. So poignant and all the more so as time is running out. In some ways Tyrone and Fiz are a younger version of Roy and Hayley. Neither Fiz nor Tyrone had easy upbringings after having been deserted by their mothers. In each other they have genuinely found their other half, as with Roy and Hayley. It may be a cliche but nothing is more true for all that. Tyrone tells us that we should make the most of the time we have left. Never a truer word.
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