Saturday, 21 February 2026

Episode Review Friday 20 February 2026


Welcome to Friday night.  Sam is not having a good time.  His phone is locked in the Bistro safe and when he does get it back it needs charging because it is flat.   He eventually gets to watch Megan and Will having a very staged conversation about the crush Will has on Megan and he immediately deduces that they are playing it large for the hidden camera (which to be fair to Megan was not that well hidden).  I suggest Sam lends the recording to Theo who will magically make some judicious edits and hey presto Sam has the evidence he needs.  Megan reckons she is on a roll as she having drinks with  Toyah, Leanne and Eva and decides to deliver some more poison into Sam's ears.  Sam tries to recover the camera and Megan is able to turn his attempt to her advantage calling him a sleazy sneaking peeping tom.  She tells Sam to keep his nose out of other people's business.  Sam is distressed so when Nick wants to know what is wrong Sam shouts at him and tells him no-one can help him.

Bernie has to be inventive as Mal wants a chat and she pretends an interest in birds to enable her to sit down for a chat with Brian on the subject of a starling murmuration at which Mal concedes defeat and departs.  Roy's electrics must be a real mess the time it is taking to fix them.


Carl visits Debbie in prison and he is out of a job and they have both been in fights getting black eyes.  Debbie initially thinks Carl is using her as his personal golden goose which he vehemently denies.  Carl claims that he will take proper responsibility for his life (but this is Carl, his lips are moving and I do not believe a word that comes out of his mouth).  Debbie will arrange with Ronnie to provide him with funds to get him started.  


Lily is moaning to Jodie about Brian and Rita so when Hope comes into the cafe Jodie decides that perhaps Hope should know there is another side to Brian and Rita and implies that they were unfair to Lily.  Later Hope overhears Brian and Rita discussing her and saying she has become a lovely young lady seeing as show she had a raging psychopath for a father.  Hope takes the hump when Brian extols book reading - he is currently consuming a Wilkie Collins.  Later we see a slim pair of legs in black tights come into the shop and pick up the book and then slip out again - presumably taking the book with her.  And for once I don't think it was Hope misbehaving.  


Ben and Steve are getting pallyier than they were before.  Tim will not be happy but he cannot make the match tomorrow as he has a cold so Steve suggests to Ben that he joins them and so we can assume they are now going steady.  Maggie is less enamoured with any shenanigans between Ollie and Lauren and gives the latter a piece of her mind and tells Lauren to stay away from her grandson if she knows what is good for her.  


I rarely voice opinions so just this once I will sound off.  Please feel free to ignore.  So for the record I do not believe that Carl has reformed despite what Debbie might believe.  I think Jodie is a bad influence on Lily.  And whilst I can see Maggie's point of view over Lauren I am not sure Ollie would appreciate her interference.  Sam is getting outsmarted and I blame those tablets - taking drugs is not good for you.  Remember these are personal opinions and not actually what we saw!

Written by Julie Jones and directed by Matthew Peacock.

Kosmo