Sometimes our favourite fly on the wall documentary paints itself into a corner and tonight was one of those episodes which I could have done without. Leanne, Yasmeen and Johnny are all suffering the impact of stress on their lives; one at a time maybe; two at an outside bet but for three of the prime cast to be unstable in the same episode is definitely wrong.
Leanne's story has actually morphed into Simon (remember him - the lovely cuddly little boy who went off the rails and beat up his "mother" a few years ago?) going off the rails again. This time being led astray by some BMW driving berk (Jacob). Simon is left in charge of lovely cuddly little boy Sam until Jacob rocks up and they go in search of a scrote who has been stealing off Jacob's county line drug gang. They lock the scrote in the boot and pretend to set the car on fire (who wrote this - drug dealers do not set their own BMWs on fire?). Simon leaves behind his rucksack (above - which I do not understand as Si & Sam were about to go to the Rec - so it would have been left behind anyway) so Sam picks it up and later having seen Simon threatening mayhem on the scrote takes it back to Number 8. The rucksack is full of drugs under some flyers and Sam does not want to upset his big brother by telling tales. Jacob wants the rucksack back now - but Si cannot get his hands on it until Monday. Leanne is so wrapped up in herself and Nick is just grateful for having a baby sitter on whom to offload Sam that Simon is almost getting away with murder.
Audrey is around as the older cast members are deployed in short visitations to the Street as reminders they still exist (Ken, Evelyn and Roy are all in cold storage this week). She and Gail discuss pursuing some more Fanny and her relationship with Mr Churchill (not the insurers or the other one). All that it enables are a slanging match in the Street between Eileen and Gail with Gorgeous George summoning Audrey to try and arrange for peace to break out. Without the odd slapped face or hair pulling the impact was simply not there (see Eileen's view above)! Anyway Frank Churchill was a midshipman, so no relation.
In a prison not far away Johnny's room mate seems a real bundle of fun and is constantly making fun of Johnny seeing things. I do hope the rest of the world know that this is fiction and in the UK that we would not be making him serve a sentence inside - he would be at home with an ankle tag and unable to leave the premises. Gary tries to help by telling the cell mate (Kai) about Johnny and his problems - but it does not do a lot of good. After all Kai is the one sharing a cell with an 'eadcase (above).
Yasmeen is our next PTSD case. Apparently she owns Jamilla House and is being forced to sell it to pay off the debts. As the community centre was never tainted by Geoff, Yasmeen really wanted to retain it as place she could escape the memories but Alya is not giving her much choice. Elaine tries to cheer up Yasmeen by buying her a replacement Charlotte Bronte but Yasmeen makes it clear that she is not interested. Meanwhile Geoff's solicitor is trying to contact Tim for reasons unknown! Later there are a round of apologies and they settle down to eat off the de-Geoffed menu in Speed Dahl. Alya has also rejigged suppliers and removed the alcohol. Of course Yasmeen wanted to do it - herself. Yasmeen wants to build her own future. Finally Tim reports why the lawyer wanted him. Apparently Geoff has left his assets to his one and only son (those mysteriously forgotten brothers do not get a look in).
Asha and Nina are invited to dinner and a film (Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu) by Dev and Mary cooks. Dev and Mary are trying to show they are cool with the couple, but it is all a little overblown as you might expect. Mary cooks Cauliflower Wellington which is both veggie and refined. Nina plays along beautifully. Asha feels a little overpowered by it all but everyone makes it to the end of the evening! At the end of he film Asha tries to duck the inevitable discussion as she says that they do not have to act as film critics (and indeed is Asha actually a lesbian?). Maybe after Cory she just wants a friend?
We close with the entirely hateful Jacob issuing threats to poor cuddly Simon demanding recovery of the drugs now or else!
The storyline around Simon had so many holes it felt cobbled together. Even Gail was surprised by the coincidence of Eileen being on the same Street corner. Dev - give the girls a chance to get to know each other. Sam rat your brother out to the plod - you know it makes sense. And someone please get Johnny out of prison; it is just wrong!
Kosmo
