Season 1 Episode 56

Episode 56

 

Sky One Transmission Date:

Wednesday 22nd April 1998

 

Written By

Patrick Melanaphy

 

Directed By

Perry Miller

 

GS: Biloo Kapur (Hari Dhillon)  Helen Chamberlain (as herself)

 

Georgina awakes to find Fletch half dressed and determined to leave. Warren gets up to find Conor hasn't been to bed all night, and is adamant he won't be going to training, not caring what Frank will say. Warren thinks Conor is being dramatic when he finds out it's all over Zoe. Fletch saunters around the Jacobs' house, and Georgina is nervous as Stephanie could have still been around. Karl isn't bothered, and without Georgina seeing, hides his watch under a cushion on the sofa. Warren is surprised when Conor reveals that Zoe is in love with Sean, and suggests Conor have it out with him to clear things up.

 

Coates watches intently as the youth team are individually weighed at the club, and from the back, Conor arrives determined to find Sean. Conor loudly confronts him, and Sean thinks Conor is being ridiculous and pushes him away, to which Conor punches Sean in the eye and the two have to be separated by Frank. Sean meets Natalie outside the physio room, and feels pressured when both she and Dean want him to help Natalie with the wedding preparations. Warren is the last to be weighed, and Coates is openly dissatisfied with the result, to Warren’s anguish. At the Health Club, Zoe enquires about Sean's bruised eye, and is shocked when he explains how "Loverboy" Conor did it because of her. Zoe goes round to the flat and finds Conor passed out drunk.

 

Natalie is going through her wedding list with Sean, but there is something else on her mind. She cannot tell Dean this until she is ready. Sean can see this is troubling Natalie, and deep down, he hopes she doesn't feel she can marry Dean. But gets something totally different when Natalie reveals she has a secret daughter. Conor comes round and tells Zoe he heard her talking to Sean last night, and just how gutted he is that Zoe has picked him. Zoe can't deny she has feelings for Sean, but doesn't get the chance to explain to Conor it wasn't her Sean wants. An angry Conor orders Zoe to leave.

 

Natalie hands a photo of her daughter, Jessica, to Sean, ashamedly admitting she missed her fourth birthday because she was in Italy. Natalie says her relationship with Dean came out of nowhere and she could never find the right time to tell him about Jessica. It's even worse now knowing he couldn't tell her about the baby he lost with Georgina. Sean is sympathetic, but can't help playing it to his own advantage. He suggests to Natalie if she really loved Dean, and knew he loved her, this wouldn't be such a problem. Natalie reads this as if she and Dean love each other then nothing should get in the way of that, and is now determined to tell him. Sean is left sad and confused.

 

Stephanie is interviewed for Sky by Helen Chamberlain, where she states she wants Harchester to be the biggest sports venue in the Midlands. When Helen points out that the fans are also concerned about the football side of things, Stephanie tells her they intend to incorporate a centre of excellence at the proposed new stadium for young footballing talent. But that of course takes money, and Sky's publicity will help potential investors to realise those plans. Dean brings up the subject of Sean being best man again, and can tell Sean is edgy about the situation. Sean suggests he speak to Natalie himself. Stephanie watches her interview play out on TV at home, and discovers the watch behind the cushion, thinking that it looks strangely familiar.

 

Conor has decided to spend the remainder of he and Warren’s burger van money on getting trashed in Studs, and as they get drunk at the bar, each blames Coates and Zoe for their problems. Conor bumps into Fletch with Georgina, and when he makes an indirect joke about Fletch seeing both Georgina and her mother, Fletch lunges at Conor. Warren gets in between them both, and Fletch calls the bouncers who remove Conor and Warren from Studs. Georgina is confused about what Conor was on about, but Fletch tells her to drop it. The continually-lairy Conor is still looking for excitement, and wants to go joyriding with Warren again. Warren decides this is too much trouble even for him, and leaves Conor to his own devices. Dean arrives back at the flat, not knowing what to expect from Natalie following Sean's words. When Natalie reveals her secret, Dean is stunned, hurt that she kept this from him.

 

Conor is trying the cars parked near Studs, and comes across what he recognises as Fletch's motor. Enticed by the thrill of taking Fletch's car, Conor finds a brick and attempts to smash the window, but all it does is bounce back and hurt his foot. Fletch and Georgina arrive to witness this, and when Conor tells Fletch he wasn't trying to vandalise his car but nick it, Fletch takes a swing at Conor, almost hitting Georgina. Conor falls to the floor and cuts his head on the brick, while Georgina cowers, shocked at Fletch's actions. Dean's reaction has upset Natalie so much she feels she has little choice but to spend the night elsewhere, with a question mark over their engagement now. After she leaves, Dean kicks over the coffee table in frustration.

 

Notes:

 

·          The Best: The usually kind, considerate, and sensitive Conor, the voice of reason often in Warren's volatile incidents, becoming a drunken yob in the wake of his broken heart over Zoe. Learning more of Natalie's past and the story of what happened with her daughter.

 

Quotes: The drunk and bitter Conor has the best lines of the episode. [to Zoe]: "Yes it is. That's what women want. A bastard. A Sean, or a Noah... Well maybe I should be a bastard too. Yeah that's it. If that's what it takes..."  Then later [to Fletch]: "Catching them young now are you? And I thought you were partial to the older woman. Still nothing like a bit of variety is there"  followed by:  "Sorry didn't mean to put my foot in it. I'll say no more. (Taps nose) Mum's the word. Eh?".

 

·          Foreshadowing: Dean mentions to Sean he couldn't ask their dad to be his best man. Might go some way to explaining Ken Hocknell’s no show at the wedding in 1.62.

 

Continuity: Warren is made to remember how he felt over Mandy in regards to Conor’s pining over Zoe. In her interview with Helen, Stephanie puts forward her vision of the new Addison Park stadium, adding that they are part of Michael's legacy. Conor reminds Warren of when they stole Jacobs' hearse [1.31].

 

·          Additional Info: Natalie mentions to Sean that the wedding is a little over a month away. Natalie explains how she got pregnant when she was fifteen and the father, who wasn't much older than her, didn't want to know. Her parents have brought Jessica up, and Natalie admits she feels in a way Jessica is more like their own child.

 

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