Season 2 Episode 16

Episode 80

 

Sky One Transmission Date:

Thursday 22nd October 1998

 

Written By

Helen Eatock

 

Directed By

Henry Foster

 

Julie, Adi, Corrine Coleman, Helen

 

 

Fletch, Fletch’s fans, Luis

 

 

Denise, Alex

 

 

Helen, Warren

 

 

Alex, Hari, Councillor Lal

GS: Councillor Lal (Madhav Sharma)  Hari Lal (Sushil Chudasama)  Adi Coleman (Roger Davies)  Corrine Coleman (Judith Jacob)

 

Councillor Lal is giving Jerry, Frank and Des an ear-bashing over Hari disappearing from the hostel, and specifically asks Frank if he's positive there was no racism in this. Helen comes in to tell Frank Adi and his mother have arrived, but Hari is his priority right now and he asks Helen to keep them entertained. In the canteen, Alex warns the lads he’ll take them down with him so to remember that when Frank starts asking questions. Kelly reveals to Julie how last night she spent money on a meal and champagne which Fletch didn't show up for, but Coates had held him back. Julie thinks her friend is being a mug going after Fletch. Lal tells Jerry he expected him to look after his son at the club, and how he holds him personally responsible, which Jerry knows puts their deal in jeopardy.

 

Frank tells Des he feels bad over not standing firm to Jerry over Hari's placement. They are now both worried Hari has done something stupid over the rotten time he's had. Helen has to give Adi and his mom a guided tour of the facilities and Corrine Coleman is impressed that Adi can live in the academy, something that wasn't available at Arsenal. Des and Frank are with the youth team boys in the canteen, and Frank tells them he's cancelled training today because of Hari being absent. He says he will be talking to them all individually and is about to take Gary when Helen unassumingly brings the Colemans in. While Frank keeps them sweet with the opportunity to meet "The" Ian Coates, Helen reminds Des about bringing Warren home, adding she has phoned the hospital and he has discharged himself.

 

Ian talks to Adi and his mother of how he's wanting to boost the home-grown talent coming up through the youth team. Coates leaves them impressed with how if he works hard then in a couple of months Adi could well be training with Fletch and Luis, before inviting them to watch the training session. When it is Alex's turn to sit before Frank, Frank lets him know he has his number. He reminds Alex how a week ago he asked him about Hari being found naked in a public park, and he still doesn't believe he wasn't involved. Frank says if it's true then he is finished here, and when all Alex can ask about is his trial, Frank yells at him to get out.

 

Denise is waiting for Alex as he comes back to tell Dion it's his turn. She gets it out of her son that it was he who told Hari he wasn't good enough for the team, but he defends himself saying all the lads were involved. Denise tells him he has to get out there and find Hari, with her help, otherwise Frank is right and he will be gone. They search various places around the town, but to no luck. Luis encourages Fletch to make the most of Kelly's affections, and thanks her for the meal she worked on last night before making Fletch hand over the flowers which a female fan just gave him. Helen goes to see Warren in his room at the hostel, but he is in a mood over everyone running around after Hari and having no time for him. After she’s gone, he phones for a taxi to take him back to the Featherstone Estate, and packs his bags.

 

Denise and Alex find Hari sitting under a tree in the park, and Denise tells her son he needs to set things straight with Hari on his own. Hari tells Alex he has got what he wanted and he isn't going back. Alex responds with how he's had to work hard to get into the youth team, and didn't have a dad to pull strings with the chairman. Hari knows Frank confirmed this and Alex told everyone in the youth team, which strengthens his decision not to return. Alex even offers to take his clothes off in the park if it will persuade Hari to come back. Hari doesn't understand why Alex made his life a misery, when Alex himself has enough talent to make it as a first team player. Alex admits he is finished if he goes back without him, and Hari gives him an ultimatum; that Alex tells his dad, Frank and Jerry Block that he was behind all the stuff which happened to him.

 

Frank, Helen and Jerry sit in the boardroom still at a loss at what to do when Hari comes in with Alex, and Councillor Lal is overjoyed, as his “contacts” in the police were talking of dredging the canals. To everyone's surprise, Alex admits to everything, and Frank tells him he and Jerry will decide his punishment. Hari isn't finished, and lays into Frank for not standing up to Jerry over knowing he wasn't good enough for the youth team, which has caused all his anguish these last weeks. Hari reminds his dad that he wanted to be a part of the team because he was good enough, not because he was part of a business deal. Hari collects his things and leaves the hostel, and the club, for good, refusing a lift home from his father and walking away carrying his bags.

 

Notes:

 

·          Best Known For: Judith Jacob came to prominence with the regular roles of Nurse Beverly Slater in medical drama "Angels" (1979-1981) and another healthcare professional, Carmel Roberts in "EastEnders" from 1986-1989. She has since starred in "The Real McCoy" (1993-95), "The Queen's Nose" (2000), the film "Provoked: A True Story" (2006) and recently "The Five" (2016).

 

The Best: Hari. Taking all those around him to task from Alex, to Frank and Jerry, to his father over their selfish actions. Shame it had to be during his last scene and we didn't see more of this Hari before.

 

·          Quotes: Warren, when Des explains why nobody picked him up from the hospital because they’ve all been looking for Hari: "Well I'm sorry to hear that. Still, it's nice to see that everybody's worried about him. What's that that Kylie Minogue says? I Should Be So Lucky!"

 

Foreshadowing: Warren making the (ultimately fatal) decision to leave the hostel and move back into his flat [2.43].

 

·          Continuity: As they search for Hari, Denise asks Alex to think of all the places he would disappear to when she and his dad were splitting up.

 

Additional Info: Corrine says it would be great if Frank could talk to Cyril Preston, Adi's agent, which Frank is surprised to hear Adi has one still being a youth teamer.

 

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