Season 4 Episode 11Episode 213 Sky One Transmission Date: Sunday 10th December 2000 Written ByJane Hewland & Huw Kennair-Jones Directed By Neil Adams |
Fletch, Sandra, Tash
Danny
Matt, Waiter Sully
Danny, Rachel, Matt
Lizzie, Scott
Emma, Rachel |
GS: Roger Frost (Ken Hadley) Emma Conlon (Jessica Hill) Jake Conlon (Billy Hill) Party Organiser (Alexis Bull) Maitre D' (John Surman) Violinist (Mark Yate) Hairdresser (Huw Kennair-Jones) The Junior Dragons Christmas Party is well underway, and Rachel is on the phone to Tash wondering where Santa Fletch has got to. Tash discovers him fresh out of bed with none other than Sandra, and with Fletch a no-show, both Rachel and Lizzie separately ask Danny and Matt to stand in. When they both arrive, the kids don't seem too bothered about there being two Santas. Lynda tells Ray Wolfgang has been in touch and Monday is fit again, so they can resurrect the deal with a Christmas trip to Paris. Attending the party, Lynda can see Ray is missing William, and he adds he doesn't know whether it will be days or weeks until they return. Matt is rattled watching Rachel and Danny flirt, and Scott can tell it is affecting Lizzie. When Matt disappears, claiming he has a meeting with Jeff, Scott drives Lizzie and the kids home. Danny has the house to himself tonight before he goes back home to Stockport for Christmas, while Eddie is still on loan and Campbell in London at his mom's. He tells Rachel he can't believe his luck only six weeks ago being on youth team money. Lynda and Ray plus Rachel and Danny all end up eating in the Blue Room. Rachel is uncomfortable when a sullen Matt turns up, having followed she and Danny. Lynda and Ray invite Matt to sit with them, where he continues to keep an eye on Rachel and Danny, and Ray can tell he is still not over her. Ray and Lynda take Matt home where he is narked to see Scott has kept Lizzie company and has helped the kids decorate the Christmas tree. Ray talks to Lynda about how much she has changed since he first met her, how she was behind her husband's shadow and when Jerry disappeared he didn't think she'd last five minutes running the club. Rachel is troubled by Matt's behaviour, and decides against staying with Danny tonight. Danny persuades her instead to stay in one of the guest bedrooms, as he doesn't want to be alone in a big house. Lying next to Lizzie, Matt can not stand Rachel being next door, and storms out and across to Danny's. There, finding Rachel in her dressing gown, Matt is convinced she has come straight from Danny's bedroom, and accuses her of offering special rates to under-25's with Danny and probably Jamie! Tash arrives home in her car and finds Lizzie crying in the road, with loud commotion coming from Danny's house. Tash breaks up the fight, forcing Matt out of the house and telling a sobbing Rachel this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't chased him up here like a dog on heat. The next day, Tash treats Lizzie to a personal appointment at her home with her stylist, paid for with Matt's wallet which she has ‘borrowed’. Though Lizzie is less than happy with the final results. Lynda and Ray get a shock when Prash goes back on his offer to lend them the £2M to buy Monday, reminding her of the £10M overdraft he has already written. Scott gives Lizzie the use of his bathroom to sort her hair back to normal. Having spent the night together, Danny finds Rachel about to sneak away looking regretful. Lynda asks Roger what she can do to get the £2.2M needed for Monday. He suggests a remaining option of mortgaging the ground as she owns the freehold, though a board meeting would have to agree and Prash would probably scupper it. Lizzie is starting to believe it is her fault Matt had an affair with Rachel, and Scott tries to convince her otherwise. Comforting her, Scott and Lizzie kiss, but Scott pulls away knowing this cannot happen. Feeling she has made a fool of herself, Lizzie storms home and throws Matt out of the house, letting him see through the window that she has his wallet and tears up the money inside. Roger is uneasy about Lynda planning to sell her whole portfolio leaving her with only her shares, but she feels she must in order to bring Monday in to keep the club afloat. Roger is also left stunned at Lynda’s request on how to hire a private detective to spy on Prash. Rachel has to be honest with Danny, that they wouldn't last because she'd resent him for not being Matt. A gutted Danny must accept he won't be with Rachel. Emma finds Lizzie sprawled on the carpet having drunk too much, and calls for her daddy outside only for Matt to hide from her! Lynda presents Ray with the cheque to buy Bandele, and informs him of the private detective who will be bugging Prash's phone while they are away in Paris. Rachel and Danny attempt to help Lizzie but she snarls at them to leave her alone, before vomiting down the back of the sofa. Matt finally comes in and is shocked at the state Lizzie is in, and Rachel believes this is all her fault, telling Lizzie she's sorry and will be out of their lives by going home to Manchester. Notes: Last appearance of Rachel Gately (Elizabeth O’Grady) The Best: Natalie J. Robb does a great job as angry drunk Lizzie. Scott and Lizzie’s kiss – just a real shame Lizzie was lumbered as Mrs Conlon as she would have been great as a new girlfriend for Scott after Ann’s departure. Quotes: Tash, pulling Matt off Danny as they brawl in Eddie’s living room: "This is great. Two sad Santas fighting over a slapper Elf!" Foreshadowing: We are reminded of Fletch’s own bunking up with Sandra here in 7.19 Sheikover, when Marcel Sabatier makes all her dreams come true, to Fletch commenting: “Well this ain’t like Marcel. Missing a game, pulling her. What’s the matter with him?” Continuity: Roger believes Monday's signing would bring back the international glamour of when Luis first arrived (#75 / 2.11). Lynda talks to Roger on how she met Jerry whilst working on the duty free make-up counter at Manchester Airport, and if she ends up there again it's a risk she has to take to save the club. Additional Info: Danny Husbands makes a pre Danny Sullivan appearance here, as the waiter serving Danny [Rawsthorne] and Rachel in the Blue Room. He makes his first appearance in the first team in 5.1 Passports Out, while still as Husbands before a renaming to Sullivan in 6.1 It Could Be You. His backstory is altered further in 9.11 War of the Roses, where it is claimed Sully makes his first team appearance in a game set the same as this episode in December 2000, with a punch from Charlton’s Eugene Rose supposedly seeing him out until 5.1. At Harchester Reunited in May 2020, Danny referred to this episode’s appearance as “Andy Ansah saw me out the back of the restaurant kicking the ball up” Soundtrack: Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue: “Whatta Man”, Mike Oldfield: “Tubular Bells”, John Lennon and Yoko Ono: “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)”, Red Snapper: "Legged Low Frequency Guy", Thea Gilmore: "See if they Applaud" Behind The Scenes: In another of DT’s many crew making on-screen appearances, Tash’s personal hairdresser who works on Lizzie’s hair is Huw Kennair-Jones, the co-writer of this episode who goes on to write another 16 episodes between here and 10.32 The Final Whistle Part 2, where he was also a producer in Season 10. |
