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Season 8 Episode 29
Episode 353 Sky One Transmission Date: Directed by Marcus D F White
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Fletch, Barker
Jodie, Fletch
Barker, Jodie
Don, Fletch
Gina |
GS: Eli Knox (Shane Lynch) QPR Agent (Lewis Georgeson) Ian Holloway (as himself) Harchester celebrate their fourth consecutive win taking the Dragons into 2nd place, and all set to face West Ham for head to head promotion. As Fletch is leaving the Lair Don gets into his taxi and shows him a briefcase full of money. Don tells Fletch he has one more game until Harchester drop him, after using him to go up. He tells Fletch to make sure Harchester lose against West Ham and the money is all his. Fletch is having none of it but Barker isn't finished though, and makes a call to a football agent setting up a transfer meeting. Fletch and Gina find QPR manager Ian Holloway with an agent, Alex Harrison waiting to discuss a move with Fletch. When Gina adds that Harchester have the option to renew Fletch's current contract, Alex reveals he’s spoken to Eli and the club aren’t planning to. Jodie is still refusing to see Don, and ignores his pleas for her to hear him out. Jodie wants she and Frank to get back together, but he tells her things have changed. Jodie says she gets it, now his secret is out he doesn't need her anymore. Fletch is both furious and hurt and goes to speak with Viv, finding him arguing with Eli on how he needed Fletch's head in the right place for the game. Now feeling abandoned by the club, Karl meets with Don who tells him he will receive £250,000, half now and the other half when West Ham are guaranteed a play-off place. Don hands him a bottle saying to make sure Ryan drinks from it before the game, telling Fletch it’s water laced with eye-drops and will cause maximum destruction after Viv has already handed in the team sheet. Jodie goes storming onto the training pitch where she yells at Frank for leaving her in a letter. She then turns to Danny and asks him for forgiveness for what she did. The night before the game Fletch watches Sky Sports News announce his expected departure from the club. When Gina suggests a move to Millwall could be a good thing Fletch flips, and shouts at Gina that she has no idea what it’s like to be him and tells her to get out, leaving her clearly upset at his outburst. Fletch is rooming with Ryan, who looks forward to next season in the Premiership. Fletch ends up at the Blue Room bar where Jodie is sitting. Viv has returned to Studs, when Don turns up. The two men square up to each other, with Don saying Harchester should be alright so long as Ryan's leg holds up. Viv hits back at Don by reminding him he should be more concerned about his daughter whose life is in ruins. Fletch mourns the end of his career at Harchester, while Jodie misses the way Frank used to make her feel. She moves in to kiss him, and he backs away before walking Jodie to her door. The temptation becomes too much, and Fletch is hesitant but follows Jodie in anyway. The two wake up together and are spooked by Don banging on the door, begging Jodie to speak with him. The situation is made worse when Gina comes along telling Don Jodie doesn't want to see him. Fletch tells Jodie to let Don in whilst he hides. When the door to the bathroom creeks open, Don knows Jodie has someone in there. He opens the door to find Fletch, and with an incensed look in his eye listens as Jodie tells him he can't tell anyone. Don says his lips are sealed, then turns to Fletch and tells him to enjoy the match and not to lose his 'bottle'. As the lads prepare to kick off in the dressing room, Fletch slips out and, disguised in a hoodie, starts a waste paper bin fire in one of the store-rooms. The fire alarm sounds and the team are told they will have to evacuate. They sit on the coach as Barker and Fletch go to the gym where Fletch says he started the fire to delay the game, so the result could still go West Ham's way with the other games. Don tells Fletch he is paying him to take Ryan out of the game, and if he doesn't he will tell Gina what Fletch did with Jodie. After the fire is put out, the crowds and the teams are let back into the Lair. Fletch hands Ryan the water bottle, but to his frustration the bottle is lost amongst the dozens of other identical yellow plastics scattered around the dressing room. The game kicks off and in the tunnel Jodie notices that Gina is looking unwell. They go and sit in the dressing room where Jodie hands Gina something for her head and Gina downs it with water from a bottle beside her - the Ryan bottle! As Gina continues sipping, Jodie tells her she is going back to Notes: The Best: Ian Holloway’s appearance, here as Queens Park Rangers manager where he was from 2001-2006. Eli placing a £20M bet on the game, in contrast to all Dean can afford now £20. Jodie gives a (very cool) cheer of “Come on you Dragons!” showing her support is still with the club despite her dad’s side losing the chance of promotion otherwise. Quotes: Don (to Fletch): "What? Jaws allows hookers in Harchester's dressing room now does he?!". Don also knows of Viv throwing Fletch out of the window (8.13: The Man Who Knew Too Much) and the training in the park shotgun incident (8.26: A Champions’ League Outing) although wasn’t present at either event. Foreshadowing: It wasn’t something that made sense until two episodes time in 8.31 The Day Before Tomorrow, but after Barker reminds Fletch not to lose his bottle, Fletch seemingly gets a premonition of what the event will lead to, i.e. his death when he touches the back of his head. 5 second video of the scene here. Continuity: Fletch yells that he has given thirteen years of his life to the club, having made the first team in 1992. He tells Gina that the uncertainty over his future is starting to sound all too familiar [7.2: Long Live The King]. Fletch goes out to the pitch where he flashes back to the best moments of his career as a Dragon: his testimonial before leaving for Saudi (7.2), his goal against Shelbourne which led to the penalties [5.7: 36 Hours In Additional Info: DT writer Lewis Georgeson makes his on-screen appearance as agent Alex Harrison, in between co-writing this episode. What Was The Score?: Harchester achieve a 3-0 victory against Soundtrack: Lemon Jelly: "The Curse of Ka'Zar", Morcheeba: "Way Beyond", Nina Simone: "Sinnerman” |
