- Tea and sympathy with David
- Preparing for Clive’s visit
- Jennifer’s proud of her girls (even Kate)
- When will Jennifer accept Alice and Chris are married?
- Clive’s visit
- Bert came second
- Keira had to be bathed
- Tony and Jennifer have a set-to
Tea and sympathy with David
Tom’s driving Tony nuts, so he heads to Brookfield to bend David’s ear.
Seems Tom is still on a high after securing an Underwood contract for the Tom Archer’s Borchester Sausages brand – and reckons it is the only way forward.
[Tony] “ …he thinks we should rebrand all of our products under his name”
Ouch. That’s a kick to tender parts.
Tony also has serve money woes, even though Lilian has helped them short-term.
David also isn’t an entirely happy farmer. His milk yield is still down.
[David] “Why don’t we go in for a cup of tea and a moan. It’ll d us both good”
Preparing for Clive’s visit
Emma’s quite rightly nervous.
Although George seems a bit excited.
He’s told to go play with his Lego.
[George] “I can build him something”
[Ed] “Yeah, like a cell!”
Jennifer’s proud of her girls (even Kate)
Ah well. There’s no rationality to a mother’s love.
Debbie is sticking up for Adam (really? And just wait until Jennifer realises Debbie and Adam are trying to box in Brian …). And Kate has never given up on Phoebe (true. Though I don’t call ignoring her for most of her life as being particularly proactive)
But on Alice …
When will Jennifer accept Alice and Chris are married?
Jennifer bursting with pride about her girls started on after she’d been round to see Alice.
[Jennifer] “She told me she’d been thinking of giving up her course to get an engineering job, so that she could help Christopher with his money problems … wasn’t it sweet of her to think of making such a sacrifice”
Eh?
It isn’t Chris’ money problems – it’s Chris and Alice’s money problems.
And that’s what couples do. They work together.
But, we later find out how Brian and Jennifer work together.
Clive’s visit
He gave Keira got a bracelet. And George got a play station (which Ed and Emma weren’t happy about – he’d asked for one before, but had been told he was too young).
George is fascinated about Clive’s previous ‘career’ as a burglar.
[George] “… with a big sack and a black mask?”
[Clive] “It was very naughty of me, I realise that now. So, I’m not going to do it again”
Which George thinks is a shame. Emma and Ed are quite to say that Clive is actually quite right.
Clive waffles on about how nice it was of Ed to stop grazing his cows in the Orchard, as it’s important to be family minded. How family is so important.
(*ahem* tell that to Susan … or Neil!)
Seems Clive has been doing his homework in the coming and goings of Ambridge. He knows about the Archer clan rallying round Elizabeth when Nigel died. He knows Freddie likes hunting. That Lily likes hockey.
Clive had seen the pictures in Elizabeth’s office.
[Emma] “How on earth do you know that Clive?”
He doesn’t really say, but the attention to detail is a bit worrying. This is Clive, after all.
[George] “Do you want a picture of me for your office, one you can show to other burglars?”
Clive politely declines, but does take photos of George and Keira on his phone. Which Emma is none too happy about …
So that was that really. Clive was polite enough. Emma was tense. Ed a bit angry. And George impressed.
And neither David nor Ed had to drag Clive out. He left of his own accord.
Bert came second
In the Beckwell cup.
He’s not chuffed.
He came first last year.
Keira had to be bathed
After Clive had been.
Emma could stand that he’d held her. And can’t bear that he now has a photo of Keira and George.
Though George really liked ‘Uncles Clive’, Emma had a slightly different reaction:
[Emma] “That man is never coming anywhere near my children again”
Tony and Jennifer have a set-to
Jennifer was talking to Brian about going to see Tony.
[Jennifer] “I haven’t seen since … “
[Brian] “ … Alice he tried to tap you for a loan and you said no!”
(as Jennifer pointed out – Tony didn’t actually ask for a loan. He was building up to it but she sidestepped him quite neatly)
[Jennifer] “Well he’s still my brother, and I want to see how he’s getting on”So she does. Tony arrives back home from seeing David to find Jennifer in his kitchen.
[Tony] “Why have you come?”
[Jennifer] “To see how things are”
[Tony] “You mean to gloat!”
[Jennifer] “No, I worry about you”
[Tony] “ … (things are) not as bad as they were .. no thanks to you … some people have been very helpful”
Tony tells Jennifer about how Lilian had lent him the money, and that Kathy had offered them her life savings.
[Tony] “In fact the only person who hasn’t been able to spare us so much as a five is you Jennifer, it’s funny that isn’t it?”
[Jennifer] “I’m sorry Tony,. Whatever you think there were very good reasons why I didn’t offer you a loan … first … I’d have to ask Brian for it”
[Tony] “And you’re scared to? That’s very liberated!”
Seems Jennifer sees Brian’s money as his, not theirs. She reckons Brian worked hard for his money, so it’s his. And as Tony has never been quiet about his disapproval of the way Brian farms – why should he expect Brian to give him a penny?
Interesting.
So that’s why Jennifer sees it as Chris’ money problems rather than Alice and Chris’.
[Jennifer] “Tony you're an adult, you’ve made choices with your life and your work … but, you seem to expect people to be able to bail you out when they go wrong”
[Tony] “Oh I’ve given up expecting anything from you”
[Jennifer] “It’s an extraordinary attitude Tony that you come running to your sisters at the first sign of trouble!”
Tony explains that he was desperate.
Jennifer tells him he seems to think he’s entitled.
[Tony] “That’s the pot calling the kettle black … you sit there On Brian’s money bags talking so smugly about life choices. Have you never made any bad life choices then Jennifer? Not with men? I mean, you lucked out with Brian!”
[Jennifer] “I was talking about your work. Don’t you dare compare your incompetence!”
[Tony] “Incompetence …I see! I chose that Clarrie should pick up the bug did I … it was bad luck!”
[Jennifer] “There’s no such thing as bad luck, only bad decisions”
[Tony] “Oh well you’d know, heaven knows you’ve made enough!”
[Jennifer] “I’m not staying here. I can’t believe you’re talking to me like this!”
[Tony] “I was hit by a thunderbolt out of a clear blue sky, my family my business, we’re all going under Jennifer, and you didn’t lift a finger to help!”
Oh boy!
I’m with Tony. I can’t see him and Pat ever refusing to help Jennifer and Brian if the tables were turned.
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