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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 409064" data-attributes="member: 23">Episodes 416 - 430 21 October - 9 December 1986 continuedBarry’s return has given a nice injection of conflict to the Grant household, while also keeping things balanced. In his relationship with Damon - particularly his teasing over the suffocating Gail - it’s occurred to me that Barry is balancing things out by filling the gap left at Number Five with Karen’s new living situation (and then I felt bad for not even registering that Karen has all but left the series. I know she’ll be back for a visit very soon, so I’ll be certain to pay more attention). The conflict has come from strained relationship between him and Bobby in particular. In simplistic terms, Bobby is jealous that Barry has been able to do what he hasn’t and restore some of Sheila’s confidence. While Bobby has been over-protective, ensuring one of the family members is always present, Barry has encouraged Sheila to push her comfort zone and get outside - even going as far as travelling in a taxi. But this is Brookside and these are the Grants, so there’s a lot of complexity going on beneath the surface. I forget how things were when Barry left after his last visit, but my memory is that things between Barry and Bobby were in a good place. In a way, the current situation seems to have regressed to an earlier point, undoing the good work that’s been done. But it also seems believable. It’s human nature to be fickle or insecure in certain matters, and this has always been a particularly fraught relationship. It’s even quite possible that Bobby can get on with Barry and support him only when he’s not living or staying under the same roof. Some people just weren’t meant to live in such close proximity, and the alpha male dance going on between these two has always caused problems, so it’s all organic and both actors convince with their intensity. Ricky Tomlinson’s willingness to go ugly has been particularly strong and, like Amanda Burton, it sells because he is so invested in character. As hurtful as his stinging words and hostile energy may be, there’s a vulnerability behind it. Bobby’s attack is a means of defence, and it’s what he’s defending that remains most interesting. With the dubious benefit of hindsight, scenes like this also add the layer that came from a future retcon (which I don’t like at all). Adding more strain, Barry has approached Tommy McArdle to arrange the beating of the man who raped Sheila. In addition to his methods, the timing of the beating - right before the trial in which he was expected to plead guilty, allowing Sheila some form of closure - has doubled down on the stresses. Sue Johnston has done great work showing Sheila on a knife’s edge because of the tension between her husband and son adding to the stress over the trial.There’s an almost bizarre scene in which Tommy visits the house with a broad smile to offer Sheila flowers, all but telling her what he and Barry have arranged for her, causing Sheila to lose it and start shouting at both of them about what it’s cost her. The image of Sheila violently whacking the shocked Tommy with his own bouquet whilst expelling him from her house is borderline comical (shades of the “I want to be wooed” scene in Carry On Matron), but it’s grounded in stark reality by the pain in Sheila’s voice, and the truth of her words hitting home and taking the rug out from beneath Barry. The favour Barry now owes Tommy has been called in and spilt over to Number Seven when Terry and Pat were roped into the Barbados trip which has meant, unfortunately, much screen time has been devoted to this. While the scenery was beautiful, now that it’s over I find myself questioning what the point of the trip was. Up to this point, whenever Brookside has travelled beyond Liverpool, something good has come from it. Heather and Sandra’s respective visits to Ireland and  Glasgow gave us some more background and enriched their characters. The Isle Of Man trip evolved the Barry and Petra relationship. Even Bobby and Sheila’s holiday in Benidorm was significant for Sheila telling Bobby the baby news she’d been carrying and afraid to say back home. Pat and Terry went off to a nice place, larked around a bit and came home. Yes, it had its moments with was whole mule/contraband business. And for the less demanding viewer there was Pat’s holiday romance (he claimed to Terry he’d never felt this way about anyone… after all of three days), but now that they’re back nothing has changed. It could have never happened and everything would still be the same. If anything, it exposed insubstantial the characters are. Back home, the changes to Number Seven are for the worse. Gill has moved out, but not before fending off Tommy McArdle who was making romantic overtures (Tommy seems to be getting put in his place left, right and centre at the moment. I can’t help feeling it’s somehow symbolic of the hard edge which gives the series its USP gradually softening). I feel for Gill, since I don’t feel she had much chance to make any kind of lasting impression on the series. She showed some promise, but she was a quieter kind of character that simply didn’t fit into this increasingly one-note household. With Sandra and Gill both gone, Terry seems to be temporarily making up the triad this house appears to need. They seem to be having a good time larking round, drinking and ladding it up. Sadly, it’s less of a good time for the viewer (and God in Heaven… Pat trying to be one of the lads with “Tez” and “Baz” is so awkward it’s painful). Harry’s had some strong material in this run, with the loss of his granddaughter, born prematurely following a row between Harry and Sally. I do love the tragic element to this character which is frequently hidden from most of the other residents. Meanwhile at the Collinses', there have been some watchable time-passers with Paul’s new video cameral, Annabel’s food going missing after being looked after by the neighbours (followed by a food poisoning scare after the food was served at a party). There was even one discussion between Gordon and Annabel - speaking of his jealousy over Chris going on a skiing holiday - where he momentarily felt like the same character played by Nigel Crowley. The Corkhills have been smashing it in this run. Financial problems agree with them: there’s been the loss of Billy’s job and the repossession of his company car (I love that Doreen was the one to tell Billy’s boss to take a running jump, after her endless insistence that Billy should do what he needs to do to keep the job and their security), a fiddled ‘leccy meter, credit card debt, a repossessed telly and endless digs from Billy over her fancy dresses and indulgent fantasies of being a model. And all while Rod is on the verge of joining the force. It’s great stuff, and I’m hoping this continues as the fifth year goes on.</blockquote>

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