'I've got to stay upbeat and positive,' chirrups Anna in preparation for her dealings with Faye. She describes herself most amusingly as 'the new look titanium Anna', and adds that from now on 'all back chat just bounces off me, oing, boing,' which is a good job as Faye would try anyone's patience.
That said, though Anna loves her, Faye is bound to want to know about her past, and with her dad around the desire to know about her earlier life will intensify. Cookie dough ice cream is probably not so good for a 'stomach upset' but Tim is desperate to compensate for having run away from her, so perhaps we shouldn't be too critical of his parenting attempts.
Anna's new titanium self is not doing so well. She envies the power Tim has over Faye, who seems to kick against anything Anna asks. Unless something is escaping me, Tim seems well-intentioned and though he has bought a sofa bed it seems he has no long-term plans to have Faye live with him. 'Sweetheart', he says to his daughter, 'you live with your mum.' Cuttingly, Faye replies, 'She's not my real mum, my real mum's dead.' He explains to Anna, 'I haven't got a plan. I've never had a plan in my life.' Though angry and frustrated, Anna's analysis of the situation is spot-on. Through hot tears Anna explains to Owen that Faye 'has concocted this world inside her head where she lives happily ever after with her fantasy dad.' Anna takes a difficult decision. How she will carry it out is another matter, but she decides that Faye and her dad are to have no contact.
And so to Stella and the rekindling of her romance with Karl. Well it's no surprise - we've seen it coming but after all Stella has said, the viewer, like Leanne may be incredulous. Leanne is not only unbelieving, she's also absolutely enraged, understandably so. It seems that apart from Karl and Stella themselves, there's only Gloria who is pleased about their reconciliation. 'I'm as chuffed as mint balls - Stella's got her boy back.' 'They're back together,' she informs Leanne. 'Who are?' questions Leanne, 'Burton and Taylor,' replies Gloria with a good dose of sarcasm. 'Not my mum and Karl! There's no way she'd let that creep worm his way back in.' So wrong Leanne as he's already wormed his way back in, though in fairness, Stella seems just as keen as he does. 'What the hell's going on?' demands Leanne. 'You stood there and you lied to me,' accuses Leanne.
Gloria absolutely plumbs the depths tonight when she states, 'Sunita was a pyromaniac and a scrubber.. Now she's dead so you two can live happily ever after.' Outrageous. In the bistro, Dev is having none of it. Both Stella and Karl's attempts to ingratiate themselves with him receive short shrift. 'Get out of my face - both of you.' Couldn't be clearer.
Jason, not the brightest of young men, prescribes a labradoodle to keep his mum occupied and to cure her heartbreak. It may not work for Eileen but if there is a spare labradoodle going Jason, my cocker spaniel might enjoy a companion.
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