17 February 2014

Jim is watching as Eileen returns from hospital in a taxi;  she receives a warm welcome from Colin, but Sioned ignores her.   Colin tells a caller from the Western Post (in English) that she does not want to be disturbed;  he then volunteers to have a word with Sioned, but Eileen replies, “She’ll only bite your head off!”

Colin "the servant" waiting upon Eileen

Colin arranges her cards, and says that some chap called “Nikos” phoned yesterday;  then Jim arrives, but despite his concern for her, Eileen is angry that he had not told her before that the whole village knew her secret.   She does not blame people for gossiping about her, but Jim assures her that she is the most important thing to him.

Colin advises Jim to be patient.

Over a meal in the Deri Jim asks Colin what he can do now, and Colin replies that Eileen has so much on her mind – Sioned, and the shock of the accident –  that all he can do is wait;  he must give it time and be patient.

In the salon, Dani is getting nervous about the competition, but Anwen tells her she will be fine.   Later Dani starts panicking, and despite Sheryl’s advice that she needs to have more confidence, goes home to Garry for some help planning her speech;  Sheryl is afraid that the competition is having a bad effect on the salon, and protests that she cannot run it on her own. 

Gwen thinks it inadvisable to have another date with Kevin

Kevin continues his attempts to “sweet-talk” Gwen in the café, but is disappointed when she says, “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” when he suggests going out again;  he complains to Meic that Debbie is ruining his life.   When Gaynor and her colleague, Mari, come in, on the way to their team-building event at the races, Meic tells Kevin to go and make them a cup of tea (Debbie appears to be inexplicably absent at this point).   Mari starts flirting with him, commenting that, “Life is too short to behave all the time!”

Mari begins to "chat-up" Kevin

Later, when they return from the races, Gaynor is jubilant that they are £350 richer, and splashes out on alcohol in the Deri;  while she is boasting and telling Colin what he should be doing, Mari is continuing her flirtation with Kevin, telling him she used to be a history teacher, “But I can be very interesting when I want to be!” which rather scares him.   Writing down her phone number, she says, “Text me!”   

Mari invites Kevin to, "Text me!"

Although he tells Meic that Gaynor will scare Mari off him, Meic thinks it is Kevin’s chance to move on.

Sioned comes upstairs to Eileen’s flat and announces that tomorrow she will not be there, “You can run the shop now you’re better!” she says.      When Eileen protests, Sioned snaps, “Don’t pretend you care about me.”   Eileen asks her, “What if I had not woken up?   Would you care then?”

 "But don't you dare say I wasn't worried about you!"

Sioned says that she has been protecting her mother’s business and facing people.   Angela may have been at her side, holding her hand, “But don’t you dare say I wasn’t worried about you!”

Then she adds, “To be honest, I regret it now.”

After she has walked out, Eileen has a phone call, and replies, in English, “No, I wasn’t a martyr, you have no idea — just leave me alone!”

14 February 2014

Flowers for Sheryl from an unknown admirer

At the salon, Sheryl has some flowers delivered;  Dani is filling in the online application for the competition, but is hesitant about sending it, so Sheryl, who is trimming Iolo’s hair walks over and presses the key.   Iolo says a haircut makes him feel brand new.   Garry calls at the salon and lets slip that the flowers were from Dani and him – he says Dani has a good heart, and that he has ordered a stretch limo for them.

Jinx opens the post at CwmFM and finds an anonymous letter:  “Stop your poisonous lies.   A murderer is not born a murderer.”   

Poison pen letter sent to Jinx

He thinks he knows who is responsible, so immediately goes to see Gemma, who is arranging to go to a gig tonight;   she denies anything to do with the letter, saying she has no need of anonymous letters – everyone knows how she feels, and she tells him to go, before she murders him.   When Mark arrives home from his round, he announces they are going to the Deri’s Valentine’s Dinner;  Gemma tries to hide her disappointment, then phones to offer the gig tickets to her friends

DJ is chatting up Debbie in the café, and even tries it with Gwen, who has had an anonymous Valentine’s card reading, “100% SEXY”.

Card from Gwen's secret admirer, whose identity is revealed later

Gaynor arrives home from school in a strange mood, which she explains is a result of having a “handsome, hunky husband,” presents Hywel with a card which says, “Stud Muffin,” and just as she is beginning to unbutton Hywel’s shirt, Jinx calls, with the letter.   Gaynor says rousing the emotions of the listeners is good, and Hywel thinks Jinx is overreacting.   Later, Gaynor wears her newly-purchased black dress for the meal, telling Hywel that Kevin has put oysters on the menu at her request.   Hywel says the way she is behaving, she needs no aphrodisiac.

Iolo reveals he is gay, and DJ's response is, "Each to his own."

DJ goes to the Deri and gets chatting to Iolo, but apparently loses interest when informed that Iolo is gay.   Gaynor and Hywel are shown to their table by very smartly turned out Kevin, then Gemma and Mark arrive;  next Gemma’s two friends, Natalie and Betsan, arrive to collect the gig tickets;  they take one look at Mark and laugh, which embarrasses him.   

Natalie and Betsan laugh at Gemma's choice of man

When Kevin offers the two girls a drink, Debbie loudly warns them, “Watch the lech – he’s more dangerous than you think!”   She is further angered by Kevin whispering into Gwen’s ear, and by the end of the evening Kevin and Gwen seem to be getting very friendly.

Meanwhile, Sheryl, alone at home, talks on the phone to Wil, telling him she is having a lovely time.   Gemma and Mark leave the Deri early, with Mark feeling guilty that he has deprived Gemma of her gig, but she assures him that being with him is all that really matters.

Kevin and Gwen getting amorous, until Debbie puts a damper on things

As the party breaks up, Kevin and Gwen are about to engage in a passionate embrace, when Debbie shouts, “Early shift in the morning, Gwen!” which rather spoils the moment.   Kevin tells Debbie to mind her own business, to which Debbie replies, “My staff are my business, and so are all the women in Cwmderi.”

Kevin's threat towards Debbie

Kevin gives her a warning:  “If you stick your claws into my personal life, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Debbie leaves the Deri, and Kevin glowers after her.

13 February 2014

Eileen hears someone come into her hospital room, and shouts, “Sioned?” but is disappointed that it is Angela, who tells her that Sioned has the shop under control;  Eileen replies, “I’m lucky to have her, and you.”   In the shop, Mark comments on Eileen’s bravery, but Sioned virtually ignores him;  then Garry tries to say something, but she says it is none of his business, either.

Sioned puts Garry in his place

Anita is in the salon, being praised for her CwmFM programme;  Dani says she is like a new woman, then finds in a magazine a South Wales Beauty Therapist competition, but Sheryl wants nothing to do with it, although the prize is a holiday for two and £1,000.

Gemma is in the Deri when first Mark arrives, then “Auntie Anita”, as she has become known, to whom Mark suggests she could do a programme about people who find lost relatives, which angers Jim;  “It may be a bit of fun, but these are people’s lives,” he says.   After Gemma leaves, Mark tells Dani he has booked a table at the Deri Valentine’s Dinner, and she is giving Garry a pink teddy.   Garry then comes in and encourages Dani to enter the competition, saying that she has no faith in herself.

Anita, showing off about her flair for broadcasting

Hywel is the next arrival, full of Anita’s popular show, and Jinx reveals he has planned one around drugs, but cannot get Dr Pritchard to come and talk about them.   Jinx then calls at the shop, rather insensitively asking if Sioned has heard any scandal lately, at which she launches into another tirade:  “Everyone enjoys discussing my personal life, so carry on!”   When Angela arrives she gets the same treatment, “What do you want?” but Angela tells her it is Sioned who Eileen wants, not her.   Sioned’s response is, “All she did was give you away – I’ve nothing to say to you!”

Eileen discovers her secret is out

When Anita takes a gift to Eileen, she assures her, “No-one thinks you’re to blame for what happened to Angela,” and Eileen realises that the truth is out.   As Jim visits, she asks why he did not tell her that the whole village knows;  “Everyone is gossiping about me in the shop,” she says and orders him out, again.

Jinx starts his show about families, and their dark secrets;  a family can be someone’s pride and joy or a thorn in their side (Eileen is listening at hospital).   Parents have a major influence on us, and in the Western Post he reads a story of a murderer who was the child of a murderer;  is there a “killer gene”?   (Gemma is listening at Mark’s)   Is it hereditary?   Will they never be free of their fate?   If they have killed once, will they kill again?   

Distraught Gemma, shouting at Jinx

Sioned, Garry and Mark are listening to this in the Deri, when they hear Gemma’s voice on the radio, shouting, “Stop it!   You said I’d kill again!   You said my children would be murderers!”   At this point Hywel dashes in and puts on some music, before telling Jinx he should have drawn the line before this. 

  

Gemma leaves, shouting at Jinx, “I hope something like this happens to you one day!”   When Mark gets home he finds the radio smashed on the floor, then Gemma returns, asking if he believes what Jinx had said, and Mark tries to reassure her.

Garry does not how he will tell Gwern about his mother

At the bar, Garry asks Sioned how he can possibly tell Gwern that his mother is a murderer.   When Angela comes in, she tells Sioned that Eileen wants to see her, but Sioned replies, “I’m not like you, I can’t forgive her.”   Angela forcefully tells her, “You’ve spent all your life saying it’s her fault — and it’s yours!   You can’t admit that!”

Sioned looks upset as Angela storms out.

12 February 2014

Angela is selecting flowers at the shop, when Betty tells her that Eileen is very particular about them, so she phones Sioned for advice;  later she turns up at Penrhewl at Sioned’s suggestion, and Eifion shows her where the snowdrops are growing.   

After picking a bunch of snowdrops, Angela tells him she thought she would feel differently when everyone knew the truth about her and Eileen, but she still does not feel like her daughter;  she will never have the relationship that Eileen and Sioned share.   Eifion stresses that they do not have to compete and says that when Arthur arrived, he did not know who Eifion was, but now the three of them are becoming a family.   
(However, it is not explained how he and Marian are managing to care for two young children.)   

Eifion says it is never too late to get to know someone

He says it is never too late to get to know someone, “So stop wasting time here with me — go and see her!”

At school Gaynor is quite happy to leave Ffion to run things, including sorting out a girls’ blocked toilet, reported by another teacher;  

"You can deal with the blocked toilet, Ffion."

Gaynor is more concerned whether she needs a hat for the council team-building day at the races.   Later, when Gaynor is advising Ffion not to let the job take over her life, Ffion wishes she would just let her get on with it.

In the CwmFM studios, Anita is ostensibly checking the electrical sockets, and suggests a programme about getting old and plastic surgery;  Hywel is in favour, and offers her Jinx’s slot for today, which, not unexpectedly, displeases Jinx.   

Anita broadcasting about face-lifts and breast enhancement

Anita is quite at ease on air;  after a caller says she is saving up for a face-lift, Anita chats about how she considered one when she was fifty, but in the end was dissuaded by Meic.   Then she goes on about breast enhancement, but Jinx has to stop her, as she has run out of time.   Afterwards, when Hywel has assured her that she can do another broadcast, she takes Hywel and Jinx to the Deri for a celebratory drink, but Jinx is glad that Ffion is there, so that they can both go off to collect Arwen from Britt’s.   They are both relieved to escape for some time together, while Gaynor and Anita boast about their new career paths.

Mark and Gemma under the duvet

Mark has finished his post round, but does not want to go back to the depot, preferring to snuggle under a duvet with Gemma and watch a romantic DVD, after ringing, and feigning illness.

Back home, Arwen is now asleep, Ffion is grumbling about Gaynor, and Jinx says that Hywel loved Anita talking about herself on air, so he is thinking about broadcasting more about his personal life;  he has “drugs, living on street” written on a pad.   Ffion mentions the Eileen-Angela scandal, and wonders what would happen if everyone knew about them – she fears that secrets always come out in the end.   

Jinx replies, “We’ll deal with it.   You and Arwen are all that matter to me, and I don’t care what anyone else says!”  

"Tell the listeners how you fell in love with me!"

Ffion queries whether the listeners want to hear him talking about himself, and as Arwen cries, she adds, “about a baby who cries, or of falling in love with me?”   Jinx ponders for a moment, then scribbles furiously, thinking this a good idea.

11 February 2014

Sioned emotionlessly leaves the hospital room as quickly as possible

Angela is beside Eileen’s bed when Sioned comes in, but when she finds out that Eileen will be all right, she leaves rapidly, saying it is better that Angela stay with her.   Sioned then goes to the shop and learns from Colin that Angela had revealed she is Eileen’s daughter;  Colin says she would have wanted him to open the shop, but Sioned accuses him of gossip-mongering, and orders him out of the shop.

Sioned orders Colin out of the shop

DJ is mopping the kitchen floor, as a way of currying Diane’s favour;  she offers him a full breakfast, at which point Dai rings his brother Dic and leaves a message, asking why DJ is here.   Later, at APD, Jim discovers that DJ was the driver who hit Eileen, but is told that it was simply an accident.   DJ goes back to the house, and Dai hopes he will be packing, but at lunchtime he calls Dai and Diane home, presenting them with a meal, including steak, and talking about families sticking together.   

Diane offers DJ a second chance, with conditions

When Dai has had a call from his brother, he announces that DJ’s sudden appearance relates to his sleeping with the wife of his father’s business partner, and the black eye was administered by Dic.   Diane will not hear of DJ leaving, but says he deserves a second chance, much to Dai’s chagrin.   She tells DJ that he can work at APD to pay his rent.

Meic has heard from Sabrina that she wants to sell her share of the café, and he has first refusal;  Kevin is overjoyed at this, and says the old team will be back there, but Meic warns him not to say anything yet.   Of course, when Kevin goes into the café, he criticises Debbie’s lack of business sense, and says, “You’re only keeping my seat warm for me;”  Debbie looks worried, but after Meic has served Gwynfor’s breakfast, he chases after Kevin, telling him to keep quiet.

Meic, about to reprimand Kevin, as Gwynfor prepares to tuck into breakfast

At the hospital, Eileen regains consciousness, shouting, “Courtney!” and Angela assures her that Courtney is safe, and was saved by her.   Jim tells Sioned that Eileen is awake and offers her a lift to the hospital, which she refuses;  he points out that gaining a sister does not mean she has to lose her mother,   At the hospital he tells Eileen that she is a heroine, saving Courtney, but she replies that she has always been a coward.

"I've never been good enough, because I'm not you!" 

Angela also tries to persuade Sioned to accompany her to see Eileen, but she says there is no point;  as Sioned looks at a photo of herself as a baby, she says, “It wasn’t me she wanted in her arms, was it?   She only had me and John to fill the emptiness left by you.   That’s why I’ve never been good enough — because I’m not you!   She may love me, but not as much as you, and now everyone knows, they will think the same and feel sorry for me.”   She refuses to go, saying that Eileen has now got the family she wanted so desperately.   Angela tells her one day she will realise she is wrong.

At the hospital she tells Jim she tried her best to get Sioned to come;  Eileen hears, despite their concocting a story about Sioned being unwell, and she wearily tells them to stop calling her a heroine.

10 February 2014

Courtney wants to borrow a heart-shaped cake tin from Eileen, but Angela tells her now Eileen and Jim have split up, she is not to go there.   Nevertheless, Courtney does so, and is very troubled by Eileen’s unhinged behaviour;  she says that she hurts people and destroys lives.   Despite Courtney’s protestations that she and Jim love her, Eileen describes herself as “poison”, and again says she destroys lives, “Why else would I have abandoned your mother?   You wonder why she hates me — because I turned my back on her as a little baby.   I can’t even love my only grand-daughter!”   

Courtney is distraught, and Eileen shouts at her to go

Courtney is reduced to tears, but Eileen continues ranting, “Crying won’t help – just get out!”

Back at Angela’s, Courtney demands, “Is Eileen your mam?”   Angela finally admits she is, and says she did not know how to tell Courtney.   “You knew my grandmother lived across the road for months?” she says incredulously, “No-one ever knows how I feel!” and walks out.

Angela chases her along the road, and they see Eileen coming out of the shop;  Eileen tries to apologise for her outburst, but Angela furiously calls her a “bitch”, among other things.   Courtney has had enough of this and runs off across the road;  

Blurred driver's-eye view of the accident

Eileen sees a car approaching her and pushes her out of its path, but it knocks her to the ground.   As all the onlookers rush to help, and Diane orders Gwynfor to call an ambulance, the driver of the car gets out.   Courtney is inconsolable, as she caused the accident.

Shocked onlookers

The driver is breathalysed, but tests negative, and as more villagers arrive, Dai recognises him, and asks, “What are you doing here?”   Eileen is put into the ambulance, and the paramedic asks if there are any relatives;  “I’m her daughter,” says Angela, and gets into the ambulance, as the crowd look at each other with incredulity.

"Angela is Eileen's daughter?"

Dai continues, “You’re in trouble – you travel all this way just to see me, and nearly kill one of the neighbours!   You’ve got a black eye — trouble follows you, and I don’t want it — out of the village, now!”   Diane insists on taking the driver home, then she learns he is DJ, Dic Deryn’s son, and Dai is his uncle.   Dai still wants him out, but Diane as usual has the final word.

Meanwhile, as light relief, Chester has asked Siôn to write a poem for him to put in a Valentine’s card, so Siôn comes up with a literary masterpiece

Without you, my life is insane;

Your beautiful smile hides all the pain;

On Valentine’s Day, I confess my devotion, 

While hoping you will return my passion.

When Chester reads these words, he says “I only want her to come to the disco with me!” and Britt is amused that the words are “a bit dramatic.”   Siôn says he was thinking of her when he penned them.

Eileen is in an induced coma in the hospital, with Angela and Jim watching;  they have been unable to contact Sioned.   Angela says they have to show Courtney they are not treating her like a child, and that the next few weeks are going to be very hard for her.   Jim says that tongues will be wagging now, but Angela fears that Eileen may never wake up.

7 February 2014

Over breakfast, Gaynor opens the letter offering her the council secondment, and Hywel takes exception that she did it behind his back, saying, “We agreed . . .”   Gaynor tells him she wanted to do this, how much it means to her, how they can spend more time together, and later talks about a holiday to Rome, seeing the Colisseum and the Vatican;  he seems more interested in staying as they are.   When she tells him she has accepted the offer, he says, “There’s nothing sexier than a stubborn woman!” and reluctantly agrees that they should celebrate in the Deri.

Anita, caught red-handed on the internet

Anita drives Meic to the dentist’s, and he suspects she will be on the internet as soon as his back is turned;  after she fails to pick him up at 10:30, he has a lift in a taxi and, sure enough, finds her online again.   He describes her as a very boring person.

A light-hearted comment Iolo makes to Colin about his being single for a long time leads Colin to believe that people think he is gay, so he accosts Anita in the shop, asking if she thinks he is “Odd?   Different?” and then suggests they “rekindle the flame” as they are both lonely.

Britt shows Siôn a webpage about “Parental Responsibility”, the step before adoption, and they agree this is exactly what they want;  he phones to apply.

Jinx explains the Cwmderi mural at school

While Jinx is talking to some children at school about the village mural, Gaynor tells Ffion of her secondment, and says that she will recommend Ffion as her successor, which pleases her immensely.   

Ffion is delighted at the chance to become Head Teacher

When Ffion mentions this to Jinx, he is concerned about the stress this new job would cause, and how it would affect them and Arwen, but Ffion is excited, and convinced that, based on her performance during the inspection, she can easily handle the position.   

Later, in the Deri, when she tells Jinx to think of the money, he says that Gaynor virtually lives at the school, and he does not want them turning into Hywel and Gaynor.   Ffion stresses that it is only for a year, so she can see if she wants to do it permanently, then tells Gaynor, celebrating there, that she is going to apply.   Gaynor is very pleased, and says the school will be in safe hands, but Jinx has serious reservations.

Anita brings Meic liquorice allsorts as a peace offering, reveals that Colin made a pass at her in the shop, and says that the internet is important and they cannot ignore it, but as a result of his accusing her of living in a fantasy world, she will try to limit her online time to thirty minutes a day . . . or an hour . . . or . . .

Awkward questions are asked around the dinner table

Around the dinner table, Chester asks why Aaron cannot remember his father, Owen;  Britt says that he was too young.   When they talk at great length about Chester’s and Catrin’s father, Teg, and the various things he got up to, Catrin asks why they do not talk about Owen.   She says, “At school, someone said there’s a story about Owen, and I want to hear it,” and Aaron nods his agreement.   Siôn and Britt try to change the subject, and talk about the application Siôn is making.