Season Fifty-Nine Episode Guide

The storylines:

The allegations of child abuse against Sinbad are revealed to be false – but he feels that they won’t be forgotten, and leaves the Close forever. Jimmy’s state of mental health deteriorates as he abandons the medication Darren prescribes for him, and is almost driven to commit suicide; Marty still can’t get Diane pregnant; and Tim and Emily’s crime spree continues, until Tim eventually decides that it must stop, even if he has to take full responsibility and go to jail in order to spare Emily this ordeal. Max gains some new flatmates and makes a commercial with Katrina, but loses any chance of a relationship with her to Steve; Leo gains a career in the police, and loses his virginity to Cheryl; and Shelley gains Lindsey as a lesbian lover, but doesn’t lose her pent-up desire for Jackie. Leanne is not pleased that Bev still plans to marry Dave, Kitty is not pleased when Jessie plans to marry Ray, and a whole stack of people are queueing up to be not pleased that Mick and Susannah plan to be the first couple to tie the knot. But is someone going to take drastic action to ensure that there is absolutely no way that this marriage can ever take place?

The dates:

Based on dialogue in episode 2402, and Beth’s gravestone, seen therein, it is 26th July 2000, five years since she died; based on dialogue in episode 2403, in which it is 28th July 2000, it is the 29th in episode 2404 and the 30th in episode 2405, and the events of episode 2373 took place on Friday 19th May 2000; and, based on dialogue in episodes 2405 and 2408, it is/was Friday in episode 2406. Sinbad’s conditions of bail, seen in episode 2406, state that he is required to appear at Manor Park Police Station on Tuesday 15 August; it is Saturday in episode 2407; and it is the 22nd in episode 2413. Based on dialogue in episode 2406, it is 23rd September in episode 2427; there is a “2000 Year Planner” on the surgery wall in episode 2422; and based on dialogue in episode 2424, it was July in episode 2398. Jimmy receives a letter dated September 2000 notifying him of an appointment in January / four months’ time in episode 2428; we are told in episode 2431 that it was February when Tim and Emily previously met Brian, as seen in episode 2340; and based on dialogue in episodes 2440, it is Friday in episode 2441. Apart from a line of dialogue in episode 2442 suggesting that it is now Saturday [see “Goofs” below], it is Halloween in that episode 2442; and, based on other dialogue therein, it is 1st November, then Thursday 2nd November, in episode 2443 – in which events seen in episodes 2327 and 2328 are revealed to have taken place on 4th February 2000, and it is ironically implied that it is the year 2000. Based on dialogue in episodes 2442, 2443 and 2444, it is Friday 3rd November in episode 2444.

Name-checks:

Mary Magdalene (2401); Leonardo / Kate / “Titanic” (2302); “Scooch” (2402); “5ive” (2402); “Changing Rooms” (2403); Martin Luther King (2403); the “Antiques Roadshow” (2403); Sheila Hancock (2404); “Inspector Morse” (2404); Jeremy Paxman (2404); “Little House On The Prairie” (2404); Ainsley Harriott (2404): “Carry On Camping” (2405, 2406, 2412, 2418); “Way Out West” / Laurel and Hardy (2406); “Police Academy” (2406); Johnny Cash (2406); “A Boy Named Sue” (2406); Ian Rush / “Rushie” (2408 / 2423); Ben Affleck (2408); Linford Christie (2408); “Walton Mountain” [setting of “The Waltons”] (2408); “Judas” (2408, 2429); Cliff Richard (2411); Anne Marie David (2411); Massiel (2411); “Dana International” (2411); “Carry On Screaming” (2412); Jane Fonda (2412); Madonna (2413, 2424), and her daughter Lourdes / Lola (2424); “Steps” (2413); Britney / Britney Spears (2413 / 2414, 2436); Matt Damon (2413); “Blind Date” (2414); Cindy Crawford (2414); Kate Moss (2414); Naomi Campbell (2414); Paul Daniels (2414); George Clooney (2414); Bob Hope (2415); “The Sweeney” (2415); Timmy Mallett (2415); Sophie Rhys “Whatsit” and Prince “Eddie” (2416); Anthony Hopkins (2416); “Morticia” [Addams] (2416); Achilles (2416); “Prince” (2418); the “Blair Witch Project” (2418); Mother Teresa (2419); “Duran Duran” / Nick Rhodes (2419); “Sir Roger”, a footballer (2423); Louise Redknapp, a footballer’s wife (2425); “Big Brother” (2425); [Quentin] Tarantino (2426); Hitler (2426); Houllier [football manager] (2427); Mick “Thommo” [footballer] (2427); “Power Rangers” (2427); Bob Geldof (2427); “Boyzone” (2428); Eva Braun (2428); “The Curse of Frankenstein” (2428); “Dracula AD 1072” and characters “Van Helsing” and “Alucard” (2428); “Vampire Lovers” (2428); Ingrid Pitt (2428); “Power Rangers” (2428); Robbie Fowler (2429); “Billy Smart’s Circus” (2430); Blake, William (2434); Cherie Blair (2435): “The Jerry Springer Show” (2435); Rosetti / “Dante’s Dream” (2436); Bob Tisiman, art gallery stormer (2436); Columbus (2436); “Jesus of Nazareth” (2436); “Dead Poets Society” (2436); “Kavanagh Q.C.” (2437); “[Prisoner] Cell Block H” (2437); Philip Larkin (2437); Kingsley, poet (2437); Shakespeare (2437); Arthur English (2437); Dawn French (2437); Jeremy Whatsit [Beadle] (2437); Jack, as in Beanstalk (2437); Hobson, who had a choice (2437); Riley, who had a life (2437); Joan of Arc (2438); Muriel Sparks, writer (2438); Guy Fawkes (2439, 2440); “Bill and Ben” (2442); Ricky Lake (2442): [Alan] Tit[ch]marsh, gardener (2442); the Dalai Lama (2442); “Frankenstein” (2442); and “Sir Larry” [Olivier] (2443).

Locations:

Although most of the action in this season is set in or near Liverpool, in episode 2420 Tim and Emily are seen in unidentifiable locations – which Tim claims are “somewhere in Yorkshire” – then in a town that is also meant to be in that area, some distance from home. However, as it can briefly be seen that they are at the junction of Allerton Road and Church Road, the true location at which the town-based scenes were recorded can be identified as…….Birkenhead! They are also seen at other unidentified and unidentifiable locations that are probably meant to be in Yorkshire in episodes 2430 (in and near a pub), 2431 (in and near Brian’s home), 2432 (in a bedsit) and 2433 (at a bus stop).

Births:

None, although Richie claims that Glenda is pregnant in episode 2433. Beth Jordache’s gravestone, seen in episode 2402, reveals that she was born on 18th August 1975; Sinbad’s passport, seen in episode 2404, indicates that his date of birth was 26 JAN 57, and he says in episode 2428 that he was about 14 when the film “Vampire Lovers” came out; we are reminded in episodes 2410 and 2439 that Brigid once lost a baby; and their gravestone, seen in episode 2415, reveals that Gregory Shadwick was born in 1958 and Jason Shadwick was born in 1977. It is Kylie’s 8th birthday in episode 2424; we are told that 23rd September is the birthday of Leo, whose star sign is Libra, in episode 2406, and his birthday – his 19th, since he is 18 in episodes 2409 and 2419 – arrives in episode 2427. It is Amy’s 5th birthday in episode 2431, it is Ruth’s 5th birthday in episode 2436, and it is implied that it is Emily’s birthday today, or soon, in episode 2441. And we are told that Andrew is 9 (2401, 2408, 2423); Katrina is 21 (2408); Mary is 15 (2408); Beth is 8 months old (2409); Max is 42 (2409); Shelley’s star sign is Gemini (2411); Kevin is 15 (2415, 2416); Victoria is 27 (2436); Anthony is 9 (2443); and Emily is 16 (2443, 2444).

Marriages:

None. Mick plans to marry Susannah in November, the same month in which his parents were married (2409) / “next week” (2439, 2440) / “in a few days” (2442) / “on Saturday” (2443) / “the day after tomorrow (2443) / “tomorrow” (2444). It is “a week before the wedding” in episode 2441, but something that happens at the end of episode 2444 makes it clear that this is another wedding that isn’t ever going to take place……. We are reminded that Jackie and Jimmy have been married “20-odd” years (2409), and that Brian and Tania have been married for five years (2431); and Jessie and Ray become engaged in episode 2415.

Deaths:

One – Susannah Morrisey is dead, for reasons not yet revealed, at the end of episode 2444. Beth Jordache’s gravestone, seen in episode 2402 on the fifth anniversary of her death, indicates that she died on 26th July 1995. It is a year since Jason died in episode 2408, and the gravestone he shares with Greg, seen in episode 2415 on the first anniversary of Greg’s death, notes that they both died in 1999. Unseen and never-to-be-seen characters who are dead but mentioned are: Jerome’s father (2403, 2415); Shelley’s parents, including her late father (2408); Karen’s father (2411); Ray’s wife Renee (2416, 2437); Tim’s father, who died years ago (2416); Margaret / Grandma Corkhill, Jimmy’s mother (2424); Jessie’s mother (2436); and Tommy, Jessie’s husband (2436).

Toilet visits:

Marty (ON the toilet, OOV 2401); Katrina (2404); Max (2406 and 2423); Kevin (2424); Clint (2428); Victoria (2437); Nikki (2438); Adele (2443) and Anthony, for whom “it’s coming out like gravy” (2443). An unseen pupil, Paula Cornell, has locked herself in the toilet in episode 2436 [see “Moments” below]; and pupil Matthew repeatedly asks, in various ways, if he can go to the toilet in episode 2437 – but Jimmy is only willing to offer him a bucket.

Characters mentioned, so far unseen, but who will be appearing later:

Clint’s mother / “folks” (2402 / 2428); Katrina’s father (2406); Jan, Marty’s ex-wife (2411, 2439); Susannah’s mother (2421, 2442); Fred, Lance’s boyfriend (2423, 2425, 2428); and Amber, a relative of Cheryl (2424).

Gone but not forgotten – seen previously and still mentioned occasionally, but not reappearing in this season:

Little Jimmy (2401, 2404, 2437); Beth Jordache / Beth (2402 / 2416, 2426, 2433); Mandy (2402, 2426, 2431); Ruth / Ruthie (2402, 2426, 2428 / 2404, 2433); Nathan (2402, 2417, 2423, 2427, 2428, 2442); Matthew (2402, 2419, 2420, 2438); Emily [Farnham] (2402, 2419, 2420, 2438); Jerome’s mother (2403); Bernard (2405, 2416); Lance’s father (2406); Jason (2408, 2411, 2419, 2420, 2435); Callum (2410, 2426); Gemma (2413, 2423, 2427, 2428, 2435, 2436, 2440); Luke Musgrove (2414); Susannah’s sister (2415); Margi (2415, 2416, 2419, 2420, 2421, 2434); Greg Shadwick / Greg (2415 / 2419, 2420, 2421, 2436, 2442); WPC Trainor (2419); Ben (2420); Mel (2420): Lorraine Kelly (2423); Lily Savage (2423); the Pope (2429); Sinbad’s mother (2431, 2432); Val (2434, 2437) and Gary (2437).

And those that are also mentioned, but are destined to remain unseen forever:

Shelley’s mother (2401, 2408); Shelley’s cousin (2401); Bob Foster, a friend of Max (2405); Eddie Rimmer and Joey Jenks, footballers on Marty’s team who are due in court for stealing cars (2407); Mary’s boyfriend Brendan, who works in Personnel (2408); Mick’s mother and father (2409); Janice, Cheryl’s daughter (2409); Tony / Cheryl’s husband (2409, 2421, 2424, 2437 / 2411); Clayton, a mate of Lance (2413, 2428), who has lost three stone in three months (2428); Lance’s nan (2414); Paul Leather, from whom Jason caught head lice at the age of 14 (2415); Hayley, a mate of Adele (2417); Sammo, Blackie, Big Robbo, Morgo, Youngie, Kanga, Little Robbo, Mooey (2418) and Bezza (2418, 2429), Steve and Marty’s team-mates; Kevin Heasman, who once took Diane to see Duran Duran (2419); Diane’s father (2419); Jonathan Steel, a patient (2422); Barbara’s sister Sheila, and her lad who has gone to college (2425); Victoria’s parents (2425); Dr Hickman, a specialist Jimmy is due to see at Liverpool General Hospital (2428); Jonathan, who Victoria is dating (2429, 2430); Father Bell (2429) and Sister Benedict (2430), involved with Anthony’s sponsored silence; Miss Ashe, a former teacher of Andrew (2429); Miss Stevens, Andrew’s current teacher (2430); Lynda Jackson (2432, 2442), a friend of Diane who had a laparoscopy (2432), and was a battered wife up the road from Diane (2442); Jessie’s sister and brother, who are ten years younger than her (2436); Tony Broad, a sweaty lecturer of Nikki (2436): Mrs Creegan, a teacher (2436); Paula Cornell, a pupil who has locked herself in the toilet (2436); Jamie Skellern, a friend of Anthony who lives on a flight path, and his mother (2437); Jerome Cornish, a Geordie who Dennis knew (2437); Anthea’s sister (2439); Mrs Loughton, a vase-owning “Great Grannies” customer (2440); and Mrs Williams, a patient of Darren (2442).

Goofs:

In episode 2408, Steve tells Leo that Cheryl lives at 57 Meadowbank Road, which was HIS old address – she lives next door at number 55. But Leo still easily manages to find the right house, despite Steve’s mistake!

In episode 2420, instead of “for” or “to”, Nikki uses the wrong preposition – “They took the keys FROM Ray’s car and just drove off!”; and Susannah omits her eighth word, “is” – “She’s hitting out at who she thinks to blame.”.

In the topical scene, recorded much later than the rest of episode 2425, in which Lindsey and Diane discuss the fuel crisis, Lindsey’s hairstyle is slightly, but noticeably, different from all of her other appearances in that episode. And in episode 2427, what should have been her seventh word arrives before her fifth and sixth words: “Surely you must know that deep down I’m telling the truth?”.

Lance’s mention that the stag night, already revealed to be on a Friday, was “last night” in episode 2442 contradicts all other indications in this episode that it is Hallowe’en – Tuesday 31st October 2000.

Trivia:

The alleged incident involving Thomas Henry Edward Sweeney (2403) took place on 19th April 2000 (2403). Also listed on the board to which his same, T.H. SWEENEY, is added, is C. FORSTER, held for being drunk and disorderly (2403). The headline on the front page of the edition of the “Manor Park Reporter” seen a few times in episode 2406, “MANOR PARK MAN CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE”, seems to mean Sinbad, while the back-page headline probably doesn’t – it’s “LOCAL HURDLE CHAMPION BREAKS GAMES RECORD”. Kitty’s petition against him is headed “DRIVE OUT THE PERVERT” (2407, 2408), and reads: “We the undersigned wish to see Thomas Sweeney who has been formally charged with child sex offences leave or be forcibly removed from Brookside Close and Manor Park.”. It is sent with a first class stamp costing 27p (2408); and a note Sinbad also receives, made out of letters cut from newspapers, reads “ChiLD MOLestEr LEave NoW b4 WE MAKe You!” (2412). Barbara lives at number 11 (2401, 2422), and Tim, who never passed any exams (2420), reads in Sinbad’s address book, showing her telephone number as 691 6598, that it is 11 Manor Park Avenue (2410). Susannah’s car, which he and Emily trashed, was a Ford Mondeo (2443). Emily got an A (in religious studies) and three C’s in her GCSEs (2414). Amy calls the doll she receives for her birthday “India” (2431); and her father, Brian, wore white socks at his wedding – so Grace, his mother-in-law, claims that it was always obvious that he was gay (2431). Dennis Power used to have a solicitors’ practice in Hoylake (2437), and lived next-door-but-one to Ray (2436).

Lance weighs 8 st 2.75 lbs (2413), and is a fan of “Scooch” (2402), “5ive” (2402), the Eurovision Song Contest (2411), and “Carry On” films, having brought “Doctor”, “Nurse”, “Sergeant”, “Screaming” and “Dick” from his collection to a party, dressing up as one of the “devils in skirts” (2406). Mick’s favourite “Carry On” film is “Carry On Screaming”, and his second favourite is “Carry On Camping” (2412). Leo was sick after eating too much of his “Power Rangers” birthday cake when he was 11 (2327), and shows Adele a games website called “The Freak From The Deep” (2421). Her RE text book, from which she is seen revising, is entitled “Dimensions of Christianity” (2419), and she is also seen with a history book “The Life of Henry VIII” (2422). Anthony, seen reading issue 2009 of “Catholic Pictorial”, is set to earn £33 for an eight-hour sponsored silence for the starving in Africa, until Jimmy sponsors him for £2.50 per minute (2429) – but the Murrays agree to take £11.30 in full settlement of the total pledge of £1,200 (2432). Ron, who finds 27 telephone calls to Bristol on his itemised bill (2434), uses the book “All Fall Down” by Erica Spindler to shield his face from the sun (2404); Jimmy reads a book of poetry by William Blake (2434); one of Harry’s favourite story-books is called “Not Now, Bernard” (2404); and there is a book, “Gray’s Anatomy”, on the table of Darren and Victoria’s flat (2443). Darren’s mobile phone number, seen displayed on Susannah’s mobile, is 07708987737 (2439).

The caption on the television screen Jackie sees in a television rental shop, from which widescreen televisions can be rented from £22.99 monthly, is “MAN ON ROOF OF BROOKSIDE COMPREHENSIVE” (2437). Karen has been promoted to Deputy Head of that school (2411), and that man on the roof is Jimmy, who raises a total of £14.32 by selling Lindsey’s belongings (2403, 2409). Rachel was nine when she was first abused, and 13 the next time (2416); Rochdale’s scouts were once interested in Marty (2418); Steve is boxing tomorrow at St Teresa’s club (2402); and although Cheryl has led people to believe that her husband is working on the rigs, he is actually in prison for GBH (2411, 2437). The lap-dancing club which is the venue for Mick’s stag night is called “TOUCH ‘n GO” (2441); Katie’s slimming club is called “Bodywise”, according to the clipboard she is seen holding in episodes 2419 and 2428, and a flier on the bar wall in the latter episode; and Bev has been shopping at Tesco’s (2409). An address appearing on the back of “Mersey Mover” buses, above the telephone number 0151 496 0006, is IONA AVENUE, LIVERPOOL L70 4UQ (2410, 2432). There is still a Beatles poster on the wall of Tim’s garage (2415), art by Robert Delaunay at Susannah’s (2415, 2436), and art by Mark Rothko (2417, 2438, 2441) and Richard Diebenkorn (2430, 2440) in Victoria’s flat (2417, 2438); and there are posters of Kate Bush in Adele’s bedroom (2419), “Boyzone” in Gemma’s (2428), and “The Blair Witch Project” in Leo’s (2406). Sinbad (2402, 2403), Mick (2403), a police officer (2403), Christine (2403), a reporter (2404), Marty (2405), Katrina (2405), Kitty (2406), Adele (2418), Katie (2419, 2428), Shelley (2426), Lance (2427), Anthony (2427), Jacqui (2429) and Susannah (2441) are all right-handed, while Mike (2404, 2416) and Jimmy (2406, 2434, 2435) are both left-handed.

“Blink-and-you-miss it” moment:

It is probably no coincidence that “Paula Cornell”, the name given to an unseen pupil who has locked herself in the toilet in episode 2436 by writer Gareth Roberts, who has previously written several “Doctor Who” books, differs by just one letter from the name of another writer of several books in the same range – Paul Cornell!

The end-of-season cliffhanger:

Early on a November evening, there is a lot happening in and around the Close. Christy is surprising the Murrays with some knock-off fireworks that actually work. Jackie is confronting Lindsey with Kylie’s revelation that Shelley is her lover, only to discover that Shelley has dumped her and she doesn’t know why! And recent conflicts with Susannah have left Max, Emily, Mick, Darren and Jacqui all with varying outlooks and plans for the immediate future.

But later that same evening, not much is happening at number 7. The time on the carriage clock on the mantlepiece is 9.22, and a classical CD is playing quietly on the hi-fi. Two wine glasses – one empty, the other half-full – and an empty bottle are on the table. Two keys on a ring marked “M” are on the floor, and so is a crumpled-up photograph. Playing on the television screen is an old home movie, recently converted to videotape. It shows a pretty young girl playing on a swing, then getting off and giving her teddy-bear a turn. That same teddy-bear, looking a little the worse for wear, now lies at the foot of the staircase.

Beside it lies the dead body of Susannah Morrisey.