Helen causes chaos and Tom takes the blame.

Radio Times: New Year goes with a bang for Helen.

Characters: David, Helen, Pat, Phil, Pip, Ruth, Tom, Tony

• Phil brings an old newspaper cutting to show Pip; it’s of triplet calves born there back in the 50s. He wants to get the Echo to take a photograph of the new trio with Pip, but she sees it as an opportunity for her parents to be photographed – together. After all, it’s the continuation of the Brookfield story.
• Pat prepares a splendid meal for Jack and Peggy, painfully aware that it might be the last one Jack will be able to enjoy. Helen says she’s going out for a drink with a college friends first, but will be back in plenty of time. She then texts Tom to say she has no intention of coming home. Tom drives off to find her.
• Tom finally encounters a very drunk Helen trying to pull an equally drunk stranger. After a struggle, he manages to get her outside, where Helen insists she will drive her own car home. Tom jumps into the passenger seat, but on the way Helen knocks down a pedestrian. At first she refuses to stop, but becomes so hysterical that Tom is able to persuade her to stop and let him drive. He’ll say he was at the wheel, because he hasn’t been drinking. But they must report the accident to the police, even though they see the pedestrian walking and climbing into Robert Snell’s car.
• Eventually, Tom and Helen arrive home, where Pat is furious with them. As if things aren’t bad enough, Tom gets a call from Brenda. The injured pedestrian was none other than Mike.