Ian offers friendship and comfort. Ruth offers maternal concern. Pip offers to try again.

Radio Times: Ruth and Pip strike a deal.

Characters: David, Helen, Ian, Jennifer, Lilian, Pat, Pip, Ruth

• Ian calls at Ambridge Organics to see Helen. She finds it difficult, but manages to apologise for her outburst over Leon. Ian asks her out to lunch on New Year’s day, but Helen doesn’t feel up to it.
• Lilian and Jenny have their hair done and catch up on village gossip. Lilian has to tell her sister that Matt doesn’t want to see her. Jenny is affronted, but when Lilian tells her what Peggy said about pride keeping you going through hard times, Jenny understands, and says the offer is open should Matt ever feel differently. Lilian is touched by her sister’s thoughtfulness.
• Pip makes a big thing out of throwing away her college clothes. In her most caring voice, Ruth tries again to reason with her daughter. Eventually Pip admits that she’s lonely; everyone seems to be in a clique except her. Ruth urges her to give it one more term, and after thinking it through, Pip agrees. She’ll give it a term, but if things are no better by Easter, she’s definitely leaving. Later, Ruth and David talk it over. David just hopes Pip will stick it out.
• Helen is still very hurt over Leon’s behaviour, and Pat does her best to offer comfort, though Helen doesn’t want to talk about it. Annette is still being very thoughtful, and Helen tells her mother how touched she was by Ian’s offer of lunch. But at the moment, she just doesn’t want to be cheered up.