Matt’s future life hangs in the balance; the same could be said for Lilian and Justin.

Radio Times: The residents of Ambridge receive shocking news and Noluthando makes a friend

Characters: Harrison, Jennifer, Justin, Lilian, Noluthando, Peggy

• Breakfast at the Dower House finds Lilian and Justin engaged in a spat about the goings on at the Hunt Ball. She is annoyed that he disappeared without warning, he claims a terrible headache caused him to seek sanctuary at home. In any event, they both have sore heads and tuck into coffee. Lilian slightly reluctantly takes a phone call from an unknown caller. “Yes,” she says “that’s me” The silence is deafening. “Why?” she says, “What’s happened?”
• Noluthando has called on Peggy to help with the gardening. She explains that the ball was GOAT (greatest of all time, apparently!) It’s her first lesson at college this afternoon. She goes on to mention that she finds everything and everyone in Ambridge, utterly boring. Even Peggy. However, Peggy is given permission to use the short form of her name. Jenny turns up to take her to college. “See,” says the girl to Peggy sotto voce, “boring.” Hmm!
• Justin wonders aloud, rather acidly, why Lilian needed to take the call in the hall. She is clearly badly shaken. Matt’s in intensive care following an accident, he was found in a hedge. She was contacted as he still had her recorded as next of kin. She flaps around preparing to go to the hospital. Justin can’t see why she should but offers to take her anyway. She is convinced that he will be alright, he always is!
• Noluthando is looking through Peggy’s collection of Frank Sinatra discs. She hasn’t played them for years as she has no needle. Jenny, who is getting more than a little agitated about driving to college, takes a call from Lilian. Noluthandu manages to play Peggy’s favourite track on her mobile phone, much to Peggy’s obvious delight. Jenny shouts above the noise that there’s been a very serious accident involving Matt.
• Justin meets Harrison at the hospital. He explains that forensic enquiries will start at the site of the accident shortly. Jennifer arrives only to find that Lilian is with Matt. She is indeed. Though unconscious, she gently and lovingly tries to set the scene for him, that he’s been injured but is surrounded by caring people and technology. He even has a blonde Polish nurse who has been assigned to his care. With that, Lilian is called away to speak to Matt’s consultant.
• Harrison heads back to the police station, leaving Jenny to tell Justin that she thought that his speech last night was wonderful. She thought that the whole event was a triumph and couldn’t understand why Shula had such a long face at the end. She says, in so many words, that with Matt having been so insufferable of late, such an accident couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. Lilian has news from Matt’s Consultant. He has been badly hurt and has head injuries that will be difficult to assess until he’s brought out of his medically induced coma. The advice for the moment is to prepare for the worst.