Matters come to a head at The Lodge. Jennifer is in party organising mode.

Radio Times: Peggy and Ian strike a deal.

Characters: Brenda, Brian, Ian, Jack, Jennifer, Peggy, Tom

• Jennifer has sorted out Ruairidh’s birthday party, complete with entertainer, and is now wondering whether she should have a family party for Peggy on her birthday. Elizabeth has already offered to have Ruairidh after school on that day. Brian makes a token offer of help.
• Brenda’s got a study day, which apparently does not involve study. Instead, she’s off to take Abbie out, so that Hayley can get some rest. Tom’s decided to keep Gary on, with suitable warnings about concentrating more fully. Gary is pathetically grateful.
• Despite Peggy having told her she needn’t call, Jennifer does so, and is immensely patronising towards Peggy. She tells her mother about the birthday tea, but, unsurprisingly, Peggy is not keen. Jack is very confused again.
• Brian grills Tom about progress on the marketing survey, and Tom is suitably evasive. Brian has some trenchant remarks to make about keeping Gary on, all of which Tom fields with gritted teeth. Later, he thanks Brenda for her work on the survey, gives her a DVD and says he’ll take her out. He gets a shoulder massage by way of a thank you.
• At the Lodge, Peggy finally loses her temper with Jack, who has emptied a cupboard, claiming that Sammy, the long-dead cat is in there. Peggy shouts at Jack, and shuts herself in the kitchen to recover, leaving a distressed Jack. Just then, Ian appears, and quickly calms Jack, tidies up, and sits down to talk to Peggy. He thinks it’s time the family knew how difficult things are, but Peggy is adamant; she doesn’t want them to know. Ian quietly says he’ll call in every day.