Unwanted by Dross and jobless, Ed’s plight drives him to drink.

Radio Times: Ed has a smashing time.

Characters: Brian, David, Debbie, Ed, Fallon, Ruth

• Brian is incurring some extra expense: because David has caught him in the act of buying a present ‘for Jennifer’ he will have to buy another present so that there really is one for Jennifer. Fortunately David suspects nothing and leaves him, as requested, to get on with buying the second present.
• Fallon encounters Ed sitting on the Green drinking what appears to be Coke but which is having more effect on him than is usual for a soft drink. He bemoans, among other things, being thrown out of the band by his best mate, at least that is how he sees it. Fallon advises him to make things happen for himself by going round the local farms, it won’t all just come to him.
• We have all done it – spent ages typing in a load of data to a computer and then lost the lot. With Josh gently pestering for her attention, Ruth has just reached this point when David makes a welcome return. He is pleased that she has finally admitted to being human and decided to stop milking. When he has taken her mum and dad to the station, they will curl up on the sofa with a video.
• Debbie, up to her eyes in lambing, is surprised to receive a visit from Ed. She cannot offer him any work; it has nothing to do with him being in trouble she just needs experienced people but he does is case no good by seeking work in an obviously drunken state. Brian arrives in time to see him go and is surprisingly sympathetic – must be in a particularly good mood; fine, as long as he finds Ed something and not Debbie. The good mood also extends to an offer to take on some of the lambing night shifts himself.
• Plan B having failed, Ed returns to Plan A – getting drunk on the village green. David drives by and encounters him throwing soil at the pub. His recommendation to go home is not well received. Maybe William, just going into the Carters’ with Emma, would take him: that is not well received either. Despite what Ed thinks, Fallon does care, but she cannot walk with him as she is about to be picked up by one of Jazzer’s mates for a band practice. Well, she can shove it!