Season 7 Episode 20

Episode 312

 

Sky One Transmission Date:

Sunday 15th February 2004

 

Directed by

Clair Bretton

 

Pilar shows her cards

 

 

Fletch

 

 

Stuart, Pilar

 

 

Abi, Fletch

 

 

Abi

GS: Karl Fletcher (Terry Kiely)  Mustafa Karim (Daniel Lundh)  Stelios Haji-Ioannou (as himself)  Baby Louis (Max & Harrison Wooley)

 

Pilar overhears Fletch and Jeff discussing a new plan for them to take over the club, and tells Stuart that she still has the Sheik on side so they must find a way of getting rid of Fletch. Stuart is reminded of what Marcel told him regarding Abi, but refuses to tell Pilar as it would “ruin lives”. With Dean and Donna willing to sell Fletch and Jeff their shares, and Mustafa Karim giving her a week before the Sheik will pull out, Pilar puts pressure on Stuart to use whatever he has. Stuart tells a stunned Abi that he knows about she and Marcel and that she must convince Fletch to pull out. Fletch and Jeff receive interest from Easyjet’s Stelios, and arrange a functioning at the club to present their plan to the council.

 

Abi confronts Marcel about how Stuart found out about them. Marcel goes after Stuart and berates him for what he’s doing to Abi only for Stuart to remind Marcel that he wants the exact same thing – Fletch gone. As they are about to leave for the presentation, the pressure becomes too much for Abi, and she breaks down in tears telling Karl that all this is damaging both she and Louis. After witnessing Abi’s breakdown Stuart tells Pilar that no job is worth destroying peoples’ happiness, and noticing him watch Abi who is troubled by something, Pilar susses that Abi has cheated on Karl.

 

Knocking the cards of Fletch’s speech from his hands, Pilar writes Which one is your wife’s lover?! which he finds in the middle of his speech. Fletch flips and assumes it’s Stuart Abi has slept with, pinning him against the wall until Marcel speaks up. After the Players’ Lounge has cleared, Fletch, Abi and Marcel are alone. Abi tries to defend what happened by saying she was lonely and Fletch not phoning on Christmas Day had led her to it. Fletch tells her about how he could have had an affair if he wanted but didn’t, believing that if you truly love someone you wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. He tells Marcel that he is welcome to Abi and walks away, leaving her devastated. Pilar weeps over what she’d exposed with Marcel, and as she leaves, Abi slaps her and lets her know that she holds her responsible for wrecking her marriage.

 

Fletch goes back to the house where he takes Louis. Marcel brings Abi home where she’s shocked to learn Louis is gone, and cries on the floor of the nursery. Stuart comes to see her to apologise for his role in what Pilar did, but Abi coldly replies that whilst she hates Pilar she despises him. Jeff finds Fletch sitting in the stands and tries to talk him into continuing to try and save the club. Fletch is no longer interested and heads off. Jeff tells Abi that Fletch is about to return to the airport and she asks if he’ll drive her there for one last attempt at saving their marriage. When she finds Fletch he says he’s given Louis back to Lynda. Abi begs him to take her with him to Saudi, Fletch hugs her and tells her to look after herself before walking away. Abi, now with nothing left sees a flight is leaving for Dublin and knows what she must do.

 

Notes:

 

Fletch is out of the series until Terry Kiely’s third regular stint begins in 8.10 (#334) Who Ate All The Pies?

 

The Best: Seeing Fletch’s reaction to being the one betrayed, considering his womanising ways in the past. Abi’s well deserved slap for Pilar, followed by “Bitch!”. Fletch and Abi’s final scene at the airport as one heads to Dubai, the other Dublin.

 

Logic: When Marcel confronts Stuart over his emotional blackmail of Abi, Stuart openly talks of how Marcel is sleeping with his team mate’s wife. They are standing right beside a taxi with the driver in earshot. Even if the upcoming events hadn’t happened, the story may still have reached the back (or front) pages of tomorrow’s tabloids and the taxi driver not need to work for a while.

 

Quotes: Sandra (bursting into Pilar’s office excitedly): “Look! Stelios is just leaving. It’d be so glamorous if he took over the club, don’t you think?!”  Pilar (not impressed): “If I want you to come barging into my office Sandra, I will let you know!”.  Abi (to Stuart on Pilar): “I hate her. But I despise you.” Ouch.

 

Continuity: Fletch reminds Marcel about how he asked him to look after Abi (7.2 (#294) Long Live The King).

 

Additional Info: The family behind Doc Martins boots are, according to Jeff, long time Harchester fans. Dream Inc. agree to stay with Harchester for next season as long as they name the new ground ‘The Stadium Of Dreams.’ “Corny” Abi replies. Later we hear of how Dream Inc. (described by Jeremy Thompson as “Electronic giants”) will be transferring all their money to the Spanish League.

 

What Was The Score?: (Continued from previous ep) Harchester beat Chelsea 1–0 away at Stamford Bridge.

 

Soundtrack: Black Grass: “Toys”,  Damien Rice: “Cold Water”,  DJ Tiesto: “Magik Journey”,  Groove Armada: “Little By Little”

 

Behind The Scenes: Fans were disappointed to learn that Ali King filmed a new appearance as Lynda and was set to be seen at the prison with Louis being handed back to her, but was cut due to the episode running overtime. She is even credited in the closing credits, but is not seen again until 9.1 (#357) Phoenix from the Flames.

 

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