Is Schmeichel on his last legs?
As Chesney arrives at the crematorium, where a forlorn Fiz is handcuffed to a guard, Kirk takes Schmeichel to the vets. Sally's incensed to hear people are paying tribute to John and leaving work she heads out. The mood of the congregation is strained and when Sally storms in denouncing them for commemorating a murderer Fiz loses her rag. Back at the factory a concerned Frank calms Sally, while Fiz endures the rest of the service with a mixture of love and hate, relief and anguish. Chesney's heartbroken as she's bundled in the van and taken back to prison, but when he arrives home there's more bad news - Schmeichel is seriously ill. The factory staff have worked all night and the order's complete, leaving Michelle unable to tell them there's no more work. Seeing her desperation Peter and Ciaran suggest Nick could help her - he knows the industry, has contacts and could give her a kick start. When Cheryl asks Dr Matt about Chris's treatment it becomes clear he hasn't told her his tumour has gone. Matt keeps patient confidentiality but later tackles Chris. Also, when Brian loses his speaker for safety awareness day in school Eileen offers to call a friend who's a fireman - Paul! *Second Episode, 8.30pm* Chesney refuses to accept his dog is dying and won't hear of having him put down. Instead he insists the vet tries an expensive operation to prolong his life. But with no money to even pay off the council Ches develops a plan to afford the op. Meanwhile, Katy's upset about the rent arrears and when she opens a letter mentioning eviction dad Owen offers financial help. Knowing how Chesney reacted last time, Katy still feels forced to accept. When Chris tells Cheryl he has a treatment appointment tomorrow she apologises for doubting him, explaining it's only because she's fallen back in love with him. Meanwhile, when Russ tells Leanne and Simon that his mum and dad are getting back together Leanne's surprised and confronts Cheryl, who's worried Leanne is onto her. As Nick gives Michelle a crash-course in running the factory he sets up a meeting with one of his old contacts. Meanwhile, Ciaran books the church for the wedding. Also, Fiz faces up to the grim realities of prison life; Brian brings Paul to the pub after he saved his day at school, but later bumps into Eileen.
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.