Cain cracks!

Cain cracks!
Cain cracks!

Sarah's sickness has knocked the wind out of the Dingles. Still, they know what must be done and they all go for bone-marrow tests, hoping to find a match that will make the little girl better. Away from his daughter and granddaughter, though, Cain's brave face turns to one of anger. He feels hopeless and helpless and, to make matters worse, there's talk of Charity's marriage to Jai. Grrrrrrr! The last thing Cain wants, then, is Charity's sympathy, so when she offers it at the garage he lashes out, putting a tyre iron through a windscreen. And it's not because he hates her - it's because he still loves her! Ah, love... It can be a beautiful thing or a terrible curse - even a tragedy. It's not looking beautiful to Laurel and Marlon. She can't be around him and he's more awkward than ever. 'Bring your mystery love to Leo's christening,' says Rhona. Ha! Little does she know that she'll be there anyway! Yep! This Laurel-Marlon thing is looking more and more like a curse - or a tragedy. And there's already one tragedy to deal with. It's the anniversary of the train crash that put Jackson in a wheelchair and led to Aaron helping him die. *Second episode* It was Charity who proposed to Jai and getting him to say 'yes' took some work. But now that she's got what she wants she's getting cold feet. Why? Isn't he rich enough? Or maybe he's not rough enough... There's a tender moment between Charity and rough-tough guy Cain as she tells him to stay strong for Sarah. Nikhil sees it, too. And Cain can't leave the tender moment alone. He goes to see Charity, insisting he's the one for her, not Jai. Charity tells him he's wrong - but she doesn't really believe it. Oh, she loves Jai - but he's not Cain. And Chas tells her she should be glad about that! Aaron's been doing some soul-searching, too, and apologises to Hazel for lashing out at her, but Hazel's still wary. Paddy has a lot more faith in Aaron and asks him to be Godfather to Leo. There was a time when Aaron would have told him to stuff it. But now Aaron is proud and pleased. The boy's growing up! Andy's got to try to keep calm as Declan puts pressure on him to get Victoria and Alex out of Brook Cottage. On the one hand Victoria's his sister and Alex is his mate. On the other hand, he needs the job - and Declan knows it.

Patrick McLennan

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.