Post by rhort on Mar 1, 2013 4:04:50 GMT -5
Starting once again in the Mayfair flat, is something of a trend which I think is showing Gary spending more and more of his time in the 40s, over and above the time he spends in the 90s. Previously, the 40s had been something of an occasional distraction for him, but now it seems to have reached the point where it’s the main focus of his life. As Gary enters, he finds Phoebe practicing her singing in front of the mirror, and he’s clearly impressed. As he gives her a present of a nice new dress, leading Phoebe to briefly query its origins, Phoebe outlines her plans for becoming a professional singer, and wants Gary to write her a song to get things started. Gary is quite reluctant, however, Phoebe has clearly had enough experience of working to change Gary’s mind on things like this, to such a degree that she’s become something of a master manipulator where he is concerned, and within a matter of seconds, using some quite clever dialogue, she’s turned things around so completely that it’s actually him more or less forcing the song upon her.
Back to the shop, and a scene that develops into a key moment for the entire series of Goodnight Sweetheart, begins with Ron going through lonely heart adverts, and referencing Gary for all the acronyms, which he seems to be a bit of an expert in. As a scruffy man, apparently in his mid 50s, enters the shop with some odds and ends to sell, it emerges that one of the items is a wartime gas mask, with the name Phoebe Sparrow inscribed into the box. This naturally leads Gary to question the man, who reveals that it belonged to his mother, and that he is, in fact, Michael Sparrow, portrayed by Ian Lavender, in a very interesting role for him. As this begins to dawn on him, Gary’s mind goes into overdrive, and he starts to worry about what has become of him. After he has left, Gary starts to theorise about what he can do, but Ron, often the voice of reason when Gary panics, warns him against finding out too much.
Briefly to Cricklewood, and Gary comes in to find that Yvonne is practicing her speech for the millennium conference. As she outlines some of the details of the upcoming event, she is clearly most excited about it, however, Gary is unable to generate any real degree of enthusiasm, as he has other things on his mind. A swift visit back to the Royal Oak doesn’t seem to offer Gary any further relief, despite Reg’s momentary distraction on the parities between life and a pint of stout. Phoebe gives Gary a hard time about the song for her to sing, however Reg’s impromptu mediation seems to help bring them to something of an understanding, with Gary eventually telling her that he’s already written her a song, after a fashion.
Once again, to the shop, and Ron comes in upset that he can’t find anyone to go out with him from the ads he’s been looking at, or the ad he’s posted himself. Gary agrees to help him after working out a song for Phoebe, which he is currently working on, using an old song that he’s found that he’s researched and never made any money, meaning he feels fine about hijacking it for his own needs. When Michael returns, he realises that he can see that Gary resembles someone, but for a moment he can’t think who. After looking at the things he’s brought in to sell, Gary bids himself up from the £20 he originally offers, to £100, without Michael actually having to do anything. As Michael prepares to leave, he suddenly remember who it is that Gary reminds him of: His father, who apparently was taller, less skinny and better looking. As he leaves, Ron sets off to follow him, to see where he lives.
Meanwhile, back in the Mayfair flat, Gary finds Phoebe singing whilst Noël is playing the piano. Noël is keen to have Phoebe sing in public, but Gary seems more reluctant to let that happen. Once Noël has left, Gary and Phoebe have a moment together, and as Phoebe muses about Michael’s future, the things she wonders about only serve to worry Gary even more.
Ron’s arrival at the shop to report on the details of Michael’s accommodation does absolutely nothing to relieve Gary’s growing sense of panic. Rushing off to find his flat, Gary find his ‘son’ hiding from the rent man. Gary tells Michael that the record he sold him turned out to be quite valuable, and has brought him the balance of the money, totalling £500, which Michael gratefully accepts, particularly in view of his current situation. As the two chat, Michael recalls some of the things he can remember about his parents, leading Gary to try and empathise with him, which for a moment almost looks as if he has overstepped the mark, however, he brings things back on track until he asks about whether Phoebe is still alive, but they are then interrupted by the rent man who wants his money and is in no mood for excuses. Gary’s immediate reaction is to defend Michael, which causes the rent man to call in his minder, but when Michael hands over the cash Gary just gave him, which not only clears his arrears, but puts him a month in hand, the two men leave Gary and Michael unmolested. As Gary goes to leave, it seems that he may have been planning to ask Michael if he wanted to go out for a drink, or something, however, as he sees Michael opening a can of beer, he decides to leave him to it.
Making his way to the club where Phoebe is singing, Gary takes a seat with Noël, and chats with him about Phoebe’s singing. Noël is keen to publish the song Gary has ‘written’ for her, so Gary arranges for any royalties from the song to be paid into a trust find for Michael, which Noël says can be done with no problems, and the idea seems to delight him somewhat.
The next day, back in the shop, and Michael returns, but much changed. As he talks to Gary, he tells him that he got a good start in life, thanks to a trust fund that his father had set up for him during the war. He is now married, with two children, and lives in New Zealand, where he works as an engineer, specialising in bridge construction. When Michael sees Phoebe’s red dress, which the original timeline Michael sold Gary earlier, he asks to buy it, with Gary this time bidding himself down from an original £20 to £5. Once again Michael, unsurprisingly, recognises Gary as resembling his father.
Expecting a lad’s night in, Gary seems pleased to see Ron arriving with a case of beer, just as Yvonne leaves for her millennium conference, however, Ron has other plans, given that Gary’s redrafting of his lonely heart advert, which takes a much more honest tack, has yielded outstanding results, meaning that Ron has more dates lined up than he knows what to do with. Leaving Gary to himself, he rushes off to meet ‘number 14’. Later, when Yvonne arrives home, Gary is asleep on the sofa, and she briefly quizzes him on the details of her television appearance, before breezing out again to the after show party.
Gary takes the opportunity to return to the Oak and close up for Reg. Phoebe is out singing in the club again, but as Reg leaves, and Gary plays the piano, she arrives. Gary seems to have had some time to take on board the importance that Phoebe’s singing career has to her, and as he attempts to suggest some things she might do, she reveals that she actually wants to stop singing, and so she asks Gary to play the song once more, so she can sing it one last time.
I’d give this episode a 90% rating. Critical episode with some pivotal moments, and an excellent end to the penultimate series.
Back to the shop, and a scene that develops into a key moment for the entire series of Goodnight Sweetheart, begins with Ron going through lonely heart adverts, and referencing Gary for all the acronyms, which he seems to be a bit of an expert in. As a scruffy man, apparently in his mid 50s, enters the shop with some odds and ends to sell, it emerges that one of the items is a wartime gas mask, with the name Phoebe Sparrow inscribed into the box. This naturally leads Gary to question the man, who reveals that it belonged to his mother, and that he is, in fact, Michael Sparrow, portrayed by Ian Lavender, in a very interesting role for him. As this begins to dawn on him, Gary’s mind goes into overdrive, and he starts to worry about what has become of him. After he has left, Gary starts to theorise about what he can do, but Ron, often the voice of reason when Gary panics, warns him against finding out too much.
Briefly to Cricklewood, and Gary comes in to find that Yvonne is practicing her speech for the millennium conference. As she outlines some of the details of the upcoming event, she is clearly most excited about it, however, Gary is unable to generate any real degree of enthusiasm, as he has other things on his mind. A swift visit back to the Royal Oak doesn’t seem to offer Gary any further relief, despite Reg’s momentary distraction on the parities between life and a pint of stout. Phoebe gives Gary a hard time about the song for her to sing, however Reg’s impromptu mediation seems to help bring them to something of an understanding, with Gary eventually telling her that he’s already written her a song, after a fashion.
Once again, to the shop, and Ron comes in upset that he can’t find anyone to go out with him from the ads he’s been looking at, or the ad he’s posted himself. Gary agrees to help him after working out a song for Phoebe, which he is currently working on, using an old song that he’s found that he’s researched and never made any money, meaning he feels fine about hijacking it for his own needs. When Michael returns, he realises that he can see that Gary resembles someone, but for a moment he can’t think who. After looking at the things he’s brought in to sell, Gary bids himself up from the £20 he originally offers, to £100, without Michael actually having to do anything. As Michael prepares to leave, he suddenly remember who it is that Gary reminds him of: His father, who apparently was taller, less skinny and better looking. As he leaves, Ron sets off to follow him, to see where he lives.
Meanwhile, back in the Mayfair flat, Gary finds Phoebe singing whilst Noël is playing the piano. Noël is keen to have Phoebe sing in public, but Gary seems more reluctant to let that happen. Once Noël has left, Gary and Phoebe have a moment together, and as Phoebe muses about Michael’s future, the things she wonders about only serve to worry Gary even more.
Ron’s arrival at the shop to report on the details of Michael’s accommodation does absolutely nothing to relieve Gary’s growing sense of panic. Rushing off to find his flat, Gary find his ‘son’ hiding from the rent man. Gary tells Michael that the record he sold him turned out to be quite valuable, and has brought him the balance of the money, totalling £500, which Michael gratefully accepts, particularly in view of his current situation. As the two chat, Michael recalls some of the things he can remember about his parents, leading Gary to try and empathise with him, which for a moment almost looks as if he has overstepped the mark, however, he brings things back on track until he asks about whether Phoebe is still alive, but they are then interrupted by the rent man who wants his money and is in no mood for excuses. Gary’s immediate reaction is to defend Michael, which causes the rent man to call in his minder, but when Michael hands over the cash Gary just gave him, which not only clears his arrears, but puts him a month in hand, the two men leave Gary and Michael unmolested. As Gary goes to leave, it seems that he may have been planning to ask Michael if he wanted to go out for a drink, or something, however, as he sees Michael opening a can of beer, he decides to leave him to it.
Making his way to the club where Phoebe is singing, Gary takes a seat with Noël, and chats with him about Phoebe’s singing. Noël is keen to publish the song Gary has ‘written’ for her, so Gary arranges for any royalties from the song to be paid into a trust find for Michael, which Noël says can be done with no problems, and the idea seems to delight him somewhat.
The next day, back in the shop, and Michael returns, but much changed. As he talks to Gary, he tells him that he got a good start in life, thanks to a trust fund that his father had set up for him during the war. He is now married, with two children, and lives in New Zealand, where he works as an engineer, specialising in bridge construction. When Michael sees Phoebe’s red dress, which the original timeline Michael sold Gary earlier, he asks to buy it, with Gary this time bidding himself down from an original £20 to £5. Once again Michael, unsurprisingly, recognises Gary as resembling his father.
Expecting a lad’s night in, Gary seems pleased to see Ron arriving with a case of beer, just as Yvonne leaves for her millennium conference, however, Ron has other plans, given that Gary’s redrafting of his lonely heart advert, which takes a much more honest tack, has yielded outstanding results, meaning that Ron has more dates lined up than he knows what to do with. Leaving Gary to himself, he rushes off to meet ‘number 14’. Later, when Yvonne arrives home, Gary is asleep on the sofa, and she briefly quizzes him on the details of her television appearance, before breezing out again to the after show party.
Gary takes the opportunity to return to the Oak and close up for Reg. Phoebe is out singing in the club again, but as Reg leaves, and Gary plays the piano, she arrives. Gary seems to have had some time to take on board the importance that Phoebe’s singing career has to her, and as he attempts to suggest some things she might do, she reveals that she actually wants to stop singing, and so she asks Gary to play the song once more, so she can sing it one last time.
I’d give this episode a 90% rating. Critical episode with some pivotal moments, and an excellent end to the penultimate series.