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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 415348" data-attributes="member: 23">Episodes 481 - 510 8 June - 15 September 1987 continued I can’t remember if it’s received a passing mention at some earlier point, but it seems Q3 of 1987 is when HIV/AIDS has well and truly arrived in Brookside. And not just in one household. It seems to be on everyone’s minds.Thoroughly Modern Laura suggested she and Jonathan take tests before their wedding for peace of mind. Following an observation about his string of female visitors, Harry Cross asked Pat if he was going to have “one of them blood tests”. It even came up in a discussion on junk food between Damon and Debbie, when Damon casually remarked that a non-smoking vegetarian could still get run over by a lorry “or get AIDS or something” (or words to this effect).But nowhere has it been more prominent than at Number Five, where Bobby’s been supporting a colleague who is being pushed out because he has the virus. It took a degree of suspension of disbelief to accept that Bobby allowed himself to be talked into allowing Claire to be used as a weapon in the whole negotiation, with Jan Howardesque HR bod Angela Higgins agreeing to listen only if Bobby would allow Stan to hold and kiss Claire. All the same, with Bobby’s fiery, competitive nature allowing for a degree of impulsiveness, and his pride not allowing him to back down, there’s a little substance there.Mostly, though, it was sold through the performances of Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston, with Sheila taking the Devil’s Advocate role, giving voice to all the reasons against allowing Stan into their home. Sue Johnston’s performance is great in these scenes. Sheila’s views might be far from politic, but they reflect the fears of many in the wake of the messages from the dramatic, tombstone-heavy awareness-raising campaign taking place around this time.  Bobby invokes faith and role models, both of which Sheila bats away admirably:Sheila does eventually relent and agree to invite Stan, but the awkward meeting becomes increasingly volatile, coming to a head when she finally learns about the deal involving their daughter:Of course, the situation seeping into their home life is when things really take off with it, because Number Five is where it’s at for this family. Something that isn’t explicit but crossed my mind is how Sheila’s home became a haven for her following the rape, and there’s a sense that this is now being threatened and contaminated. I’ve never forgotten the scene of Sheila going straight into the kitchen to wash her hand after shaking Stan’s, but there are some other nice moments here. Such as the way she looks at the bag he places on the kitchen worktop as though it contains a neurotoxin. Or when Bobby unsettles Sheila by pointedly taking a sip from Stan’s glass.Both Ricky and Sue do great work, but Sue’s is nothing short of brilliant because it seems so at odds with her own real-life character. I also like that Sheila's impassioned words about Claire not being an extension of Bobby's religion have an element of hypocrisy, given Damon and Karen's earlier difficulties in extricating themselves from the Catholic church, mainly due to Sheila's strength of feeling.Characteristically for this series, Stan himself is a non-stereotypical character of choice for this particular storyline. He’s a simple Lancashire man, an amiable blue-collar everyman, married with kids, and played by Ian Bleasdale, a likeable face and certainly a familiar one these days, particularly for his long-running role on Casualty.In some ways his role seems quite thankless. Much of his dialogue is necessary info-dumping, what James might call “talking pamphlet” business to inform the viewer of the illness, its progression (he talks about having AIDS-Related Complex which is presumably what would come to be known as HIV) and how it is and is not transmitted. Apart from this he practically watches from the sidelines as his fate is discussed and argued over by more passionate characters, almost invisible in his own storyline. And yet this challenge with the role is utilised as a strength, becoming symbolic for how he is being overlooked as an individual and instead defined by his illness. Sheila herself later describes it as a cloak that she saw before seeing the man underneath.But see the man she does. It ends with a genuine hug upon Stan’s departure, but I think this might be the last we’ll see of Stan. I recalled reading in the Soap Box book  (and just re-read it to refresh my memory) that the planned year-long storyline of Sheila supporting Stan through his illness had to be aborted due to Ian’s prior commitment to the Andy Capp series. If true it’s a shame we never got to see the big picture. continued…</blockquote>

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