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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 430435" data-attributes="member: 23"> Episodes 696 - 722 28 June - 27 September 1989 continued Taking heed of Margaret’s words, Sheila returns to the Close for a one-to-one discussion with Doreen to ask - yet again - why she has come back.Doreen’s “bit of spare” line is one of several I noticed that was repeated several times in Jimmy McGovern’s episodes. Other recurring lines included Billy (and later Sheila) asking Doreen “How long ya stayin’?” and “Why are you here?”. Doreen’s “You know why I left”, and Rod and Tracy’s refrain of “She’s stayin’”. Incidentally, with Doreen’s “bit of spare across the road” line, I thought it a nice little touch that Doreen broke her own rule of calling it the “Close”, such pretensions lost in the primal heat of battle. Perhaps it’s the hairdo, but I kept seeing Patricia Hamiltonisms in Doreen’s interactions. Scheming to win her old lover back from his more mumsy current love. In place of Charlie Bartlett, she’s colluding with her own daughter Tracy, abetted at times by Julia. I don’t believe Sheila has been called a “bitch” as frequently and as casually as she was in these few episodes. As mentioned, the length of Doreen’s stay was longer than expected, and it was so nice to see her back in the fold, particularly when Billy ran off to Ireland with Sheila for a few weeks, giving Doreen the opportunity to have deep conversations with Rod and Tracy (though Rod to a lesser degree, as it feels he’s been less immediately involved in this storyline). There was a sense of event about Billy and Sheila’s return from Ireland. We all knew a confrontation was coming, and it was satisfying that it managed to be both highly soapy while harking back to the series’ roots. Doreen did make good on her promise, but it was done indirectly with her shouting at Billy about his involvement in the crime, both knowing that Sheila, standing outside would hear. It escalated into chaos, with raised voices, smashed belongings and windows and Billy and Sheila trying to escape in his Datsun Sunny while spectators from other homes flocked upon the scene, some with a stake in things. Barry’s fury at Billy was just one layer in the busy tableau of chaos that this series does so well. The bittersweetness of Doreen’s departure this time was very effective, and the quiet, intimate one-to-one between her and Billy felt almost cathartic, with Doreen’s admission that she knew Sheila would hear her and she wanted to hurt them both by spilling the truth.It’s difficult watching her put herself through the torture of pressuring Billy into saying he doesn’t love her, and then pushes him to repeat it while looking into her eyes. Even in defeat, Doreen asks Billy to kiss her goodbye. He refuses, which I found interesting, because he was willing to experiment with that before Doreen knew about Sheila. But as she leaves he follows her out onto the Close and stops her.[She turns and continues walking away as he talks to her back]And then she’s gone, and it feels the temporary breath of fresh air leaves with her.</blockquote>

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