Happy new year! Let’s hope 2021 is an improvement on 2020. At least we started the year off with some Ballum, even if it involved Callum asking Jack of all people for help.
Screencaps for this episode can be found here.
We first see them outside the car lot as Stuart shouts over to them about having a drink; but before they get a chance to respond, a detective (who’s presumably been waiting in his car for this very moment) gets out to address Stuart. Stuart’s defensive, insisting he hasn’t done anything; but the detective insists he get in the car for a ‘friendly chat’ or he’ll get arrested. So, bit weird that he wouldn’t place Stuart under arrest at that moment for whatever Thompson has accused him of (which is actually explained later on) but it means Ben and Callum are none the wiser about what Stuart’s done that’s resulted in him getting a lift to the police station in a police car. Ben looks away just as Callum looks back to him in confusion, and it’s almost like he’s trying not to laugh for Callum’s sake; we see later that he’s not too worried because he’s convinced it can’t be that bad. Ben and Callum don’t even speak in this short little scene, but Callum lifts his arms to Stuart as he’s getting in the car as if to ask what the hell is going on, but Stuart can’t answer him, doesn’t want to.
As a small aside – this scene, with Ben outside the car lot wearing that outfit – feels like it should have been the setting for the Jay spoiler we had for this episode, where he snaps at Ben over jibes about his love life. I’m not sure if that’s happening on Monday instead, but I doubt Monday is a continuation of the same day so I’m thinking it may have been cut for whatever reason. Maybe they realised Ben possibly wouldn’t be making jibes after knowing about the cheating and how distraught he was when he confronted Lola over it back in June.
The first thing Callum does is get on the phone to Rainie, who’s clearly avoiding Callum’s questions so he doesn’t find out what Stuart’s done – whether that’s because she’s honouring the fact that Stuart didn’t want Callum to know, or because Rainie doesn’t trust Callum not to go all Police Officer on his own brother, isn’t clear, but she does a lot of deflecting as Callum asks if Stuart’s broken the law in the past few weeks. Thing is, Callum knows he has! Stuart punched Thompson in the face right in front of him! Maybe he’s discarded the idea because it was even stevens. Or maybe he is suspecting that might be a possible reason but doesn’t want to let on to Rainie.
Anyway, Rainie goes on about loyalty to Stuart, like it’s completely unreasonable for Callum to be asking what he could have done to be taken down to the station. He asks her to stop shouting and to just answer the question; but the line goes dead as she hangs up. Callum doesn’t take it well, scoffing and throwing the phone down onto the table, and himself into the chair, as he sarcastically comments on how brilliant it is that Rainie just shouts at him instead of giving him anything to actually help his brother.
Ben’s been observing the whole time, as he watches Callum’s mini strop with a fond little look on his face, knowing Callum’s stressing out but finding it endearing. He wants to make it better, so he tries to reassure Callum that whatever it is, they’ll sort it – as he predicts it’s probably something weird (he doesn’t know how right he is) like stealing donkeys or scaring kids dressed as Santa. He doesn’t think it’ll be anything serious, clearly. But Callum’s catastrophizing, wondering how on earth they can help Stuart when they don’t even know what he’s done. But when Ben tells him he’ll get on the phone to one of the family lawyers, Ritchie or Gray (please, not him), Callum visibly softens, a bit disbelieving that Ben would do that for Stuart. Getting Ritchie to fight your case obviously means a lot. But for Ben it seems simple enough; Stuart is Callum’s brother and therefore he’ll protect him like he protects Callum. We guessed as much when Ben was willing to not only go to Stuart’s stag, but actively ensure he’d have a good time, that Ben was making an effort with Stuart for Callum’s sake; but this really confirmed the extent of that effort. And obviously, it also brought forward the idea of Ben protecting Callum – which could possibly be foreshadowing for when Phil finds out the truth?
Anyway, he leaves Callum to it, with a little cheeky eyebrow raise to make Callum smile, and Callum is momentarily cheered up. That’s not going to last long so I hope he makes the most of it.
At the police station, Stuart soon finds out why he’s been brought in with no explanation, and why this all seems to be off the record with no procedures being carried out – Thompson has returned, apparently fully reinstated and now with an accomplice who doesn’t seem to be questioning what’s happening. Of course, you wonder why he waited for so long to get his revenge, but I’m thinking he was waiting for the chance to be the one to bring Stuart in and make his threats, able to exert the power himself instead of just reporting Stuart for kidnap and assault like a normal person. Pulling Stuart in and then letting him go seems exactly the kind of thing he was suspended for, but I guess being a villain, he hasn’t learned his lesson.
He ponders out loud to Stuart whether he should arrest him for grievous bodily harm or attempted murder – making it clear there are two ways this can go. Stuart pretends to be worried for about 2 seconds, and then points out that they’ve got nothing on him, no evidence to speak of, and that’s why they’re looking so shifty, and also why he hasn’t actually been arrested for anything. Thompson reminds him that Stuart left him for dead… in a coffin. Well, it sounds silly when he puts it like that! Stuart jokes that he knows how to spot a dead body, he’s an undertaker; playing the ignorant card, being careful not to actually admit to anything. Thompson laughs along with him, and then decides he’ll push for attempted murder after all. But again, Stuart makes it clear that he knows they don’t have anything concrete to arrest him over, otherwise they’d have already done it. He also helpfully points out for us at home that it’s an illegal, hush hush interview that’s being conducted. Thompson makes a somewhat vague, threatening promise to make the charges stick when he wants them to. At least Stuart looks confused as well. And in the meantime, he tells Stuart to pass along to Callum that he’s looking forward to a little catch up; which is basically a warning that he’s not done with him.
Stuart’s let out because he was there illegally anyway – and obviously Callum’s been filled in on what’s happened because we cut to the flat, and Rainie wonders why Callum hasn’t thanked Stuart yet – which is actually hilarious, considering he’s probably made things worse for him. And Callum’s quick to imply as much; because really, trying to kill his boss would probably have only helped if he was actually dead. Stuart defends himself; he didn’t try to kill him, he just wanted to scare him and instead Thompson dropped (nearly) dead in front of him. Callum’s reaction is basically the same as what mine was when it was revealed Thompson wasn’t in that coffin. He wants no part of it, which is extremely naive of him, really. To think that he’d face no consequences for his brother’s actions towards Thompson; especially if he knows now that Thompson’s been reinstated and will be trying to get them both back now for trying to get one over on him. And sure enough, Stuart meekly admits that Thompson sends his regards. And Callum seems to realise then what the plan is; to punish him for refusing to help by putting Stuart in prison. Wait, what? I don’t recall Callum refusing to help Thompson. Maybe he’s just referring to the 999 call he found out was from Ian but didn’t tell Thompson; though he did try to talk to Ian to get him to make a statement against Phil, so I’m not sure. Maybe it’s more general, that Thompson is viewing it as a refusal to help because Callum was so useless at getting evidence against Phil that he might as well have refused. And the focus now seems to be Stuart going to prison – is Ben going to prison off the cards now, or does Callum just assume it is, somehow? Honestly, who knows at this point. But right now the worry seems to be for Stuart, I guess since Thompson’s vendetta against him is way more personal. Stuart is willing to own it though, saying he’ll take a prison sentence on the chin, maybe to try and make Callum feel better; but it doesn’t reassure Rainie much, who protests at this. In response, Stuart sends her into the bedroom so he and Callum can talk alone.
He insists to Callum that he knew the risks of what he was doing, but he did it for him, and he’s cool with it. He does admit that Callum coming clean to them about Thompson would help his case though – I presume it would discredit him, reveal that Thompson has an agenda; and since he’s already been suspended, another incident might finish him off for good.
But Stuart points out that if he does that, then Phil finds out about the double crossing; and more importantly, Ben finds out. And Stuart knows that Callum’s terrified of what that could mean. I’m just going to have to accept the soap logic that Callum reporting Thompson means the Mitchells have to find out; I’m not sure how – maybe the police would ask them questions, maybe he’s expecting Thompson to retaliate, I don’t know. But it’s clear he doesn’t want them to find out even more than he wants to help Stuart avoid prison. And Stuart acknowledges that; knowing what Phil’s like, and knowing what Ben means to Callum and that losing him is currently Callum’s biggest fear. It’s almost like now that the danger of Ben going to prison has seemingly gone away, the fear of Ben rejecting him as a result of the family betrayal has come into force. I’m just genuinely not sure if Thompson still has the means to bring Ben back in over the CCTV evidence, as it hasn’t been mentioned for a while. And if he doesn’t, then it might be hard for Callum to prove he did it to keep Ben safe, and perhaps that’s where the fear comes from.
Anyway, this impasse he finds himself at results in Callum heading to the Vic to find his ‘unlikely source’ for help; which is, naturally, Jack Branning. He approaches him at the bar, telling him he needs his help because he’s messed up at work, and Jack initially tries to fob him off til they’re both at work the next day, because he’s got his hands full with a dejected and heartbroken Max (my heart bleeds). Callum couldn’t care less about Max though, insisting it can’t wait until tomorrow; he’s in too deep. He’s getting his excuses in early; he’s not corrupt, but if ‘they’ find out (about his illegal sting on Phil presumably) then he’s finished. I assume by ‘they’ he means the big bosses, as they’re the ones who’d care about him being corrupt, but it could also mean Ben and Phil because apparently they’ll find out if he reports it anyway. And ‘finished’ on the surface seems like a worry about his job, but I think that’s actually the least of his concerns. It’s enough to peak Jack’s interest, as he asks what on earth he’s done. He’ll probably regret asking.
We cut to Jack reacting to what Callum’s told him – which I assume is everything. Jack’s trying to understand how he can, or why he would, help Stuart out since he still did actually commit a crime. Callum acknowledges that, that Stuart was stupid; he’s not denying it. He knows Jack can’t directly help with that; but he admits that he can; by exposing Thompson as the corrupt cop he is. He seems convinced that if he reported Thompson then Stuart would be alright. He just doesn’t know how to do that without Ben and Phil finding out. It seems Jack doesn’t know how he could either, as he’d need proof of Thompson’s corruption. I’m not sure if that’s something that currently exists, like the bug or Thompson’s laptop, or something more; maybe Callum needs to dig that wire out again.
He tells Jack how scared he is of blowing it now that he’s finally happy; ridiculously in love with Ben and after so long trying to figure out who he is and what he wants. He knows with absolute certainty the answers to those questions, which makes the prospect of losing it even more terrifying. He was scared to lose the life he thought he should have with Whitney because he didn’t know what the alternative was, if it was better or worse; it was just unknown. Here, he knows he’s at his happiest with Ben, and things can only stand to get worse if he loses him.
He puts on his best puppy face, basically telling Jack he doesn’t expect him to help him because it’s not his problem, but he’s practically begging to be thrown a bone. He does well to make Jack feel important, saying he’s the only person he can turn to – that probably makes Jack more eager to step in and play the hero. We don’t hear Jack’s response but Callum’s face seems to relax slightly, so maybe he gave a nod or something.
Callum must currently be thinking that because he’s double crossed Phil, he’s betrayed the whole family and that Ben will put that above anything he feels for Callum – which is upsetting because we know that’s not the case; he’s besotted with Callum! He held a gun to Phil’s head last year for him! Callum mustn’t know that, because if he did, I reckon he’d take the risk and confess to Ben. I just hope Ben gets to prove this to him at some point; maybe in about 37 years when this story comes to a conclusion.
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