Afternoon! Only one scene for us last night but it was quite substantial. More wedding plans and counsellor!Callum!
Screencaps for this episode can be found here.
Our scene starts off with Ben marching into the Minute Mart, adamant that they will not be wearing matching suits like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Bum (an Alice In Wonderland reference but cheekier because it’s Ben.) Vinny’s looking at him from behind the counter a bit bemused, and no wonder – he’s presumably talking to Callum, but Callum’s nowhere to be seen. Ben reaches for something on the shelf as he insists that he’s going to wear something that reminds everyone that he’s way out of Callum’s league. Considering what we know of Ben and his insecurities, his ‘I don’t deserve you’ comments and even his ‘I’ve struck so lucky’ remark during the engagement, this is absolutely not what he really thinks – but I love that he feels he can make that joke to Callum. He’s aware he’s the insecure one and Callum will know he’s joking with his bravado in place like a clown mask – and he’ll even revel in it because that cocky arrogance is part of Ben and Callum is unquestionably attracted to it – and Ben knows it.
When he’s met with silence, Ben turns around to look at an awkward Vinny and realises Callum hasn’t been there for anything he’s just said. He just assumed/trusted Callum was behind him when he wasn’t – and I’m taking it to mean that because Callum never heard his protest about the matching suits, they will definitely be wearing matching suits on the day. Not to mention, of course, that his jokey implication that he has to wear something different to show he’s out of Callum’s league means they’ll be wearing similar outfits, because they are in fact equals. Or am I just projecting because I want Ben in maroon?
Callum strolls in looking like he got lost, whilst in his police uniform, hat back under his arm, and it’s adorable. When Ben asks him where he went, he says he just had to check something with Fitzy, some unseen colleague we haven’t met yet. He doesn’t forget to greet Vinny (who’s trying to make himself look invisible at this point), and Ben doesn’t ask about Fitzy, so obviously he knows who it is. Callum doesn’t leave it there though, and as he informs Ben that Fitzy’s girlfriend has a nut allergy, it becomes clear that he was discussing wedding business with Fitzy – not, you know, on-duty police stuff.
It takes a while for Ben to catch on (possibly on purpose) as he waits for Callum to explain why he needs to know that information. When Callum tells him it’s so they can inform the caterers (with a little mocking hand gesture to boot), Ben groans and another strop is underway because no, he’s not having a wedding full of coppers. Which is hilarious considering he’s marrying one. He especially doesn’t want them showing up with their ugly girlfriends – and the unspoken implication that it might ruin the aesthetic makes me chuckle. The fact that he has opinions on Callum’s plans, which apparently now include an expanding guestlist, does make me happy, even if they’re not really constructive. He’s invested in the perfection of the wedding too.
Instead of pulling Ben up on his snobbiness (probably because he knows it’s all an act), Callum wonders why he’s assuming that she even is ugly. And turns out it’s because Ben doesn’t rate Fitzy too highly himself, telling Callum he’s only a few steps off the missing link – an evolution joke that has Callum laughing despite himself. What stood out to me though is that not only does Ben know who Fitzy is, he’s obviously met him too – and whether that’s through a few drinks at the Vic, or through a previous encounter with him whilst on duty, it’s cute. It also implies that Callum is out at work, at least to one person. So either his relationship with a convicted criminal isn’t the big soap deal that DI Thompson made it out to be, or he’s told a few people who he trusts not to report him to the bosses; people who care about their cop duties as much as Callum does, i.e. not much at all.
While Callum’s back is turned, Ben checks his phone before paying at the counter and hastily takes his leave, asking Callum to pay for whatever he’s picked off the shelf and not even waiting for the answer, telling him he’s got to go to the Arches. He doesn’t even look back as Callum calls after him to hold up, because he thought they were going to discuss flower arrangements. That boy is becoming a monster with all this planning, and I dig it.
I’m kind of wondering if we’re meant to see any suspicion in Ben running off – he sneaks a look to Callum after he reads the message, and he pointedly ignores him calling after him, as if whatever’s at the Arches is urgent (though of course there’s also the headcanon that he didn’t hear Callum with his cochlear implant.) What I’m saying is, perhaps he’s got plans of his own, either wedding related or even birthday related (since we know a party is taking place for Callum on Thursday.) Maybe that’s clowning but I’d quite like for it to seem like Ben is distracted by work or some dodgy stuff, but it’s really because he’s distracted doing something for Callum, like picking up a cake. Or maybe it’s not important at all and it’s just meant to illustrate the fact that Callum is being all groomzilla when they’re both meant to be working.
Callum, bless him, is a bit taken aback by the abrupt exit, but he lets Ben go and with an exasperated sigh, digs into his pockets to pay.
Vinny, who’s got one ear up to his headphones, seems in a bit of a hurry to get rid of Callum, asking him if that’s all he wants and giving him the total – probably because he knows Callum’s going to ask about the thief and giving a statement, something which Suki and Kheerat were extremely adverse to earlier on in the episode.
Sure enough, Callum mentions that he’s aware Vinny had a visit from them earlier on and asks him when he’s coming down to the station. He’s confused when Vinny says he’s not going and at first thinks it’s because the police didn’t ask him to; but Vinny tells him it’s because his family aren’t grasses. Callum points out that by not doing so, he’s giving the thief the freedom to target other premises, roughing up other shopkeepers and cornering them in alleys. I’m not sure he knows for sure how much it affected Vinny, but from the earlier scene with his mum and brother, it’s clear it did, that he was scared.
Callum lowers his voice as another customer comes in, but guesses that it’s got something to do with Suki why he’s not giving a statement, but Vinny corrects him – it’s his brother who has the biggest problem with it. Callum, who’s clearly invested in this because he’s been there, asks him if he’s just going to let Kheerat push him around. Vinny tells him he doesn’t get it, but Callum reminds him again that he’s felt family pressure before too. He tells Vinny he felt trapped by them for years, scared of who he was and standing up for what he believed in. He came out of that and is so much happier for it, more confident in standing up for himself and he wants Vinny to experience that too.
He tells Vinny it’s up to him, but advises him to start making his own decisions now or he never will. I think he knows Vinny wants to have the thief caught, since he went to report it in the first place, but is backing out because of the reaction from the rest of his family. It’s a principle thing, really. I mean, it can’t be because Callum actually wants to catch a thief because that’s dangerously close to his job description and that won’t do! Not to mention that he stood back and watched his boyfriend steal a car a few months ago.
Vinny doesn’t respond to him and Callum lets him get on with it, satisfied that he’s done what he can to convince Vinny to stand up for himself. He puts the money on the counter, requesting the change go in the charity box, and then gives him a little reassuring smile before heading out. Will Vinny take his advice? Hmm.
So there we are, a cute little Ballum banter scene with Ben doing his grumpy act and Callum amused by it, before taking on his unofficial counsellor role with Vinny.
Callum did pop up at the end of the ep too – albeit off screen. We get a reminder that Stuart used to hunt predators (something he tried to bring Callum in on briefly), and after learning Mick was a victim, he decides Katy needs punished because he assumes the police are going to let her go due to lack of evidence. He reckons the best way to punish Katy is to ‘take away what she most loves.’ And having seen Frankie at the Vic and overhearing some of her conversation with Mick, she knows Frankie is Katy’s daughter. So he calls up Callum and asks him to give Frankie a message – which is, I’m presuming, a request to meet him at the car lot; something we’ll see tonight. Having been a victim of abuse himself, Stuart has a vested interest in punishing abusers, and in typical Stuart style he’s going to go a twisted way about it.
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