#smiffinalong

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Thoughts from re-bingewatching (mostly series 18 onwards recently) The Bill

Smithy is a bloody idiot if he thinks he's in love and puts himself in serious danger. He's literally seconds away from being killed for both Louise and Kerry and if his colleagues hadn't burst in each time he'd not be there no more. He is loyal to an absolute fault as long as he likes you! 💗 His bravery is second to none - as well as being bloody stupid! Literal Super!Sarge.

I don't hate Kerry as much as I did watching as an adult rather than when I was late teens/early 20's. As discussed with @everythingisdragons, a lot of what she does is understandable when you look from her position. Her station-best friend is murdered just before she's due to get married. Gina has to spend her and Luke's wedding day stopping Craig from telling her that he spent the night with Luke. She's strung along whilst Luke and Craig do lots of angst and staring across the room at each other and then is gaslit by Gina, Craig and Luke when she asks him if he's gay. She finds out she's pregnant and they split. She has a miscarriage just as they 'get back together'. She's dumped by the love of her life because he's gay, she finds out he spent the night before they got married with a man who she thinks is her friend and then he walks out on her again when she literally begs him to stay and says it doesn't matter that he's gay they can deal with it. After a few one night stands with Smithy she then falls for Cameron who starts being calm and kind and understanding and then slut shames her (along with Smithy for that!) and dumps her. She has a drunken one night stand with Smithy and hides it from Cameron when he wants to get back together. She then ends up being manipulated by a psychopath, told everything she thinks she knows about a man she's known and trusted for a while is wrong and that he raped her. Said psycho uses her further vulnerability to keep the pressure up and everyone at work is pressuring her to either make the complaint official or stfu with others telling her how wrong she is because Smithy wouldn't do that. Cameron is a tit who can't keep his mouth shut when they get back together (Who the fuck brings up a rape allegation in the middle of an ARMED ROBBERY? and then demands his girlfriend tell him if it's the truth or not as she's trying to keep a man with a FUCKING BOMB strapped to him calm and secure whilst the disposal team arrive?) and makes the situation worse by lying on official documents and to the investigators and tries to cover it up and make her lie. Gabriel keeps put the pressure by telling her he's got the CCTV and will protect her because he's her 'guardian angel' and the only one looking out for her. Gabriel then goes on and rape her (unknowingly impregnating her which adds to further hormones) knowing people wouldn't believe her after she accused Smithy and then withdrew it when she finally talked to him. Cameron cheats on her with Honey (her good friend!) and they have an illfated 'thing' when he and Kerry split up. She's in complete freefall and desperate for someone to love her and look after her. She's almost killed by the Radfords yet returns to David the same night that he was going to shoot her (and Smithy!) and almost gives up her job for him until she sees he ALSO cheats on her. Gabriel's still hanging around, Gina's got it in for her cos of the rape allegation against Smithy even though they sorted it out between themselves and she realised her didn't rape her. Cameron leaves her and returns to Australia despite her literally running after him and begging him to stay like she did Luke, David and Irene are promising her a new life, Gina's threatening to get her out of the station. She comes to her senses and uses David's trust in her to set him up - and then is about to be arrested for conspiracy to commit armed robbery (Irene taped it all). On top of all THAT, her dad goes on to have a heart attack. Despite it all there's only one person she can trust who is still there when the chips are down... Smithy! He tells her he loves her but there's too much going on to process it until she knows her dad will be ok. When he is - she returns to the station to tell Smithy she loves him too... only to get shot and essentially die in his arms. Phew.

I actually hated Andrea more this time around. I never liked her and hated her character first time but I think this time the deceit and lies really really fucked me off on top of the whole 'I'm such an innocent little flower who is really fucking stupid despite noone realising how obvious she's being.' She shit on every single one of them and betrayed them yet wouldn't have it at the end that she was the one in the wrong.

I found Phil Hunter and Rod Skase more odious than I did first time round too. Teenage me had a crush on Rod yet watching again I really don't know why (other than hormones!). He was still watchable though and enjoyable for the dick that he is at least. Phil was always slimy and smug but this time watching again - ugh. He should have had his downfall - not be allowed to walk off into the sunset 'redeemed'. The stuff he did to Nick... ugh.And the underage daughter of his lover too! I also enjoyed Danny Pearce less too, much for the same reasons as Rod I think.

Geoff Daly was more of a dick than I remembered. I didn't mind him first time around but this time he did nothing but moan, cause problems for others, use his rank be a dick.

I love the 90's way of the - mostly CID - boys calling each other by their full names when being snarky with each other. "Geoffrey." "Donald!"

The 80's/90's girls were a thousand times better than the 00's girls. On the whole they got stuck in and did the job and told the men where to stick it which was even more impressive given the time and not all this batting their eyes at them. Viv, Suzi (Croft), June, Kerry (Holmes), Cass, Liz, Vicky, Jamila, Norika, Sally (Johnson), Christine etc. The only exception being Gina, obv. (There's some 00's girls I don't mind, Mel, Millie, Kirsty, Stevie, Amber (for the wrong reasons), but most of them were problematic for various reasons or just plain poorly written.

I miss Derek! :( Even now! Him and Gina bitching together with Jack - probably about Heaton would have been hilarious.

Mickey's rape still remains IMO one of the strongest storylines on the show in its history and uses a backing of its strongest cast at the time to play it out so well and sympathetically. Even Delaney's actor is one you can believe in and want to kill through the screen. It's one of few that continued down into other storylines too and was remembered when necessary.

The Target trilogy is another that is an incredible story telling trip from start to end and so well done.

Will Fletcher is a horrible character who showed no loyalty to anyone. He knew Emma had a boyfriend/fiancé/husband and didn't back off. Even when he knew or at least suspected Matt was an abuser he still kept digging and digging away and antagonising him purposely despite that putting Emma in further danger of harm. He played with Honey's feelings, messed her around and even when she literally TOLD him she didn't want anything serious but was inviting him on a holiday of essentially sun, sea, sand and sex he still turned her down (after saying he was going until the night before) and as we know she went off to meet Eva and ended up being killed rather than getting on that plane. It was a good week before anyone realised she was missing. He treated Dan like crap too despite him supposedly being his best friend. When both men liked Emma when she first arrived, Dan stepped aside and let Will try his look. However when the petrol station woman decided she liked Dan rather than Will, Will swapped the petrol pump from a Diesel to unleaded (despite Dan having put the right one to the car) so that Dan would get bollocked and be the cause of the car having to be towed back to the police garage, emptied, flushed and then refueled and he'd get points on his licence - points that ended up stopping him going on the advanced driving course he'd applied for (that Will knew nothing about till Dan applied for it!) so that Will got his place - and then when Dan asked if he was going to turn it down given the situation when Will admitted what he'd done, Will essentially laughed at him and called him stupid in a roundabout way. He also indirectly is the reason that Dan hurt his shoulder and began the steroid journey because instead of following him to arrest the man who stole it as he should have done, he stayed with the motorbike he'd been about to buy before it was stolen, which meant that Dan had to arrest him solo and got hurt. He also took the credit for finding the missing baby in Deadly Secrets when it was Dan. He's also incredibly petulant, sulky and thinks he's the best copper at the station. I couldn't help by being amused when Callum called him out on it within 12 hours of knowing him. Speaking of Callum, Will was also stuck straight up his arse and sucking up when he knew that he was low level bullying Dan, telling him to stick where he was and that he'd never be anything more than a PC when he was asking to progress onto a course.

There's several points where multi-episode mini-stories really struggled, assuming it was because of each part having a different writer and them not seeming to collaborate or at least read other peoples episodes before writing their own. For example Conviction 6 makes out like Smithy and Stevie continued things after the last episode of Gun Runner when they really really didn't. It's quite a confusing episode in some respects because of that.

Towards the end there's a lot of 'because of the reboot' decisions in stories rather than it feeling true to the character. Without going into too much detail because the recap will be up soon, the last episode of the Conviction six parter is a great example of this and also the point above.

Why did Des fire bomb the station to retrieve the counterfeit fifty? I know why but like... what part of that action makes sense? Surely you play dumb until it's mentioned - if it is mentioned - and then say you must have been scammed somehow and put in another amount?

Dan Casper is a special precious cinnamon roll and I will fight to the death anyone who says otherwise! He's sweet, kind, generous, does not like injustice or people picking on others (ie: telling Emma she doesn't have to be mean to Beth and act all hard because of what happened to her, they still love her either way). He's super sensitive too. If he loves you he pretty much forgives you anything and everything. He's adoooooooorable! (Same for Leon pretty much!)

TPTB missed a trick not having Dan, Will, Leon, Nate and Ben all onscreen at the same time and living together in a big house share.

Speaking of Ben, I enjoyed him a lot more this time too. The first time round he was too involved in the possé stuff of Callum, Sally and Will and I used to not pay as much attention as I could during those parts but he also proved himself to be very sweet and a proper gentleman who went above and beyond with the tropey-hidden!anger stuff for a little bit.

There's a good few characters who have decent arcs through the series looking back. Gina's move from all seeing, all knowing fearless ball breaker to human and terrified of losing more officers after her thousandth one died (I jest but it started to feel that way sometimes!) was very human and believable. Neil's transformation was understandable given everything he experienced over the years, even if it was the hideous Andrea stuff in the middle. Smithy from cocky PC, Sgt who wasn't to dissimilar but had obvious hints of Uncle!Bob's moulding and influence through to mature and responsible grown up Sgt and then Inspector was wonderful.

Gina and Smithy's friendship was a thing of beauty. Other than Louise, Gina was the only other person he cried in front of - the other times he'd run off to be by himself. I still laugh at Jonathan's reaction to Smithy having a key to Gina's.

Jack and Mickey's wasn't too far behind either, though Jack had an awful tendency to be lead by another brain that wasn't in his head - ala Rachel Heath time and abandon Mickey when he needed him the most.

If there needed to be another Sgt in uniform, why couldn't Kirsty have been promoted (as a newcomer not with much background they wouldn't have to know how long she'd been a PC etc) or one of the others if not keeping Diane? Why move Jo across? She could have become a DS alongside Max and fill the gap there.

Gina's ex, Harry, does not come across like any sort of man that Gina would ever allow near her! Infact he seems the absolute opposite that she'd go for! (Episode 181)

Speaking of Gina's exes, we all know I'm bias for Gina and Jonathan, but the little reveals here and there of Adam and Gina's relationship were lovely, especially her obvious heartbreak when she spots his kids for the first time (The open day where Eva's daughter Joanna goes missing). The only reason they broke up is because she couldn't give him the kids she knew he wanted so she ended it and he didn't know why until they reunited at Sun Hill. It was beautifully done and you could get them being together.

Ugh, i wish she'd told Jonathan at the wedding (Jim/June) that she was ready to commit like she was going to! Or at the station the day after when she found him about to leave!

Although I love the end of the show as in the episodes themselves (Respect 1 and 2) I really dislike the way a lot of the storylines were rounded off. Callum post his dad's funeral and his assault and his jostling with Jo and his suspension were forgotten about for Respect 1 and 2. Max's drugs stuff was left ambiguous after his return as it wasn't mentioned and he had calmed down a bit and was less argy bargy and more wind up merchant. (And why didn't Mickey tell Jack rather than make a big song and dance about telling Neil instead!) It was a shame because it makes people totally forget how decent a person Max was from Assault On Sun Hill to In The Know a lot of the time as well as being an occasional dick. He was absolutely gutted he had to arrest Noah (Backlash) and had really bonded with him and took the time to help him and see things from his level despite his initial thoughts. He threatens a dangerous dealer to keep Fran safe. He also gave Noah his PSP to keep! (Brings back memories of Smithy giving TIm his gameboy in Lullaby). He went looking for Pavel in Righteous Kill despite it meaning he got held at gunpoint and looked out for Julie and her uncle as much as he could. He was impressed by Smithy in Gun Runner and told him and offered to help him through the DPS and other PCC interviews and sit with him if he needed someone. He was impressed by Beth in Beth Undercover and told her so. He had a really fun friendship with Eddie - or "Edmundo!". Cowboy Country - he was adorable as well as a little bugger for telling everyone about Terry's love of country music.

Speaking of Max - his and Millie's 'relationship' (not in the actual terms as in a couple) always intrigued me. Purely for the fact that she was so obviously swoony over him and all heart eyes and he never let on that he was aware (though obviously was!), however in Righteous Kill he says to her at the vending machine - after he's nobbled some money off her to take Pavel some food and drink where he's hiding out) that "it doesn't have to be a big thing." and it sort of... seems out of place as nothing linked was mentioned before it and nothing was said after (and then there's Smash and Grab a few episodes after and Millie loses the crush for a few episodes) Is this 'big thing' her crush? Is he telling her to back off? Or telling her it could be something casual... it goes unanswered and it's always bugged me why it was said because nothing came of it or was building up to it and she doesn't say anything in response other than "Sure."! Unless he's meaning not wanting to talk like she offers? Or the thing he's checking up on? (that he's going off to find Pavel without telling anyone?)

There'll likely be more as I remember it haha!

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Lewis and Emma - 1/2 years. Dan and Will 4 Years, Leela 5 years, Honey 7 years, Yvonne 8 years, Reg and Tony have to be at least 25 years - can't quite read their years.

Smiffina Episodes - Episode 440

Heaton charged Gina with looking after his prized orchid when he left for annual leave - unfortunately she forgot and has crept into his office on the morning he returns to replace it with another.

On his desk she spots confidential information with a spreadsheet that compares the older officers salary with the more modest newer intake's salary with another station and she sneaks a read - caught by Smithy who makes her jump.

"John Heaton notices everything." "It's a plant, Smithy. I've not murdered his budgie!"

She tells him what she saw in the report, "Long story short you can get three for the price of two!"

John notices his orchid has been swapped and asks Gina to bring it back to him in the hope he can revive it. He also doesn't mention the paperwork that Gina saw, but did order 12 officers to be on high visibility policing on the Jasmine Allen given its introduction onto the 10 highest crime rated areas in London. Smithy tries to calm Gina down over what she saw but she snaps back that the highest paid/longest serving PC's at Sun Hill are Reg and Tony and she won't let him just sack them. "If he wants a fight he's got one!"

Adam is in for a meeting and tells Gina he can't interfere with how Heaton decides to run the station. He also tells her that he's taking some time off unpaid to go and regroup in Nigeria.

Gina later goes to talk to him about it and she admits she looked at the confidential documents. Heaton won't be drawn and tells her only that he's aware of the merits of more officers and also the consequences of losing those with longer service. He says he'll make his report within the next 2 weeks and that their conversation is over.

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Smiffina Episodes - Episode 431

Smithy pretends not to recognise the be-suited Kezia as she arrives at work ahead of the pre-trial hearing for Keith Durante given the contrast it is to her more usual casual style.

He later has to take part in an audio id parade by reading a script for a adult chat phone line. In true broad Essex-ese - after demanding to know if it was a CID wind up - Smithy's not exactly a natural... unlike someone else...

Kezia doesn't get the result she wanted in court so Smithy takes invites her for a drink with the rest of the team to cheer up. Kezia says she won't be good company and Smithy teases her, saying she's got to stay out for a bit at least as he's still got lots of digs to get in about her suit. She charges out after seeing Matt and Emma together (Matt being the CPS lawyer prosecuting) and Smithy follows her.

He follows her to their prime suspects house and keeps trying to stop her from knocking on the door and blowing the case. Kezia won't be stopped, until Smithy pulls rank. She'd already knocked - and shouted for Durante - and Smithy steps in by saying they were just calling to check that he was ok after the case because they have experience of rape suspects being abused by neighbours after the trials. Durante doesn't believe it but he can't question it and he shuts the door on them.

(Proper!Smithy would have destroyed her for what she tried to do, ffs!)

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Small updates for Dan's boxing and Smiffina episodes 434-439

Episode 434 - Dan Boxing

Dan and Will's garage 'friend' who got his uncle to treat Dan's shoulder is not as nice as he first seems as he is a member of a racist 'political' group, the RDA, that are known London wide for their violent protests.

Will and Dan are involved in a set up by Special Branch to infiltrate Will into the RDA via Ewan. It works and he becomes involved, but one member of the gang is still highly suspicious of Will.

Dan has reached the semi finals of the boxing championships but in order to continue he must submit a urine sample. One slight problem... it'd disqualify him because he's taking steroids. He tells Ewan what has happened after they bump into him whilst having a few beers and Ewan tells him to simply submit someone elses urine as his. Dan ends up ringing round his exes to get one of them to agree (!) (even asking one if her mum would do it for him!) until he finds one that does agree - as long as he goes round to see her that night.

Dan being away for the night leaves the space clear for Emma to come round after a fight with Matt after he proposed and she freaked out. They end up sleeping together and are about to fall asleep as they are rudely interrupted by knocking at the door. Will answers it, only to find the suspicious RDA member who assaults him to get his phone and he finds out that Will is undercover after ringing 'Emma' and getting Mickey's answerphone. Emma is shocked to find Will pinning down an unconscious man in the middle of Dan's living room! (also weirdly, Dan's alcohol cabinet contains a lot of wine glasses and then actual ornaments! Given the face he pulled at Champagne when they first met Matt he doesn't strike me as a wine man!)

Episode 435 - Dan Boxing

The man who assaulted Will the night before has been arrested and taken into Sun Hill and Special Branch have okayed not letting him have access with the outside world whilst Will's cover is still in tact.

Cleared after submitting an ex's urine in place of his, Dan is through to the semi finals of the Inter Station Boxing Championship. His grasp on his temper isn't so great though as the steroids are starting the mood swings.

It's not helped by Will disappearing instead of sticking around to be his wingman as promised. Dan catches up with him the next day to tell him that he knocked out his opponent in round two and was in the pub by 9.

The RDA are stepping up attempts to cause a 'big scene' to blame on a radical muslim group and they send out bomb threats. Will's cover is blown and he's taken hostage after an assault but manages to get rescued in time and runs round the back of the building where the bomb is suspected of being planted only to find Ewan the one who's been tasked with planting it. He tries to reason with him but there's nothing either can do to defuse it as it's already counting down. As the timer ticks down to 5 seconds, Ewan shouts at Will to just run - which he does - though he's still caught up in the blast, he will be OK.

Episode 436 Smiffina and Dan's Boxing

Dan updates Lewis that Will is going to be fine, though he was very lucky given he was just meters from the bomb when it went off. He tries to tell Gina that his shoulder is still hurting him when they catch up but she's not really realising how serious it is and tells him his trainer will sort it and to take a longer refs break to go train at the gym.

Episode 439 - Smiffina

Smithy checks in with Kezia to see how she's getting on with working with Zain - given Zain has left her behind again she's apparently getting on fine with him! Smithy tells her to speak to him if she needs any help.

Smithy is in the middle of June and her boyfriend Rod's hospital plans, trying to work out how best to tell the other that each has booked a non-refundable holiday package as a surprise given both have confided in him. In the end Rod enters the pub as Smithy's buying drinks and they both start to tell each other at same time so Smithy legs it quickly with the drinks!

Gina is worried that Roger isn't coping given his short and snappy mood. He's supposed to be on light duties but he takes himself up onto the roof of a carpark and talks down a suicidal woman that he upset earlier with his snapping. So much for light duties!

Smithy and Kezia continue to flirt and bond in the pub and he invites her over to sit with him and the uniformed officers that he entered with.

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Smiffina Episodes - Episode 426

Smithy's feeling a bit rough after the night before, not just because of the amount of alcohol he put away but also incase anyone saw and is now gossiping about him and Kezia. "Someone's been a naughty boy...." "What's that supposed to mean?" "... Just... you had a bit too much to drink?"

Smithy and Reg are called to the front garden of a rather irritated woman who has been waiting 'all night!!!' for someone to come and remove a scooter from her garden. Imagine the waiting times now, love! You'd never get a copper out in the first place! She's absolutely furious when Smithy refuses to remove it or let her have it removed because there's blood on it and he wants to get it forensicated. "How long will this... CSE... person take?" "Hopefully within the next 6 hours." Reg smiles helpfully. By the time Smithy and Reg get to the Super Special Briefing by the new superintendent, she has already called the station to make a complaint about them.

Smithy quite literally bumps into Kezia and asks her if she's alright - she says yes and walks off. Gina looks both amused and intrigued. "Not the answer you were expecting?" She asks. "... Not after last night, no." "That sounds like it comes with a story attached and I am all ears!" She says, literally grabbing hold of his back so he can't escape. Smithy sighs and tells her - discreetly - about the kiss and he's confused as she couldn't even smile at him that morning. Gina suggests she's playing hard to get.

John pulls a special middle of the day briefing where he essentially tells the relief they're not doing their jobs. Smithy stands up for his staff and John questions how, if he's so sure they're doing their best, has he already had a complaint made that day by the scooter woman? Reg points out they've followed procedure and there's not a lot else they can do. John insists there's always more they can do! Perhaps they can pull more funding out of their arse? Train a few CSE examiners on their lunchtimes? Charm an irritable cow who was going to complain no matter what because it wasn't what she wanted to hear? And even if it had been, it wasn't done the second she first telephoned! He wants them to make more arrests to bump the figures up and everyone has to have made at least one arrest by the end of the day. Even for things as small as littering and spitting in the street.

Smithy asks Kezia if she's embarrassed that they kissed last night because she appears to have been avoiding him. Kezia couldn't even remember it happening, telling him it happens a lot when she gets drunk. She assures him she wasn't ignoring him or avoiding him - she just didn't remember.

Mickey questions Smithy about the scooter he and Reg had been called to that morning as he thinks he has a link to where it has come from and what it was used for. Smithy explains what happened and tells him where it is. "Make sure you smile at her or she'll be on the phone to the IPCC, mate!"

It's ok though, cos she's quite fond of Mickey after he potentially saves her from being shot by the injured driver hiding in her shed (with a toy gun!)

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Assorted official site pics/wallpapers. I appear to have doctored one way back when.... guess which one? 😂🤣

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Just a small selection of favourite Smiffina moments over the years.

Complete with a special tribute at the top to the first time they go for a night out together :D

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😍😍😍

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Ginathon Episodes: Episode 233

After homophobic text messages, Lance knows he was the target of the bomb. He has no beef with Councillor Jerome Taylor who Adam suspected of planting the bomb when he was thought to be the target. Lance confronts Sheelagh Murphy's son, Connor, whose friends conducted a series of homophobic attacks for which Connor gave them a false alibi. Lance is aware that Connor has been struggling with his sexuality and has been counselling him because Sheelagh is of the opinion that being gay is wrong because of her Catholic religious beliefs. Whilst she's friendly with Lance, hearing her son is gay would be very difficult. Lance had recently changed his number and only certain colleagues, his boyfriend and his family have it. The only other person is Connor. Connor swears he didn't do it but Lance worries he passed his number to one of his friends.

He involves CID but doesn't mention Connor at first. Tony advises him to tell Jack but not Sheelagh. Lance is delayed in telling Jack as he receives a SO13 report at the same time. Sheelagh is furious when Lance tells her what he suspects. However the phone responsible for the texts is found in Connor's room.

Jerome Taylor visits the station to make a formal complaint about Adam accusing him of planting the bomb. You'd think given he sent hate mail to Adam he'd stay quiet and not want to fan the flames to stop people looking into things but I guess fire needs oxygen to burn!

Gina goes to speak to Jonathan to ask him if there's anything that Adam has to worry about. "You're really worried about the Super aren't you?" "If he's in trouble, yes." Jonathan chuckles as she moans about Adam accusing Jerome with a witness present. "It's you who finished it remember!" "Reluctantly! But at least we do have a better working relationship." "Oh absolutely. Professional to the absolute last." Jonathan tells her Jerome has a case for public defamation and aside from disciplinary action he could also make a civil case that would make Adam bankrupt. He suggests that Adam apologise or blame his medication for making him delirious.

Adam refuses to apologise to Jerome after they've had a rather tempestuous relationship over the years. He's furious no one will take him seriously and Gina's words make him realise that she hasn't told Jonathan how she feels. She explains the job got in the way and he tells her to just tell him and not let the job be the scapegoat.

Connor is found fighting with a colleague at work. It seems the colleague is the one who planted the bomb after taking his number from Connor to wind Lance up with homophobic text. Connor swears he never knew he had explosives. The colleague admits planting the bomb, spewing homophobic nonsense. Jonathan tells Gina she needs to MAKE Adam take notice and make that apology sooner rather than later before Jerome takes things further. She says he won't listen and takes Jonathan with her to try make him understand.

At the hospital, Gina and Jonathan explain they've got the real suspect and he's admitted planting the bomb. They tell Adam to think about everything that he has achieved - does he really want to let his pride make him throw it all away? Gina urges him to protect his career, himself and his family and to talk to Jerome.

With Gina and Jonathan present, Adam apologises and tells Jerome he's made a grave error. Jerome delights in telling Adam it's too late - he's already consulted his solicitor. As a public figure he has to protect his reputation and if it means destroying Adam then he's all too happy for it. He says he'll see him in court and walks out. Gina tries to comfort Adam but he tells her that if it does get that far - they both know his career is over.

Gina and Jonathan eventually have to leave and Jonathan tells her he's glad Adam has her in his corner. "What, a nagging old battleaxe?" "No, someone who can make tough decisions for the right reasons." She pauses for a few seconds before telling him it's not true that her job means more to her than Jonathan. Jonathan is confused as he thought when she didn't argue it was exactly what she meant.

Gina: "You mean as much to me as my career and I don't want to lose you. Not for anything." Jonathan: "You mean you can make space for me in that extraordinarily hectic life of yours?" Gina smiles and nods before realising that she's supposed to be giving a talk at a Neighbourhood Watch meeting. Jonathan laughs before Gina just shakes her head. Gina: "Stuff it. I'll send someone else because I might have a hot date tonight...?" Jonathan: "You sound pretty confident..." Gina: "I know what I want. " Jonathan: "Well I hope so, because from what you just said that sounds like the basis for a verbal contract." Gina: "Come on, i've got a very good bottle of single malt at home. Let's negotiate."

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Ginathon Episodes: Episode 232

At the end of the last episode there was an explosion at the Lord Banbury pub where the summer party is being held. Most of the Sun Hill staff are able to make their way outside on their own feet, some with light injuries and most just shocked or coughing from the smoke. Gina looks for Adam but noone has seen him come out yet. There's secondary bangs inside the building from the structure being unstable and Gina quickly calls for a fire officer to come assess the situation. Tony can't wait and runs back in to find Adam and get him out before the building collapses. There's a further collapse that blocks the exit but Tony manages to kick the fire escape doors open and carries an unconcious Adam out over his shoulder.

Unknown to everyone except Gina, Adam has been receiving racist hate mail for quite some time through the internal mail. Back at the station and unaware of what has happened, Rob slips an envelope into Adam's pigeon hole whilst wearing a glove.

The pub is sealed off and SO13 are called to attend. Sam suggests a gas leak but Gina says none of the witnesses or officers mention smelling gas. She did spot Wayne Radford driving away when she arrived however. Instantly Rob is riled. "It could be a bomb!" Jack tells him not to get ahead of himself and to go make himself useful.

The latest news is that Adam is critical and Gina heads to her car to go and be with him at the hospital. Jonathan arrives, having rushed to the scene. Gina is still obviously in shock and worried about Adam but assures Jonathan she's OK and that it would take more than an explosion to get rid of her. Jonathan hugs her and says their last few conversations had been snapping and things could have ended so differently. He offers to go with her but she assures him she'll be ok and doesn't know how long she'll be so she'll call him when leaving.

Back at the station, Jack has found the note in Adam's internal mail and has started to think that he could have been targeted by a racist. Rob says he was sent one too and that it has to be Wayne Radford, panicking when Jack won't be swayed.

Gina is still sat at Adam's bedside when Neil comes to see how he is doing. It still doesn't look good as he's inhaled so much smoke. [Out of interest, they're saying it doesn't look good. but noone appears to have contacted his wife. It's Gina who's at his bedside for hours. This is all of a day after she called him out for being jealous she was seeing Jonathan too...] The next 24 hours are critical.

The next morning Adam starts to come round with Gina at his bedside. Jonathan is worried as he hasn't heard from Gina. It's early days but the signs are good. Jack tells uniform that the explosion was caused by a bomb and that Adam received a racist hate note.

Rob and Terry look into The Radford's involvement in the potential planting of the bomb. Rob watches the CCTV from a furniture shop across the road. Wayne arrives 2 minutes before and carries a parcel from the boot in the direction of the pub. Wayne gets back into his car seconds after the explosion and drives off. When spoken to, Wayne tells them that he was dropping off a birthday cake at Mario's, the bistro around the corner from the pub for a surprise party. Before they can leave the Radfords, it appears as though the 'bomber' may have struck again. Jerome Taylor, a local black councillor, reports he has been beaten up, told to leave Sun Hill and that he's been receiving hate mail. Rob doesn't look all that convinced, not least because it's been him and Taylor sending Adam the hate mail. He's horrified to hear about the bombing and Adam being hurt however - aware that if the notes are discovered to have come from him and Rob it makes them the most likely suspects.

Adam recounts what he remembers to Gina though it isn't especially helpful. He tells her that Denise has already asked him to leave Sun Hill over the hate mail. Gina admits he gave even her quite a scare and made her wonder if it was worth it. Adam tells her that she'll never walk away from the job as she has 'copper' coursing through her veins. She just smiles and says she's going to make times for other things - relationships for one.

Adam: "You mean Jonathan. For you to even be considering resigning there must be love in the air." Gina: "Oh give over!" Adam: "It's nothing to be ashamed of. You should tell him how you feel." Gina: "It's not me is it... all that lovey dovey stuff." Adam: "So you do love him then." Gina: "Something like that." Adam: "You can go out into the streets, take on dangerous criminals but when it comes to the man you love, you can't say three little words"

Jonathan and Gina finally catch up where she apologises for not ringing. Gina spots Lance before she can take Jonathan to her office to tell him something special and asks him to wait a moment. Tony has told Gina that Lance is struggling after he was unable to go help Tony get Adam out the pub and she goes to speak to him to make sure he's alright. Now Lance has gotten his phone and jacket back from Gina he's rather concerned by some messages that he has received. One in particular asks him to meet him by the gents toilets in the pub - where the bomb was - sent moments before it exploded.

Gina finally gets chance to speak to Jonathan. She wants to tell him that she's fallen in love with him and wants to prioritise their relationship, but unfortunately Jonathan is fed up of playing second best to the job. He speaks over her and tells her he thinks it's best to split up. "It's not that I don't love you, Gina. I'm sure I always will but I can't be in a relationship where I'm playing second fiddle." "But that's what I was going to say to you!" "Being a copper is what you are. It wouldn't be fair for me to try and change it, you'd only resent me for it anyway. It's time to call it a day." The barriers come slamming down again and Gina turns her back on him. "You know it's for you too... it's best all round." Instead of replying and telling him the truth - that she wanted to make more time for them and loves him - she shuts down and literally turns her back on him rather than let him see the truth, tears pricking her eyes.

She also turns down an invite from the relief to go out for a drink, still sounding rather choked ad she does.

[forensicated]

Trigger warning: mentions of rape and prostitution

Ginathon Episodes: Episode 231

CID have 24 hours to get a confession from Kennedy or he'll be released. There's still no physical evidence to say it's him. Jonathan and Gina watch the interviews from behind the glass screen. Jonathan worries that Kennedy is clever and that it'll be hard to break him.

He's still watching as Kennedy admits that Jonathan got him off the indecency charge 5 years ago. "I can't believe he's lost his teeth and gone into the CPS." Neil is furious when he confronts Jonathan, but he tells him he couldn't break client confidentiality. He does tell them that it and the transcripts of what was said and how Kennedy behaved during the trial are in the case files. Neil makes a dig about him now progressing to a full blown rapist because of Jonathan getting him off. Jonathan can only repeat, calmly, that he did his job. Jonathan does tell them something that isn't in the file however, they had to delay the trial by a few days when Alan's mother was taken ill. It wasn't anything serious but he was distraught and clearly cared deeply about her. Now his mother has recently passed.

Sam thinks she has an inning finally. She wants to use his childhood to break him down to a confession. Uniform find out that Kennedy had a different surname as a child and need to check that police record and find his mother's address to search the house, suspecting that was his base during the rapes. Sam gets a breakthrough when they discover Alan's mother was a prostitute, his childhood home operated as a brothel and that it caused him to be constantly bullied.

As Kennedy is returned to the cells for a break, he crosses paths with Jonathan, calling him "his good friend." He asks how his daughter is and remembers her name and age as Jonathan tries to square up to him, held back by Tony and Gina.

Jonathan keeps trying to get in touch with his daughter, worried that Alan might be freed and go after her. Gina tells him he's not out yet and that Chloe is likely either at school still or with her friends and to not worry. Jonathan makes an unthinking jibe, "You'd know all about that wouldn't you. How many kids have you got, Gina? Two, three is it?" Gina looks hurt and silently leaves the room.

Adam wants Sam and Neil to decide if they're going to apply to the court for an extension to keep questioning Alan Kennedy. Sam is wary that they might not get one with the limited evidence they have and wonders if the time might be best used trying to break Kennedy. She wants to use the knowledge that his mother was a prostitute, his father, as Alan believed, constantly away as a marine. His childhood was blighted with abuse and bullying. Uniform have found his mothers house and are searching it. Jonathan admits finding the house is a good step, however they now have to prove that that has been his base during the attacks.

Adam reminds them they gave to finish in the next hour as Kennedy is entitled to an 8 hour break. Sam gets a breakthrough when she asks if Alan's father knew what his mother was doing and if she had any time for him in between sleeping with men for money. Kennedy shouts "All women are whores. It's what you come to expect from women. All they want is sex, they get everything they deserve." Sam asks if that includes rape. She calls him a soulless man who hates women because they don't show him love. Alan recovers, saying Sam almost had him going. They have one hour left come the morning if they don't get the extension. Adam tells them to go home and reconvene in the morning. Sam stays and goes through the pictures with a magnifying glass, finding a scar on Kennedy's mother's neck as well as reading through the letters Kennedy sent her whilst away.

Chloe Fox arrives at the station for her father to sign a permission slip for a trip. At the same time, Kennedy is removed from his cell and taken to an interview room. Thankfully Chloe is already in Jonathan's office so doesn't see him - but she does meet a very surprised Gina who introduces herself. "Oh! Are you dad's girlfriend?" Jonathan arrives before she can reply and Chloe hands him the form to fill in. She tells him she can't forge it "because it's against the law." to Gina's amusement. He then gets an officer to escort her safely out.

As Sam and Neil return to the interview room for their final hour of questioning there's an audible clock ticking. Sam brings up the scar. She conjects that it was caused by a punter who cut his mother and made her scream for mercy. She suggests he panicked because the man was hurting his mummy and he didn't know what to do because he was only a young boy. He went to the hospital with her where she promised that they would be alright but it didn't stop. His mother continued to work as a prostitute rather than go and find his father so they could be safe. She suggests he cried and was angry and finally lashed out at someone - but not his mother because she'd been hurt enough and was all he had. During this time, Uniform continue searching the house of Alan's mother and find a knife likely used in the attacks hidden away.

Sam continues her same tactic and tells him they know that he lashed out with a beer bottle and slashed the face of a woman walking past his school. He was expelled but nothing changed and he was still angry. He couldn't stay at home as he was too scared to see what his mother was going through. He had no one to speak to and so decided to look for his father - who he'd never met. She suggest he thought bringing his father home to look after them would make everything alright. He headed to Scotland, only to find out his mother had lied to him. There was no John Kennedy serving in the marines. Finally Alan breaks and starts to cry. Sam says his mum had lied to try and keep him happy by letting his dad think was a hero when he was really a punter she didn't remember. Sam then produces a picture of Alan and his mum, suggesting Alan wanted to keep the lie going as without it he had nothing. He wrote to his mother to tell her he too was going to be a marine like his father. He needed her to keep lying to him because the truth was too unbearable to face. She didn't keep the lie going for him however or even write back. She was busy with her punters - punters who literally ripped her apart for pleasure were more important than her little boy. She must have cared about them more than him. Must have enjoyed what they did to her.

Sam continues, talking to Alan like she cares and understands. How dare his mother take away the hope that he would have a father who loved him. Someone to finally take care of him and want him above all else. He took his rage out on someone else to make them pay for his mums betrayal. She names his first victim - a prostitute, Brenda Kelman. Finally Alan speaks and tells Sam that noone has gotten to know him like that and in hearing it all played back he realised he's become one of the monsters that his mother feared the most. Sam takes his hands in faux comfort, getting the confession just before the time ran out.

Gina invites Jonathan to the Sun Hill Summer Party but unfortunately he has too much paperwork to complete he's unable to go. He does however apologise for what he said to her and for hurting her. He tells her he once lost Chloe for a couple of hours when she was 5 as she wandered off and he panicked and felt like it was happening all over again - only this time there was a serial rapist threat. "It's left a scar, you know?" "No I don't know, Jonathan." Gina says evenly. "As you so eloquently put it, I'm not a parent." "I'm sorry. It wasn't called for." "Right. What's done is done." "I should have had more confidence in you." Gina smiles a little and nods at him before leaving to go to the party.

As Gina pulls up outside the pub where the party is being held with her colleagues already inside there's a loud noise and explosion with lots of smoke and screams filling the air...!