Episode 7.12

The school’s A-level recruitment day is rudely interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Jez’s spurned ex-wife, Sarah, and his two estranged children, Madi and Zack. Still smarting from their break-up, Sarah dumps the kids on Jez insisting it’s his turn to take them. Shocked by the family’s animosity towards her, a guilty Sian persuades Michael to let the children enrol in the school. However, her sympathy soon wears thin when loose-cannon Madi slaps her in front of the other pupils and daubs a school wall with the words ‘home-wrecker’. Michael is adamant that Madi should be expelled but Jez begs for a reprieve. Jez takes Madi home to cool off where Jez’s preparations for an elaborate dinner party adorn the kitchen sides. Back at school, Sian attempts to build bridges with Zack and encourages him to stand up to bullies Shona and Rhona. But their thawing leads Sian to the unwelcome revelation that Jez has been avoiding calls from his children. Deeply unimpressed by Jez’s handling of his family’s break-up, relations between Sian and Jez turn frosty as they head home for their dinner party. But further disaster awaits at the party: the food’s been sabotaged and Sian knows exactly who to blame when a drunken Madi disrupts the evening, leaving Sian acutely aware that the honeymoon period with Jez is well and truly over.

Matt is touched by Scout’s enthusiasm for the guitar but following overwhelming interest in the school orchestra, Scout’s left smarting when she misses out on being allocated a place in the orchestra. Meanwhile, Sian inspires Vicki to retake her A-level Sciences, but relations with Ronan are tested when he’s more focused on organising the house-warming party for their new flat than offering Vicki the support she needs right now. Grantly’s antagonism with Michael continues to grow when he determines to sabotage the A-level recruitment drive. And elsewhere, Michael’s efforts to reunite the Taylor boys with their father looks scuppered when Phoenix sets out to wrongly prove that Nelson’s still a good-for-nothing alcoholic. But a suspicious Michael calls his bluff and a shame-faced Phoenix concedes to give his father a chance.

Episode Soundtrack
You Need Me, I Don’t Need You – Ed Sheeran
Tiger Ghee – Sisters of Transistors
Mirror Mirror – Efterklang
People Can Do The Most Amazing Things – Kisses
Mace Spray – The Jezabels
Wait In The Dark – Memory Tapes
Abducted – Cults
Vivaldi – Sky
Living Is So Easy – British Sea Power
Cry for the City – Wilful Missing
Constitution Failed – Wilful Missing
Night Air – Jamie Woon
Live Those Days Tonight – Friendly Fires
Young Blood – The Naked and the Famous
Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win (Featuring Santigold) – Beastie Boys
Note: The tracks listed above are correct as per original episode transmission. For contractual reasons, music may vary on DVDs.