Lynda enthuses to Lilian about putting on Cinderella. She’s convinced it’s the right choice of panto. They just need a good script, and the star attraction, which is down to Joy.

Joy and Mick chat awkwardly about their future, and Mick wonders whether they should give themselves until the end of the week to decide whether their current living arrangement can continue. Joy talks about the panto and reveals that Berwick Kaler, the well know pantomime dame, is in town, and she wonders whether she might approach him. Mick warns Joy off of interfering, as she did with Rochelle. But Joy seeks out Berwick, and he turns down her request for him to perform for no money. Joy and Jazzer share some mutual frustration, as he’s caught between feuding Tracy and Susan; they should just have their scrap and get over themselves. Joy wonders if that would work for her and Mick. Later Mick confesses to Jazzer that Joy’s a mystery to him. In the spirit of helping, Mick organises a secret meeting with Berwick Kaler at the Bull, with Jazzer looking on intrigued. Berwick’s answer is still no, but Mick explains Joy’s motives. With some business over a piece of paper and mystery financial offer, Berwick seems ready to negotiate. Later, excited Joy informs Lynda and Lilian that Berwick has changed his mind; she has secured her star. Joy worries briefly that other potential cast members might be intimidated, but when news spreads they’re inundated with volunteers to play the other Ugly Sister – they’ll have to have a Dame-off!

Lilian does her best to pacify fretful Joy, who’s taking the cancellation of the Felpersham pantomime very hard. Lilian assures her all is well, and she’s not to blame. Lilian asks about Mick, and the real cause of Joy’s disquiet becomes apparent as she admits they’re not really speaking. Mick blames her for Rochelle leaving, and Joy doesn’t know where she stands with him now.

Tracy’s cross with Susan, who’s borrowed her best shoes and lost one of them. Later Susan and Joy share their angst over being got at by people.

Ben apologises again to Zainab for last night’s takeaway incident. Zainab brushes it off – Ben should stop saying sorry all the time. Later Ben tries to track down Azra. He tells Zainab he’s worried he might have got something wrong at work, oversharing his own mental health experience with a patient. Zainab recommends he doesn’t beat himself up, but takes a step back. He did what he thought was right at the time, and no-one’s been harmed. Ben thanks her for her wise words.

Vince continues his campaign to move in to Lower Loxley. Contrary to Elizabeth’s claim that the private quarters are small, he reckons there’s tons of room. Elizabeth counters good naturedly that she thought they’d resolved this. Vince accepts it and they change the subject. Elizabeth remarks she thinks Joy sounds a bit low – she’s meeting her later for tea. As they banter contentedly Elizabeth admits to Vince that she loves him. Things are pretty near perfect right now and she doesn’t want to spoil it. To cheer him up she presents Vince with the gift of a signet ring she’d been saving for their anniversary. She’s very committed to him. Vince is delighted with it. Later, pleased for Elizabeth and Vince, Joy admits that she and Mick are struggling a bit. Having Rochelle around has changed the dynamic. But as Joy starts to open up her phone rings. The roof at the Felpersham panto venue has virtually collapsed. The show’s off. Joy despairs – everything she does turns to disaster, and Elizabeth doesn’t know the half of it.

At Woodbine Cottage Fallon can scarcely believe it when Alice tells her about George. Alice has been crying herself to sleep for weeks, but not anymore. Fallon remembers George’s apparent modesty about being a hero, when in reality he was lying. Alice, though, still feels some responsibility for being drunk in her car and for Fallon ending up in the river. They wonder about the effect the full story will have on Brian and Harrison.

At No.1 The Green Harrison loses it with George, blaming him for killing his unborn child and making Harrison hateful towards Alice. He barely restrains himself from battering terrified George.

While walking the road behind Brookfield orchard Jazzer asks Brad to help shift furniture at Greenacres, where Alistair is planning to redecorate. Jazzer spots the largest sunflower he’s ever seen. He reckons it’s sure to be a prize winner at the Flower & Produce Show. Later, Jazzer tells Brad he’s hidden the flower from general view. He admits that technically it belongs to Brookfield, but he’s going to claim it under the law of ‘Finders-keepers’.

Mia and Brad relax on the Green and she shows him a virtual tour of her Uni halls in Newcastle. She leaves on Saturday and it all suddenly feels very real. Brad is starting at Felpersham and they need to do something special before they go – agreeing a walk and a picnic up Lakey Hill on Wednesday.

Neil bumps into Kate on her way to The Stables to see Alice and apologises to her for the shock of bumping into Clive – his unwelcome return has rattled everyone. Neil, on his way to supervise Clive’s latest visit with Bert, wishes he would just go away.

Adam checks in with a grumpy Alice on the phone. He tells her Brian has been trying to contact her. They’re both worried about her. He presses her on how she is. ‘I’m in hell,’ she snaps. And she doesn’t want to see anyone or go to rehab – she can’t face it. She tells Adam Justin came around yesterday and asked her to resign. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Harry and he wants to help her. But she shuts the door in his face. After a while she chases after him. He tells her Chris confronted him. Harry stresses her addiction put her where she is now and it’s a disease. He thanks her for saving him, for encouraging him to go for treatment. He tells her she can come back from this. He knows she can. But she rushes away.

Later Adam confronts Lilian and criticises her for letting Justin go round to try to force Alice to resign. They both admit they are scared – Alice is getting worse. They discuss how Brian is going out of his mind and Lilian promises she’ll have words with Justin. Adam concedes they have to face facts. No-one knows what will happen when the case comes to court. But there’s not much any of them can do. She really could lose everything. Lilian says when Jennifer died she swore she’d be there for the children but she doesn’t feel like she has been.

Chris turns up early to speak to Susan. He can’t pick up Martha, he says, because he has a late appointment. But when she questions him he admits he’s actually going to see Harry, who will be handing out prizes at the Borsetshire Young Horse Championship. Susan says she’ll drive him there. Later, Chris accosts Harry at the event. He accuses him of being there on the night of the crash. But Harry genuinely has no idea what he’s talking about. He didn’t know Alice had been drinking either. Chris rages at him, but Harry is genuinely apologetic, leaving Chris taken aback. As Susan drives Chris back to Ambridge she says he has to accept that Alice did this and there’s no other explanation. He needs to put all his energy into Martha and leave Alice to herself.

Harrison and Chris are getting ready for a cricket match against Leyton Cross who have won their last four games, buoyed by a new young player. Chris raises the question of Alice’s crash and how she wouldn’t buy cider. It’s a mistake discussing it with Harrison who insists she was drunk behind the wheel and she should face the consequences. Later, Susan congratulates Christopher on a 176 innings but asks if he has fallen out with Harrison, who threw his bat in disgust after Chris ran him out. He confesses that he talked to Harrison about Alice’s case. Susan says he mustn’t let it come between them. Later, Chris buys Harrison a pint and apologises. But then suggests there was someone else in the car with Alice – Harry Chilcott - he might have persuaded her to drive and then ran away.

Susan serves Neil lunch and he says Christopher is taking Martha to see Alice. Together they seem almost like a normal family and it’s obvious he still loves her. Susan can’t help thinking things could be better for Martha with all the privilege Alice was born into. She can’t get yesterday’s conversation out of her mind – Brian and Adam fussing over Alice, Lilian keeping her job open. No one is questioning her behaviour. Her not guilty plea is more proof that she’s in denial. Alice is never going to hit rock bottom, says Susan - no one is letting her. Neil says it’s Christopher’s life and they should put his needs first. But Susan wonders if enabling her to keep drinking is helping Martha.

Meg Mellor stops to ask Lynda for directions as she goes to collect Bartleby. George, Neil and Eddie are waiting for her and saying their farewells to the pony. Eddie has yet another suggestion about how to spend the money – a new cider press. For the first time George agrees. Meg tells them how she got started taking care of retired horses after her husband died. Lynda has left a fancy, colourful rug for Bartleby. As Meg goes to get her notebook Eddie suggests some new tries for their cider orchard. George agrees and suggests a new marble headstone for Great Granddad Joe. George says farewell to Bartleby and thanks him for listening, particularly over the last few weeks. They fasten the horse box and Meg drives away.