30/05/2025

At the Shop Jim tries a super-courteous approach to get Lilian to fill in the survey, while Jazzer adds a mocking commentary. It’s only when Jim spells out the existential threat Underwoods Local poses that Lilian agrees to answer the questions. Between them Jazzer and Lilian come up with several suggestions for improvements. Then Jazzer points out the biggest issue is friendliness – or the lack of it - and despite Jim’s denial Lilian agrees that it’s an issue. Later on Jazzer snatches Lilian’s completed survey, reading out her score for friendliness: three out of five. He tells Jim it’s not going to save the shop. Jim confesses how exhausting he finds maintaining the façade of friendliness and his relief at going to stay at his daughter’s next week. But Jazzer loves it when Jim is grumpy!

While Chris is relatively relaxed before the meeting about Martha at the nursery, Alice can’t help thinking there must be a serious problem. The manager tactfully points out that Martha has haphazard concentration levels and limited attention span. She suggests working together with the staff to get Martha to focus on tasks for longer. Chris is happy to go along with this but Alice seems more troubled. Back at the Stables Lilian pushes Alice to confess her fear that her drinking during pregnancy is now affecting Martha’s development. And if Lilian leaves Ambridge then that’s another huge plank of Alice’s support network gone, after Jennifer and Peggy. Lilian tells her she’s changed her mind and she’s not going anywhere.