A song for Syed ...
This was a good episode, with good performances all around and a bit of light relief provided by Roxy and Kim in the cafe and by the developing romance between Denise and Arthur.
This episode showcased Nina Wadia and showed up what a truly awful person Zainab could be. Scene of the night absolutely had to be the one between Tamwar and Zainab, when Tamwar finally told her some brutal home truths, in true Tamwar understated fashion, calling her out on her obvious favouritism toward Syed - which, of course, she denies. Well, she would, wouldn't she? No mother ever likes to admit the possibility of having a favourite child.
Pauline with Mark, Peggy with her two boys - Grant, thinking her favourite was Phil and Phil, thinking her favourite was Grant. Audrey Truman favouring Ant Knee over Paul. Of course, Syed was Zainab;s favourite. She thought more of him, in point of fact and in many ways, than she did of Masood. Wherever Syed was concerned, Zainab got her way. He simply could do no wrong.
In many ways, her stubborn belief that he was so imbued with business savvy was reminiscent of the way Dot used to invest that belief that Nick was really a good boy who was misunderstood. So cognizant of this flaw was Masood that when Syed embezzled from his parents originally, when he cost them their business, it was Masood who covered for him in front of his mother, assuming the blame for the loss of the business and attributing to his gambling.
Syed ran away.
And when he reappeared, and Masood finally confessed what Syed had done to Zainab, it was she who bullied Masood into letting him return home - although when Syed's marriage broke up because of the revelation that he was gay, it was Zainab who forbade Syed the family home.
Syed was true to form today, even urging Christian to run away with him, without any sort of explanation to his parents. Syed couldn't and wouldn't stay in the wake of the bailiffs' appearance, he couldn't bear the wrath of Zainab as she physically attacked Tamwar, believing him to be at fault. The scene of him running away to the sound of Zainab's anger was one of the most forceful ones in recent programme history.
Syed is not only weak, he is a coward, whining to Christian about going away on honeymoon until all of this kerfuffle died down, not even flinching at the fact that he was leaving his brother to cop blame for something serious that he had done. His selfishness was on display from the getgo, and Christian must wonder what sort of monster he'd married, when Syed revealed that he still considered the Masoods to be "his" family, not even thinking that they had become Christian's as well, and - more importantly - running away with no thought at all for his daughter, assuming that she would be looked after and cared for by Christian, whom, as Roxy revealed, she considered to be her "daddy."
Syed will only ever think only of himself - really, all that gambling with someone else's money, his funky business ventures, were all designed to make him look good.
And every word Tamwar spoke to Zainab was the truth. She did favour Syed, she did poke and prod Tamwar into doing things he didn't want to do. He never wanted to go to Oxford. Only Libby did, really, and Zainab pushed him to that goal to get one over on Denise. He stopped her tirade with one word about how the debacle with the Argee Bahjee happened - Syed - and she was forced to admit that what Syed had once done to them, he had now done to his brother.
Syed's got a great track record - he betrayed the trust of his parents, his wife, his brother and his new husband.
Even AJ stepped up to the plate tonight in his efforts to gee Mas along and to find the money for the £4000 to keep the bailiffs at bay, and the scene where Mas is, ironically, on the phone to his bank's call centre in India, screaming about fraud when AJ produces the savings account passbook, showing that Zainab had cleared the account out, was priceless, as was Masood's calm assessment of the situation as they awaited the inevitable return of the bailiffs, culminating in his demand to know what was so important that Zainab had to sacrifice the futures of two of her sons. We know the answer ... it was all done for Number One Son.
And finally, Roxy admits to Christian that she dislikes Syed. She's not the only one. Now we know why Syed never had any friends.
The other entertainment this evening, Denise and Arthur, progressed very nicely. Denise is smitten, and flattered that a younger man thinks she's attractive, yet she's insecure about continuing with the relationship, obviously due to the age difference and seeking to keep things subtle.
Denise has always been a very attractive woman, but for this storyline, the way they've dressed her and done her hair and make up makes her positively glow. Even Arthur was bearable as he practiced his "casual greeting" for her, and then when he agonised over leaving her the flowers, to the point where he was invited inside and closed the door with the phrase from the Marvin Gaye song ... "Let's Get it On" ... a good song for Denise and Arthur ...
This episode showcased Nina Wadia and showed up what a truly awful person Zainab could be. Scene of the night absolutely had to be the one between Tamwar and Zainab, when Tamwar finally told her some brutal home truths, in true Tamwar understated fashion, calling her out on her obvious favouritism toward Syed - which, of course, she denies. Well, she would, wouldn't she? No mother ever likes to admit the possibility of having a favourite child.
Pauline with Mark, Peggy with her two boys - Grant, thinking her favourite was Phil and Phil, thinking her favourite was Grant. Audrey Truman favouring Ant Knee over Paul. Of course, Syed was Zainab;s favourite. She thought more of him, in point of fact and in many ways, than she did of Masood. Wherever Syed was concerned, Zainab got her way. He simply could do no wrong.
In many ways, her stubborn belief that he was so imbued with business savvy was reminiscent of the way Dot used to invest that belief that Nick was really a good boy who was misunderstood. So cognizant of this flaw was Masood that when Syed embezzled from his parents originally, when he cost them their business, it was Masood who covered for him in front of his mother, assuming the blame for the loss of the business and attributing to his gambling.
Syed ran away.
And when he reappeared, and Masood finally confessed what Syed had done to Zainab, it was she who bullied Masood into letting him return home - although when Syed's marriage broke up because of the revelation that he was gay, it was Zainab who forbade Syed the family home.
Syed was true to form today, even urging Christian to run away with him, without any sort of explanation to his parents. Syed couldn't and wouldn't stay in the wake of the bailiffs' appearance, he couldn't bear the wrath of Zainab as she physically attacked Tamwar, believing him to be at fault. The scene of him running away to the sound of Zainab's anger was one of the most forceful ones in recent programme history.
Syed is not only weak, he is a coward, whining to Christian about going away on honeymoon until all of this kerfuffle died down, not even flinching at the fact that he was leaving his brother to cop blame for something serious that he had done. His selfishness was on display from the getgo, and Christian must wonder what sort of monster he'd married, when Syed revealed that he still considered the Masoods to be "his" family, not even thinking that they had become Christian's as well, and - more importantly - running away with no thought at all for his daughter, assuming that she would be looked after and cared for by Christian, whom, as Roxy revealed, she considered to be her "daddy."
Syed will only ever think only of himself - really, all that gambling with someone else's money, his funky business ventures, were all designed to make him look good.
And every word Tamwar spoke to Zainab was the truth. She did favour Syed, she did poke and prod Tamwar into doing things he didn't want to do. He never wanted to go to Oxford. Only Libby did, really, and Zainab pushed him to that goal to get one over on Denise. He stopped her tirade with one word about how the debacle with the Argee Bahjee happened - Syed - and she was forced to admit that what Syed had once done to them, he had now done to his brother.
Syed's got a great track record - he betrayed the trust of his parents, his wife, his brother and his new husband.
Even AJ stepped up to the plate tonight in his efforts to gee Mas along and to find the money for the £4000 to keep the bailiffs at bay, and the scene where Mas is, ironically, on the phone to his bank's call centre in India, screaming about fraud when AJ produces the savings account passbook, showing that Zainab had cleared the account out, was priceless, as was Masood's calm assessment of the situation as they awaited the inevitable return of the bailiffs, culminating in his demand to know what was so important that Zainab had to sacrifice the futures of two of her sons. We know the answer ... it was all done for Number One Son.
And finally, Roxy admits to Christian that she dislikes Syed. She's not the only one. Now we know why Syed never had any friends.
The other entertainment this evening, Denise and Arthur, progressed very nicely. Denise is smitten, and flattered that a younger man thinks she's attractive, yet she's insecure about continuing with the relationship, obviously due to the age difference and seeking to keep things subtle.
Denise has always been a very attractive woman, but for this storyline, the way they've dressed her and done her hair and make up makes her positively glow. Even Arthur was bearable as he practiced his "casual greeting" for her, and then when he agonised over leaving her the flowers, to the point where he was invited inside and closed the door with the phrase from the Marvin Gaye song ... "Let's Get it On" ... a good song for Denise and Arthur ...
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