Rochelle struggles with the reality of her situation, and George has a brainwave.

Out walking with Miranda, Brian makes an excuse to get away for a bridge tutorial with Martyn, something Brian’s keen Miranda doesn’t find out about. However, when Brian arrives at Martyn’s house, Miranda calls and he has to cover with a story about Martha running him ragged. Martyn finds his subterfuge amusing, though Brian’s sure Miranda suspects something. In the tutorial itself, tetchy Brian struggles with the basics of bidding, much to Martyn’s frustration. Brian admits he’s not the easiest of people to teach, and Martyn suggests another session on Tuesday.

Over at Grange Farm, it’s Keira’s birthday party. Despite Eddie’s best efforts, Clarrie can’t stop fussing around, wanting to keep busy. She’s dreading the prospect of her last day at the Dairy and how the family will cope without her income. Ed comes in and tells them about a lucrative tree surgery job that’s come up, but the customer wants it done tomorrow – the day they’re visiting George in prison for his birthday. Ed assumes they’ll have to turn it down, but then George rings to wish Keira a happy birthday. He’s looking forward to Ed and Emma visiting, though Will can’t make it. George susses something’s up, and Ed admits they’ll lose work tomorrow because of the visit. George has a suggestion. As money is tight with Clarrie losing her job, why doesn’t Eddie visit him instead, so Ed and Emma can still do the job? Eddie is quickly persuaded and promises to give George a birthday hug from Ed.

Clarrie catches up with Fallon crossing the Green, and they have an awkward exchange about her application to work in the Bull kitchen as well as at Casey Meats. She was too late for Casey Meats, despite Rochelle being given an interview. Fallon admits they had lots of applications from better qualified people for The Bull’s kitchen. Clarrie accepts the rejection stoically, but it’s clear there’s regret on Fallon’s part as Clarrie goes. Later, Clarrie turns up at Woodbine Cottage and offers to work unpaid whenever The Bull kitchen gets really busy. Fallon tells her she can’t work for nothing, before Clarrie makes a fulsome apology about George’s actions and the impact on Fallon. Clarrie offers herself as someone to talk to, if ever Fallon feels the need. Fallon invites Clarrie in. Fallon’s loving being head chef so far, then discovers that Clarrie wanted to be a dancer when she was growing up. Fallon’s sure she’ll find a job soon.

At Casey Meats, Freddie reflects on finally getting Jolene off the cricket team before Rochelle arrives for her interview. Vince is already impressed by how Rochelle handled the situation at the shop the other day. Later, Freddie tells Vince that Rochelle did well and they’re calling her back. In the car park later, Rochelle surprises Vince with a couple of questions about animal welfare she didn’t ask at the interview. Vince tells her unofficially that she’s got the job before offering Rochelle a lift back to Ambridge, adding that she can ask him anything she wants.

Rochelle is at indoor nets, impressing Vince and Freddie with her cricketing skills, when Jolene appears, calling their bluff on sacking her for not turning up to two practices in a row. Tracy’s come along too and Jolene notes they’re happier about Tracy’s presence than hers, then accuses Freddie of being a tyrant, imposing ridiculous rules rather than telling her he wanted to drop her. Meanwhile Vince and Rochelle swap compliments. Vince thinks she’d be an asset to the team then invites her to drinks after nets. At the end of the session Rochelle offers to take some of the kit home on the bus before Rex is pressured into giving her a lift. The journey back is awkward before Rex apologises for putting his foot in it with Rochelle and Joy, leading to Rochelle’s sudden disappearance. But Rex tells her she ghosted him and it felt horrible. They agree to draw a line under it and just be friends. Back at The Bull Rochelle agrees to join the team, having already persuaded Vince to give her a job interview at Casey Meats tomorrow. Rochelle then catches up with Mick on his way home, pushing him to talk about Joy and how much he’s missing her. Rochelle tells him that it’s normal Horville behaviour to run for cover – but they always come back in the end. Despite Mick’s misgivings about what Joy sees in him Rochelle assures him that he’s worth coming home for. Mick admits that he loves Joy more than she’ll ever know.

Clarrie frets over having to compile a CV for her job application to The Bull. Emma is supportive, though Eddie suggests Clarrie deserves to put her feet up for a while. Clarrie insists they can’t afford for her not to work, so she’ll just have to get on with it. Later though, despite Eddie’s attempts to gloss things up, Clarrie’s finding it hard to muster any enthusiasm. She can’t big herself up on a CV just to impress Fallon and Jolene – they’ll laugh at her! When Emma returns to Grange Farm, she finds Eddie has taken over, using all sorts of flowery language to embellish Clarrie’s credentials. Emma quickly produces an alternative CV, which sounds far more credible. Clarrie’s impressed and even Eddie has to admit it’s better than his version.

Robert calls Emma to cut away a branch overhanging the llama paddock at Ambridge Hall. While Emma does the job Khalil comforts nervous Salieri. Robert shows Khalil a digitally edited image of him and Lynda next to the Statue of Liberty, despite never having been there. Robert then suggests he could show Khalil how to recreate the images of Khalil’s parents’ wedding to replace the photos lost in the sewage spill. Over at Beechwood Khalil shows Robert some old photos of his parents on the computer and mentions his parents’ honeymoon in Dubai. Robert suggests taking new photos and superimposing their younger faces, before Khalil takes him up to the loft where Akram and Azra’s wedding suits are stored. When Robert sees the suits he thinks they can definitely put something together.

Freddie sacks Jolene from the cricket team for missing Thursday’s nets practice. If you miss two then you’re out. Lilian overhears and when Freddie’s gone mentions to Jolene that Tracy will also have missed two, so he’ll have to sack her too. Jolene thinks she can have fun with that. Later Jolene tells Lilian and Fallon she’ll reschedule the staff meeting, but she’ll make Freddie squirm for a few days first!

When Freddie tells Rex that Jolene’s missing nets practice because of a staff meeting clash, Rex realises Freddie’s made a terrible mistake. Tracy will have to be sacked too! Freddie wonders then if Rochelle’s any good at cricket. Rex admits that he doesn’t know; they went on a date but then she disappeared and ignored his texts. He tried to clear the air with her last night, but she pretty much blanked him. Freddie suggests trying to talk to her again.

Emma and Eddie both worry about Clarrie losing her job at The Dairy. When Eddie says Clarrie’s thinking of working at the Chicken Factory, Emma says she has an idea. Later she catches up with Fallon and suggests that Clarrie might be a perfect fit for The Bull’s Kitchen Assistant job. Fallon agrees to consider it, though it’s not just down to her. And when Fallon mentions the possibility of Clarrie working at The Bull, Lilian’s not keen. Jolene and Fallon accuse her of being ageist even though Clarrie’s younger than Lilian! Jolene suggests asking Clarrie to send in her CV, that way they can make a fair decision.

On his way into the Shop, while chatting to Freddie on the phone, Rex worries about being paid to play cricket; if anyone on the team finds out, it’s all on Freddie. Intrigued Jolene overhears the end of this, but when she asks Rex he is evasive. Once inside the Shop though Rex sees Rochelle working there and leaves hastily. Susan then asks Rochelle to restock the chiller cabinet, but when Vince pops in later, he’s shocked to find that everything in the cabinet is out of date. Rochelle takes the blame and wins Vince round. After he’s gone Susan admits it was her fault and thanks Rochelle for handling it so well. Later they go to The Bull, where Rochelle asks Susan about village life and Vince sponsoring the cricket. And when Vince appears, Rochelle asks if she can try out for the team.

At Casey Meats Freddie admits to Vince that he hasn’t had a chance to sack Jolene yet. Vince reckons he needs to do it before team drinks tonight. But when Freddie confronts Jolene at The Bull she wrong-foots him and Freddie bottles out. Freddie comes clean to Rex, adding that Jolene won’t be going to nets on Thursday either. Rex reckons that’s Freddie’s solution: Jolene’s already missed one practice and the new rule is that if you miss two, you’re out. Rex then spots Rochelle and suggests it might be awkward if she joins the cricket team, given their history. Rochelle tells Rex she’s sorry, but she doesn’t want to talk about it now.

At Joy's house Rochelle tells Mick that he’s unlikely to hear back from Joy anytime soon. Susan appears, fuming at Joy not turning up for her shift at the Shop - and there’s no-one to cover. Despite it being unpaid Rochelle offers to work Joy’s shifts. Susan reluctantly agrees – but Rochelle has to start straight away. Later on, despite the tension between Susan and Rochelle, who hates Susan’s finicky shelf-stacking instructions, they come to a compromise that seems to work. Back at home though Rochelle moans to Mick about bossy Susan driving her to distraction. Mick implores Rochelle not to mess things up for Joy, who needs the job to come back to.

Over at the Maliks Akram is getting everything ready for tonight’s Eid celebrations, including lots of fireworks. When Khalil realises Lynda and Robert will be joining them he tells Akram to ditch the fireworks : they will traumatise Lynda after the explosion at Grey Gables. Akram agrees to do the celebrations without them. When Robert and Lynda arrive, Lynda tells Akram they were expecting a great firework display after Zainab told her what usually happens. Lynda soon realises it must have been Khalil who warned Akram off and is touched by Khalil and Akram’s thoughtfulness.

The Eid party goes well, with Akram complimenting Lynda on her dancing. Robert tells Akram how grateful he is for the way they handled the potential issue with fireworks. Akram sees Robert and Lynda as good friends to the family and admits they will almost certainly stay in Ambridge now.

Helen tells Clarrie that Susan’s got the job. Clarrie’s pleased for Susan, and entreats Helen not to get upset as it doesn’t help. Helen goes through the process for Clarrie, telling her she doesn’t have to work her notice. But Clarrie insists; she just wants to get back to work, while she can. She tells Susan she just wants an ordinary day, and Susan’s happy to oblige. Clarrie admits to feeling a bit sorry for Helen, but Susan retorts that’s for Helen to deal with.

Mick intimates to Rochelle that Joy has filled him in on their troubled past. It becomes clear to Rochelle that Joy hasn’t told him the whole story. Rochelle tells shocked Mick that the ‘couple of days’ Joy referred to when she said she’d gone away was actually more like a couple of months. Rochelle also discloses she had to deal with their dog dying that summer, assisted by a lad she barely knew. When Joy arrives home and tells them about Constanza, Rochelle makes a barbed comment about disposing of a dead llama. Catching up with the conversation, Joy insists a lot of what Rochelle’s said isn’t true. Rochelle sticks to her guns and Joy defends herself, pointing out she was in a bad way. Rochelle accuses her of blocking out everything that happened. She conveniently forgets and it’s exhausting. Distraught Joy leaves the room, returning with an overnight bag. She needs some time away and will be back soon. Mick protests but Joy’s adamant. Neither Mick nor Rochelle have a clue what to do.

Eddie approaches Neil in the Bull. The awkward atmosphere between them dissipates as they share fellow feeling over the predicament of their wives regarding tomorrow’s decision about the remaining job in the dairy. Both women are trying not to think about it and remain philosophical. Eddie’s heard a rumour Martyn Gibson’s on the board of Borsetshire Water, but when he realises it’s news to Neil he thinks maybe it’s not true. Neil speculates that it would make sense though, given Martyn’s reaction to the campaign. They could check the website. They go on to chat about George. Eddie acknowledges how painful it must have been for Neil and Susan to report him to the police. The pair agree it’s been good to chat, and that they care about one another. Emma and Robert make tea before the parish council meeting. Emma’s made the decision to resign – she has no fight for it left in her, and she’s had enough of people talking about her in meetings. Robert’s dismayed. They’re interrupted by Mick, who announces his intention to speak at the meeting. He makes a heartfelt plea to the assembled councillors, extolling Emma’s virtues; he’d like to withdraw his complaint. Afterwards in the Bull Emma declares Mick’s speech brilliant. She appreciates it. Mick doesn’t know about that, but Robert’s words the other day helped him see the error of his ways. Robert reckons they should now let the matter rest. They join Eddie and Neil, and a toast is proposed to Susan and Clarrie: the best of women.

Lynda’s concerned for Khalil after the loss of Constanza yesterday. Khalil assures her he’s okay. They take Salieri for a walk, the start of a regular thing and Khalil loves it. He admits he sometimes feels stupid and his mother has low expectations of him. Lynda assures him this isn’t true. He tells Lynda about a boy whose funeral he attended. Seeing the boy’s mum’s face put him in mind of his own mum and how she might feel if he died. He knows his cancer could return. He apologises for the dark conversation and Lynda comforts him. She knows his mum’s just thrilled he’s alive and thriving, and has complete faith in him. Joy checks in with Mick, making sure he’s still happy for Rochelle to stay with them. Mick confirms it’s all good; he’s pleased for Joy that Rochelle’s around. Joy declares him a good man. Mick raises the delicate topic of what’s really going on between the two women. He needs Joy to be straight with him. Joy gradually opens up, disclosing the extent of her ex husband’s betrayal as he conducted a string of affairs. She thinks Rochelle might blame her for her father leaving. Joy worries she leaned on Rochelle a bit too much at that time. She confesses she left for a few days, acknowledging Rochelle was probably too young for this. It was a dark time in their lives; they’ve never really got over it. Mick understands, relieved Joy’s been honest with him. He promises things will be better from now on.