The Upper Hand - Episode Guide

When he cannot pay a restaurant bill and needs Caroline to help out Charlie feels he is a kept man in the eyes of her friends so,to impress,he buys her a painting at a charity auction even though he cannot afford it. To make up the money he takes work as a topless waiter but his initial embarrassment at being groped by women gets worse when Jo is one of his customers. Ultimately he has to swallow his pride and agree to Caroline lending him the money for her painting.

When Charlie sees his smug,competitive tennis partner Fred make a pass at Caroline he is angry and plays him hard on the court. Fred drops down dead and Charlie feels guilty so that when Fred's identical twin,the seemingly nice Ted,arrives but starts to take advantage of Charlie's guilt,the resentment starts over again. A trip to see the Catholic priest puts things in perspective - though not until after Charlie has also thrashed Ted on the tennis court.

Caroline's grandmother comes to visit. An old-fashioned snob,she makes it clear that she feels Caroline is marrying beneath her but then appears to have a change of heart. But this a ruse as she persuades the couple to sign a pre-nuptial agreement which she knows will have them at each others' throats and cancelling the wedding. Fortunately Laura,long cowed by her formidable mother,knows what is happening and speaks out to save the situation.

When Laura causes another fire in her flat and has to move in with the rest of the family her demands soon alienate everybody - particularly Caroline. Then Laura complains of pains and is rushed to hospital for a gall bladder operation. The night before the op she imagines her late husband has come to see her and their resultant conversation puts everything right between her and Laura.

Charlie is pleased to meet Jo's boyfriend Dan when he learns that the boy is a medical student but hearing that Dan wants to pack in his studies to be a puppeteer and to marry Jo cause a change of attitude. Dan's parents arrive giving their blessing to the union until they too disapprove of their son's career decision. This causes an argument with Caroline and Charlie,during which Dan and Jo slip away to get married in secret.Written

Working out that Jo and Dan have driven to Gretna Green Charlie and Caroline set off after them with Dan's parents,Peggy and Jim,both of whom are very bad passengers,and to cap it all the car runs out of petrol. Fortunately Laura is following behind with Tom and Auntie Pat and everybody arrives at the church just as the wedding is about to take place. One by one all the older parties agree the wedding should take place except Charlie - until Jo persuades him that really all he wants is to see her happy. Charlie thus becomes the father of the bride

Jo and Dan return from their honeymoon homeless as there is no provision for married couples at their college hall of residence. Caroline lets them stay and,whilst Charlie is initially unhappy with the arrangement,he starts to bond with Dan after finding Dan has made a puppet version of him,Little Charlie. This leads to friction between Dan and Jo and Charlie and Caroline until Caroline provides a solution - the young couple can have Laura's flat whilst she moves into Jo's old room for the time being.

Wealthy club owner Nigel Samworth turns up,saying that he grew up in the house and is prepared to pay a huge sum to buy it. Charlie and Caroline go house-hunting and come up with their dream home,beating a very competitive family to gain the owner's approval as prospective buyers. However when they hear what Nigel plans to do when he buys their house they soon change their minds.

Caroline's agency is going through a lean time and she borrows money from the house-keeping,which leads Charlie to start an austerity drive, rationing electricity and buying in bulk from the Cash & Carry. He also confiscates Caroline's credit cards when she buys clothes on the sly. A hoped-for deal with top customer Hamilton falls through but Charlie tells Caroline that things will improve and they still have each other.

Tom has a crush on Patricia,an older girl whom the family think is weird,and when Charlie and Caroline are at a funeral he takes Patricia out in Charlie's jeep,hitting a gate-post and denting the vehicle. When the police arrive Laura,Jo and Dan all take it in turns to take the blame before Tom owns up. Caroline is angry with Tom but Charlie admires the team loyalty shown by the others.

When rain water,leaking in from a hole in Caroline's bedroom window,starts dripping downstairs,Charlie suggests that Caroline's entire bedroom be renovated and Dan's father,professional builder Jim,takes on the job. However Charlie interferes so much that it leads to a row and Charlie sacking Jim. He then takes on the work himself,helped by the boys,but the results are a disaster and Caroline reinstates Jim,the proviso being that Charlie keeps out of his way.

After knocking himself out with cleaning ammonia fumes Charlie wakes up to find he is still a successful and injury-free footballer,enjoying the high life and with a sycophantic staff - to say nothing of the shade of his dead manager whom only Charlie can see. Caroline does come into his life but only on a business basis to discuss an advertising deal and is shocked by his familiarity with her. Fortunately it is only a dream.

Charlie is preparing for the wedding and sending out invitations but his lips keep swelling up and a visit to the doctor shows that it is not due to any allergic reaction. Finally he works out that it happens every time he talks about the up-coming wedding ceremony and is concerned that it is a sub-conscious sign that he does not want to go through with it. Fortunately he is reassured after a heart-to-heart with Caroline.

Caroline and Charlie decide to bring the wedding forward to tie in with her being at her most fertile as they aim to try for a family of their own. Everybody else,however,assumes that it is because she is already pregnant. Caroline's ex-husband Michael turns up,anxious to get her back and trying to poison her against Charlie but Laura soon sees him off. With Nick released from prison for the day everybody gathers at the church for the happy event but unfortunately it has just caught fire and so the ceremony is conducted out of doors - and then a storm breaks. True love really does have to conquer all to see Caroline and Charlie safely married off to each other.

After two months of marriage Caroline learns that she is not pregnant as expected but whilst she is on a business trip to Brussels Charlie,unaware of the fact,turns the spare bedroom into a nursery. Laura acts as an adviser to both parties telling them not to be disappointed and to relish their time as a couple before a child comes along but both of them are determined to have another try at parenthood.

With Laura and the kids out for the evening Charlie and Caroline relax with the photograph album of their honeymoon on a romantic island in the Indian Ocean. However the smiling snaps do not reveal the fact that they argued over having a Fax machine in the bedroom and over which side of the bed to take,which led to Charlie storming out and getting into a brawl with a rude Australian. One thing that they are glad to recall is Charlie soothing Caroline's mosquito bites,which they are happy to replicate at home,to Laura's bemusement.

Seeing an elderly couple argue in a supermarket Caroline and Charlie vow they will never end up like that. However when Caroline's forward friend Emma makes a blatant play for Charlie and the handsome Martin,who was at college with Caroline,seems very attentive to her,they risk being jealous of each other - until Caroline points out that this is an obstacle in the marriage to be overcome. Laura suggests Caroline look at her most seductive to stop Charlie being tempted by Emma but there is no need as she overhears Charlie telling Emma that he is not interested.

Dan has the chance to perform at the Folies Bergeres in Paris but Jo is annoyed he did not consult her and he leaves on his own. Charlie decides to go after him to change his mind and on the train confides in the sympathetic Mrs Pickering his fears and doubts about his own marriage - unaware that Caroline has followed him and has overheard. Charlie seems unable to convince Dan and,returning home,appreciates he should not have interfered in a matter that was just between Jo and Dan. However Dan returns and suggests a workable compromise.

Dolly Hamp,a famous singer with whom Laura was once in a double act,comes to visit and asks Laura to be her assistant on her world tour. Laura is not keen to leave but Caroline and Charlie,unaware of this,encourage her to go and she believes that they want to be rid of her. Things do not work out with Dolly,who leaves a message on the Answer-Phone,sacking Laura,but Charlie and Caroline,anxious not to hurt her feelings,keep it from her. This causes another row before Charlie convinces Laura that they wanted her to stay with them all along.

Charlie takes Caroline to one of his old London haunts where they meet Tina,an ex-girlfriend,now married to Charlie Bennet,who owns three bedroom furniture shops. Caroline invites the couple to stay but Bennett is thoroughly obnoxious and alienates everybody by bragging about his success,belittling Charlie for being a housekeeper. Learning that he is basically insecure because he has always been envious of her husband Caroline organizes a pool contest in which Charlie Burroughs will sportingly lose. However Bennett is so annoying and sarcastic that Caroline is only too happy to insist that Charlie beats him.

After advice from a doctor Caroline and Charlie have regular sex at unlikely times but she seems unable to get pregnant. Jo,however,who has just split with Dan over his desire to stay in Paris,announces that she is going to have a baby. Then a certain amount of confusion arises after Laura confesses she may have accidentally switched the pregnancy testing kits. A dash to a late night store follows with both women taking the test in the shop toilet,Dan returning from Paris and happy endings all round.