families at war (2/5)
20.00–21.00
Five’s Trisha Goddard continues the new series in which she attempts to help a group of families besieged by arguments, feuds and deep-rooted tensions. Aiding Trisha in her efforts are Jamil Qureshi and Andy Duncan – experts in the field of ‘mind-shaping’. Trisha’s guests tonight are a warring mother and son from Newcastle who have not spoken to each other in seven months.
Margie and Nigel have never seen eye to eye. Nigel claims that when he was young, his mother abandoned him when she began a relationship with her new partner, forcing him to live with his grandparents – a claim Margie vehemently denies. Margie, meanwhile, feels that her son has turned her grandchildren against her, simply because he disagrees with her choice of partner. Whatever the real reasons behind the discord, the pair’s relationship is at breaking point, with mother and son completely disowning one another. “I have not got a son,” remarks a weary Margie. For this family, the next few days are critical – a last chance to patch things up.
As the treatment begins, Trisha intends to observe her guests at close quarters to get to the root of their problems, but she is well aware that the task in hand will not be easy: “There is so much anger,” she reflects. Margie is first to arrive at the house, and is clearly worried about meeting her son, though she claims to want a relationship with him. When Nigel arrives, an argument immediately ensues and Margie storms off. If Trisha is going to rectify this situation, she will need all of her counselling skills.
One of the house rules is that all meals must be held together, but after the morning’s quarrel, Margie has decided to skip lunch. Despite what looks like a minor breakthrough when Nigel makes his mother a cup of tea, lunchtime sees Nigel eat alone as Margie retreats to her room. However, there is a glimmer of progress when Trisha talks Margie around and manages to open the lines of communication. She initiates a game to reveal more about the pair’s relationship, in which each must answer questions written on cards. It emerges that both parties see Margie’s partner, Harry, as key to their difficulties, but the agreement seems to end there.
After a tough first day, Trisha is keen to get the opinion of her fellow experts, so she gives Andy and Jamil a briefing using video footage taken throughout the day. The pair are surprised by the bad blood and lies that exist between Margie and Nigel, but are not put off their job. “We’re not here to pussyfoot around,” says Andy.
With just 48 hours left to go, the experts have much to do, so day two begins with an early outing. In an attempt to discover just how far apart the mother and son have grown, Jamil takes Margie and Nigel to the beach. Here, he literally draws a line in the sand and asks the pair to stand either side of it to represent the level of closeness they wish to achieve during their treatment. While Nigel stubbornly backs away, Margie surprises everyone by making the first move and approaching the line. After having her attempt at reconciliation denied, however, Margie is upset and wants to leave once more. “If you walk away now, I’ll close the book on you,” says Nigel. ”This is the last chance you’ve got.”
Back at the house, Andy and Jamil must do all they can to bring the situation back from the brink. Deciding that the two need to calm down before any progress can be made, Andy takes Margie aside to try a relaxation exercise, while Jamil uses a regression technique on Nigel. Once both mother and son are more relaxed, Andy offers Margie hope: “your sentence of suffering and pain is at an end.” However, his optimism is short-lived as another day draws to a close in argument. Now, Margie and Nigel have just one day left to sort out their problems, but with Margie insisting she wants to stay at a hotel, is it too late?
