families at war (4/5)
20.00–21.00

Five’s Trisha Goddard continues to help families besieged by arguments and deep-rooted tensions. Aiding Trisha in her efforts are Jamil Qureshi and Andy Duncan – experts in the field of ‘mindshaping’. This week, Trisha’s guests at the Norfolk treatment house are 48-year-old identical twins Allan and George who have been feuding for over 20 years.

Things have become so bad between twins Allan and George that they have broken all contact with each other. After two decades of accusations, lies and arguments – with the police involved on more than one occasion – they have grown so far apart that neither even knows where the other lives. Each party blames the other for their problems, but they do seem to agree on one thing – now is the time for change. “I think a success would be that they could just be civil to each other,” relects Trisha as she contemplates the enormity of the task in hand.

First to arrive at the house is Carlisle-based George, who is visibly nervous at the prospect of being in close proximity to his twin. He admits that he and his brother, far from reflecting the closeness usually associated with twins, barely know each other. As Allan arrives from his home in Falkirk, he and his brother launch straight into an argument. It emerges that the row goes back 20 years to a time when George claims to have lent Allan some money which was never returned.

Trisha takes the men aside separately to hear both sides of the story. Unable to recall a time that he and his brother had fun together, George reveals what may be key to their problems: “Both him and I were never wanted,” he claims. Allan tells a similar story, and also explains that neither twin gets on with the rest of the family. This revelation adds poignancy to the situation – if the twins want any kind of relationship with the rest of their family, they must learn to get along together.

At lunchtime, Trisha explains that the two must cook and eat together while at the house. This rule presents a challenge in itself, since neither brother seems to know how to cook. After 40 uneasy, silent minutes in the kitchen, however, it is the tensions between the two that affect them the most. As dinner is about to be served, the stress gets the better of George and he hurries out of the house, feeling physically sick. “It’s going to be a very long three days,” he predicts.

Worried about the twins’ inability to spend time together, Trisha arranges for their partners to join them at the house. However, the arrival of Allan’s wife, Emma, and George’s wife, Sharon, signals the beginning of more tension. After another argument, Sharon decides that enough is enough: “You need to sort it out once and for all,” she tells her husband. The advice seems to have an effect, as the day ends with a glimmer of hope. After a game of pool at the pub, George and Allan shake hands, though there is still a long way to go.

On day two, Jamil and Andy arrive and have soon come up with a plan of action. Firstly, Jamil takes the twins aside and tries to make them think more positively. Though the brothers do not get on, they are very similar in their outlooks, with each agreeing that their stubbornness is key to their difficulties. Jamil then takes the brothers to the beach to gauge how close they feel and how close they want to feel at the end of the treatment. It is George who makes the first move, stepping towards a supposed point of contact to illustrate that he wants to get closer to his brother.

While Jamil spends some time with the boys, Trisha takes the wives to the shops to see if retail therapy can help. It is here that the first signs of real progress are made – Sharon and Emma get on very well, and even buy the same necklace independently. “If me and Emma can do it,” says Sharon, “then them two should be able to do it.” But, as the final day of treatment approaches, is her faith misplaced?