The tension could be cut with a knife this week in Raw, as Shane found out about Kate’s cheating ways, Selina stirred up some trouble for Geoff and Pavel, while Jojo lashed out at poor Philip in the kitchen.
In one of the most superbly acted episodes to date, each character brought a sense of realness and conviction to last night’s emotional episode. Jojo (Charlene McKenna) in particular gave a powerful performance, and really tugged at the heartstrings.
Just like the satisfied feeling you get from putting the final piece of a puzzle together, Raw finally satisfied my craving for answers -and it did not fall short of juicy storylines.
My heart went out to Shane, who once again found himself picking up the broken pieces from another failed romance. I can’t help but feel that, while he likes the idea of being in a relationship, he was never fully committed to Kate. When he discovered that she had cheated with the handsome barman Chris, I expected him to lose the plot completely. Perhaps he was in a state of shock, but it also indicates that it was the lucky escape he was desperately looking for.
He clearly has eyes for his college friend Rose, and as far as I can see there appears to be a lot more chemistry between the pair than he ever had with Kate. I hope for Shane’s sake that he will finally settle down with Rose and her son, and not be too traumatised by the Kate situation. How adorable was his homemade picture book?
At last Pavel made a welcome return to Dublin (it only took five episodes), but Selina made sure that any chance of Geoff and Pavel rekindling their romance was off the cards. I literally found myself shouting at the TV in frustration that Pavel was sharing all of his life-plans and personal thoughts with Geoff’s wife (I didn't see that coming!).
Selina’s character seemed like a worthwhile addition in the first few episodes, but now her troublesome ways are becoming a bit tiresome. Apart from the silly storyline about Emma and her delightful jam, I thought that rest of the script was played out to perfection.
From Philip’s scary dad barging into the kitchen and demanding that he comes home to Jojo’s freak out at the trainee chef, I just wanted to lean out and give Philip a big hug. It was extremely disappointing that he didn’t get to showcase his egg soldiers to the Michelin star chef.
Although it was a tad bit cheesy, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the engagement storyline line develop. I am now intrigued to know how many people propose to their partner in a restaurant on Valentine’s Day!
It was about time that Fiona and Geoff had the courage to take Jojo aside and have a quiet word, but I never thought that they would let her go. I'm intrigued to see how Jojo's character will pan out now that things have gone from bad to worse for her.
Next week: We find out that Dan has had a heart-attack before, while Selina dishes the dirt on her marriage to Geoff.
Not to be missed!
Laura Delaney
