This was not a good episode for the various relationships of Cold Feet. While Jenny and Pete were still solid by the end, there were cracks everywhere else. Matthew couldn’t cope with Olivia being all distant because as a teenager, two weeks to get over an abortion is apparently more than enough time, giving him reason to snog another girl at a house party. David was getting deeper into the murky depths of George and Nikki’s marriage as she began the first daring attempts to help her break free of her abusive husband. Recommending ex wife Robyn as a divorce lawyer was a classic move too.
And despite Tina coming back home, there was an obvious gap between her and Adam which was apparently solved by him sleeping with co-worker Sarah (aka the ex-wife of Tina’s ex Jamie) and then regretting his actions and coming home with flowers, romantic dinners and reconciliation. It would be too obvious if this left Sarah pregnant, but I can’t see Adam and Tina surviving the rest of series seven.
But this episode was all about Hermione Norris’s Karen, who finally broke under the pressures of her life. Norris has always been one of the strongest actors on the show and this week really showcased her talents. She was continuously berated by her teenager daughters; Ellie continues to remain vain and unlikeable while cool-headed Olivia surprised by blaming Karen for the abortion, seemingly acting like a teenager after all.
Facing a battle of wills against Benjamin and new partner David, saw her outvoted on her attempts to bring in new talent to her publishing company. And then finding herself on the outside of her friendships with Jenny and Tina, her battle against alcohol threatened to rear its head again. I really felt for her as she finally snapped and stormed out of the house with a bleeding hand, retreating to a hotel room where she battled against the urge to drink the bottle of champagne in the mini bar. Thank god for Pete, who was the voice of compassion, rushing to save her and help her talk through her problems.
After a phenomenally written and performed depression storyline last year, I’ve found Pete a bit self-centred and arrogant this series, but here he was wonderful as he helped his friend through her troubles. There was also an interesting story for Pete and Jenny’s son Adam as he looked at university options while his parents battled over what was best for him, but it was Karen’s story that really sold this episode.
Things were a bit more serious this week, but Cold Feet continues to be enjoyable. And that’s a theme running through these reviews; it’s not spectacular television but with moments like Karen’s breakdown and the recent abortion storyline, it’s still able to deliver some strong storylines too.
Cold Feet airs on Fridays on ITV. Are you enjoying the season? Let us know.