Dorien: Sharon, the horoscope section of Take a Break is not a recognised economic indignity.
Sharon: You're just like the bank manager, you. Picky, picky, picky!
— Sharon Theodopolopodous trying to defend her economic choices against Dorien Green.
- Date First Aired: 07/07/1997
The financial situation for Sharon and Tracey is not looking good, thanks to Darryl ruining their pool business, and Tracey has gone to starting to sell off her stuff. On the bright side, Dorien is enjoying her freedom from her ex-husband and suggests her accountant affair, Jonathan, to help out. He reveals that thanks to the terrible state of their finances, they should sell their house. Although Sharon is displeased, Tracey wants to make her own decisions, but not before Jonathan suggests the idea of renting.
Meanwhile, Garth is considering moving in with his new girlfriend, Kimberley, but she accuses him of being weak-willed. Meanwhile, Dorien admits that she'll miss them and tries to assist Sharon.
Soon, the sisters find a house to move in and Garth is given the strength to tell his mother that he's moving in with his boyfriend. Unbeknownst to Dorien however, who had dispelled potential buyers of the house and had gone off to Monaco afterwards, they've rented the house out to a Japanese family.
Tropes in this episode:
- Acquired Error at the Printer: Sharon's shirts promoting the release of Chris have the letters of his surname so spread out that it resembles an eye chart.
- Apology Gift: Dorien buys an expensive gift as a peace offering to the sisters after she annoys them by dispelling several potential buyers of their old house.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite her snarky attitude to the sisters, Dorien admits that she'll miss them.
- Blind Shoulder Toss: Tracey throws away the Dalentrace sign to emphasis how much she's given up on Darryl... only for it to hit a man in the head.
- Broke Episode: Tracey and Sharon are heavily in debt this episode and have to resort to selling off their stuff and eventually the house.Tracey: I mean it's ridiculous. We're livin' in a £1,000,000 'ouse an' 'avin' to nick serviettes from Burger King coz we can't afford toilet roll.
- Call-Back: Tracey is out of money after Darryl had screwed over her pool business.
- Character Development: Sharon and Dorien reflect on how strong and independent Tracey has become since Series 1.Dorien: Well, people change. Living with you can't be easy, Sharon.
- Continuity Nod:
- Tracey mentions how Dorien had chained Jonathan to the door naked.
- Sharon reminds Dorien that she once had to live off the dole.
- Credit Card Plot: The plot of the episode begins when Tracey's credit card isn't accepted at an Indian restaurant, leading her to realise that she's heavily in debt.
- Dine and Dash: The sisters are forced to flee the restaurant when they realize they have no money left. Unfortunately, Sharon manages to leave their keys there, although Dorien manages to save the day.Tracey: Thirty-seven years of age an' I'm doing a runner from an Indian!
- End of an Age: This was the final episode of the 90's run to have Tracey and Sharon living in Dalentrace. Sharon points this out, but Tracey isn't too bothered:Tracey: We're movin', it's not the fall o' the Berlin Wall.
- Fake Pregnancy: Sharon apparently used to lie that she was pregnant in order to get milk tokens.
- House-Hunting Montage: When Tracey and Sharon are house-hunting, Tracey complains that the first house is too squeaky, has loose floorboards and smells funny, which leads to a montage of houses where we simply see Tracey say no to the estate agent. They eventually seem to find their dream house... only to find a Dorien clone as their neighbour, which leads to Tracey deciding to go for the first house in the end.
- Identical Stranger: The neighbour at the sisters' hoped-for dream house looks a lot like Dorien.
- Intimate Telecommunications: Dorien calls a sex line on her telephone and is disappointed with the results.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Sharon won't let Jonathan forget about his disastrous affair with Dorien.
- One-Shot Character: Matt, Jonathan, Jerry Muriad, Mr. Arafat and the four Mrs. Arafats.
- One-Steve Limit: Jerry was also the name of one of Melanie Fishman's toyboys in "The Chigwell Connection".
- Overly Long Name: Sharon has shirts printed to free Chris, but "Theodopolopodous" is so long that it has to be spread out like an eye chart.
- People Fall Off Chairs: When Sharon hears that Tracey is going to choose what takeaway they and Garth get, Sharon grumbles about it and leans back in her deckchair... which collapses and sends her to the ground, with a mug of tea splashed over her to boot!
- Shout-Out:
- The episode title is a reference to the 1980's Brit Com Three Up, Two Down.
- Sharon sarcastically mentions following Hansel and Gretel home when Tracey says they'll pay for their dinner tomorrow.
- Tracey doesn't watch the news because Neighbours is on at the same time.
- The final scene is a parody of Goldilocks with Dorien taking the titular role, the bowls of porridge replaced with sushi and a Japanese family instead of the three bears.
- Speak in Unison: Both Sharon and Tracey say "No", when they find a house which seems to be perfect... only for them to find a neighbour there who looks a lot like Dorien.
- Take Our Word for It: We never find out what Tracey didn't like about most of the houses, just her saying "No" and returning the keys to the letting agent.
- Take That!:
- Sharon doesn't like Tracey getting ideas from episodes of Ricki Lake.
- Dorien considers Edmonton to be on the same level as the Third World.
- Dorien hates the Essex way of life.Dorien: There is Chigwell, and there is Essex. If you live in the latter you eat at Beefeater pubs, buy Laura Ashley soft furnishings an' have that awful Teresa Gorman as a role model.
- Dorien refuses to live next to a lottery winner.
- Sharon bitterly calls Tracey "Mein Führer".
- Unseen No More:
- Your Door Was Open: Dorien enters Dalentrace, unaware that Tracey and Sharon have started renting it out and helps herself to a Japanese family's sushi in a spoof of Goldilocks.
