Garth: Ah, eh, e'cuse me. Ah, can I just point out that there's actually a pair o' testicles standin' 'ere cookin' you two dinner?
— Garth Stubbs interrupting Tracey and Sharon's argument of who is the man of the house.
- Date First Aired: 05/01/1998
Tracey is not doing well at the minute - Sharon has broken the bed whilst in a relationship with a man named Gregory. Tracey is also worried about the money, seeing as their only income is from renting out Dalentrace. Sharon thus decides to get a job.
Meanwhile, Dorien is hosting a party to launch her debut as a newly single woman. However, Dorien needs a new cleaner and she suggests that Sharon take the job, although Sharon declines for now. After all, she's gotten a job in an abattoir. Soon, Sharon starts acting like the man of the house - namely watching sports and hanging out with the lads - and the relationship starts to resemble that of a dysfunctional husband-wife relationship. However, it all comes crashing down when Sharon is fired for stealing and is forced to take up Dorien's previous offer, with Tracey assisting. Dorien however is pleased with the results and suggests them keeping it up as a regular job, although it proves to be all for nothing as nobody comes to Dorien's party.
Tropes in this episode:
- Affair Hair: Tracey finds a hair on Sharon's shoulder and assumes that she's been seeing another woman behind her.
- Apology Gift: Sharon gives Tracey flowers when she's out too long with her new mates at the abattoir.
- Awful Wedded Life:
- The dynamic between Sharon and Tracey becomes very similar to this once Sharon gets a job at the abattoir, with Sharon treating Tracey like dirt. Tracey theorizes that Sharon got this from the poor treatment that Chris gave her.
- According to Gary, his father hated his mother and would spend his time hiding from them whilst playing show tunes.
- Big Eater: It's revealed that Tracey counts Sharon as being two mouths to feed.
- Camp Gay: Gary, who helps Dorien pick out her dress for the party, claims other men are pigs and has several Judy Garland CDs.
- Carpet of Virility: In a Gender-Inverted version, Sharon claims to have a hairy chest, which is a sign that she's the man of the house (although when called out by Tracey, she claims that "it's only a few", making it a subversion as well).
- Continuity Nod: When Tracey tells Gary about Darryl and Chris' imprisonment she mentions it was for armed robbery, before correcting herself that that was the first time and now they've been done for embezzling and handling stolen money.
- Deadpan Snarker: Dorien has one notable moment after she and Tracey learn about Sharon's job at the abattoir:Tracey: What about mad cow disease?Dorien: Well yeah, she could infect whole herds.
- Destructo-Nookie: Sharon manages to destroy her bed after a passionate night of sex with Gregory.Sharon: Oh, Gregory! You've broken the bed! (Beat) Don't look so pleased wi' yaself. It's old, it didn' take much.
- Dope Slap: Tracey gives Sharon one after she heads out for night with her mates and forgets to call back.
- Exiled to the Couch: Tracey makes Sharon go to the sofa after she spends way too long out with her new mates and forgets to call her.
- The Ghost:
- Gregory, a man who Sharon has a night of bed-destroying sex with.
- Maureen, one of Sharon's new mates.
- Janice Hogger, a girl who didn't want Sharon at her birthday party back in the day.
- Gratuitous French: Dorien complains about Tracey and Sharon mucking up her flat's "raison d'être".
- Horrible Housing: Tracey remarks that if she left Sharon she'd have to live in a horrible, rat-infested B&B.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: Tracey declares herself a vegetarian, then gives up once Garth gives her some venison and ham.Tracey: Stuff it. Lentils could never taste that good.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Tracey makes a comment on how Dorien only sees the kitchen as an alternative to the bedroom.
- "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: Sharon was apparently hoping that Tracey name the new child after her, although Tracey really doesn't want to.Sharon: Before Little Sharon's born-Tracey: You wish!
- New Job Episode: Sharon gets a job working at an abattoir, although she is fired by the episode's end.
- Offscreen Crash: The actual act of Sharon destroying the bed occurs completely off-screen.
- One of the Boys: Sharon starts to act more stereotypically male as the episode goes on, hanging out with the lads, watching football, and acting more like the husband in her and Tracey's relationship.
- One-Person Birthday Party: A variation - the only people who go to Dorien's new party are the sisters, much to the sadness of Dorien.Sharon: Maybe its part of this minimalist kick - she's cut down on 'er mates as well.
- One-Shot Character: Gary.
- One-Steve Limit:
- Sharon's latest fling is called Gregory, and there was a One-Shot Character Greg in "Falling in Love Again".
- Gary shares his name with a One-Shot Character in "Subsititute", a One-Shot Character in "Museli" and two unseen affairs of Dorien in "Time and Tides".
- Sharon calls a girl called Janice Hogger, who shares her name with a One-Shot Character in "We'll Always Have Majorca".
- Posthumous Character: Mrs. Williams, Dorien's old cleaner who she is trying to replace.
- Really Gets Around: Tracey calls Dorien out for this:Dorien: Tracey, have you no pride? Telling your life story to a virtual stranger?Tracey: Whereas you just sleep with 'em.
- Rich Bitch: Gary claims these are the only people he works for.
- Right Through the Wall: Sharon and Gregory's Destructo-Nookie wakes up Tracey.
- Sarcasm-Blind: When Dorien asks Garth for exotic food for her party, she doesn't realise he's being sarcastic and gets excited at the thoughts of eating endangered species.Garth: Well how far d'you want me to go? Diced giant panda on sticks?Dorien: Ooh, now you're talking.Garth: They're an endangered species.Dorien: Isn't it exhilarating? Can white rhino be frittered?
- Series Continuity Error:
- Sharon claims she is the one to get the spiders out of the bath, despite "Mind Over Matter" establishing that Sharon is terrified of spiders while Tracey loves them enough to adopt one as a pet.
- Tracey mentions Darryl and Chris' second imprisonment was due to embezzlement and handling stolen money. While the embezzling was true, the money wasn't stolen, but actually Counterfeit Cash.
- Sexless Marriage:
- Sharon remarks she and Tracey are more like a married couple than an actual married couple as they actually sleep together (Sharon had to sleep in Tracey's bed after she broke her own).
- Dorien blames Marcus' parents for hers:Dorien: Marcus certainly took after his. I once asked his mother if she'd ever had an orgasm, she said exotic fruit gave her diarrhea.
- Shout-Out:
- Gary claims he could've never been like Gazza due to how his father raised him.
- Dorien thinks Gary is complimenting her when helping her find a dress:Gary: Jennifer Aniston-Dorien: D'you think so?'Gary: ...would look great in that frock.
- Gary bets his Judy Garland CDs that Dorien will look amazing at her party.
- Sickening Slaughterhouse: Sharon gets a job at an abattoir and is quickly disgusted by it. Within a day, she ends up covered in blood, with the studio audience groaning in disgust when she mentions the blood getting under her nails. Tracey herself takes this viewpoint as well, describing it as "gruesome".
- Status Quo Is God: Sharon begins working at an abattoir, but is unemployed again by the end of the episode.
- Stealing from the Till: Sharon is fired from her new job for trying to steal the meat she was supposed to handle as part of it.
- Story Arc: This episode sets up Tracey and Sharon becoming cleaners for the rest of the series' original run.
- Swirlie: Tracey snarks that if Sharon takes a college course, all she'll do is dunk kids' heads down the toilet.Sharon: Maybe I could do a college course?Tracey: Go back to school? Yeah, you'd love that - bunkin' off and stickin' new kids' heads down the toilet.
- Take That!: Dorien snaps that she won't be having trifle at her party because she's having it in Chigwell, not Trumpton.
