- Date First Aired: 01/11/1990
Tracey has been trying to quit smoking, a bit of a problem considering the fact that it's making her tetchy. Tracey has also gotten a therapist called Gerald, although Sharon is against the idea. He has theorized that Tracey may have been smoking out of an unconscious desire to know where Darryl was financing their house. Tracey has also been made to write down her Erotic Dreams. The trouble is it's her therapist. Even worse, she has yet to tell her husband about these dreams, something which Darryl is beginning to pick up.
The tension continues at Tracey's sessions when Gerald suggests a hug, leading to Tracey deciding to tell Darryl after all. Unfortunately, Darryl thinks that Gerald and Tracey are in a relationship with each other and bans Tracey from seeing him again. Back home, Dorien and Sharon are worried about Tracey, fearing that she may be seeing Gerald as a Living Emotional Crutch. However, Dorien offers an alternative - Tracey instead lies to Darryl that she's stopped seeing Gerald and continues the sessions. Tracey is upset and shouts back at Dorien about her affairs, then decides to call Gerald.
When they see each other again, Gerald reveals that he can't see Tracey again as Tracey has formed an emotional dependency on him, and moves her to another therapist. Tracey subsequently tries to reveal her feelings about Gerald to Darryl, though Sharon convinces her not to do so in the end. The relationship now over, Tracey decides to return to the cigarettes.
Tropes in this episode:
- Addiction Displacement: Tracey has been coping with quitting smoking by chewing her nails.
- Alliterative Name: Peter Python, a children's phone-in character who Sharon thinks would be more effective for Tracey than her expensive therapy.
- Compensating for Something: According to Tracey, she had heard that some men carry around shotguns to compensate for a certain lacking in their downstairs compartment.
- Compressed Abstinence: Tracey tries to quit smoking, which doesn't last.
- Erotic Dream: Tracey has to write them down as part of her sessions. Apparently, some of them were with Gerald, making her guilty. Dorien is a surprising aversion, having none of the sort despite being the person who Really Gets Around.Dorien: You know, one thing that has always worried me is that I never dream about sex.Sharon: I'm not surprised Dorien, you're at it all the time. The only time yer body gets a rest from it is when you're asleep.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: Tracey gains a crush on Gerald.
- Historical Character Confusion: When Dorien tells her she extensively reads Freud, Tracey thinks she means Clement Freud, not Sigmund Freud.
- Hypocrite:
- Sharon does not like the idea of Tracey's new crush being old, calling him a wrinklie. Ironically, she had been dating such a person briefly only several episodes ago.
- Gerald thinks he is one, seeing as how despite trying to get Tracey to give up smoking he does it himself.
- Tracey also thinks she is one, seeing as how she was willing to lie to Darryl about Gerald after giving him grief for not being honest with her.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Darryl briefly believes that Tracey is having an affair. In truth, whilst she is having feelings for her psychotherapist, this hadn't progressed to the point of a relationship.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Sharon and Dorien are worried that Tracey may be relying too much on Gerald as an emotional crutch. Gerald himself comes to the same conclusion in the end, leading to him moving Tracey to another therapist.Sharon: Look, I'm startin' to get worried about you, y'know. This Gerald is controllin' your mind, and if you didn't fancy him so much, you might be able to see it!Dorien: Sharon's right. You see Gerald as a crutch.Tracey: Don't be so disgustin'!Dorien: I'm talking about a psychological crutch. Someone to lean on.
- Noodle Implements: Sharon mentions her usual Erotic Dream involves two (sometimes three) big hairy Cossacks and a bowl of coleslaw.
- Noodle Incident:
- Darryl threw Ronnie Thomas down the stairs for saying hello.
- Darryl also pushed a guy's face in the cheese dip during a football game.
- Nosy Neighbour: Dorien insists she isn't one, despite it being obvious.Dorien: I'm not nosy! I'm merely showing concern and compassion for a neighbour's problems.Tracey: Oh, so when you're usin' Marcus' binoculars t'spy on that woman over the road 'oo ties 'er window cleaner t'the bed, it's because o' your concern an' compassion, is it?
- One-Shot Character: Gerald.
- One-Word Title: The name of the episode is "Trust".
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tracey gives one to Dorien.Tracey: I don't wanna lie. Its because of lies and deceit that my 'usband's in prison! I wan' 'im to be able to trust me!Dorien: I have to say that's being very naïve.Tracey: Oh it might be t'you. You spend your life lyin' through yer dentures to that 'usband of yours. Stick a pin in the phone book an' its odds on it'll land on someone you've 'ad an affair with!Dorien: YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK TO-Tracey: Oh, SHUT UP! EVERYONE 'ROUND 'ERE KNOWS YER THE MOST POPULAR RIDE OUTSIDE ALTON TOWERS!
- Shout-Out:
- Dorien has read Sigmund Freud extensively, but Tracey thinks she means Clement Freud.
- Gerald repeatedly is described as being as handsome as Robert Kilroy-Silk.
- Tracey calls Dorien the most popular ride outside Alton Towers.
- Sharon thinks Darryl would believe Tracey would be having an affair with anyone from Sooty to Julian Clary.
- Slut-Shaming: Tracey uses Dorien's promiscuity as an excuse for blowing up at her.Sharon: Tracey! That was well out of order!Tracey: Well, she gets on my nerves. She's such a slut! She's frigh'ened to go without it for more than forty-eight hours in case it goes out of fashion.
- Staircase Tumble: Mentioned to have happened to Ronnie Thomas courtesy of Darryl.
- Suddenly Shouting: Dorien and Tracey during the aforementioned "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
- Take That!:
- Sharon believes that if Tracey had a crush on Frankie Howerd, then she would need therapy.
- Gerald thinks him telling Tracey not to smoke is like Oliver Reed telling people not to drink.
- Sharon tells Tracey she's been reading too many Barbara Cartland novels.
- You Watch Too Much X: Tracey reads too many Barbara Cartland novels, which Sharon thinks affects her thoughts on romance.
