Recap / Birds of a Feather S6E8: Out

Sharon: I think it's disgustin' the way they treat prisoners in this country. I've got a good mind to go up there and give that governor a right mouthful. It's bang out of order.

Dorien: Uh, has something awful happened?

Tracey: Something terrible. Chris has applied for a weekend home visit.

Sharon: Well, twelve years should mean twelve years!

— Sharon Theodopolopodous and Tracey Stubbs telling Dorien Green about Chris' upcoming home visit.

• Date First Aired: 06/11/1994

Something horrible has happened - Chris had applied for a weekend home visit. This also means that Darryl is visiting, although an accommodation report (done by a woman named Judith Crowther) will need to be written up first. Tracey is of course fed up with Sharon's complaining and deduces that Sharon still feels something for Chris, so it is decided that Sharon for once be kind to Chris - if he's a jerk, than she can divorce him with a clear conscience.

At the accommodation report, Sharon tries to sabotage it. However, a bombshell arrives: Darryl's application has been withdrawn. He admits that one of the screws at prison has it in for him, so he can't apply. Soon, Chris shows up and proves to be unnaturally kind.Sharon is suspicious and figures out a way to see if Chris has truly changed - if he is enticed by a bit on the side, then she'll know for sure. She tries to get Dorien to do the deed but she refuses, although she regardless tries to charm Chris into having love with her (even if he refuses her advances).

Later, Tracey makes an attempt to see Darryl in prison, despite the poor weather. There, Tracey tries to find what screw has it in for Darryl, and learns that it's Darryl's fault in the first place, having beaten up Chris. Soon, Judith returns to use the Jacuzzi and Chris flirts with her, right as Sharon turns up. Pissed, she throws crockery at him, although she remains reluctant to divorce him.

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Tropes in this episode:

• Agony of the Feet: Sharon accidentally puts her foot down a rabbit hole and twists an ankle. Of course, it's later revealed that it wasn't hurt as badly as assumed - Sharon just allows Chris to carry her.
• All Girls Want Bad Boys: According to Tracey, the bigger of a bastard someone is, the more Sharon likes them.
• Bait-and-Switch: Sharon starts the episode ranting about how prisoners are treated, making Dorien (and the audience) think she's standing up for Chris, before she reveals she's only upset because he's applied for home leave.
• Blah, Blah, Blah: Occurs when Judith is going over Chris' words about Sharon:
  Judith: Oh, "Warm and giving", blah, blah, blah. Ah, and then he says: "Your love is deeper than the deepest ocean, higher than the highest star, wider than the widest wide thing".
• Book Dumb:
  • Tracey is stupid, and it gets on her nerves when it is pointed out.
    Dorien: She's got a thing about people thinking she's stupid.
    Sharon: Yeah... started at school.
    Dorien: Well, what happened?
    Sharon: She was stupid.
  • Sharon doesn't know how WW1 started.
• Brutal Honesty: Sharon admits to Judith that things between her and Chris are "bloody awful".
• Buffy Speak: Chris can't think of a good object to compare Sharon to in width so he just writes "wider than the widest wide thing".
  Judith: I assume he couldn't think of anything wide.
• Call-Back: Darryl has been planning to apply for home leave since "First Time Caller".
• Continuity Nod:
  • Tracey briefly mentions the previous probation officer's visit.
  • Tracey thinks Sharon should've divorced Chris when she had the chance.
  • The shirt Chris wears when he talks to Darryl by the phones is the same one he wore in "All Day and All of the Night".
• Copycat Mockery: Sharon copies Judith's voice when mocking her.
• Deadpan Snarker: Tracey when she intends to see Darryl in poor conditions:
  Sharon: You drive careful.
  Tracey: No. I'm goin' to do 100 miles an hour all the way there down the 'ole shoulder. Stop treatin' me like I'm stupid!
• Determinator: Tracey is determined to see Darryl in prison, even if there are storm warnings scheuled for the night.
  Tracey: They might be able to stop you comin' t'me, but nothin's goin' t'stop me comin' t'you.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Darryl beat Chris up simply because he let his lasagna burn.
  Tracey: What? You ruin a chance o' spendin' a weekend at home wi' me over some ponced-up shepherd's pie?!
• Distinguishing Mark: Sharon had to check that this new kinder Chris is still the same man by checking to see if he has that scar over his eye that she gave him.
• Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Sharon is quite violent with Chris as usual - she mentions giving him a scar over his eye, and later throws several plates at him.
  Tracey: Well, I 'ope you give 'im a dinner plate for me.
  Sharon: I done ya proud, Trace. Steak plate right at the side o' the 'ead. Ooh, did he scream.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Tracey, depressed over the thought of Darryl not being able to stay with her over the weekend, intends to go to Dorien's after several bottles of wine.
• First-Name Basis: Despite Tracey's insistence, Judith has no problem being called by her first name:
  Tracey: Milk and sugar, Miss Crowther?
  Judith: Just milk, and it's "Judith".
• The Ghost: Paul, a man which Dorien has met that she intends to have an affair with since Marcus is out.
• Gratuitous Italian: Dorien's last line in the episode, as she leaves after she reveals to the sisters that Chris wasn't interested in her, is a "Ciao!".
• Green-Eyed Monster: Judith is quite jealous of Tracey's kitchen, remarking she'd kill for one like it.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: When flirting with Judith, Chris lies that she had the same name as his mum. When Sharon catches him in the act and he tries to pretend he was sharing a joke with her, he can't remember her name, despite claiming it was his mum's.
• The Inspector Is Coming: Judith comes to Dalentrace to see if Chris would be able to get home leave.
• Last-Name Basis: Tracey doesn't want to call Judith by her first name, and insists Sharon does the same:
  Tracey: Just stop callin' her "Judith", will ya?
  Sharon: It's her name!
  Tracey: To her friends! We're clients. She probably wants to keep a professional distance.
• Lingerie Scene: Dorien has one when Chris comes in to use the phone at her place.
• Musicalis Interruptus: An angry Darryl cuts Chris off during his Song Parody.
• Not Distracted by the Sexy: Despite Dorien's Lingerie Scene, Chris pays no heed of it, much to her disappointment.
• Obnoxious In-Laws: Sharon calls Chris' family a "herd".
• The Oldest Profession: Dorien suggests that Sharon use prostitutes when she is looking for a woman to check if Chris has truly changed or not.
• One-Shot Character: Judith Crowther.
• One-Steve Limit: Invoked; Chris lies Judith was also his mother's name, when it was actually "Polla".
• One-Word Title: The title of the episode is "Out".
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Sharon tells Chris that she's surprised that there is room in his mouth for both steak and his foot after he accidentally makes Tracey feel worse about losing her chance to see Darryl.
• Playing Sick: Sharon fakes being unable to walk from her injury because she liked the idea of being carried by Chris.
• Post-Stress Overeating: Tracey, annoyed over the true reason why Darryl can't go home, gouges herself on chocolate digestives. Sharon of course is even more upset, and takes even more of the biscuits.
• Prison Rape: Alluded to when Sharon remarks a shower is hardly a place where you linger in prison.
• Puddle-Covering Chivalry: Chris once put his jacket over an apparent wet spot on Sharon's seat when they were at an ice cream kiosk. Sharon considers this to be very brave, especially seeing as it hadn't rained in over a week.
• Rhymes on a Dime: Sharon on the topic of being wined and dined:
  Sharon: It's ages since I been wined and dined... nicked and fined frequently.
• Right Behind Me: Chris flirts with Judith right as his wife Sharon comes in behind them, letting her find out he's still the same old scumbag she married.
• Shout-Out:
  • Sharon wears a shirt with Yosemite Sam on it.
  • Chris sings a parody of "I Came, I Saw, I Conga'd" by Joe Loss & His Orchestra.
  • Chris reassures Tracey that Darryl won't be too upset at losing his home leave, because the prison is showing Home Alone on Sunday.
  • Dorien admits she doesn't have the same level of standards as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
  • Sharon sarcastically states "I cannot tell a lie".
  • Any party of four that visits Linguini's receives a free music box in the shape of the Vatican that plays "Volare" by the Gipsy Kings.
  • Tracey tells Sharon that Chris is no Tom Cruise.
• Silly Reason for War: Sharon believes that WW1 was started over something more minor than a burned lasagna, although she can't actually remember how it started.
• Song Parody: Chris sings one of "I Came, I Saw, I Conga'd" by Joe Loss & His Orchestra to celebrate going for home leave.
• So Proud of You: Tracey's response to Darryl asking her not to complain about the screw who has it out for him. After all, it shows that he had changed as he would have beaten up someone not that long ago. Of course, this falls apart after she learns the truth about the true reason why Darryl's application for home leave has been withdrawn.
  Tracey: Talk about 'eroes, you're my 'ero.
• Status Quo Is God: Chris seems to really be trying to improve as a person... until he tries hitting on Judith and it's revealed he's still a scumbag.
• Take That!: Dorien scoffs at the idea that a place like Wanstead could be considered classy.
• Tantrum Throwing: Sharon, upon seeing Chris flirting with Judith, throws crockery at him in frustration.
• Tempting Fate: Darryl, upon revealing that he had to withdraw his application, says that there's nothing in the world that can make him feel worse than he's feeling right now. Cue Chris coming up and singing that he's going home to Chigwell.
  Darryl: In fact, there's nothing in the world that could make me feel worse than I do right now.
  Chris: I'm on my way 'o Chigwell, I'm on my way 'o Chigwell! La la-
  Darryl: Shut it!
• Verbal Backspace:
  • Sharon does it when trying to use Dorien to see if Chris will have an affair:
    Sharon: All I need to do find some old- (Beat) Some woman, 'o'll give 'im the come-on.
  • Chris offers up a double date between him, Sharon, Dorien and Marcus, before remembering what a slag Dorien is and quickly changing from Marcus' name to saying whoever.
• Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Tracey asks this of Sharon, pointing out that considering the amount of complaining she does about her husband, she's making little effort to divorce him and just be done with him. Even by the end of the episode, Sharon is resisting all efforts to divorce.
• You Need a Breath Mint: Chris' breath is so bad (thanks to Linguini's special bolognese with double garlic) that it makes Dorien's eyes water.

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