Sarah and Gary
Sarah and Gary kissed but the course of true love never did run smooth - especially for these two!
We asked Tina O’Brien whether this could be the start of a beautiful relationship?
Why does Sarah ask Gary to go for a drink? Is it a date? How does Bethany react to this?
Sarah is grateful for Gary’s help so she invites him out for a drink as friends but when Gary arrives dressed up, looking smart, she is like ohhh hello. So there is a little something there, a spark.
Sarah doesn’t assume for one second that Bethany would be bothered that she is seeing Gary.
What is it about Gary that Sarah has fallen for?
Gary has clearly been in and out of trouble in the past but he has got his head screwed on. He’s a really sweet guy, he seems very kind and Sarah thinks he is quite fit!
Is she ready for a new romance - is the grisly past behind her now?
Sarah is very fragile so no, I don’t think she is ready. It will be interesting to see, if she does take the plunge, how any issues from the past colour a new relationship.
How does she feel when she finds out that Gary knew about Bethany’s diet pills?
Sarah is devastated because she feels that Gary should have told her. Bethany is her daughter - she feels that he has kept something really, really important from her. But Sarah also feels guilty and when she does confront Gary a lot of it is to do with that she feels that Bethany should have been confiding in her, not him. She feels a bit of a failure.
Did she have any idea that Bethany was taking them?
No idea at all, no. Sarah obviously knew that Bethany has been having issues with exercise and she had asked her if she had been making herself sick - something that Bethany denied. So this fresh blow for Sarah comes as a massive shock.
Doe she confront Gary? If so, how does he react?
Sarah goes absolutely mad at him and quite overreacts in a way. She knows she could have thought things through a little bit more but she does not handle the situation very well and it is clear that things are not good for them anymore.
What does she make of Izzy’s suggestion that she should give him a second chance?
At first Sarah is confused about why Izzy is getting involved because obviously Izzy and Gary have a past and they have a child together. Sarah is very wary of her motives but Izzy tries to reassure her that she just wants to see Gary happy.
Can she forgive him?
I think Sarah can forgive Gary but I just don't know at this point whether there is a future for them... The talk with Izzy makes Sarah realise that she has handled the situation badly but it also sparks Sarah to conclude that she needs to focus more on her children. Sarah resolves to put any idea of romance on the shelf because this situation with Bethany has upset her so much that she just wants to be a better mum.
What advice would you give Sarah? Do you reckon she should forgive him?
I would say that she could take more time to listen to her daughter and to work on communicating better with Bethany. But at the same time I would say don't rule something out that could potentially blossom with Gary because he could be a really good guy and Sarah needs a good guy in her life.
Would you like her to have a boyfriend?
At first I was like nooo! I thought Sarah was better on her own because there is always complications. But now I think she does need to feel safe and it would be lovely for her to have someone to confide in. It would be better for her in the long run.
Would she worry about his ex living on the doorstep?
Maybe, because Sarah got the impression that there was more than meets the eye there with Izzy, that there might be some feelings that are still there. But Sarah is pretty ruthless so she probably would still go there anyway!
Would she worry about how close Bethany’s been with Gary?
I think Sarah feels that Bethany should have her head screwed on. If Gary maybe gave Bethany the wrong idea, particularly as she is at an age where she might mistake kindness for more, Sarah is confident that Bethany would realise that there is nothing more to it...
Are you looking forward to a fresh start for Sarah now?
Yes, it is great to see Sarah building herself back up, getting on with life and being involved with her family.
There is still plenty of drama in store for the Platts, can she take it in her stride?
Sarah is in a much stronger place now than she has ever been but whether or not she can handle the drama that is in store is a different matter. Anything could send her back down the wrong path to that dark place in her mind so she really does have to keep herself reigned in and her head screwed on.