The Upper Hand

- Season 4

(1992)

Caroline and Charlie are at a loose end so go out dancing. But a simple night out becomes more than they bargained for.

Charlie's sauna buddy Trevor cannot get over his ex-wife, so he sets him up on date with Caroline. But when Laura comes on the scene, Caroline's angle changes.

Caroline is tense again, so joins a gym as a release. But there is a plumber in the house, so the rumour mill starts spinning at both ends.

Tom is growing up, but what is he growing up into?

Caroline returns to her default status as the most beautiful green eyed monster in town when Charlie is the prize in a slave auction.

Charlie's Auntie Pat brings a wayward youth to stay, which of course turns Jo's head.

Charlie agrees to coach Caroline's volleyball team, but are his ex-footballer skills compatible?

Jo's boyfriend has a grandfather who needs company, so thoughts turn to Laura. But that means that nothing is straight-forward.

Jo is shocked to hear that Nick is in prison and not in Spain,as she was led to believe. Charlie takes Caroline and Laura to visit him,telling him of Jo's disappointment but are amazed to find on ,their return home,that Nick has escaped from prison in order to speak to his grand-daughter. When Nick agrees to return to jail Jo believes she has persuaded him but in fact Charlie has tricked him into believing that there will be an amnesty.

With Caroline on business in Manchester Laura steals her invite to a society function,passing herself off as her daughter and Charlie as the owner of an airline,which leads to lots of awkward questions which neither can answer. When the real Caroline arrives she has to use subterfuge to get admitted but is treated to uncharacteristic praise from Laura,complimenting her on the esteem with which her peers hold her. As a result of the confusion all three are about to be evicted but fortunately Charlie's old friend Henry Cooper comes to the rescue.

When a local couple split and move away Caroline buys their cottage as an investment. She lets it to respectable elderly musician Donald,only to find that Charlie is offering it to seductive actress Michelle. She is not best pleased,leading to a row with Charlie,which is resolved when Caroline apologises for treating him like an employee. However when Michelle decides she wants to move back to London Caroline is happy to give her the deposit.

Charlie agrees to take part in a charity boxing match to raise money for the local school,safe in the knowledge that his opponent,Arthur,is a typing teacher. However,when he discovers that Arthur is a massive and competitive typing teacher he begins to have second thoughts. Fortunately Caroline is there to help,not just as his trainer but to subtly tip the judges into making the right decision as to the winner.

Jo and her friend Julia are late for the school's Go To Work With a Parent planning evening so the only work experience left is with Caroline and Charlie. Fearing Caroline may be a hard boss to work for Jo opts to help Charlie but soon sees herself as a drudge whilst Caroline is delighted with Julia's initiative. Jo bribes Julia into swapping jobs but it is not a good idea as everybody discovers.

Tom is standing for form rep at school and brings home prospective voters to bribe them with cake and promises of a date with Jo. Then Laura walks in with the cover of the new 'Mature Woman' magazine, a periodical for elderly ladies which,to increase sales,features Laura in a very low-cut dress. Next day Tom returns from school with a black eye,having been in a fight defending Laura and tells her he hates her. After he wins the election though he is prepared to forgive her.

Al forms a punk band and,impressed by Jo's ideas for publicity,asks her to manage it, to which,despite Charlie's protests, she agrees. When Charlie tries to help she is resentful but even more so of prospective hirers who belittle her for being a young girl. Inspired by Caroline,on the night of the band's first gig,she takes a stand against the patronising club owner and gets her own way.

The two families go on a Caribbean holiday paid for by one of Caroline's grateful clients but Charlie feels out of things as all the other members of the group find romantic attachments and Caroline shocks him by going skinny-dipping with hunks and then performing a raunchy karaoke. When he injures himself she comes running but when he ponders his future both he and Caroline,whilst admitting their mutual fondness,wonder if marriage is the right option.

Regretful of the fact that she was a good girl in her adolescence Caroline decides to make up for lost time and creates a list of naughty things to do. Having accomplished most of them she moves on to dating Jake the Snake,the bad boy at her youth club,and he takes her to see his band play. Laura and Charlie have their doubts as to whether Jake's intentions are honorable so Charlie follows to make sure that Caroline is all right.

When Charlie's auntie Pat comes to stay everybody loves her home cooking though, in the case of Laura's new boyfriend Clifford,the attraction goes a little deeper and Charlie catches him kissing Pat. When Clifford asks for the opportunity to choose which woman to date Charlie and Caroline both encourage their respective relatives but ultimately both Auntie Pat and Laura come to see that such a weak-willed man is no good for either of them.

Four years have passed since Caroline first employed Charlie but when they exchange presents she is perturbed that,whilst she gives him a watch,she gets car seat covers. His idea of a day out is to take the two families to a funfair and,for a laugh,he and Caroline visit cold-stricken and possibly fraudulent clairvoyant Madame Alexandra,who nonetheless recognizes the couple's attraction and tells Charlie that he will marry the last woman he kisses before midnight. This is how Carolone and Charlie find themselves in the tunnel of love just as the fair is closing.