Love at Christmas! It’s messy and stressy at Smithy but Marlon saves the day…
It couldn’t be more awkward over at Smithy on Christmas Day. With Mary having brought Gus and Ivy to the village, Marlon is now living under the same roof as his wife Rhona’s ex-husband and the baby Gus and his late wife conceived illegally using Rhona’s embryos.
As the adults try to remain cordial for Leo and April’s sakes, the excruciating situation is made all the harder given that no one’s been able to sleep thanks to noisy newborn Ivy.
Wanting to give his family a fun, festive, food-filled day, pub chef Marlon gives them anything but when he storms off after snapping at Gus.
‘Marlon’s quite precious about cooking Christmas dinner,’ says
Mark Charnock, who plays him. ‘And Gus likes to cook, so there’s that. There’s a crying baby in the mix. And there’s presents. Ivy has a present that the mum has wrapped. It’s all very heartbreaking. There’s a lot going on.’
Maternal bond
It’s Paddy who reminds his best friend that Gus is grieving and needs to be cut some slack. His words hit home and propel Marlon to return to Smithy and whip up an incredible dinner..
But as the tension lifts, so do Rhona’s spirits, and in a candid moment with her hubby, when Gus is out of earshot, she tells him she’s getting maternally attached to Ivy and wants his support. Will conflicted Marlon back his wife?
‘It a huge act of will, on his part to accept that,’ explains Mark. ‘And I think that while Marlon will say he accepts it, it’s like somebody just detonated a bomb in his world. It’s nothing to do with him – but it could have everything to do with him.’
Can love conquer all at Smithy?
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