History Recap / TheBrittasEmpireS4E7TheChop

* BegoneBribe: Councillor Drugget essentially tries to do this to Brittas, offering him a two years redundancy package, full pension paid up in full, a good reference, and ten grand for if he departs the county all so that Brittas can leave his job as Leisure Centre Manager and stop being an annoyance to him and his fellow councillors. Unfortunately for him, Brittas genuinely enjoys his job and isn't willing to ditch his job no matter the price.

-->'''Helen''': I've never heard that before. No-one's ever told me that -- no one has ever told me that in my life.

* FictionalBoardGame: The episode opens with the staff playing a customized version of ''TabletopGame/GameOfLife'' created by Brittas. From what we see of it, it involves designating characters as a "Wise Virgin" or "Foolish Virgin" and each player having to suffer a catastrophe every year. The players are also given three starting cards that show the player's aptitudes, genetic heritage, and socio-economical background. Although it was made to allegedly teach the importance of saving up a pension fund, it is later revealed to also teach that LifeIsUnfair.

* KickTheDog: Drugget fires Carole after learning that she keeps her children in the cupboard, leaving her homeless, whilst apparently not even explaining to her why he's firing her in the first place.

* SpannerInTheWorks: If it hadn't have been for Helen buying a dog using petty cash, Drugget would have most likely failed in firing Brittas, as under the terms of the Employment Act of 1985, Brittas had the right of appeal and less than the three written warnings required for it to succeed.

** Helen has been committed of two cases of bodily harm, although Brittas refuses to talk about them. It is possible that one of them was for her headbutting of Philippa back in "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS4E2TheChristening The Christening]]", although it's never confirmed.

** Helen has apparently run away with the children once or twice before the events of this episode. It is possible that one of the attempts was the one shown back in "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS2E3AnInspectorCalls An Inspector Calls]]", but this is never confirmed either.

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Gavin apparently has sex often enough that his boyfriend Tim snarks that he should be lucky to call himself any form of virgin.

-->'''Mr. Brittas''': Ah, ah, ah, ah. One other thing to learn about leadership Colin is that if there's a dirty job to be done, you don't get someone else to do it. You do it yourself.

** Helen has apparently run away with the children once or twice before the events of this episode.

* TalkingAnimal: {{Subverted}}. Helen's new dog Wayne comes to the centre and asks for a ticket to the pool, which freaks out Carole a little bit. It turns out to be just Helen doing a little bit of ventriloquism.

** Helen has been committed of two cases of bodily harm, although Brittas refuses to talk about them (it is possible that one of them was her headbutting of Phillippa back in "The Christening", although it's never confirmed).

* ContinuityNod: After Laura helps out at the Brittas' household after Helen runs away, Brittas asks her to get back to "that man of yours". The man in question is Michael T. Farrell III, who had gotten back together with Laura only one episode prior in "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS4E6ShallWeDance Shall We Dance?]]".

* ObliviouslyEvil: If what Helen says is any indication, she genuinely didn't realise that borrowing money without asking is considered to be stealing.

->'''Mr. Brittas:''' That's life for you, Tim.

** Helen has apparently run away with the children a couple times before the events of this episode.

* ProductPlacement:
** The game that the staff play at the start is a modified version of the ''TabletopGame/GameOfLife''.
** Helen's note explaining that she's taken all of the ten-pound notes is written on the back of a ''Tampax'' package.

* CallBack: Helen's shoplifting habit and convictions of shoplifting, which was first established in "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS3E5SexLiesAndRedTape Sex, Lies and Red Tape]]" gets her into trouble again.

* FictionalBoardGame: The episode opens with the staff playing a customized version of ''TabletopGame/GameOfLife'' created by Brittas. From what we see of it, it involves designating characters as a "Wise Virgin" or "Foolish Virgin" and each player having to suffer a catastrophe every year. The players are also given three starting cards that show the player's aptitudes, genetic heritage, and socio-economical background.
* HopeSpot: After Laura leaves, the doorknob begins moving, making Brittas hopeful that his wife has returned. It's just Wayne with Brittas' shoes.

** The concept of a "Foolish Virgin" and "Wise Virgin" in Brittas' board game is a reference to ''Literature/TheBible'', which had a parable called the "Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins" which featured such virgins.

Councillor Drugget arrives in yet another attempt to sack Brittas as the Manager of Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre, and with money now missing from petty cash (thanks to Helen borrowing it to buy a dog), Drugget decides to give Brittas an ultimatum: either he accepts responsibility and resigns, or his wife is prosecuted and sent to prison. Brittas chooses his wife, and he is fired as a result.

->'''Mr. Brittas:''' That's life for you, Tim. Life is not fair. It never has been. In real life, it doesn't matter how hard you work or what you believe in, it's all based on luck. You work hard, you give it everything you've got, but at the end of the day, all you actually do is roll a dice. You roll the right number and you succeed beyond your wildest dreams. Throw another number and it all goes down the sewers.

* CallBack: Helen's shoplifting habit established in "[[Recap/TheBrittasEmpireS3E5SexLiesAndRedTape Sex, Lies and Red Tape]]" gets her into trouble again.

* ProductPlacement: The game that the staff play at the start is a modified version of the ''TabletopGame/GameOfLife''.

* StickyFingers: Helen steals money from petty cash.

* ShoutOut: A toy [[Series/DoctorWho [=TARDIS=]]] is visible in reception.

-->'''Mr. Brittas:''' That's life for you, Tim. Life is not fair. It never has been. In real life, it doesn't matter how hard you work or what you believe in, it's all based on luck. You work hard, you give it everything you've got, but at the end of the day, all you actually do is roll a dice. You roll the right number and you succeed beyond your wildest dreams. Throw another number and it all goes down the sewers.

Councillor Drugget arrives in yet another attempt to sack Brittas as the Manager of Whitbury Newtown Leisure Centre, and with money now missing from petty cash (thanks to Helen borrowing it to buy a dog), Drugget decides to give Brittas an ultimatum: either he accepts responsibility and resigns, or his wife is prosecuted and sent to prison. Brittas chooses his wife, and he is fired as a result.