- Date First Aired: 29/11/1992
Dorien is seeking a way to burn off her money, having been given a huge sum of money from Chris, but she's found out that she has everything that she wants. Sharon comes in with a scale model of the new extended café - or at least, how it's going to look. It costs £17,000, but Sharon has taken out a bank loan to pay for it. However, Sharon reveals to Chris that the extension can't go forward because the landlords do not allow it. Not only that, they intend to double the rent as well. Oh, and the lease runs out in six months. As such, she's at risk of losing the café. However, a compromise has been reached; they've agreed to keep the rent as it is, as long as Sharon pays five years upfront. Oh, and there's also the chance that the house becomes collateral. Chris is thus worried about this.
Tracey quickly figures out that the house could be used as collateral and is horrified, mainly because she hid it from her. However, Dorien offers to give her the money but her condescending attitude leads Sharon to refuse.
The girls discuss the situation with Darryl, who like Tracey, doesn't want to use the house as collateral. At home, the two girls fight, with Sharon accusing Tracey of abandoning her. Eventually, however, Sharon has to go to Dorien for the money. However, Dorien reveals that she gave the money to the Chelsea Pensioners. However, Dorien also points out that if the lease runs out, she can just start up elsewhere. After all, she is the businesswoman. Sharon threatens to remove the lease if the landlords double the rent. She also says to Chris that if she has to start up again, she's going to cut the partnership that they have.
Eventually, they get the response from the landlords; they've caved in, agreed to a new five-year lease, no increase in rent, and no money upfront.
Tropes In This Episode:
- Ass Shove:
- Sharon threatens to shove a red-hot poker up Dorien's jacksie.
- Chris tries to ask Sharon if she told the landlords to stuff their lease up their asses, but gets cut off.
- Chippendales Dancers: Sharon accuses Dorien of blowing all her money on them instead of giving it to her.
- Continuity Nod:
- Chris remembers Darryl beating him up back in "Just Visiting".
- Dorien mentions Marcus' business being at one point at risk of going under.
- Tracey reminds Sharon of the time she had to bail her out for a drunk and disorderly charge in "Business".
- Curse Cut Short: Sharon cuts off Chris before he can say "arse" when she explains the café's lease situation to him.
- Deadpan Snarker: Tracey's response to hearing Dorien say she's been around the world twice.Tracey: What, in case there was some blokes you mighta missed first time?
- The Dog Bites Back: After spending her entire marriage being used and ignored by Chris, Sharon manages to cut him out of the café business entirely.
- Gold Digger: Dorien once again confirms she's only with Marcus for his money.Dorien: You can say what you like about Marcus, and God knows I do, but he is a very generous man.
- Irony: Chris, a bank robber, doesn't like taking money from banks.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite being a selfish cow as Sharon puts it, Dorien still donates eight grand to the Chelsea Pensioners because they were in need of it.
- Loan Shark: Sharon refuses to take money from them, knowing that if something goes wrong it'll be her thrown to an angry dog.
- Never Lend to a Friend: Sharon notes that she has difficulty repaying people back their money, which is why she is initially heistant to take Dorien's money.
- Noodle Incident: Chris once tricked Sharon into grabbing his penis at a party when her eyes are closed.
- Nose Nuggets: Sharon remarks that the only useful things Chris' hands do are pick his nose.
- One-Word Title: The name of the episode is simply "Loyalty".
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Darryl realises something's up with Chris when he isn't being irritating for once.
- Shout-Out:
- Sharon uses action figures of Darth Vader and Chief Sitting Bull to represent customers in her scale model of her café extension.
- Dorien brings up how Anneka Rice helps people and has her own TV series because of it.
- Take That!:
- When asked to describe something disgusting, Dorien comes up with Fergie having her toes sucked.
- When Dorien promises she's not a pervert, Sharon responds by snidely mentioning then if that's true, Jeffrey Archer's a novelist.
- Title Theme Drop:
- A brief snippet of the theme tune plays during the transition between Chris and Darryl, and Sharon returning with the shopping.
- It plays again when between the scenes of Tracey and Sharon visiting Darryl, and the sisters arriving home after their visit.
