"Alo" (Episode 6.07)

"Alo" is the seventh episode of Series 6 and the 52nd episode overall.

This episode primarily focuses on Alo Creevey and his attempts to get over Mini McGuinness after a disastrous relationship with her (starting with new girl Poppy), not realizing Mini is pregnant with his child.

Plot
We see both Alo wrestling with his future, and Mini struggling to tell him he's about to become a father.

Alo's path to accidental paedophilia felt like it unfolded naturally - upset over Mini, and with Rich's encouragement, he chats up a girl on a night out, before taking her out for a lovely date in the woods.

In hindsight, all the signs are there - even Alo thinks Poppy's a bit weird when she offers to show off her handstand. Instead, while Alo's smitten, Poppy's ideas - playing chase, dancing in her underwear - seem quirky rather than a sign that she's too young.

It's only really when he sees the posters on her wall and her school uniform - sadly after having sex with her - that he realises that she's only 14. And though he tries to do the right thing and break up with her, that only makes things worse - furious at being scorned, Poppy gets the police involved and claims Alo groomed her.

That's when things really start to unravel for Alo, and in a magnificent fashion. He's released from jail on bail, but he's suspended, shunned on social media, and gets misspelt graffiti ("peedo") sprayed onto his van. Only Rich stands by him, but Alo's in such a bad place that he even ends up running away from him.

It's only when Dewi comes to find Alo and makes him think about facing up to his responsibilities that things start to turn around (slowly). He goes to see Mini, but she uses the charges against him as a convenient way to keep him at arm's length.

Alo desperately declares his love for her, refusing to give up, and though she has her hard "mean girl McGuinness" face on, when he leaves she's reduced to tears. In a very cute little moment, a hiding Franky tumbles out of the cupboard and counsels her sobbing friend to tell Alo about the baby.

Alo's attempts to get Poppy to drop the charges have largely failed, mainly thanks to her furious father (Poppy herself realises pretty soon that she shouldn't have made the allegations, even if she doesn't understand the full implications). But when she invites him to meet her parents - awkward enough at the best of times, right? - she admits that she made it all up.

Still, Alo can't help but be honourable - or perhaps he's learning that he has to grow up. And when Poppy's parents begin arguing violently and she's left in tears, he steps in and admits that he slept with their daughter, though he reiterates that he had no idea that she was underage.

Beaten up by Poppy's father - perhaps reduced to his most vulnerable - he retreats to the playground, where Mini finds him to finally offer him some comfort. And it seems that she's about to tell him about the baby, too - but she's interrupted by Poppy, who calls to reveal that her mother kicked her dad out, and he's agreed to drop the charges against Alo. When Alo hangs up, Mini's crept away and disappeared.

Music Featured in "Alo"
Martin Solvieg - Boys and Girls (Laid Back Luke remix)

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Bournemouth

Yousef - Legacy

Bottom Of The Hudson - Fantastic Hawk

Segal - Like A Lark

Tom Rosenthal - Forgets Slowly

Segal - Flaggy and Moyd

Martin Solvieg - Hello

Chris De Burgh - Lady In Red

Lady (ft Fella) - I Need

Christopher Willits - Intend-Evolve

Tom Rosenthal - Lights On But Nobodys Home

Segal - Caro

Pandit - Pack Your Bags

Cave Painting - Rio

Segal - Gookie

Segal - Elsewhere

Tom Rosenthal - Take Care