"Rich" (Episode 6.02)

"Rich" is the second episode of Series 6 and the 47th episode overall.

This episode primarily focuses on Rich Hardbeck dealing with his girlfriend Grace Violet being in a coma after the events of the gang's Summer Holiday and with her father's attempts to keep them apart and how his inability to see her affects his relationship with his best friend Alo Creevey.

Plot
Alo and Rich have teamed up with a friend, O'Malley, to form a band. But when Rich spots the time, he decides to leave - he doesn't want to miss visiting hours at the hospital. Sure, Blood's been banning him... but what if she wakes up this time?

Outside, he leaves the umpteenth message on Grace's phone, telling her that he loves her. Imagine his surprise when she calls him back, asking why he's not there. He needs to "try harder" to get in! Rich can't stop smiling at his phone now that Grace is awake... until he tries breaking into the hospital.

Unfortunately, Nurse Pauline catches him right away, and though she's sympathetic, she can't contradict Blood's wishes (especially when Blood appears and asks security to remove Rich).

But that's not going to stop Rich, who sneaks into the air vents (and, to his horror, overhears that Blood's planning to move Grace to Zurich to help her recuperate). But it turns out that air vents aren't too safe, and he soon crashes into Grace's room.

Of course, she's pleased to see him but urges him to think of a way to stop her being sent to Switzerland. Before that, though, she's feeling 'in the mood', as it were - so Rich climbs into bed with her. Naturally, it's no surprise to see Blood turn up - and Rich is soon being dragged from the hospital by security guards with his trousers round his ankles.

Back at home, Rich's parents are a bit concerned about him and want him to go on holiday with them, as his mother thinks he might be suicidal. But Rich can't imagine anything worse, so they tearfully agree to leave him behind.

When they've left, Rich heads straight over to Grace's house, but soon discovers that they've already left for Switzerland. He can't get any phone signal, so he climbs into Grace's bedroom. Before long, he's found some old home movies and is sitting watching Grace dancing, as a toddler and so on.

Soon, Alo turns up and Rich tries to avoid him, but the promise of weed is too much and he lets him in. Soon, they decide the best thing to do would be to trash the place.

Alo wants to hold a gig at the house, but Rich is distracted when he hears his phone ringing (the ringtone is 'Für Elise', to show it's Grace.) He rushes outside to find it but he can't get any signal, and when Alo tries to help he just erupts in anger. But Alo has an idea of how to find Grace - check the fridge.

Sure enough, they find the clinic's brochure on the fridge and call it. Rich uses a bizarre mix of various European languages but eventually gets the receptionist to put the call through to Grace (prompting a cute Alo-Rich dance to the hold music). But, of course, Blood answers, tells Rich to stop, and hangs up.

Alo tries to comfort his friend, but Rich just wants him to go home and goes to comfort himself with more home movies. He's soon interrupted, though, by sex noises - Mini's come over to see Alo! Rich walks in on them and is furious, but Mini's pretty annoyed herself that Rich didn't tell her Grace woke up.

But Grace calls Alo's phone, so Rich takes it and walks out. Grace tells him that Blood's going to move her again, but she doesn't know where. Rich begs her to meet him in Paris, but before they can arrange anything, Blood returns and she has to hang up.

Later, Rich is surprised to hear Alo and O'Malley rehearsing downstairs - Alo's still eager to hold a gig in the house. Rich is less keen, and throws Alo's amp outside. Soon, Alo and Rich are fighting in the garden. Alo claims that he's trying to help Rich - music helps everything - but Rich says he's just doing it so Mini won't be embarrassed about sleeping with him.

Alo throws a punch, Rich headbutts him, and it's all getting quite ugly. Rich tells him that they'll gig when he breaks it off with Mini (which Alo is understandably not keen to do). So Rich throws Alo's guitar in the tree and storms off. Alo doesn't do himself any favors - when he sees Mini in the window smiling at him, he can't help himself.

Sweetly, Rich goes to see Liv at a cafe. She's upset that no-one told her Grace had woken up, and soon begins crying. Rich adorably orders her some biscuits, and she does feel better.

Anyway, they call Franky to tell her that Grace woke up and are pleased to hear she can speak fluent French - they'll go and find Grace in Paris! The plan perks Rich up and he goes to make things up with Alo (he even keeps Mini sleeping with him a secret for the pair of them).

Unfortunately, Alo's spread the word of an empty house in the country but Liv points out that all they need to do is charge everyone £5 and they'll have loads of money to go and get Grace back. So they throw a huge party and Rich and Alo even perform with their band. But suddenly, Rich sees Grace's face in the crowd...

He rips his guitar off and runs through the crowd, but can't see her anywhere. He even accidentally mistakes someone else for her. Alo says he made a mistake and they'll look for her the next day, but Rich can't wait that long. He pushes his way upstairs and finds Grace waiting for him in her bedroom.

Rich apologizes about the house trashing getting out of hand, but she replies: "Everything does, sooner or later." She tells Rich that she left Blood behind because he "can't get past things" and pauses, before saying that she probably loves Rich (repeating what he had said to her earlier in the hospital). She tells him that "everything's better now" and they have sex. Afterwards, Grace turns over and goes to sleep. Rich tells her he loves her, but there's no response.

The next morning, however, Rich wakes up in an empty bed, finding the house wrecked and empty. He hears his phone ringing, finally finding it in a bouquet of white roses. He picks it up and answers a call from Grace, who mysteriously tells him that she has to go (and that he knows why), finishing by telling him that everything is beautiful and that she loves him. When the call hangs up, Rich realizes that his phone is broken, and has actually been the entire time. He returns inside, shell shocked in his realization, when he sees David Blood has returned home. Rich heads back inside and sees Blood sitting on the stairs - this imposing, scary man reduced to someone curled up in a ball. He says that Grace "had to stay", before admitting the real reason he came back.

Although Rich had seen Grace re-awaken, re-affirm their love, and come back to Bristol, in actuality, his visions of her were a result of Jungian Psychology, in order for him to deal with her being in a coma and eventually being moved by her family to another hospital in Switzerland. Blood reveals that due to the extent of her injuries, Grace actually slipped into a vegetative state by the time she arrived in Switzerland. When informed by the doctors there that there was no possibility that she would ever wake up again, Blood decided to take her off life support.

After relaying this to Rich, Blood sobs about what Grace would think about him turning off the life support. Rich comforts Blood that Grace knows that's what her dad was supposed to do and sits down next to him, saying that Grace loved him. Blood admits that that is why he is here, and Rich puts his hand on his shoulder as he cries.

The episode ends with Rich and Blood consoling each other over Grace's death.

Music Featured in "Rich"
Fuck Norris - Filthy Woman (Performed by Alex Arnold and Will Merrick)

Kankouran - It's Alright to Follow

Challenge - Broken Clock

Beriut - East Harlem

Katarina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine

Lucy Rose - Don't You Worry

Phil Collins - Easy Lover

Apparat - Black Water

Guadalupe Plata - Lorena

The Game - Put You on the Game

Segal - Mini DJs

Fuck Norris - We Are One (Performed by Alex Arnold and Will Merrick)

Boddika - You Tell Me

Segal - Vessel

Apparat - Black Water