Secret Diary of a Call Girl • Job Shared, Job Halved [4]
Initially it is Naomi (Beth Cordingly) who is the third wheel, entering into Belle's (Billie Piper) relationship with Ash (Ace Bhatti) without Hannah/Belle's prior knowledge. In attempting to maintain a professional demeanor, Hannah/Belle finds herself bonding with this other woman, becoming friends with she who would steal her spotlight only to find Naomi instead stealing her client.
In finally allowing Naomi the opportunity to join in on the experience, Hannah/Belle soon became the uninvited party, having focused so much on her bond with Naomi that she failed to keep her own connection to Ash, and, in turn, ended up losing both of them.
Daria • Malled [1]
During a field trip to the mall, Daria (Tracy Grandstaff) and Jane (Wendy Hoopes) are unwanted by themselves, constantly wishing that they could have found a way to avoid this situation entirely. In an effort to pass the time, they continually make a nuisance of themselves, being driven off by various groups before finally being confronted by the Fashion Club.
While the Fashion Club does desire a face-to-face with Daria and Jane in order to give them makeovers, it is Daria's sister Quinn (Hoopes) who wishes to have avoided them, knowing now that she will be forced to earn Daria's silence or risk being grounded for defying her parents. Quinn's treatment of Daria is nothing compared to her treatment of the boy she convinced to drive the Fashion Club to the mall, refusing to acknowledge him in any way beyond allowing him to seat near the group, but not so near that he might appear to be with them.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer • Never Kill a Boy on the First Date [3.5]
In a way, the entire demonic population of Sunnydale is an invasion of Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) personal life, but here it is her actual personal life that gets in the way. While attempting to have a date with Owen (Christopher Wiehl,) Buffy is interrupted with the news that a dangerous vampire is on the loose, forcing her to cut her date short. Owen later follows her into a situation where he's likely to get hurt, forcing her to continue a charade of lies in an effort to keep him from getting killed, and is later forced to break his heart in an attempt to keep him out of harm's way.
As the bearers of bad news, Angel (David Boreanaz,) Giles (Anthony Stewart Head,) Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) each take turns interrupting Buffy's life to bring her back to reality, though ultimately it is the death and rebirth of Andrew Borba (Geoff Meed) that nearly costs Buffy's date his life and ends a formerly pleasant date on a decidedly sour note.
Life on Mars • Once a Red [3]
The entire culture of football hooliganism is unwelcome in this story as Sam (John Simm) attempts to reconcile his pleasant memories of attending matches with his dad with the sad reality of the dangers that come with supporting the wrong club.
The man in the pub (John Wilson) is the character who probably receives the shortest end of the stick here, having been arrested by Gene (Philip Glenister) not long before recognizing him during an undercover operation, forcing Gene to continuously knock him out in an attempt to maintain character. Though he had entered the pub for a pint or two, he instead finds himself spending most of the evening unconscious on the floor, though, arguably, that may be how his night would have ended either way.
Better Off Ted • Win Some, Dose Some [3.5]
Initially, the main antagonist of the episode is a little girl in a wheelchair, a girl the audience never meets on-camera. Ted (Jay Harrington) takes it upon himself to help his daughter Rose (Isabella Acres) win a school competition in an effort to teach her about the importance of competition and the satisfaction of victory; unfortunately for him, Rose doesn't want to win.
Ted and Veronica's (Portia de Rossi) efforts are for naught, as Rose is determined to throw the competition to avoid having her classmates get angry at her for taking the glory away from a girl who, she claims, is more deserving. On learning that he is making trouble for his daughter, Ted agrees to stop selling in her name; unfortunately for him, Veronica uses this as an opportunity to get Ted to do what she wants.
In refusing Veronica's orders, Ted finds that she has upped the ante, blackmailing her employees into buying more of Rose's wares until the moment that Ted relents and agrees to her demands.
Firefly • Shindig [3.5]
Mal (Nathan Fillion) and Kaylee (Jewel Staite) infiltrate a high-class ball in attendance by both Mal's prospective client and Inara (Morena Baccarin) and her date. While Mal's antics at the ball do gain him the respect and business he came for, they also incur the wrath of Inara's date. Come morning, Mal finds himself at sword-point, fighting for both his life and Inara's honor.
Meanwhile, Badger (Mark Sheppard) invites himself aboard the Serenity in an effort to take the crew hostage until Mal secures the job he was sent for.
Winner of the Week • Secret Diary of a Call Girl
The highest-rated of the week, Secret Diary's "Job Shared, Job Halved" offers an interesting insight into Hannah/Belle's (Billie Piper) psyche that very rarely is shown to the audience. Hannah hasn't had a steady boyfriend for a long time for the simple fact that her occupation makes dating far too messy, but Belle, on the other hand, has had a standing appointment with Ash (Ace Bhatti) for as long as she's existed.
Here we get to see the break-up of a relationship that never truly existed, to see the breakdown of a woman who has lost a boyfriend she never had. Belle and Ash were engaged in a 'girlfriend-experience,' wherein they had created a set of rules, an imagined history, that both parties upheld under the premise that, when together, they were together, and when apart, the other simply ceased to exist. The end of their affair always was in the cards, and both came into their agreement with that in mind, but it's no easier for Hannah to separate herself from her fake boyfriend than it would be for her to leave a real one behind.
Hannah lived vicariously through Belle's relationship, and it was this moment that she realized that, in her profession, she likely was to be alone for a long time to come. Hannah experienced the realization of her love life's mortality, and she finally understands what it is to be alone.
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