season2 episode7

Molly is going to London to see her daughter, Lizzie. She is going to help her in preparation of the birth of Lizzie's child. Duncan is driving her and Archie, Lexie, Hector and Kilwillee are there to see her off. Hector tells Molly she must give him a full description: height, weight, condition of teeth. Lexie reminds him babies aren't born with teeth. But Hector means the father of the child. Lizzie hasn't told them anything about him except that he is in the wine business. And though Molly tries to persuade him to go with her, he declines, stating " I can't stand childbirth...All that thrashing about." With that in mind, Molly and Duncan set off down the road.

   Meanwhile, Lizzie is on her way to Glenbogle. She is in the back of a taxi and is having contractions. The taxi driver is very reassuring, but is speeding along the narrow, one-lane road, nearly colliding with Duncan who is coming the opposite way. Molly is outraged, getting out of the car and starting to abuse the driver until she sees Lizzie in the back. Molly immediately goes to her aid as Lizzie tells her she thinks she's going to have the baby.

   The Community Centre is starting to take shape. Hector is showing Kilwillee the latest developments with pride and Archie has even invited a journalist up to do a story on the upcoming centre. Archie, meanwhile, is talking to Fergal who is heading to New Zealand with Katrina tomorrow. Archie invites them both over to supper and Fergal accepts. Moving on, Archie greets the journalist, and Hector suggests he launch his secret weapon. Kilwillee is now very intrigued.

   Lizzie arrives at Glenbogle. Molly tells Lexie to call a midwife but all of a sudden Lizzie tells her not to worry: Her contractions have miraculously stopped.

   Molly is thrilled that Lizzie has come back. Lizzie tells her that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, she wanted have her baby at home. In a great line, Molly likens her daughter to that of a salmon: "coming back to spawn at the place of your birth." Lizzie's only concern is that she'll get in the way. She knows Archie has a lot of stuff going on, with the new Centre opening and everything. Molly explains it's not just the centre that is on Archie's mind; Katrina is leaving for New Zealand tomorrow.

   Katrina, on the other hand, is discussing her last day with her fellow teacher. We get the sense she is still in love with Archie, but Archie hasn't even come near her since she told him she was leaving. It's like he doesn't even care, when we all know it's completely the opposite.

   Lizzie is taken up to her old room by Molly and the cab driver. Molly explains to the cabbie that she had all of her children in Glenbogle on a very old, stuffy beanbag that he just happens to be carrying. He drops it quickly and retreats before Molly asks Lizzie if the 'father' will be accompanying her. Lizzie shakes her head, explaining 'it's a long story'. Molly is sympathetic, and they sit down together, Molly all ears so that she can 'prime' Hector beforehand.

   The secret weapon that Archie and Hector were talking about is a competition to find 'Scotland's tallest tree'. They could win a cash prize and it would be great publicity for Glenbogle if they win. Kilwillee starts to laugh. Archie's tree isn't the biggest at all. So the men trek over to Kilwillee's property and take a look at Kilwillee's monster of a tree. Again, Kilwillee and Hector are rivals. Hector exclaims that Kilwillee has nothing on his tree, so Kilwillee suggests that his new gilly - "Billy" - go over and measure it, but Hector won't hear of it. Billy won't be going near his tree. They have a small argument over who's tree is bigger, classic humour there, before Archie breaks it up.

   On the way back to the house Archie reminds Hector that it's only a competition. Hector is astonished, he didn't raise Archie to think like that! Duncan runs out to meet them, and he has some big news for Hector but Hector won't let Duncan explain. Instead, he gives him orders to go a guard his big tree. Duncan nods, and starts to retreat before Hector wants to know whose black cab is in his driveway. Duncan explains: "That's what I've been trying to tell you! Lizzie's here!" Hector and Archie look amazed and quickly make their way to the house. Archie gets there first, and heads straight up to Lizzie's room, Hector, following, stops when he meets the taxi driver in the hall. He invites him to taste some of his wine (assuming he is Lizzie's partner).

   The scenes between Archie and his sister touched me a lot. You know they are close from an episode before this when Lizzie last visited, but this is a true showing of brother and sister love. He is helping her unpack while getting all the goss from his big sis. She explains that the man downstairs is Shaun, her "very heroic and helpful taxi driver". Archie then broaches the subject of David (the baby's father) and whether he's here as well. She shakes her head sadly. "You know me Arch. Always travel light."

   Shaun is still being tortured by Hector. Sculling down some of Hector's best wine before asking for more while he explains to Hector that he has a wife and three kids and lives with the mother. Hector is outraged and wants to know if Lizzie knows about them. Shaun nods: he told her about them on the way up. Shaun asks Hector about some money for the fare and it looks like Hector is going to explode. Just in time Archie comes in, telling him that he can give him a cheque. He explains to Hector that Shaun is Lizzie's taxi driver, not her partner. Hector is embarrassed and promptly takes away the man's wine.

   You might have wondered where Duncan is? Well, he is busy minding Hectors tree. It's not going well for him as he is being eaten alive by insects, so after nearly going insane, he decide to pack up and go home.

   Fergal and Katrina arrive for supper. They go in and Katrina welcomes back Lizzie in a lovely scene, introducing Fergal and lots of hugs and kisses. Fergal then, during the night, is thanked for his services and wished good luck on his and Katrina's travels. Later that night, Hector confronts Lizzie about whether they are going to hear wedding bells with the accompaniment to the patter of tiny feet. Lizzie tells them they wont be. Hector has a rant about values; how the baby should have a mother and father and the parents should be married. Lizzie comes back quickly, telling him that he is married. Hector, and everyone is shocked. Archie is annoyed that his father is bringing this up now and Molly promptly goes over to him and tells him to stop it and discuss it later. Hector is angry: Why didn't Lizzie tell them before? She replies with: "Because I knew how you'd react." Hectors starts on about how she has always been totally irresponsible, not caring what her actions did to the family. This gets Lizzie wound up: All he cares about is what it is doing to the family and not about her. Whether she is polluting the great McDonald gene pool. She explains that it's her that's having the baby, and if it doesn't have a father then she had got use to that state of affairs over the last thirty years. She gets up and leaves, which is also a cue for Katrina and Fergal. Archie and Molly go after Lizzie while Hector is left to standing on his own and think about his words.

   Molly apologies to Katrina and Fergal for the previous events and wishes them well. Archie comes over and says a meaningful farewell to Katrina. Both can see how much they mean to each other but neither has the guts to say anything. Archie gives her a pinecone as a going away present, from the fir on the hill which he is thinking of replanting. It was her idea. They kiss and say goodbye.

   Meanwhile, there is some carry-on going on over near the stairs. Archie goes over to find his sister is packed and leaving, with Molly and Hector after her. She explains she's going back to Glasgow. But Shaun tells them that he can't drive, he's over the limit. Lizzie then explains that she'll go to Kilwillee castle. She knows this will hurt Hector, and it does. He calls her a traitor though Lizzie tells him at least he'll be more welcoming. Hector is very dramatic when he explains how ungrateful she is. Molly tells him to be quiet or else she wont a speak to him again. She is not letting Lizzie leave, instead she tells her to go upstairs as there is a warm bed waiting for her. Lizzie tells her not to bother with Hector. He doesn't want anything to do with his grandchild. They go upstairs and Hector is mystified as to why he is in the bad books. Thinking Archie will be on his side, he makes a comment but all he gets from his son is a look of disgust as he helps her upstairs. Hector is alone again.

   Archie finds his sister in her bedroom, curled up and crying. Lizzie knows what he is going to say. But she can't help getting wound up by Hector. Archie tries to think of some of Hectors good features, coming up with loyal. Lizzie wants more than that from her father. She wanted unconditional love... not loyalty. Loyalty you can get from a dog. In a touching scene where Archie has now joined her on her bed, their toes touching and they are having a D and M. Archie is understanding and explains it just takes Hector a little longer to get there compared to everyone else. In the meantime, she has him. She smiles and it's very touching. But she feels Archie could have done without her tonight. Archie tells her not to be silly. She asks him what he feels about Katrina leaving. he doesn't answer the question, instead telling Lizzie that he's lost her for good now.

   On with the tree competition. The next day, Duncan goes back to the tree and finds the top has been cut off.

   Breakfast: Lizzie and Hector are still not speaking. Lizzie starts by comparing Hectors tree to Kilwillee's. Molly tells her not to start, as it's like baiting a child. Molly goes into detail about how Hector managed to miss all his three children's births. Hector explains it's because he couldn't handle seeing Molly in pain. Molly explains that once, he went to the town fair and came back three days later, drunk, with a rotary hoe.

   Lexie comes in and hands Hector the paper with the story on the Glenbogle centre in it. They made the front page but its got nothing to do with the centre. And they spelt his name wrong. But then Duncan comes bounding in, telling Hector someone cut the top of his tree off. Hector is outraged, bounding out of his chair, followed by Archie and Duncan. This means war.

   Kilwillee, meanwhile, is confident of victory. But when he goes to find his tree he finds that the top of his tree has been cut off too. hector and Kilwillee face each other off, like a dueling challenge, accusing each other of sabotage. Declaring their friendship Over

   Lizzie goes to visit Katrina. They reminisce and Lizzie tells Katrina that Archie is mad about her and that he doesn't want her to go. Lizzie asks Katrina to be the God Mother of her baby and Katrina is honoured. Lizzie asks Katrina whether she loves Fergal. She doesn't answer, explaining that, unlike Archie, Fergal is rootless. He doesn't belong anywhere. Where as she belongs here. But Fergal loves Katrina enough to ask her to go with him, where as Archie hasn't asked Katrina anything. But when Katrina is talking to Lizzie about NZ, she notices Lizzie isn't listening. Something is wrong: the dress rehearsals are over.

   Meanwhile the men are on a mission. The top of Kilwillee's tree has been cut off too and now the 1000 of t-shirts he made with Scotland's biggest tree on them, wondering how on earth he can sell them now.

   Next is a touching scene between Hector and Archie. Hector is really hurt by Lizzie. When she said he was a bad father it really cut him deep. He thought fatherhood was the one thing he was good at. Archie explains that he didn't do that bad a job. Hector explains he just wanted something better for Lizzie. Archie explains that she didn't plan the current events either but she has to get use to it. She didn't come back to Glenbogle for the leaky taps. She came back to be with the people who would look after her and support her and love her. Hector nods, and starts off, thinking about what Archie has said.

   Meanwhile Golly reveals to that it was Billy, Kilwilliee's gilly, that cut down both the trees. But why?

   Lizzie is in pain. And after being helped to the library by Molly and the taxi driver, the taxi driver is going to help her give birth, he having three kids of his own, he's done it all before. Molly tells Lizzie to let it all out. She was just the same; a real screamer and could be heard all over the estate. Lizzie screams loudly as another contraction grabs her...

   Archie and Hector are walking back to Glenbogle by the loch when the hear a large howl of pain. Stopping, to look at each other briefly before they sprint towards the house, knowing exactly what's going on. They get home and they reach the outside of the library. A lot of screaming is going on and Archie tells Hector he should go in there before she has the baby. Hector agrees, but hesitates, not knowing what to say to his daughter. Archie tells him to tell her he loves her. Just as Hector is about to go in, the doors open and Molly appears, throwing out the dirty old beanbag of hers. They aren't allowed in: girls only, and shuts the door on them.

   Fergal arrives at Glenbogle looking for Katrina as they will miss their train. The men are pacing outside the library door in true stereotypical fashion, a large amount of screaming coming from the library where Katrina is also located. The men look like they can't take it anymore, as if they will faint, and Hector comments that he can't take much more of it. But then the screaming stops and there is the sound of a baby crying. Katrina emerges and tells them it was the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

   The men go into the library where Lizzie is with her newborn child. They are overwhelmed, as Hector goes forward and gives both Lizzie and her child a kiss. he congratulates her and tells them that they are both beautiful and he will love them always. It's extremely touching to see tough old hector just melt when he sees his daughter and baby. Lizzie informs them all that Katrina will be the Godmother and Archie the Godfather.

   Katrina and Archie say goodbye. As Katrina leaves, Lizzie is mystified that her brother can be so thick. She tells him that Katrina won't be a good Godmother if she is on the other side of the world. A beat later and Archie realises what his sister means, dashing out of the room after her.

   At the entrance, we can see Katrina and Fergal driving off. Archie stops, and Molly and Hector are standing there. Hector encourages him to go. Archie says he doesn't know what to say when he finds her. Molly and Hector both scream : "Tell her you love her!" And so off Archie goes, running to the train station across country and over fences - who knew Archie was so fit?

   He gets to the train station, out of breath, and it is empty. there is only one boy sitting there, looking down the track. He missed them. Looking down, Lexie is cradling the baby while Lizzie sleeps, singings softly to it, and sees Archie coming home - alone. he is dejected, knowing that now he has lost his one chance at love. But Lexie is feeling silently happy. Now she might have a chance with him. Molly and Hector feel for him, and Archie goes inside.

   The next day, Archie goes up to Katrina's house, looking for her key. he is surprised to see Fergal standing there, waiting. Fergal explains that Katrina ran off. Jumped of the train somewhere between There and Edinborough. But Fergal can't wait for her. He has to go to New Zealand. he knows Katrina didn't love him, and he slowly walks away, leaving Archie to look after him.

   Next, the winner of Scotland's biggest tree is announced. It is neither Hector nor Kilwillee, but rather Billy's boss, hence the reason why Billy cut down both Hector and Kilwillee's trees.

   Everyone has gathered around the loch to see Lizzie's baby christened. Hector and Kilwillee make up, and take the baby down to the water. Lizzie calls the baby Martha, after Hector's mother, and Hector is so proud. It's beautiful scene as hector does the christening honours, and now all is well at Glenbogle again.

   This was one of my favourite episodes. it showed how close this family is, touching between both hector and Archie, Archie and Lizzie and Lizzie and hector. He really loves his kids, though he finds it hard to show it, and Archie and his bond between him and Lizzie is shown well again. Loved it, and still the love triangle between Katrina, Archie and Lexie lives on. What a mystery.