Michelle has gone away to holiday camp, and Passmore (looking preppie and acting friendly) winds up Tommy about it (and Tommy's new blow-dried coif) at a party before tossing a can of export lager to Tucker. Passmore's father is out of work, and he says his parents have given up on him but want better for Michelle. Mr. Humphries, Alan's father, has died, and Uncle Vic has moved into the house that now legally belongs to Alan, insisting he's there to help. Alan learns that his father's business has more debts than assets. Tucker and Alan see Creamy dossing in a car, and later in a Laundromat, which bothers Alan. Tommy runs bets for a gangster named Tony Bamford, and when Tony offers him money, Tommy cheekily turns it down, asking for a job instead. After a few tense moments, Tony relents, saying "maybe I can use you." When kids set a fire near the car hulk in which Creamy has been sleeping, Tucker lets Creamy stay on the floor in his room "for a few nights."

Tucker's mum wants Creamy out of their flat. Tommy is working for Roy at one of Tony's market stalls, cheerily flogging questionable blue jeans. Tucker and Alan stop by and become suspicious about the jeans, but Roy moves them on. Passmore is stopped by two police officers. They ask him to open the bag he's carrying, and it's empty. They're about to take him in for questioning when Tucker, Alan, and Creamy walk by and convince them that Passmore has left his football kit in their car. The four stop for tea at the restaurant where Sarah and Susan work. Allison is mentioned as having an 25-year-old boyfriend with a BMW. Passmore has an angle on making money legally, "absolutely no sales," and hints that Tommy is falling in with bad company. Upon hearing that Sarah's mum may throw away Sarah's college artwork, Susan offers a loft as storage; Junior and Ade help her move her stuff, after Tucker fixes Junior's van, and Creamy later wrangles the loft as a place to flop. Stu, on crutches, asks Tucker to stand in for him at work or he'll lose his job.

Tommy gets in deeper with Tony's operation, going to "the club" with his workmates instead of hanging out with Tucker. Tucker stands in for Stu as a motorcycle courier for Rocket Relay. Mr. Grayson runs the business out of a filthy trailer in the back of a junkyard, has no insurance, and is rude and demanding. Uncle Vic, a bricklayer, goes off to find work. Alan mopes around town until he's picked up by Junior, Ade, and Creamy, to help move Creamy into the loft. When Tucker runs Creamy home to pick up some tapes, Mr. and Mrs. Eames are having a fierce row. Tommy chats up Susan and Sarah. Idly strumming one of Creamy's guitars, Alan says he's always wanted to learn to play, and Creamy encourages him. Passmore, dressed in a suit, goes to see about the money-making opportunity. The group is trained by Geoff and Frank, and it's a scam about "demonstrating" for "market research purposes" a magnifying lens that fits over a television screen. Passmore is dubious. jump to top

Alan buys a cheap guitar and a book, and everyone teases him but Creamy. Tommy wants to ask Sarah on a date, but Tucker has beaten him to it. Uncle Vic is still looking for work. Passmore and the other "market researchers" are taken to a block of council estates to "demonstrate" the television magnifier. Passmore susses that his employers are scamming residents of low-income areas, and feels like he's betraying his roots. Tucker delivers a package to an office employing Brian, a former classmate from Grange Hill, as a draftsman/trainee designer. Passmore is curiously picking apart his sample when Tucker invites him to hang out at Creamy's loft. Uncle Vic says he's found work. Sarah and Susan are painting a room; Creamy teaches Alan to play guitar and blows a fuse, which Tucker replaces. Passmore spots a television magnifier in one of the flats. He and Tucker confront Geoff, driving him off before sharing a hearty laugh.

Tucker is slaving away for Rocket Relay. At Creamy's, the conversation turns to birds and Tommy's preference for the company at Tony Bamford's club. Tommy offers Tucker a double date at the club. Sarah has a waitressing job there, getting manhandled by customers, but she must share her tips with other employees. Creamy and Susan go shopping, and bicker like a married couple. Later, Creamy takes flowers to Mrs. Jenkins, who urges him to talk to his parents. Tucker complains to an unsympathetic Mr. Grayson about his workload. Later, driving like a lunatic to make a delivery, Tucker nearly runs down a small child. Shaken, he returns home and disconnects the dispatch radio - both he and Stu are now out of a job. Tommy's date at the club is Lisa; everyone shows up, much to Tommy and Tony's consternation. Tucker's surprise date is Susan. But, before dinner, Susan, Lisa, and Sarah leave with Alan and Creamy, leaving Tucker and Tommy alone at the club.

Tucker and Creamy go to a construction job site seeking day work; they later encounter Uncle Vic there, whom the foreman chooses last in a cruel ritual repeated every morning. Alan comes by looking for work, but Tucker and Creamy guide him away so he doen't find out about Uncle Vic. Ade photographs one of Sarah's art pieces for her folder. With a good folder, she can get into a degree course without GCEs; Ade, Sarah, and Tucker discuss career opportunities that don't require exams. Ade, however, "cheated," as Sarah says: he has nine O-levels and three A-levels. Alan now can play rhythm guitar and is in a band with Creamy; at rehearsal, the keyboardist, Greg, is arrogant. Tucker becomes their "road manager" for an upcoming gig, partly to protect Alan.

Tucker and Alan argue over Uncle Vic's plan to attend the band's performance, opening for "Exocet Missile." Alan thinks Uncle Vic is just showing up to put him down, but, in a conversation at the job site with Tucker, Uncle Vic turns out to be genuinely supportive and interested. He feels that Alan is the only family he has since his own children are with their mother in New Zealand. Also, Uncle Vic defends Creamy to the foreman, Hacking Jack, whom Uncle Vic knows as a crawler from previous jobs. The gig is in a real dive of a pub; Creamy makes a supper of snacks and feels sick. Uncle Vic shows up to applaud Alan. Tommy shows up too, somewhat sheepishly, but Tucker will have nothing to do with him so he slinks to an empty seat.

Alan learns that Uncle Vic doesn't have a proper job, just day labor. They argue, then debate about how unemployment affects young people vs. older people. Alan says he's angry. Tucker is watching his mail for something. On the construction site with Uncle Vic and Creamy, Tucker requests protective headgear; Hacking Jack refuses. Moments later, a barrowful of bricks drops from the lift, and Tucker quits, demanding his pay. Hacking Jack sneers that he doesn't officially exist, so has no rights. Tucker threatens to bash Jack's car with a brick, and he and Creamy get paid off.

Tommy complains about Tucker joining the police. Junior shows Creamy his new van, announces that he's road manager for "Blah Blah Blah," a rock band, and offers Creamy the job of keyboard player for the tour. Creamy says no, but asks Junior to help him pick up a free piano. Tucker, in a suit and tie, goes to his interview, while Ade, Alan, and Tommy go to the cafe. Tommy figures out (to their applause) that Tucker's going to be a student at the college of technology.