After Karen's father Eddie attacks Frank in The Jockey, Frank returns home and attacks his son, Ian, and Fiona's boyfriend, Steve. Certain he's got a family he doesn't deserve, a vengeful Steve kidnaps a drunken Frank and dumps him in France without telling anyone. While Frank lands himself in trouble with the French authorities, a body is found in the canal at home, and everyone assumes it is Frank. Will the feckless patriarch ever make it home? And how will Fiona react when she discovers what Steve has done? Meanwhile, Karen's agoraphobic mother, Sheila Jackson (Maggie O'Neill), finds a new man, Kev (Dean Lennox Kelly) and Veronica Ball (Maxine Peake) fall out over money, and a local copper PC Tony (Anthony Flanagan) has fallen in love with Fiona.