Drowning the Sorrow

(solemn music) - [Al] The beginning of season 10, Leonard's father's passed away.

- [Telephone Speaker] The funeral was last week.

He didn't want the you there.

That's kind of Leonard feeling just like nobody wants him.

Then Daniel has to go and make up with his family, so he goes away, so Leonard's in this kind of state where he feels abandoned.

And in his father's possessions was a whiskey flask, and that kinda tips him over the edge.

It starts off, he's just enjoying himself.

- Amen.

(glasses clinking) Then eventually, he starts drinking in secret.

(beverage pouring) He doesn't tell anyone about his dad, and so he's kind of holding it all in until eventually, he gets really drunk at the pub and he gets arrested.

- The landlord says you're belligerent.

- I'm not belligerent.

- If you don't leave quietly, I'm gonna have to arrest you.

(beverage splashing) (glass clattering) - It all comes to a big, climactic head.

- Help!

Please, somebody.

(lock clacking) - Leonard has been rather cruel to Mrs. C. - I want to talk to you about your drinking.

- (groaning) Here she goes again.

You're a bitter, cold-hearted, ancient old bag.

- He'd been really awful to her.

- But she turns up because she hears he's in trouble.

And like all, well, mother, sons, may I say, or friends, who hear that someone's in trouble, they dash to try and help.

- Leonard's in trouble.

- I'll get my coat.

Where's Leonard?

- If you just take a seat.

- No, absolutely not.

- What's quite touching is that she then waits all night.

Everyone else goes.

And so the image that you see when Leonard leaves the cell the next day is Mrs. C sitting just alone on a bench in the waiting area.

- Leonard might not be out for hours.

- I'm not leaving.

- She's there to greet him, they have this reconnect, and you know, like all family, we forgive.

(telephone ringing) - They hardly speak, but it's just, he knows he's been crawling.

Can't even remember what he said 'cause he was too drunk, and she forgives everything because she's been so worried about him.

And it's a sort of 10-year encapsulation of Leonard and Mrs. C's relationship, really, of all the ups and downs it's gone through, from the very beginning where she was very anti-him, right through to now, she's more or less adopted him.

And it's a lovely way of summing that up a decade later.

(solemn music continues) (Leonard sobbing) - I love you.

I love you so much.

(Leonard sobbing) (solemn music continues)