Can We Get Through This?

In the aftermath of “The Incident”, Rob is wracked with regret and fears Phil may have finally cut ties for good. Hoping that Leeds United’s Premier League survival might help rebuild bridges, Rob tries to make contact — but is there more behind Phil’s mysterious absence?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

We've been through it all together. And we've had our hopes and downs. Hey up Phil. Sorry I didn't drop into the pub this week. Still too rough post-Wembley, actually. I can't do it anymore. I wasn't um I wasn't avoiding you because of uh well you know um what happened with um the look anyway a great win that against Burnley won it. Did you go? Uh still found a way to make it nervy, didn't they? Uh I'll probably drop into the pub with Hugo for the end of the Arsenal West Ham game if you're about. Um and I promise I won't mention the uh um look any anyway, yeah. It'd be good to see you. We're Premier League, we're Premier League, we're League United, we're Premier League. Never in doubt, Phil. Oh now you know I hate VAR, but right now I can't think of any more beautiful words in the English language than after review. Oh absolutely brilliant stuff. Uh I was laughing actually with uh with Sandra after that about how you would have reacted if they disallowed that against Leeds. You'd have absolutely shit them. Um yeah, anyway, uh look look, I I haven't heard from you. Um I know you said you were busy, but just uh just checking in. Uh be uh be great to grab a pint this week at some point, or uh could watch the Spurs game tomorrow or or Wednesday's good, could do the quiz again, or Thursday, or yeah, just just just just let me know. Um yeah, uh okay, I'll I'll hang up now. Uh where's it's not really hanging up, is it really with a voice note? Uh never sure how to sign them off, really, so I'll just uh yeah, I'll um I'll leave it there. Bye. Bloody hell turned out to be alright game that didn't it? Oh, I thought Longstaff had won it. I woke Hugo up. Is everything alright, mate? Look, I I I haven't heard from you since um you know the incident. I just um I hope it hasn't come between Look, just just let me know you're okay, mate. That's all. That's all. Miss you, Paul. Okay, bye. Phil, I'm sorry about what happened, alright? I it it was nature t taking its course. That's all. It it was bad timing, it wasn't intentional. I didn't set out to you know look, I'm sorry, I am, truly. But two kids in my class fell out yesterday and it upset me, you know. I was up at night thinking about it, and and and yeah, they're six years old and they were best of friends again today. Apparently Leon had said Jake smelled like baked beans or something, but today Jake realized he liked baked beans so he didn't mind, but that's not the point. The point is that it made me think of how important friendship is, you know? And and look, I I need to know what's going on, where you're at, and then I I know the voice notes and messages have been delivered, I can see it, I I can see you're online earlier today. So look, just just let me know how we move forward. Do you need uh space? Is that what this is? Just just just just just talk to me, mate. We can get through this. Alright? Just talk to me. Please. Please. Anyway, uh, bye for now. Friggin' hell, Rob.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

I've just listened to your messages. Have you lost your mind? Jesus Christ. And look, stop apologising because I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Okay. I have no idea what you are talking about. Can we be clear on that? Look, I didn't reply, because I lost the phone on a job day before going on Mickey Wright's tagdo. So that won't stressful at all, what it? Oh no, not in the slightest. So then I've had to do three days in Stockholm with a bunch of lunatics and no phone. He turned up, thank God. Well, obviously, because I'm talking on it now. Still feeling a bit rough. Man Clee brought his daughter's passport to the airport, so he didn't go. Uh Paul Loudoun fell down some steps pissed up, split his chin open and spent the night in hospital. And Tony Twoheads got a crack off a lad because he thought the best way to integrate yourself with the Swedish people was to yell, Thomas Brawling is a wanker, is a wanker at the top of his voice at every given opportunity. So yeah, good trip. Hey, hey, I tell you something though, we managed to watch West Ham game. Ho ho ho ho ho. You've never heard a noise like it when Var overturned that equaliser. We are staying up! I said, we are staying up! We had the old bar singing it with friggin' east until Tony spoiled it. Tried to get him to sing Thomas Brawl in his ownka. Dickhead. Eh? But one achievement, eh? Proud as punch I am. Hey, did you see Spurs game? Fucking missed it, didn't I? Because we're flying back. But we stuck it up them and all, didn't we, by all accounts? I have got to say, watching them two scratch around and trying to cling on to Premier League survival for dear life is something I am very much looking forward to. I'm on phone! Look, Betty, I've got a ticket for Brighton game if you fancy a couple of babies before. So staying up, yeah? Ruby said she'd drop us off. Let me know, Cock. And er, look. Sorry, I didn't reply. I didn't think, did I well, I'd lost my phone, but I realise with everything you've been through, you might have, you know, worried. So, sorry, mate. You know. I should have thought. And erm, I miss you two, you'd have sod. And uh don't don't worry about not knowing how to sign off a voice note. What I do is I erm.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

You've been listening to Ups and Downs. Rob was played by Dean Smith, Phil was played by Paul Fox. Written by Chris O'Connor and Paul Fox with additional material from the creative team, directed by Chris O'Connor. It was produced by Ed Heaton. Theme song by Claire O'Connor.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

We've been through it all together, and we've had our ups and downs.