rionaleonhart | Tom And Josh: A Slightly Excessive Introduction To Their Filial Relationship.

bubbles_san made the mistake of asking me to fill her in on the story behind Josh and his dad in Waterloo Road. Because I cannot stop talking about this ridiculous programme, my resulting explanation went well over the comment limit, and so I thought I'd post it as an entry instead. People who aren't planning to watch Waterloo Road themselves but still find themselves oddly intrigued by all my rambling about it: this is for you.

Major spoilers for the entire fifth series, obviously.

reipan is not allowed to read this.

The Rather Fraught Adventures of Josh and His Dad: An Excessively Long Summary

Waterloo Road: (merges with another school, John Foster's)
Headmistress: All right, let's start mingling! Introduce yourself to someone from the other school, everyone!
John Foster's Student: Hi; I'm Josh.
Tom: Mr Clarkson.
Josh: ...Tom Clarkson?
Tom: ...no: Mr.

Tom: Josh! Why do you keep posting these pictures of me and an ex-girlfriend all over the school?
Josh: She's my mum.
Tom: What?
Josh: I'm your son.
Tom: What?
Josh: Surprise!

Tom: Okay, there's got to be some sort of mistake. We used protection. I'm going to ask my ex-girlfriend about this.
Tom's Ex-Girlfriend, Georgia: Yeah, Josh is your son.
Tom: Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? What the hell?

Josh: So, were you surprised to see me?
Tom: I was really, really surprised.
Josh: You must have known I'd find you one day.
Tom: I didn't know you existed, so no, not really.
Josh: ...who do you think you're kidding? You walked out on me and my mum.
Tom: ...I didn't even know she was pregnant.
Josh: Are you telling me my mum's been lying to me my whole life?
Tom: Yes! That is exactly what I am saying!
Josh: I thought it'd be cool having a dad, but you're just full of crap.
Tom: I SWEAR I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT.

Tom: GEORGIA
Georgia: Yeah, sorry about that.

Josh: So yeah, it turns out my mum was lying to me.
Tom: Guess so.
Josh: I used to obsess about who my dad was. I built you up into this superhero. I kept asking my mum all these questions. I guess she said you'd walked out just to shut me up. So then I thought you were just a scumbag.
Tom: ...
Josh: ...I know you're not. But it doesn't change anything, you being this great guy. I'm still nothing to you.
Tom: I don't know; maybe we could get to know each other better. (gives Josh game tickets) This Saturday. I thought we could go. Sort of a father-son thing.
Josh: (hands the tickets back) I don't like football.
Tom: ...you're not making this easy for me, are you?
Josh: Why should you care about me? You didn't even know I existed.
Tom: I don't know. I know, without me, you wouldn't be living and breathing. Is that enough?
Josh: ...who's playing?

Josh: Hey, do you want to come over tonight for dinner? :D?
Tom: All right.
Josh: :D (prepares a meal, obviously trying really hard to impress)
Georgia, Tom and Josh: (eat)
Josh: NOW I'M GOING TO GO AND DO HOMEWORK WHILE YOU TWO, I DON'T KNOW, ~~GET BACK TOGETHER PLEASE :D~~ TALK OR SOMETHING OKAY BYE (leaves)
Tom: Yeah, okay, Josh is a pretty cool kid.
Georgia: So are you saying you're glad I got pregnant?
Tom: ...oh, I suppose so. (toasts) To dodgy condoms.
Georgia: To turkey basters.
Tom: ...
Georgia: ...
Tom: GEORGIA

Josh: Hey, Dad! It's Mum's birthday soon, so I thought we could take her out somewhere nice. Sort of as a surprise.
Tom: WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GET BACK TOGETHER, OKAY, STOP TRYING
Josh: ...I was only trying to be nice.

Tom: Okay, Josh, things have been a little weird between us, and you deserve to know why.
Georgia: Don't do this.
Tom: You weren't an accident, Josh. Your mother stole my sperm.
Josh: *lol*
(pause)
Josh: ...wait, what?

Josh: Where've you been? I've been waiting ages.
Tom: Josh? Weren't you supposed to be coming over tomorrow?
Josh: Help me with my bags.
Tom: What?
Josh: I'm moving in.
Tom: What?
Josh: Surprise!

...and that's the main 'surprise son' arc. There's a fairly major moment in their relationship in episode sixteen, though (

reipan, if you disobeyed my earlier instruction and opened the LJ-cut, please stop reading here; I really want to see your reaction to this episode):

Finn: (swaggers into the school)
Josh: (totally falls for him and starts following him around everywhere)
Finn: Dope?
Josh: yes Finn please give me drugs so I can be cool like you

Tom: Josh, you've been really weird this lesson. What is it?
Josh: ...
Tom: Have you been taking drugs?
Josh: ...it's like cannabis.
Tom: >:(
Josh: It's legal!
Tom: I don't care! You can't smoke drugs in school!
Josh: How is it different to when you let me drink at home?
Tom: We're in school.
Josh: I didn't think you'd make such a big deal of it! I thought we were mates!
Tom: I'm not supposed to be your mate; I'm supposed to be your father. Maybe I should send you back to your mum.
Josh: Well okay then if you're going to be like that I'll just put the drugs in your food without your knowledge.

(At Josh's next class:)
Mr Budgen: Sit down, everyone.
Pupil: Isn't Miss Campbell supposed to be teaching us?
Mr Budgen: Miss Campbell is worried about her pregnancy, so Mr Clarkson is driving her to the hospital.
Josh: oh my god

Josh: MR MEAD MY DAD'S NOT ANSWERING HIS PHONE YOU NEED TO CALL MISS CAMPBELL AND GET HER TO STOP HIM DRIVING HE'S NOT SAFE
Chris: He's not safe?
Josh: I spiked his food. Please, you have to call her.
School Inspector To Whom Chris Unfortunately Happens To Be Talking: ...does this happen a lot at this school?

Chris: (calls Kim Campbell) Kim?
Kim: Hello?
Chris: Are you still on your way to the hospital?
Kim: Yeah; Tom's being a bit OH MY GOD TOM
(SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE)
Chris: Kim? Kim?
Josh: What's going on? Are they all right?
Chris: (dials) Ambulance, please.
Josh: oh my god oh my god

(In the hospital:)
Kim: (sits down next to Josh)
Josh: ...are you okay?
Kim: I am. So's the baby.
Josh: ...is my dad okay?
Kim: ...I don't know.
Josh: But he will be, right? He'll - he'll be fine.
Kim: Josh... why did you do it?
Josh: ...I was mad at him. He was going to kick me out, send me back to my mum's - I didn't know he was going to drive, I -
Kim: ...
Josh: I'm really, really sorry, Miss.
(hug)

(In Tom's hospital room. Tom is attached to various machines but conscious. I'm going to transcribe this scene accurately.)
Nurse: Your dad's still very ill. He had a collapsed lung, but he is responding well now. Hopefully he's going to be fine.
Josh: ...I'm really, really sorry, Dad. I've been thinking... well, you're gonna need someone to help you out, and get the shopping and take you to the loo and that. (almost crying now) I love you, Dad. Please don't send me away.
Tom: (very weak voice) Josh. You're not going anywhere.
Josh: Really? I promise I won't do drugs or anything, and I'll tidy and I'll - I'll take the rubbish out and everything. As long as we can be mates again.
Tom: (takes his hand) Mates. But father and son first, eh?
Josh: (nods)
Tom: I make the rules, and you follow them.
Josh: 'Kay.
Tom: First rule: you're grounded. For a year.

And then there is Josh's coming-out story, where the summary is 'Josh is confused! Tom doesn't handle the news that his son might be gay at all well! Josh calls him out on it!' The present state of their relationship is 'Tom is still a bit uncomfortable with Josh's sexuality but trying really hard to be supportive'. Some wonderful person has isolated Josh's coming-out storyline and posted it to YouTube: parts one, two, three.

Josh and Tom's relationship is constantly going wrong, and I am so invested in it. It breaks my heart. The heartbreak is not helped by the fact that Josh is generally adorable and his voice wavers when he's really upset.

In conclusion: I talk too much. I'm sorry. I hope at least a couple of you were curious about this Josh-Tom thing and have now been sufficiently enlightened.

Tom And Josh: A Slightly Excessive Introduction To Their Filial Relationship.

Re: C&P'd from my LJ: