S1, E3: With the parish council election imminent, tensions rise in Pagford as each side steps up their campaign. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? The battle lines are drawn, and the fate of Sweetlove House hangs in the balance. Meanwhile Samantha and Miles' marriage has reached breaking point. Miles pleads for a quiet life: once the election is over everything will quieten down, but Samantha doesn't believe a word of it. Howard's dark secret is revealed in The Ghost's final post, and in The Fields, Krystal returns home to find Terri back to her old ways. Hope seems more fragile than ever, and news of a tragedy leaves the whole community reeling.