Coma on Channel 5 sees Jason Watkins play Simon, a kind-hearted family man who tries to lie his way out of a crime after a split-second error in judgment.
After being menaced by local teens, Simon ends up punching 17-year-old Jordan Franklin (played by Joe Barber), but when he fails to get up and ends up in a coma, it looks like Simon's mistake is set to cost him everything he loves.
Here is everything that happened in Coma episode 3...
The third episode of Coma opens with Simon packing after discovering that Jordan has woken up. He is sure the teenager will remember everything and that his days are numbered, and is convinced going on the run is the best thing now. Beth reminds him they are broke and says she will go to the hospital and see how Jordan is.
When she gets there a doctor is checking Jordan and he is awake but not talking. The doctor says he needs more tests and Paul is annoyed. Beth calls Simon, who is on the school run collecting Sophie and lets him know that Jordan isn't talking. Relieved that his secret is safer for a little longer, Simon ignores a call from DS Kelly and heads to his work where he shouts at Jimmy, demanding he pays him his redundancy money and threatening to sue him.
DS Kelly is at his house waiting when he gets home and asks him about the phone call he made to the police the night before the attack happened. He gets agitated, knowing she is on to him, and he tells her this isn't a good time. She leaves, but it is clear that she is suspicious of his behavior change.
As Jordan starts talking at the hospital, Beth and Simon are arguing about the fact he went to see Jimmy and demanded money. Beth thinks his urgency for cash makes him look guilty, but soon they have bigger things to worry about when Sophie comes in and says there is a man downstairs wanting to talk to them and that she let him in.
Beth and Simon pretend to be pleased to see Paul and ask how Jordan is doing. He tells them that his son can't remember a thing from the night of the attack and asks Simon to come and visit Jordan so that he might be able to jog his memory. Obviously, there is nothing Simon wants to do less, but is between a rock and a hard place until Beth jumps in with her medical knowledge and convinces Paul that it would be better to let Jordan rest as grilling him about the attack could set his recovery back.
Paul agrees, but makes Simon promise to come and see Jordan in a few days, and that he will also take him out for dinner afterward as a thank you.
At the hospital, DS Kelly quizzes Jordan about the night of the attack but he maintains he doesn't remember a thing. He says he has never met Simon before and that he's never been to that part of town where Simon lives.
As Paul gets annoyed with Kelly's questioning, saying she is treating him more like a suspect than a victim, Simon is at home and his phone pings. He looks at it and is shocked to see Jimmy is making a formal complaint about him at work, claiming that he attacked him at the pub on the night of his leaving do and that Simon won't get his redundancy money.
But just as Simon is getting his head around another assault, one that isn't true this time, the doorbell goes and it's Paul, who has come to collect him for their trip to see Jordan.
Simon knows there is no getting out of it, so goes to the hospital. While there Jordan says thank you to Simon for saving his life and tells his dad once again that he has never seen Simon before in his life. However, when Paul goes out of the room to answer his phone, Jordan turns on Simon, telling him he remembers everything from that night but while he won't tell anyone, he now 'owns' Simon.
Stunned at the sudden turn of events, Simon has to face a meal at the pub with Paul, pretending all is okay. Paul can tell something is wrong, and so Simon pretends it is work and tells him his boss is being difficult about his redundancy. Paul asks Simon if he wants him to have a 'word' but he says no.
The pair open up, with Simon telling Paul that Sophie was born via IVF and that she was their last hope of being parents. Paul says he and Anna had another son, Danny, who died of leukemia when he was just 11.
Later we see that Paul hasn't listened to Simon at all and as Jimmy gets home that evening two men are waiting for him in his flat who try to drown him in his kitchen sink.
The next morning Simon gets a call from Jimmy who tells him he is sorry and will make sure he gets his redundancy money that day. Simon instantly knows this is Paul's doing and Beth is horrified that they have men like that connected to their family now.
Later Jordan is allowed home from the hospital and everyone claps as he walks out to the car. The local press are there and want a photo with Jordan and his 'hero' Simon, and the pair pose. However, there is a welcome home party that night and Paul is adamant that Simon and Beth have to be there - and Jordan pretends he loves Simon and tells him that he really wants him to come along.
As Jordan arrives home Paul has a word with him and says he wants him to clean up his act, go to college and make something of himself. Jordan is annoyed with his dad and when Paul and Anna go out to get drinks for the party that night, Jordan messages Simon and asks him to meet him at the park and that he wants a burger.
The message comes through as Simon and Beth are booking flights for them to all escape to Florida where they will stay with Simon's sister... but Simon does as Jordan says and meets him with a burger and a drink. Jordan throws the food in the bin, tormenting Simon, and demands £50,000 for his silence.
Simon is stunned, telling Jordan he doesn't have that sort of cash, but Jordan tells him that is what it will cost to keep him quiet. At the party that night everyone is chatting with Simon and Beth, who have made a pact to stay for as short a time as possible. But while they are there, Simon is feeling brave and corners Jordan telling him he can have £3,000 a month for a year, but it isn't enough for Jordan and he ups it to £5,000 a month.
The next day Jordan gets into Simon's car where they have arranged to meet, and Simon gives him his first installment of money. But they don't realize Paul's friend Mark is watching them, and he demands to know what is going on. He takes them both to a portacabin in a building site and demands answers. Jordan seems scared of Mark and tells Simon they are done for. He takes Mark outside to explain and tells him that Simon is the one who hit him and he is rinsing him for cash.
Mark is fuming and heads back inside, only for them to find Simon has gone. Soon Mark is chasing Simon around the building site and Simon calls Beth to come and get him in the car. She races there and finds him, but as she is driving to pick him up, she doesn't see Mark and accidentally runs him over, leaving him for dead on the floor.
Has Beth just killed Mark?
Coma is a four-part series on Channel 5 that runs for four consecutive nights from Monday, March 18 to Thursday, March 21 2024 at 9pm.
