Silk took a melodramatic turn when Martha represented former flame Sean McBride, who was on trial for murder. Whether last week’s events left a bitter taste in Martha’s mouth was completely ignored, and she continued to let her heart rule her head.

Silk is a TV drama of course, a very entertaining one at that, but it’s hard to suspend the belief that in real life there is no way Martha would have been allowed to represent someone she had previously been so close to. The plot was a clanger of a way to explore Clive and Martha’s feelings for each other in a bit more depth, as it seemed to have taken a backseat over the last three episodes.

Clive’s petty jealousy over Martha’s friendship with Sean – and Sean’s goading him about it – saw the episode veer into EastEnders territory, like much of this episode in fact. This only intensified with Sean and Clive coming to blows over Martha while she looked on helplessly. After watching Clive flirt outrageously with Harriet and Nicola earlier on, his sudden passion over Martha rang hollow. You can’t help but get the feeling that this love triangle won’t be wrapped up that neatly in next week’s final (ever) episode.

Billy’s sexual harassment trial is looming, and he’s become rather odious about it; arrogantly refusing to apologise or explain. He blames his illness – which we now know is terminal, but he doesn’t – and Martha has agreed to defend him, which will pit her against Clive yet again. It showed further proof of Martha’s admirable loyalty to her male friends, but having Martha question Amy on whether she misread Billy’s intentions was insulting to her headstrong, righteous character.

Elsewhere, by way of a cloak and dagger trip into a cushy prison cell, shady solicitor Mickey Joy resurfaced in what was possibly the most laughably arch scene in Silk to date: complete with musings about literature, heaven and hell and bananas (really). In Peter Moffat’s mind, you see, we needed to be reminded that Mickey Joy is clever, and that’s why he says clever things all the time. Because he’s clever, get it?

Mickey informed Billy that he needed Martha. Why, you ask? “Because she thinks I’m the devil” said Joy. You could almost hear the duff-duffs kick in…

Aired at 9pm on Monday 24 March 2014 on BBC One.

> Follow Sarah Deen on Twitter.

What did you think of the episode? Let us know below…