The A Word spin-off, following Ralph and Katie Wilson, starts on BBC One tonight – and here’s our handy recap of their relationship.
Whether you’ve watched The A Word and need a reminder on what happened with Ralph and Katie, or this is your first time watching the characters, you’ve come to the right place!
Ralph & Katie recap: Ralph Wilson joined The A Word in the first episode
Ralph Wilson and his mother Louise starred in the very first episode of The A Word in 2016.
Louise was introduced as Maurice’s singer teacher (more on them later!).
She was a single mother to son Ralph, who has Down’s syndrome.
Ralph’s father left when he was a teenager, unable to cope with his son’s condition (nice bloke).
Ralph bonded with Joe, Maurice’s grandson who has autism, after Louise suggested that they might understand each other.
But, at the end of series one, Joe went missing while Ralph was watching him and Maurice unfairly blamed Ralph.
What happened with Louise and Maurice in The A Word?
Louise and Maurice (Christopher Eccleston) were a popular couple in The A Word.
Maurice was widowed after his wife Susan died, and Louise was single after her husband walked out on her.
Louise was Maurice’s singing teacher and, in the show’s first episode, Louise asked Maurice if he wanted to start a casual relationship with her.
At first, Maurice was shocked and said no to the casual sex that Louise offered.
But, by episode three, Maurice saw sense and the pair slept together.
As feelings grew between the two of them, Maurice still dealt with feelings of guilt over the loss of wife, Sandra, who he was with for over 30 years.
Louise tried to give Maurice advice about Joe since she saw him and Ralph as similar, but Maurice was closed off to the advice.
In the series one finale, the two began to get closer as he finally let Ralph and Joe spend time together.
However, when Joe went missing under Ralph’s watch, Maurice unfairly blamed Ralph.
Louse and Maurice ended the first series on bad terms because of this.
Ralph & Katie Recap – What happened with Louise and Maurice in series two of The A Word?
In series two, Maurice realised his feelings for Louise were too strong, and tried to win her back.
But this time, Louise was the cold one, and kept shutting Maurice out.
Maurice kept pressing, though, until Louise finally revealed that she had breast cancer and couldn’t have him in her life.
Maurice insisted on helping her with her diagnosis, and the two started up their complicated relationship again.
As they grew closer, Maurice ended up proposing to her.
However, Louise said she wasn’t ready to marry again, but they could stay together.
But, in a big shock at the end of series two, Maurice dramatically collapsed, with his fate in the air.
Luckily, series 3 revealed he was okay.
Read more: Lucy in The Long Call: How did Sarah Gordy become famous and who did she play in The A Word?
When did Ralph & Katie start dating? A full recap of their relationship
In series three, the timeline skipped three years in the future and viewers had some catching up to do!
The first episode revealed that Ralph had met and fallen in love with a girl with Down’s syndrome.
She was named Katie, and was played by actress Sarah Gordy.
Ralph told Louise he was ready to make some big changes in his life…
But she couldn’t have imagined that Katie would ask Ralph to marry her and he would say yes!
As Louise’s fears about their relationship grew, Ralph told his mother about his plans to marry Katie.
Ralph wanted to marry and live independently with Katie…
And, despite Louise’s initial reluctance, she recognised that Ralph could benefit from this.
At the end of The A Word series 3, viewers were thrilled to witness the wedding of Ralph and Katie.
How did The A Word end for the characters?
The BBC One show ended up with Ralph and Katie getting married in an adorable ceremony.
Viewers were touched when Ralph promised Katie he would “stay with her for the rest of his life”. Aww!
In Louise and Maurice’s relationship, Maurice asked Louise to marry him.
Although we never heard Louise’s answer, a ring on her finger seemed to confirm that they were engaged.
However, it appears that Christopher Eccleston is not returning for The A Word spin-off.
Louise might even have a new love interest on the scene…
Ralph & Katie begins on Wednesday October 05 at 9pm on BBC One. Episodes will also be available on iPlayer after airing.
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