WE have seen comedian Jason Manford in his first big drama role.

Soap stars like Michelle Keegan, Jo Joyner and Sally Lindsay have all made their mark on Ordinary Lies and Spooks' Shazad Latif and Mad Dogs' Max Beesley went head-to-head in the previous week.

But arguably the fifth episode of the Warrington-based series, featuring Mackenzie Crook as car salesman 'Paracetamol Pete', was the one viewers have been looking forward to and it was worth the wait.

Ordinary Lies is one of The Office star's first major TV roles after turning his attention to films.

And his character Pete has mainly kept himself to himself in the previous episodes, making him something of mystery.

Well now the lid has been lifted on why he has been so distant and forlorn in the JS Motors workplace.

As with all the other characters in this hotbed of a workplace, Pete has a double life and is living a pretty terrible lie.

The recovering gambling addict's wife is pregnant after a harrowing string of miscarriages.

But Pete already has a six-year-old son – the result of an affair that he has kept secret ever since.

What made this episode so appealing was that it was not as obvious as some of the others. Writer Danny Brocklehurst said he had to work hard on this storyline and you can tell.

The episode is a bit of a web at first with desperate Pete plotting for two expensive cars to be stolen during a test drive.

At first you think he is back to his old gambling tricks but his money troubles and spiralling debts relate to blackmail. It is all just so tragic and you begin to understand his actions.

What also makes the situation and Pete's character interesting is that he has still trying to make amends for his mistakes six years on while dealing with a crisis at home.

It is a powerful episode and when Pete eventually turns to gambling again you feel his anguish.

He continues to carry those burdens as the credits roll as he torments over whether to admit all to his wife who needs to avoid stress at all costs. The show cleverly keeps you guessing.

The fifth episode also reveals the shocking source of Beth's mysterious phone calls which she thought was her missing husband (more on that in the finale next week) and Jason's troubled relationship.

The only disappointment in the episode was there was no mention of receptionist Viv.

She seems to be completely forgotten about despite being locked up in a Dominican Republic jail!