Ep 1. Tour of Duty

Moving On season 3 episode 1, named "Tour of Duty," follows the story of a young man named Ben who returns home to Liverpool after serving in Afghanistan. His experiences there have left him struggling to readjust to civilian life, especially as his own family seem unable to understand what he has been through.

As the episode begins, we see Ben arriving at his family home, where he is reunited with his mother, father, and sister. Though they are all excited to see him, it's immediately clear that things are not quite as they should be. Ben is withdrawn and distant, and he seems unable to connect with the people around him. His mother frets over him, his father tries to give him space, and his sister struggles to understand why he's behaving the way he is.

As the episode progresses, we learn more about Ben's experiences in Afghanistan, and we begin to understand why he is finding it so hard to adjust. We see him having flashbacks to his time in combat, and we watch as he struggles to reconcile his own experiences with the world he has returned to. His family, too, begin to share their own struggles - his mother is dealing with health problems, his father is trying to keep his business afloat, and his sister is facing her own challenges at home.

Throughout the episode, we see Ben trying to find his feet in this new world, and to reconnect with the people around him. He takes a job as a delivery driver, hoping that the routine will help him regain some sense of normality. He tries to spend time with his family, attending his sister's children's birthday party and heading out for drinks with his old friends. But despite his efforts, he remains distant and disconnected.

As the episode draws to a close, we see Ben making a breakthrough. He reaches out to an old army buddy, who he runs into by chance on a night out, and begins to open up about his experiences in Afghanistan. He also starts to make amends with his family, finally breaking down and confiding in his sister about some of the things that have been troubling him.

"Tour of Duty" is a powerful episode that tackles the difficult topic of post-traumatic stress disorder in a sensitive and nuanced way. Through Ben's story, we see the impact that war can have on individuals and their families, and we are reminded of the importance of empathy and understanding in helping those who have returned from conflict to reintegrate into civilian life.