Dan is losing friends fast. He seems unable to get to grips with even the most basic construction skills, and his fellow trainees are soon blaming him for the slow progress of the project.
To make matters worse, shortly before the Bricking It project started Dan's mother died, leaving him vulnerable. In spite of this huge loss, Dan is eager to make Bricking It work for him. "When I was accepted onto the project I felt happy, proud, glad, relieved and nervous. Very nervous."
Dan is right to be nervous. His relationship with the trainees is suffering. Greg Males questions whether Dan should be on the project at all. "He has no common sense whatever. I don't think he's in the right place." And the group as a whole is concluding that Dan is plain lazy.
But is it fair for Dan to shoulder the blame? According to Sparky Peter Briggs, one of the master-craftspeople on site, Dan is not the real problem. It is lack of teamwork.
The pressure is on. One thousand metres of electrical cable need to be installed, and the group must meet a looming deadline. Some on-site advice to Ricky doesn't go down well.
Dr Phil tells Dan to take a break, and he leaves the site facing an uncertain future.
Dan is unable to account for himself, but is clearly struggling to cope with his recent bereavement. "After my Mum died I don't know how to handle myself." As Dan boards the train back to Bath, his home town, his dreams of becoming a Painter and Decorator are looking increasingly fanciful.
In Bath, Dan turns to his grandparents for advice. "I stand around doing nothing (on-site) because I've got nothing to do. Then I get into trouble. I can't win." In spite of his despondency Dan seems optimistic that he can still make a go of the project. "It's awkward but there's ways around it. I'm just over-reacting because I'm stressed out."
Dan returns to the site, keen to make amends with the other trainees. "I've been out of order," he confesses at a group meeting. And on-site Dan seems to fitting smoothly into the team.
He feels that the trainees are making an effort to include him. "Everyone's saying 'Dan, do you want some help?', even if it's stupid things like holding the level while we measure up. It's quite nice."
But the harmony is short-lived. Before long Dan's work is attracting the wrong kind of attention once again. "His plasterboard is like Swiss cheese," says Hannah.
