General Store
Loris wants to know how Stinger did at the AA meeting and he's trying to avoid her questions in order not to reveal he didn't go there. She says she's very proud of him for going and wants to know when the next meeting is but he manages to escape answering that when Harry butts in and says he heard Stinger was coming with Sky to an ante-natal class. Dylan comes in and orders a foccacia and man, is Stinger foccacia'd now or what! Or rather, he *would* be if Dylan wasn't pretending that his brother doesn't exist!

STINGER: Look, we can't keep going on like this, alright! We're brothers! Look, we work together for crying out loud!
DYL: Not anymore. I quit! As of this moment we don't see each other, we don't speak, ever again!

And by that Dyl leaves with Loris calling out Botty after him and that makes me laugh since the sudden mental image of a red baby bottom in the middle of all this seriousness is so inappropriate.

Rachel and Bree are entertaining themselves by talking about Stinger while sipping away at milkshakes. Just then Zeke enters and this blond girl named Madison (who from now on will be called Maddy) walks up to him while the girls watch the unfolding of events and we get two conversations intertwining, with Rachel and Bree in the foreground and Zeke and Maddy in the background.

MADDY: Zekie!
ZEKE: Hi.

BREE: Zekie?
RACHEL: I don't know what you're so worried about, there is no way that Zeke would be interested in someone like Madison.
BREE: Yeah?

(in the background)

ZEKE: What are you doing?
MADDY: I don't know, what are you doing?
ZEKE: I don't know, what are you doing?

Ah, one of those really deep convos that only teenagers have.

MADDY: Look, I saw you on the footy field. You so stand out from the other losers.
ZEKE: (puts on macho act) Yeah, well, when you've got it...

BREE: He's so changed.

Hospital room
We move over to the hospital only to find the little missy who's really supposed to be in the psych ward due to her condition lying in her bed reading until she hears Sky and Rachel coming in when she pretends to be asleep instead. It's funny how they seemingly have no room for Teresa in the psych ward despite Max evacuating one of the rooms last week! Hmm, this hospital is weeeird. Rachel tells Sky that she's all Stingray's got right now so maybe she could talk to him and check up on him. Sky suggests Rachel does it herself, but she's reluctant since it's not really her place to get involved in Stingray's business now the two of them aren't together anymore. Sky says she's pretty sure that Stinger's not too keen on her either since he seems to be staying away from her now.

SKY: Not that I can blame him. I mean, I am the reason for his world crashing down.

Rachel says she's worried Stinger might have started drinking again and begs Sky to try and talk to him so she says she will. On the other side of the curtain that's dividing the room into two, Teresa's smirking to herself.

Hotel room
Stinger is trying to keep himself entertained while keeping off the booze so is filming himself with his camcorder for a bit before giving it up. He can't help glancing over to the mini bar and ignores a call from Sky on his mobile. He looks at the cover of one of his paternity books, this one is called 'Daddy for Dumwits #4', and then he throws it at the little fridge hosting the mini bar. Stinger gets up and after realising that the mini bar is empty he calls reception and asks them to re-fill it for him but not to put it on Loris's bill. Throughout this scene though I keep getting distracted by the cars driving past outside the window on what is obviously a road, NOT the gravel covered area outside of Lassiters.

No. 26
Ooh, it's family cooking time, how lovely! Dylan gets off the phone and announces that he's most likely scored himself a job as a cook over in WA, in Margaret River to be more specific. Bree and Janelle try to convince him that there's something worth staying in Erinsborough for, but Dyl doesn't agree. He just wants to make a fresh start.

LORIS: What would it take to make you stay?
DYL: Make the last few months of my life disappear?
LORIS: I've got something that might help.
DYL: I doubt it, Nan.
LORIS: How does owning 9% of Lassiters appeal?
JANELLE: That's what you've always wanted!
DYL: How much?
LORIS: No cost.
DYL: What's the catch?
LORIS: No catch. I bought an extra 9% on top of my 40. To be honest, odd numbers bore me.
JANELLE: He'll take it!
DYL: Oh geez, you wanna think about it, Mum! (to Loris) You're only doing this to make me stay!
LORIS: Of course I am! Look, you can go to Margaret River and become a cook or you can stay here and realise your full potential. Just think how much fun it would be us owning 49% of Lassiters. That's all Paul's got!

Dylan's not quite sure what to think about this.

Hospital corridor
Sky's trying to get hold of Stingray, but he's still not taking her calls so she leaves a message asking him to get in touch. She goes back into her room and Teresa's wondering how Sky's going with everything. Sky says she thought she could lean on Stingray, but it seems not after all, and now all she can see for the future is that things will be bad for the baby.

SKY: Sometimes I wish things were very different.
TERESA: Yeah, you wish someone could wave their magic wand make everything better again.
SKY: Mm-hmm. Where is that magic wand when you need it, ay?
TERESA: Well, maybe I could be that person. I could take your child. I could adopt it and give it all the love in the world. You don't want a baby and I do. I do so much. It's the perfect solution.

Hospital room
SKY: When I said I wanted things to be different I didn't mean I didn't want the baby.
TERESA: Of course you want it. It's just that you're not ready for it.
SKY: No, that's not what I meant either. I know I'm gonna be nervous and scared and worried and all of those things, but... This is my baby, Teresa, and I love it.
TERESA: And if you really love it you want it to have the best life.
SKY: And who are you to say you can provide a better one?
TERESA: Don't get mad at me! I was thinking of you.

Stingray appears and he's fairly belligerent towards her going on about all the million messages Sky left on his phone. She wants to know what's going on with him but he brushes her off. Sky works out that he's been drinking and he replies by calling her a hypocrite.

STINGER: Say one thing behind my back, another to my face!
SKY: Stinger, what are you talking about?
STINGER: Poor baby, yeah? Having me as a Dad, if only it was Dylan's. How great would that be!
SKY: (bewildered) Where is this all coming from?
TERESA: I think you should leave, you're upsetting Sky.
SKY: Teresa, stay out of it!
STINGER: Let her talk! She's the only one who's being honest with me. All I ever wanted was to be a good father to that kid. But that doesn't matter to you, does it?

He leaves in a huff and Sky asks Teresa what on earth she told Stinger to make him behave in this way.

Scarlet Bar
Elle's talking to a P.I. on her mobile and is arranging for him/her to go in search of Max.

ELLE: I don't care what you have to do to find him or how much it costs. I just want him found.

Ooh, that's generous of you considering you were the one who caused him to leave his family behind in the first place!

After finishing her convo with the P.I. Elle heads straight for a business meeting with Loris at one of the tables in the bar because Paul still hasn't got an on-screen office so they have to make do with all sorts of other random places to do business. Whilst Paul, Lyn and Ozzie are in NY, Elle's now in charge of Lassiters. Loris can't hold back a laugh at the sight of Elle as the representative for the Robinsons. There is apparently a 'Mister 2%' too that could be at this shareholders' meeting, but he's just a silent partner so he's not coming. Elle says she can't wait to meet Mister 9%, but Loris can't get over the fact that Paul's letting Elle represent him despite having no experience in the area.

ELLE: While Dad's in America, I'm in charge.
LORIS: (sarky) How comforting for us.
ELLE: Mrs. Timmins, Beaumont, whatever it is you call yourself... It is in your best interest not to patronise. You should remind yourself just who owns the majority of Lassiters.
LORIS: And who would that be?
ELLE: My family of course.
LORIS: Not anymore.

Dylan shows up at their table.

LORIS: Meet Mister 9%.

Elle's in shock.

LORIS: That means the Timmins family now owns 49% of Lassiters, just like the Robinsons.

Loris goes to get some champagne so that they can celebrate and Elle says to Dylan that he's just doing this to get back at her. Dylan points out that he was just offered the 9% and took it, that's all.

DYL: Although, now you mention it. I could use my position to pay you back, couldn't I?
ELLE: Dylan, how many times do I have to apologise?
DYL: For making me believe you were dying? Funny, I can't begin to imagine a number that comes close. I'm gonna treat you the way you treated me. Like scum.

No 26
Bree's at the kitchen table reading a book when Janelle comes in.

JANELLE: What's up yours? Boy problems?
BREE: It's not a problem. If Zeke wants to act like a himbo then I don't care.
LOU: I saw him acting like a real cool dude in the General Store.
BREE: Don't say dude!
LOU: He had a pretty girl all over him like a rash!
BREE: Don't say rash!
JANELLE: Fair dinkum? Zeke's grown a mojo all of a sudden?
BREE: (getting worked up) He's always had a mojo, but I was the only one smart enough to appreciate it. But now it's out there and everyone... (calmly) I don't care, or anything... (all worked up again) And she wasn't attractive!
JANELLE: Anyway, you're better off without the little weed.
LOU: Don't dismiss her, love. It's obvious that she still digs him.
BREE: Don't say digs!
LOU: But you still have feelings for him, right?
BREE: Yeah, but now he's stomped all over those feelings like I don't even matter.
LOU: Bree, how many times have you treated him the same way?
BREE: ...
LOU: Come on, I've seen it myself. Every time Zeke tries to get near to you or get in your good books, you ignore him.
JANELLE: She's just trying to play hard to get, there's nothing wrong with that!
LOU: So what he's doing now is trying to prove to himself that he's worthwhile. It's called pride!
BREE: So now it's my fault he's acting like an idiot?
LOU: Just treat him the way you'd like to be treated. Pretty soon Zeke will come running back to you. Trust me, I was 14 once, many moons ago.
BREE & JANELLE: Don't say moons!

Bree says she'll take on board what he told her and leaves. Janelle's impressed since Bree never listens to her in that way and suggests that maybe she should stop playing hard to get herself. Lou says that maybe he should offer his advice more often too and they hug.

Aww, I'm liking these new family arrangements a lot- Lou with the Timminses, Lyn with the Robinsons, the newbies at no. 30 and Karl's settling in okay at no. 28 too. How nice.

Scarlet Bar
Elle, Dyl and Loris are now discussing the design of a new building in the Lassiters complex that's currently in the planning stages.

LORIS: Ah yes, about the new design. I'm afraid those plans will have to go. Oh, but then I don't have the power to overrule, do I? (turns to Dylan) What do you think?
DYL: Jock (sp?) 'em.
ELLE: The new building is central to the whole redevelopment.
LORIS: Of course it is. But to be frank, it's an eyesore.
DYL: You said it!
ELLE: My father is very keen to see these plans go ahead. It was designed by my brother. It was Cameron's legacy to the business and our family.
LORIS: Of course it is, I understand. But I'm afraid we can't let sentiment get in the way of good business, can we? I'm sure that's something your father does understand.
ELLE: You are going to block everything we're trying to do, aren't you?
LORIS: I just want to do what's best for the shareholders.
ELLE: Dylan, you understand what this means to my family.
DYL: I do, but I'm still blocking the proposal anyway, sorry!
LORIS: So it looks like that's that then.
ELLE: No, it means that it is a hung vote. I'm calling the last 2%.
LORIS: You can do that, darling, but I'm sure whoever they are they'll see it my way. I can be very persuasive.
DYL: What goes around, comes around.

Elle's lost for words as Dylan and Loris leave her behind to ponder all of this. This makes me wonder who Mister 2% is, maybe it's one of the other characters in the show! Exciting!

Scarlet Bar
It's now time for a double date with Harry and Loris going out together with Lou and Janelle. The blokes are over at the bar while the ladies wait at the table and Lou tells Harry that this is the worst double date he's ever been on, Harry's just too nervous to be any help in keeping the conversation going. Lou points out that there's no reason to be nervous since Harry's been out with Loris before, but Harry reckons there's a lot more pressure on a second date than on the first one.

LOU: You're a great catch, have some confidence. Look, when the drinks arrive, get them back there and charm the pants off her! So to speak.

Lou excuses himself to go to the bathroom leaving Harry to gather up some courage.

Zeke and Maddy enter the bar and the Zekster is still trying to keep up his new macho image. Janelle spots them and asks what they're doing in the bar. Maddy says they're there with her parents, but Janelle isn't convinced. She realises that Maddy is Zeke's new girl and that Bree was right in what she said about Maddy.

MADDY: (with a look of disgust on her face) Oh, you're her mother?
JANELLE: (mimicking Maddy's facial expression) Wouldn't you like to know.
MADDY: I didn't know this bar was going to be so feral.

The teens leave and Janelle and Loris talk about Lou instead. Before Loris has time to say what she really thinks of him, Janelle interrupts her.

JANELLE: I know what you're thinking. I could get someone younger and spunkier, but you know, Lou's a surprise package. I haven't felt this happy in yonks!

Oh no, Janelle, you know you're not supposed to say stuff like that! Now The Angst™ is bound to come crashing through your door at any minute! Harold comes over with the drinks and then there's a familiar voice coming from the left.

"HEROLD!!!!"

OMG, it's Mishka!!!! And it seems I was right about The Angst™ returning except it only took seconds this time.

(waits for party poppers going off around the world to stop popping before continuing)

Mishka is looking very snazzy in a blue flight attendant uniform with a very cool hat to boost and instantly walks up to Harry and starts hugging and kissing him. Loris and Janelle are stunned at the sight of Mishka and so am I, but I'm very, very happy too! At last, she's back!

MISHKA: Great to be seeing you again!
HEROLD: Mishka, what brings you back here?
MISHKA: Plane. I job for Aero Dyschovky. (pointing to her uniform) You like?

Hehe. Mishka taking things literally is one of my favourite things about her.

MISHKA: Where is my Lou?
LORIS: (pointing to the bathrooms) Um, the lavatory's...
JANELLE: Whose Lou?
MISHKA: My Lou-bear. He shall return to my bosom.
JANELLE: You nearly killed him you dumb Russian moll!

Janelle throws her drink at Mishka just as Lou returns from the loo.

JANELLE: So take your bosom and rack off!

Heh, this reminds me of when the same joke was used in ep 4976 (which by the way was a very excellent episode overall, not just because of the lovely Plyn™ scenes) when Harry said "I have to go to the loo, Lou.". It was funnier the first time.

Hospital room
Sky can no longer hold back her anger at Teresa meddling in her business.

SKY: How dare you interfere? Stingray's the most important person in my life right now!
TERESA: He's a mess!
SKY: He's my friend!

Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure the Skray™ shippers would say that there's more than that going on deep down.

TERESA: Please, hear me out! Yes, I sent him away, but it was only to protect you!
SKY: I don't need protecting and I don't need you getting involved in my personal business!
TERESA: He was drunk! If you thought he was aggressive right now you should have seen him before.

What a liar that girl is!

TERESA: I wasn't trying to be manipulative, I was trying to help. I'm sorry, I won't be getting involved again.

Thank you. The door is to your right, and I'm sure you can find your own way out. Bye, bye now!

Unfortunately Sky is way too nice and way to naïve so she falls for Teresa's little mind games. That figures. We never get rid ot the nasty pieces of work that easily! Sky says she's sorry and wants to know if Stinger really was that aggressive before. Teresa, who's in pout mode, nods and Sky says she's sorry that she'd have to experience that.

Teresa puts on her best acting skills and her most melodramatic voice.

TERESA: I just care about what sort of environment this baby is being born into.
SKY: Yeah, but Teresa, what you said about adopting...
TERESA: I know. That was too much.

You think?

SKY: If you want another child, why don't you just have one?
TERESA: I can't. I've been told I can't have any more.

Sky says she's sorry to hear that and Teresa feeds her another lie about her 'husband' and how they're devastated at the news, especially since they have so much love to give.

SKY: I know you do and so do I, Teresa.

Teresa says she will be a mother again, she'll just have to find another way to go about it. Hmm, am I the only one who's worried about the safety of Sky's unborn child now? This Teresa girl is creepy.

No. 28
The Zekster is recounting this cool party he went to to Maddy while Rachel is listening in. The macho act is still on, but it's not working quite as well when Rach is there too, especially not when she mentions Zeke's worm farm. The phone rings and Rachel picks it up much to Zeke's displeasure as he was hoping to get an excuse to avoid talking about his worm farm.

RACH: (answering the phone) Worm City!

It's Sky on the phone, so Rach goes to her room to continue the conversation there. Maddy doesn't seem to be much of a fan of worms, so Zeke denies that the farm is his and claims it's in fact Rachel's! Maddy's walking closer and close to Zeke and he's walking backwards until he's up against the wall because he's getting a little flustered when she's so close. Rachel whips past them and says she has to go out since it was Sky on the phone wanting to see her. After she leaves Maddy sees her chance at getting close to Zeke.

MADDY: So, finally. Just the two of us.
ZEKE: (nervous) Just the two of us...
MADDY: So what are we going to do now?
ZEKE: (trying to find a way out) Chess!

He manages to get out of the tricky situation he's in by rushing over to the lounge. Maddy follows him to the sofa and sits down next to him.

MADDY: Actually, I was kind of thinking something a little more like this...

She leans in to kiss him, but he pulls away at the last minute.

MADDY: What, don't you like kissing girls?

I can *so* see all those 'Zeke is gay' rumours start up again now! Or maybe not, because the Zekster leans in to kiss Maddy the very next second and they both seem pretty pleased about it too! Hehe.

No. 26
Janelle and her supporters are hanging out in the kitchen discussing the situation with Lou and Miskha.

HEROLD: You have got nothing to worry about, Janelle. Lou's just looking for some closure.
JANELLE: Why he's giving her any time at all is beyond me.
LORIS: The woman is obviously barking mad.
JANELLE: He couldn't tell her he's my man!
BREE: Lou's crazy about you!

Janelle's not so sure.

HEROLD: You're the one that made him happy!

Um, was I hallucinating for three months of Mishka's earlier stint then? To me at least Lou-bear seemed very happy when Mishka was in town.

HEROLD: After the heartache he suffered in Russia I doubt he'll go back to her.
JANELLE: I bet she's trying it on. Big time.

No. 24
MISHKA: It fill my heart to see you again.
LOU-BEAR: Just get to the point, Mishka.
MISHKA: Oh, Lou-bear, not to be angry wiz me. It was not my fault.
LOU-BEAR: You embarrassed me. You humiliated me. And on top of everything else, you tried to kill me.
MISHKA: I'm sorry to push you down ze stairs. It was accident. It kill me to put you in ze pain.
LOU-BEAR: That's nothing compared to the pain of you choosing Igor over me.
MISHKA: I had to choose husband. Don't you understand? It was all I could do! Everyzing I do, I do for you.

(starts humming the song of Bryan Adams's with the same title)

"Look into my eyes - you will see, what you mean to me, search your heart - search your soul and when you find me there you'll search no more..."

No. 26
JANELLE: She'll be dragging out every cliché in the Moscow handbook.
HEROLD: Lou will not jeopardise what he's got going with you. Trust me!
JANELLE: I'm the rebound chick! And look, I was okay with that because I didn't think I'd have to deal with Mishka again.
LORIS: Look at you and look at her! There isn't a contest!

I agree, 90% of the time they both wear as ugly clothes as the other!

JANELLE: She's exotic. I'm from Colac. I bet she brought so much excitement into his life.

No. 24
MISHKA: When Igor find out zet my new man is Russia he go crazy wiz jealousy. He a very dangerous man.
LOU-BEAR: It was you who pushed me, Mishka, not him.
MISHKA: If I not push you, you would be dead by now. Igor was hiding in apartment at top of stairs. He was going to kill you, Lou-bear!

Lou-bear just looks at her while trying to make sense of it all.

A hotel room at Lassiters the next day

Stinger's lying on a bed with a beer bottle in his hand in a room is full of empty beer bottles that all have the snazzy-looking Scarlet Bar stickers on them too. I think it's cool they're making their own ale, maybe they're using Lou, Connor and Valda's old recipe from when they won the award for Best Beer in 4519.

Stinger gets up when he hears a knock on the door and is surprised to find that it's Rachel who's come to see him. She says she's there for a catch-up and asks how he's been. He says he's been great, but clearly he's not. In fact he looks really drained. Rachel asks if she could come in, but Stinger makes up an excuse about the housekeeping people being really slack so it's probably not a very good idea. Things get a bit awkward and Rachel says the same thing applies to her too, she hasn't been able to come near him.

RACH: I don't know why, it's just... It's hard. But knowing what you've become, knowing that you're now like this is even worse.

She says she wants to help him and he gets annoyed and wants to know exactly what she thinks he's become.

RACH: You're drinking again and you're not coping!
STINGER: You should count yourself lucky that you got out in time, shouldn't you?
RACH: What? No!
STINGER: Rach, you did well. Look, you deserve better than I can give you. This isn't going to work. Maybe you should just go.
RACH: But I'm your friend.

He says something unintelligible back and closes the door right in front of her. Leaning back against the door, Stinger says to himself that she'll thank him for it later.

Scarlet Bar
Dyl's having a drink when Elle comes up to him and tells him that she'd really appreciate it if he would reconsider his stand regarding the design of that building they were talking about earlier. He says it's too late now. Elle refuses to give up and tells him that he knows that Cam's plans for the re-development are amazing so he should just admit that instead of trying to get back at her by turning the proposal down. Plus, it's not just her that Dylan's refusal affects, it's Paul too.

DYL: I voted for what I felt was right for Lassiters. That you're upset is just an added bonus.
ELLE: You have every right to hate me. I hate myself in so many ways for reasons you would not believe.
DYL: (ironically) Oh, you're breaking my heart.
ELLE: The biggest mistake I ever made was trying to make you love me as much as I loved you.
DYL: Bla, bla, bla...

Elle says that maybe if she'd taken a step back and not forced their relationship then things wouldn't be such a mess, maybe they'd still be together. They walk into the office at the back and Elle asks Dylan for forgiveness.

DYL: But you're right. We did have fun once. A million years ago, before everything went to hell.

They start kissing and kiss for what seems forever um, 37 seconds with funky jazz music playing in the background before we fade out to black.