Previously on Neighbours
- Mark alerting Ned/Brad/Lauren that Jacka is out on bail.
- Ned filling in the gaps to Brad/Lauren about Regan/Jacka.
- Regan asking Ned to run away with her.
- Lauren telling Elly that Ned is going away for a few days.
- Elly watching Ned/Regan leave
- Gary/Terese pashing each other.
- Paige failing to change Nikki's mind about priests.
- Paige accidentally spilling a chemical over herself.
- Jack coping an eyeful of topless Paige after she took off her top that was soaked in the chemical.
- Nikki calling Jack a sleazebag after she caught him looking at topless Paige.
Blaze outreach
Now fully dressed, Paige doesn't get why Jack is peeved at her and doesn't think her trying to explain things to Nikki will help.
Cue titles!
Number 32 backyard
Piper is over to talk hen parties with Lauren and suggests going hot air ballooning (in the morning) after a low key party. Lauren is very keen on that idea especially the hot air balloon trip. Their chat is interrupted by a very grumpy Paige arriving home and walks straight through them without saying a word.
(Later)
"I feel so ashamed," is how Paige tells her mum/sister and while Piper thinks Jack should have been responsible enough to have looked elsewhere, Lauren asks if she planned for it to happen? "No," she replies but admits that she was glad he saw her especially as the way he looked at her was so natural. Piper is adamant her sister has done nothing wrong, while Lauren suggests taking a step back so she doesn't open herself up to rejection. "I can't leave it like this," she says adding that she needs to put things right.
The Waterhole
Gary and Terese are being very coy, talking secretively with each other and arrange to meet in an hours' time.
Terese departs and Sheila comes out of the back office and unloads on her son about not being invited to the hen's party as she knows the invitations have gone out.
Brad is surprised to see his son behind the bar working and he explains that he was only away a couple of days to take Regan somewhere safe (Albury). Ned confirms that there is nothing going on with Regan and that he kept going away quiet from Elly for easiness. "She knows," Brad tells him, which puzzles Ned as she didn't say anything to him in the messages they exchanged. He reassures his dad that it is safe to be back.
NED: As of now, I'm probably more scared of Elly than I am of Jacka!
Lassiters Park
Elly interrupts her exercise class to go talk to Ned, where she starts quietly and build up to the full crescendo so he stops her to say nothing happened with Regan. She also doesn't believe he stayed over at a motel after dropping Regan off even when he tries to tell her it was for both of their safeties.
NED: I had to do something.
ELLY: No, all you had to do was be honest. You have kept me in the dark the whole time.
She then tells him to leave her alone but as she goes to walk off, Ned pulls her back and explains he just wanted to make sure she was safe. She scoffs at him caring now for her and he replies that he doesn't know what to say to her but she does - to leave her alone.
As Ned walks away, someone has been watching them talk - Jacka!
Number 32 backyard
It's the Bucks do and it seems very sedate - Karl (fetchingly in his Western Bulldogs coloured tank top) practices his putting for the mini-golf game. Toadie hasn't forgotten the absent guests (Josh and Doug) by putting blown up photos of their faces behind the bar and with a bottle of beer in front of them. Brad is happy to hear that Ned's chat with Elly went well and next up is Mark asking if he's keeping Elly safe and he confirms he is.
The Waterhole
Elly thinks she is talking to a random stranger in the bar but in actual fact it's Jacka (calling himself JD).
Lassiters hotel
Gary and Terese try to make themselves presentable after exiting room 208!! Before they go their separate ways, Gary asks for a favour - for her to get Sheila an invite to the Hen's do and Terese promises to sort it out for him.
Harold's café
Piper is trying to justify why she didn't invite Sheila to Terese/Lauren (they are simply neighbours not friends). They reach a compromise by deciding to invite just the nearest and dearest to the ballooning (as it can only hold 5 people) and everyone else to the party.
Blaze outreach
Jack doesn't look too amused to see Paige when she drops in especially after she tells him that Nikki won't be back to Blaze (she was ignoring his calls but spoke to Paige). "Do you blame me for all of this?" she asks then isn't impressed when he tells her she put him in a compromising position
JACK: Our attraction, it...I couldn't think straight. I couldn't look away. Don't you get it? I don't like what it does to me.
PAIGE: It? Do you mean me?
JACK: Yes you, you've made me someone that I'm not.
PAIGE: Maybe this is who you really are?
JACK: No its not, well not until I met you anyway.
Jack then tells her he thinks its best if she's not part of this program and she enquire if that's for his benefit or the kids? "Best for everyone," he confirms. After pondering for a bit, Paige declares that she's so done with him.
PAIGE: You are cruel and manipulative. You say you don't want me but every look and touch says that you do. How dare you make me fall in love with you and then push me away? Your confusion is not my problem! Consider me out of your life for good.
Lassiters hotel
Gary thanks Terese for scoring Sheila an invite to the hen's party (he got a text from her). Given they are standing outside room 208, she asks if he's going to Brad's Bucks party and his reply is he hasn't finished working yet and since he owes his boss a favour (for scoring Sheila the invite) he decides on a different way to thank her as they duck into room 208!!!
Harold's café
Piper relays news that Terese is working late to Sheila/Lauren and Sheila comments that Terese is working her staff hard too as Gary is also going to be working late. Lauren suggests a break for Gary, something Sheila also suggested (especially as he's tired when he comes home from work), but he rejected the suggestions as he doesn't want to get fired.
Paige arrives to join in the party planning and agrees with Sheila's suggestion of male dancers. Lauren comments that Paige is looking edgy and she replies that she's just had a long overdue wake up call. Paige vetoes going for a walk to discuss it in favour of party planning.
Church
Jack is at the church praying for forgiveness for sinning.
JACK: I've been tempted by a woman, I looked at her in an inappropriate state of dress and I made her feel responsible but in fact, well the truth is, I looked at her and I didn't look away. I've tried to stop my feelings for her, I've put distance between us, I've sought solace in god, I took a vow in celibacy and I don't want to break it. I'm in a complete state of sin. From this day on I will have nothing to do with her, nothing at all.
Number 32 backyard
Despite the rain (and the freezing cold - we can see their breaths!) Brad wishes that the guests of honour could actually be here today but instead cracks open the last 2 bottles of Doug's homebrew with Ned and making a toast "to family."
Mark comments that the beer is running low so he, Brad and Ned decamp to The Waterhole for supplies leaving the others playing mini-golf.
The Waterhole
Elly is enjoying the way JD is treating her as he gets another round of drinks in although her vodka martini didn't last long as she downed it in a one go! She moans about to Jacka about Ned ignoring her request for a tattoo in preference of doing one for himself, which he plans on doing tomorrow. "Sounds like this guy needs to get his priorities right," he says which is music to her ears before they resume their game of pool (which Elly wins). Elly wants to call the night quits but he smooth talks her into staying for another round.
(Later)
Jacka suggests moving on somewhere else but she vetoes that as they are having a nice time where they are. They perhaps wished they had moved as seconds alter the boys come in to get their supplies! Brad is first to spot him and Mark makes a comment about him supposedly looking after his sick mum! Ned rushes over to pull Elly away from him, saying he's got to back off, while Brad/Mark step in as extra muscle.
JACKA: Evening fellas!
Elly tells Ned to calm down, they are simply having a drink, which is nothing compared to what he did. Ned asks if she knows who she is drinking with and while waiting for a reply, Mark has to restrain Brad from getting at Jacka! Jacka denies he's doing anything wrong and isn't breaking his curfew either when Mark comment upon it.
ELLY: I'm sorry, who are you?
NED: This is the man responsible for killing Josh and Doug.
He then asks how could she be so stupid and Elly explains that he called himself JD and she'd no idea who he was.
JACKA: You should take better care of your girl Ned, she was practically throwing herself at me.
Ned lunges for him and while Mark restrains him from doing something daft, Elly quickly gathers her belongings and exits the bar hurriedly.
"Come on," Jacka taunts Ned with but he's being firmly restrained by his dad/Mark as the episode ends.
Promo
- Ned telling Elly that she let Jacka use her because he didn't want her, he just wanted to hurt him.
- Gary seeing Paul/Terese together and holding hands.
- Paul asking Steph to ask Jacka to stay away from Terese.
- Jacka lurking (in disguise) in Ramsay Street.
