Previously
- Harlow tells Paul it's not up to him to decide whether she and Hendrix TITTNL™
- After Roxy suggests she get a roommate, Mackenzie rents the spare room to Mannix
- Shane is suspicious when he finds Roxy hanging out at Mackenzie's, and Trish absent
- Mannix asks Mackenzie to warn him before she brings other people to the apartment
- Harlow is suspicious of Mannix and the padlock he's put on his bedroom door
- Harlow is just attempting to pick the padlock, when the police burst into the flat
- Sky demands that Mackenzie and Harlow tell her what's going on right now
Auntie Trish's Apartment
Sky has gone to track Mannix's phone (in other words, she's Not In This Episode™), so Mackenzie and Harlow are being interviewed by police officer Dax Braddock instead. Dax asks Mackenzie if Mannix had a job or girlfriend; she confirms that he said he had a job, and that he paid his rent in cash.
Mackenzie feels foolish when she admits she never asked Mannix for references before allowing him to move in; she just needed someone to share her expenses. Harlow says Mackenzie should have asked her family or the Rebecchis for help. But Mackenzie says she knew they were all going through a lot; she didn't want to add to their problems.
Dax wants to take them to the station to make formal statements, but says they will need an adult present.
HARLOW: Terrific (!)
Mackenzie is worried about what Auntie Trish will say...
The Waterhole
Aaron and David are picking up some takeaway beers; they are chatting about Mark and Paige expecting a baby. David says he's so happy for them, but...
AARON: It feels like everyone around us is having babies, except us.
DAVID: Yeah.
David looks despondent.
Erinsborough Police Station
Dax is bringing Mackenzie and Harlow into the interview room; Mackenzie apologises for dragging Harlow into this, but Harlow says she only came to the apartment because she and Hendrix were worried about Mackenzie.
Dax says he hasn't been able to get hold of Auntie Trish, but that Shane and Dipi are on their way to sit in with Mackenzie while she's giving her statement. Paul and Terese arrive; they're relieved to see Harlow is okay. Paul starts telling off Harlow for getting involved in a police raid, but Mackenzie insists it's not her fault.
MACKENZIE: My housemate was hiding stolen goods.
PAUL: What housemate?
MACKENZIE: His name was Mannix. I didn't know he was dodgy.
Paul's quietly surprised to hear Mannix's name, and Terese gives him a look. A concerned Shane and Dipi turn up, and Mackenzie thanks them for coming. They ask if Mannix was a friend of Trish's; Mackenzie says no, and asks if they can talk about it later.
Dax tells the assembled RSRs that they know Mackenzie's housemate was Mannix Foster, and that he was also responsible for burgling the Kennedys' house; they have CCTV of him coming and going from the pawn shop where Sheila unwittingly bought Susan's bracelet. The shop owner has identified Mannix as the seller, Dax explains.
Paul asks Dax why Mannix would target their area; Dax says they'll work that out when they find him.
No 30
Mackenzie has returned to the Rebecchis' with Shane and Dipi; Ned and Yashvi are already there. Shane and Dipi want to know why Mackenzie lied about her aunt only being away for a few days; Mackenzie reluctantly admits that she didn't want to bother them with her problems, as they had enough issues of their own.
DIPI: Mackenzie, whatever we have going on, you could never be a burden.
MACKENZIE: Thank you.
DIPI: I hate to think you went through this on your own.
SHANE: But what does Trish think is going on? I'm guessing she doesn't know you've been living on your own?
MACKENZIE: I had to make some stuff up. Just until I could prove that I could get by on my own. I didn't want to move.
NED: You really like this place that much?
MACKENZIE: Yeah. This is the first place where people have accepted me for who I am. The thought of having to start again in WA is just...
Dipi takes Shane into the kitchen to talk privately. Shane is feeling guilty for not clocking that something was wrong earlier.
DIPI: I hate to think what could've happened. Or what she's going to do now.
No 22
Paul is on the patio when Terese emerges to give him a serve about Mannix.
TERESE: He would never have been out there terrorising those girls if you'd just turned him in to the police for what he did to Jane!
PAUL: I was quite happy to turn him in, but Jane was the one that wanted to put it all behind her.
TERESE: Oh, right, so there was no self-interest whatsoever? (!)
PAUL: What do you want me to say, Terese? The guy owes us a lot of money, which we can kiss goodbye if he ends up in jail.
TERESE: Oh, so you're happy for him to go and rob the Kennedys and everybody else, just to pay your debt.
PAUL: No, of course not!
But Terese says Paul should've guessed Mannix was up to no good, as he is a known criminal. She adds that Harlow won't be pleased to find out Paul's been involved in this. Paul asks Terese not to tell her; things are strained enough with Harlow.
TERESE: Don't worry; it won't come from me. But you need to clean up your act.
Terese heads back indoors, and Mannix appears from around the side of the house.
PAUL: What the hell are you doing here?!
Paul lays into Mannix for being so stupid as to use stolen goods to repay his debt, saying he knows all about it. But Mannix says the police didn't get his whole stash; he still has a load of stolen electronic goods which he's going to give to Paul as payment for his debt. Paul laughs.
PAUL: Are you out of your mind?! I'm not going to be dealing in stolen goods! You know what? Just forget what you owe me - it's not worth the hassle.
Mannix is pleasantly surprised by this, and says he'll call his contact to cancel the delivery of the goods to Paul. Paul tells Mannix to leave.
Ramsay Street
Hendrix and Harlow are walking along hand-in-hand, chatting.
HENDRIX: Can you just dial down the drama? In a coma one day, police raid the next - where did my boring bookworm go?
HARLOW: Believe me, I'd much rather be at home with a novel and a cup of tea. And you.
They kiss. Roxy rushes over; she's just heard about the police raid and asks if Harlow is okay. Harlow confirms she's fine, and Mackenzie is shaken but otherwise okay. Roxy is feeling guilty that she indirectly caused all this by encouraging Mackenzie to seek a housemate. Harlow says Mackenzie doesn't blame Roxy.
At that moment, Harlow sees Mannix walking down the drive from No 22, pulling a hood over his head. Hendrix tells the girls to call the cops, then runs over to Mannix and rugby-tackles him to the floor!
Shortly afterwards, Dax and colleagues have shown up, and Roxy provides the obligatory RSR taunting as Mannix is cuffed by police.
ROXY: Taken down by a teenager - yeah, tough guy!
Dax asks Mannix what he was doing on Ramsay Street. Mannix glances at Paul and then claims he was just scoping out the place for more burglaries, saying no-one here locks their sidegates! Hendrix smugly waves Mannix goodbye as the police cart him off. But Dax tells Hendrix it isn't smart to take things into his own hands like this.
DAX (to Paul): And you... you've been involved with Mannix before. How does that play into this?
HARLOW: What?
PAUL: Well, you heard what he was saying. He was planning on robbing us. I didn't have anything to do with this!
Dax seems very sceptical about that, but Paul insists everyone knows he has money - he's an obvious target.
DAX: We'll see what he has to say.
Dax leaves with the other police. Paul assures an angry-looking Harlow that he had nothing to do with the robberies, but she doesn't look placated.
No 30
Yashvi is watching from the window as Mannix is taken away. She wants to call the station and find out what's happened, but Dipi reminds her she hasn't finished her police training yet and tells her to come away from the window! Yashvi proudly tells them that she warned Paul of Mannix being back a few weeks ago.
MACKENZIE: Do you think he's here because of me? Because he thinks I might have dobbed him in?
NED: No, he wouldn't even know you were here.
YASHVI: He knows you've got nothing on him. It's got to be something else.
Shane emerges from the bedroom, on his phone. He passes it to Mackenzie - it's Auntie Trish.
SHANE: She wants to know why you haven't been staying with Paul and Terese like you said you were. And she's also wondering why that nice girl she met, Roxy, hasn't been taking care of you!
Mackenzie takes the phone without enthusiasm!
MACKENZIE: Hi, Trish...
No 32
David and Aaron are relaxing by the pool when Mark turns up, to join them for a beer. He tells them all about what's been going on with Mannix. David asks Mark how Elly's doing; he say she's okay, considering, having made the right decision for her as a mum to plead guilty to Finn's manslaughter.
David and Aaron congratulate Mark on the news that he and Paige are having a baby. But David admits he partly wishes he and Aaron were the ones having a kid; he explains to Mark that they'll be waiting for years if they want to adopt.
MARK: So what about foster care? I know The Department™ is looking for safe, stable homes for kids in crisis.
AARON: Yeah, but that's short-term, isn't it?
MARK: Well, it can be, but... does that matter?
DAVID: We'd still be nurturing a child - sharing our home...
AARON: Hmm. And we'd be doing it for a kid who actually needs it.
DAVID: Maybe we should check it out.
No 22
Paul moans to Terese that Harlow's locked in her room, and won't talk to him. But Terese is unsympathetic, and wants to know why Mannix was really in the back yard - the truth, not what Paul told Dax.
Paul admits that Mannix was trying to organise a delivery of stolen electronics to pay off his debt, but insists he didn't accept the offer and wiped Mannix's debt instead. However, Terese points out that Mannix may not have had time to cancel the delivery of the shonky electronics before he was caught by the police in the street.
Paul says he'll fix it, but is currently more interested in what Harlow thinks about it. Harlow herself then appears.
HARLOW: You know, if you really are worried, then you'll tell me how you know the criminal that was living in Mackenzie's. He could've done anything to her!
PAUL: Mannix... is the man who catfished Jane.
HARLOW: So why was he here?
PAUL: Because I lent him money to pay Jane back, and he was repaying me.
HARLOW: What, so he's been breaking into houses and selling what he stole to pay you back?!
PAUL: I didn't know that's how he was making his money!
HARLOW: Yeah, but you knew he was a criminal!
Harlow recalls how Paul laid into her earlier at the station, for making bad decisions - and now she learns he's the cause of all this. Paul continues to plead his ignorance of what Mannix was up to, but Harlow points out that Paul tried to pretend he didn't know Mannix.
HARLOW: How can I trust you?
PAUL: Harlow, the reason I didn't tell you any of this is because I was trying to protect you. It's all I've ever tried to do.
HARLOW: No, Grandad - stop spinning this around to make yourself look better! (...) It's disgusting! I'm over it.
Harlow walks out.
No 32
Mark, Aaron and David are still chatting on the patio; David and Aaron have already emailed child services asking about fostering. Mark tells them it can happen pretty quickly once initial checks are done; they'll likely be more eligible for older kids, as in order to foster babies they would need a full-time carer at home.
Aaron's sceptical they'll get that far, but Mark says they'd offer kids a really safe home, and adds that they are both 'squeaky clean'.
MARK: Kind of makes me sick, if you want the truth.
Sure enough, the child services agency has already replied to their email, saying that if they are free tomorrow, then a slot for a home meeting has come up. Aaron's worried they couldn't prepare in time, but Mark encourages them to go for it.
MARK: When they come around here, they're gonna see what everyone else sees - a normal, boring suburban couple. Which is exactly what they're after. Come on, you've got this!
DAVID: So... this is happening?
AARON: ... Yeah!
No 22
Paul's preparing to go and check the hotel in case Mannix has sent the shipment of stolen goods there. Terese thinks he should be more concerned about sticking around to talk to Harlow, but Paul says he's doing this for Harlow - she can't know he's had any involvement with stolen goods.
Terese asks if Mannix has anything over Paul, that he could use against him in a police deal. Paul laughs tersely as if to express surprise that Terese would even think that.
PAUL: I haven't actually done anything illegal. I'm trying to keep it that way.
As Paul leaves, Shane arrives to talk to Roxy; Terese calls her downstairs.
ROXY: Mackenzie told you.
SHANE: No, her aunt did. You made me think you were trying to help her.
ROXY: I was.
SHANE: How?! By lying to everyone, and setting her up with a scumbag who could've seriously hurt her?
Roxy insists she had no idea that would happen, and promises to apologise to Mackenzie. But Terese, to whom this is all news, demands to know what's going on. Shane leaves Roxy to face the music...
No 24
Harlow is moaning to Hendrix about Paul's behaviour.
HARLOW: He is so hypocritical, corrupt and selfish.
HENDRIX: Dodgy, bent, shady...
HARLOW: Yeah, and the fact he even knows someone like Mannix makes my skin crawl.
Hendrix tells Harlow not to let it get to her, but she's struggling with the situation, admitting she's 'kind of running out of relatives who aren't breaking the law'. Hendrix empathises; he knows what it's like to have an imperfect family. Harlow adds that on top of it all, Paul is trying to control her relationship with Hendrix.
HENDRIX: I don't know how you think you're gonna change him.
HARLOW: Well, right now I'd settle for being just able to trust him. But I don't think I can do that anymore. You know, every time I think it can't get any worse... it does.
Hendrix comforts her.
No 30
Roxy has come to apologise to Mackenzie, or 'Macka' as she calls her! But it's clear Mackenzie doesn't blame her, and for her part she apologises to Roxy for having got her into trouble with Terese. But the bad news is that Trish is coming back to collect Mackenzie and take her to Western Australia. Roxy thinks this sucks.
However, at this point, Shane and Dipi come in - Shane's been on the phone to Trish. They tell Roxy, Mackenzie and Yashvi, who's just come in, that both Trish and Toadie have agreed Mackenzie can stay at No 30!
MACKENZIE: ... Is Trish okay with that?
DIPI: She took a bit of convincing.
SHANE: Yeah. And there are some conditions, starting with no more secrets. You've got an issue, you tell us. You got it?
MACKENZIE: ...
YASHVI: Say yes, you idiot!
MACKENZIE: ... I don't know what to say! You guys are going through so much.
SHANE: Mackenzie, come on, you're family. You're always welcome here.
DIPI: Absolutely. And your auntie Trish knows how much it means to you to stay in Erinsborough.
MACKENZIE: ...
YASHVI: Say it!
ROXY: Or I'll say it for you!
MACKENZIE: Yes! Absolutely, yes!
An overwhelmed Mackenzie hugs Dipi and Shane happily.
Lassiter's
Ned is working and is surprised to see Paul turn up, having expected he'd be at home looking after Harlow. Paul says Terese is looking after her, and starts looking behind reception for any possible shonky deliveries from Mannix.
There's a suspicious-looking box there and Paul frantically reads the label - but it's apparently just something from Pierce that needs his attention. Paul looks relieved.
No 22
Terese, Harlow, Roxy and Ned (who has teleported home from work!) are talking about the Mackenzie situation, and how all's well that ends well.
TERESE: It's a good outcome, despite your involvement, Roxy.
ROXY: On the brighter side, if I did nothing, Mackenzie would be living in Fremantle right now. There's that.
NED: Can you repeat that in the voice that you used to convince her aunt that you're a good girl?
ROXY: Shut up!
HARLOW: You can also borrow my clothes again, too, if you want to recreate the character.
NED: I'll film it.
HARLOW: I'll put it online.
ROXY: You guys are hilarious. You should take that act on the road - a really, really, really busy road.
Paul comes in, and the atmosphere sours immediately. Harlow walks off up to her room. While Paul retrieves his dinner from the oven, Terese whispers to him, asking if he found Mannix's delivery at work. But Paul says not - it isn't at the hotel, the backpackers' or here, so Mannix must've cancelled the delivery as he said he would.
TERESE: Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Anything could've happened to Mackenzie.
PAUL: Yes, but it didn't, did it? And it's over. And all I'm interested in now is fixing things with my granddaughter.
The Shed
The next morning, near The Shed, Aaron assures David that he's asked his staff to cover for him later so that they can have their fostering meeting. An anxious David tells Aaron to leave plenty of time so he's not late coming back from work. Aaron tells David to stop stressing, and kisses him.
AARON: Do you think I would miss this for anything? Listen, why don't you go home and put all of that nervous energy into cleaning up the place before she gets there? Okay?
David agrees, and they kiss again.
AARON: Hey, I love you.
DAVID: I love you.
David heads off in the opposite direction, and Aaron goes to enter The Shed. However, he's surprised to find that the shutter is already unlocked. Inside, he calls out to see if anyone's there, then sees a stack of large boxes by the entrance.
Curious, he uses his keys to open the seal on one of the boxes. It's full of electronic tablet devices - presumably Mannix's shonky delivery. Aaron looks worried.
Coming up on Neighbours
- We see Paul, and hear angry David saying, 'he's trying to drag you into it'
- Elly tells Toadie that she could be in prison by this time tomorrow
- We see Elly crying as she reads some documents
- Chloe tells Pierce that Elly might be guilty after all, but Elly overhears
- Claudia tells Samantha she wants Elly in jail, and asks how she can make it happen
