Previously on Neighbours
- Cara tells Paul she thought it was best to find Chelsea before telling him about baby Thomas
- Paul tells Terese that he wants Thomas in his life, so has to remain on solid ground with Chelsea
- Terese offers Chelsea a strained apology for practically ripping her head off earlier
- When Fallon moves into her hotel room, a red baseball cap is on the shelf; Taye says he'll hand it in
- Leo tells a devastated Krista that he made a mistake being with her
- Having slept together, Fallon and Taye agree that it was a 'one- time thing'
- While viewing bird cam footage for an assignment, Dex sees video of Seb and Fallon arguing at the Pavilion
- Dex realises the footage is from the day Seb died, and the police are informed
- Andrew turns up at Fallon's room and tells her she needs to come to the police station
- Later, Krista seems convinced that Fallon is responsible for Seb's death
- Finally, Fallon confesses to Leo and Detective Kay that she killed Seb
The Waterhole
Leo is with Aaron and Krista at a table. Aaron congratulates Leo on being a free man following Fallon's confession, and it's clear both he and Krista are relieved about it too. Leo says that Paul wants them to go up to the penthouse for drinks to celebrate. Krista gently queries whether it's okay for her to come, and Leo awkwardly confirms that is.
AARON: Well, it's great they withdrew the charges straight away.
KRISTA: They had the wrong person. They should've never charged Leo in the first place.
LEO: Well, Fallon did the right thing in the end.
KRISTA (bitter): Yeah, well, it wasn't quick enough.
At this point, Taye turns up.
TAYE: Yeah, that's because she was innocent (...) Fallon's a lot of things, but she's not a killer.
KRISTA: You gave her an alibi.
TAYE: I was helping a friend.
LEO: And getting me arrested in the process.
TAYE: You didn't need my help for that.
AARON: (...) Hold on, if she didn't do it, then why did she go and confess?
TAYE: I dunno. But I'm gonna find out.
Erinsborough Police Station
Taye is visiting Fallon in the interview room; the police have allowed a last visit before she's moved to remand. He tells her that he doesn't believe she's guilty, and asks why she's taking the blame.
FALLON: I followed Seb to the lake, after we had an argument at the Pavilion. It got heated. I didn't mean for him to get hurt. At least it's all out in the open.
TAYE (scoffs): I'll tell you what I think happened. You felt so bad for what you did to Leo and Krista that you've decided to take the fall.
FALLON: It doesn't matter what you think. Because I've already confessed. It's over.
Penthouse
Terese, Paul, Krista, Aaron and Leo are all gathered for the celebratory drinks and nibbles. Byron has also turned up, unaware that Leo is off the hook - since he's dusting off his law degree, he wanted to offer his services to help Georgia the lawyer with Leo's case. But he congratulates Leo when he hears that Fallon has confessed. Leo joins Krista and Aaron at the table. Krista gets a work call and gets up to take it.
LEO: I'm surprised Krista even showed up after the way I spoke to her earlier.
AARON: She wouldn't miss this. You know that.
LEO: Well, I wouldn't have blamed her if she did.
AARON: Leo, have you been pushing her away because of the case, or because of her betrayal?
LEO: A bit of both. It has been so confusing, mate. I'm just under so much pressure, so...
AARON: Yeah, but now that all of that's settled, do you think maybe you could forgive her?
LEO: ... Yeah. I want to.
He smiles and fiddles apprehensively with his wedding ring.
Lassiter's Complex
Susan and Karl are with Darcy in the courtyard. To thank Darcy for all he's done, Karl says he's spoken to his contacts at the hospital who have the capital to potentially invest in Darcy's integrated health centre, and it turns out they want to meet Darcy.
DARCY: I'm not helping out just because I want something in return.
SUSAN: Oh, we know that. That makes you even more deserving.
KARL: Just let us give something back, huh?
DARCY: Well, I guess it would be rude not to meet them...
Karl agrees to get a meeting arranged. But at this point he gets a text message, which isn't good news...
Harold's Lakeside
Over coffee, Taye is telling Cara how supportive Remi was after his police interview. Cara thinks it's nice to see them getting closer. Taye isn't sure he deserves it.
CARA: Hey, you did a dumb thing. You had no idea Fallon was covering up a crime.
TAYE: I don't believe she killed Seb.
CARA (sceptical): Why has she got such a hold on you? Have you two hooked up or something?
TAYE: It's not... it's not that. She's a friend. She's really messed up, and I'm worried.
CARA: She's not your problem, Taye.
TAYE: She was in Krista's apartment when Seb died. I believe that.
CARA: If that was true, there would be hotel CCTV.
TAYE: Went down that night.
CARA: Of course it did. You know, I've had that checked multiple times. I don't get why it goes down.
TAYE: I do. Someone turns it off!
CARA: What? Who?
At this point Lassiter's staff member Bradley Hawkings, who we last saw compèring the Christmas carol session at the Piano Bar, shows up. He's wearing the red baseball cap that Taye retrieved from Fallon's room, and thanks him for getting it returned to him, saying it 'totally saved my bacon'.
Cara is confused, and once Bradley has gone, Taye explains that Bradley and other staff sometimes use the hotel rooms 'off books', as 'staff perks', without paying for them. Cara then connects this to the CCTV being turned off, and realises it's in order to cover the staff's tracks so they don't get caught doing this by management.
TAYE: You're not gonna say anything?
CARA: ... Maybe there's a way that you could use this to your advantage.
The Waterhole
Chelsea is with Paul and Terese at a table, and says she's happy to hear Leo is off the hook.
PAUL: I cannot wait to see the look on that incompetent detective's face when he finds out about Fallon's confession.
Thomas, who is in his pram next to the table, starts crying, so Paul jangles his car keys above Thomas in order to distract him. Thomas stops crying, but Chelsea is looking oddly at the keys.
PAUL: It's alright, I wasn't going to give them to him.
CHELSEA: Oh, no, it's not that. You're just reminding me I have to book my sad little car in for a service.
PAUL: Oh, well, I've got a good mechanic if you're looking for a recommendation. She's top notch.
CHELSEA: That's kind of the problem. I have a hunch any decent mechanic will write it off.
PAUL: Oh. In that case, we should get you a new car. It's alright, I'll cover the cost.
Terese looks like she can't believe what she's hearing!
CHELSEA: That's very generous, Paul, but it's way, way too much.
PAUL: No. We cannot compromise on safety, not when it comes to my son.
CHELSEA: It would make things easier...
Terese grimaces as Paul asks what kind of car Chelsea would like, and she replies that she's always wanted one with heated seats 'for those Melbourne winter mornings'! Paul is sure they can find something suitable! Terese gets up to take a work call.
Harold's Lakeside
Taye is talking to his colleague Bradley again, then thanks him and reports back to Cara. It seems Bradley has given Taye details of which Lassiter's staff members were using the facilities on the night Seb died; Cara's idea is that this may lead to identifying someone who saw Fallon at the hotel around the time of Seb's death.
CARA: You know the odds are against us, right?
TAYE: Us? I thought Fallon wasn't my problem or yours?
CARA: Well, she's not. But if our colleagues are the reason that she doesn't have an alibi, we kind of owe her. That's *if* she's innocent.
Taye smiles.
Penthouse
Krista comes up to see Leo, who appears to have asked her there and is in a conciliatory mood. He says he doesn't want to argue; he just wants to find out how she's doing.
KRISTA: Me? I'm just really glad that you're in the clear.
LEO: And how are you feeling about Fallon?
KRISTA: She's done so many terrible things. I don't really know her at all. But I know you, and... I'm glad that you're not going away for something that you didn't do.
LEO: I know I hurt you, about what I said.
KRISTA: Did you mean it?
LEO: ... I'm confused about a lot of things right now, but it was wrong to call you a mistake. You're not. And... I'll never regret being with you.
KRISTA (emotional): Why did you say it, then?
LEO: Well, you broke my heart. But now these charges have been dropped, I... I have some time to really think about us.
KRISTA: And?
LEO: I don't want to let you go.
She smiles with relief.
LEO: Uh, one step at a time, though. Might be baby steps, okay?
KRISTA: Whatever you want to do, however you want to do this, that's what we'll do.
Leo smiles back.
Harold's Café
Taye and Cara reconvene; he's called all the staff members on the list Bradley gave him, but nobody saw Fallon at the hotel that night - not even Francesca Callow, who was at Eclipse Apartments on the same floor as Krista, but didn't see anyone in the common areas.
But this triggers a memory in Cara, who recalls that Francesca called her on the night Seb died, because she couldn't get onto the staff Wi- Fi. Cara got her to send a screenshot of the networks she could see, which she digs out from her phone now. Sure enough, Fallon's phone is visible among the devices on the list. Taye asks what the timestamp is.
CARA: 11.01.
TAYE: Seb died at 11.03.
CARA: What, so this was taken two minutes before Seb died?
TAYE: There's no way Fallon could've gone from the hotel to the lake and killed Seb in that time.
CARA: We need to talk to the police.
The Waterhole
Paul has found some decent options for a new car for Chelsea and they are talking it through. He offers her leather seats and a sunroof (!) Chelsea says she doesn't need anything special, but Paul decides she'll have both (!)
Meanwhile at the bar, Terese has bumped into Susan and Karl. She admits she's had some calls from Eirini Rising residents who are concerned about Karl having missed Vera's appendicitis symptoms. Karl says he's also had a couple of cancelled appointments. Terese is sure it will blow over; she just wanted them to know. At this point, Paul and Chelsea start laughing, and Terese scowls.
TERESE: He's buying Chelsea a car. Luxury German car to be precise.
Karl and Susan look at Terese sympathetically!
Power Road
Susan is accompanying Karl to a shift at The 82, to ensure he takes it easy. But they're surprised as they approach to see that Darcy is sitting at a table outside, with Moira Tohu.
Darcy asks Moira how Vera's doing now; Moira says she's feeling much better.
MOIRA: She had the gall to tell me the shepherd's pie I made for her was under- seasoned.
DARCY (buttering up): Under- seasoned?! I can't imagine you under- seasoning anything!
MOIRA (flattered): Oh, Darcy! Too kind!
Moira heads off just as Karl and Susan reach them. Susan remarks that Darcy seems to have worked some magic with her.
DARCY: Moira's a sweetheart.
KARL: You might be the first person who ever said that.
Darcy claims Moira contacted him and asked to meet for a coffee. Karl wants to know what they talked about.
DARCY: Well, me, mostly. She had some kind words to say about, umm... well, Vera's scare.
KARL (annoyed): What did you talk about *exactly*? Darcy, please...
DARCY: Well, the word 'hero' might have been bandied about, and she also asked if I was practising nearby.
KARL: So she wanted to make an appointment with you?!
DARCY: Well, I'm not practising, so it doesn't matter!
KARL: Well, yes it does! She cancelled an appointment with me this morning!
DARCY: Well, then, she mustn't have needed to see anyone that badly.
SUSAN: Karl, you have served this community well for a long time. Moira will remember that soon.
Karl is not happy.
Harold's Café
Fallon has been released and wanders into Harold's with Cara and Taye. We learn the police have dropped all the charges against her, and aren't even going to prosecute her for making a false confession! But Fallon still doesn't look happy (!) She says she would have been mad at Taye if he'd done this yesterday, but it was 'pretty scary being in remand', so now she's not. She admits she only confessed to help Leo and Krista.
FALLON: Thanks for looking out for me.
Krista comes in smiling, but her face falls when she sees Fallon.
KRISTA: Hey, what are you doing here?
The Waterhole
Terese looks fed up as Paul and Chelsea continue to talk about cars - he's going to set up some test drive options for her, which will now incorporate a 'massage feature' as well as the possible seat warmers, although Chelsea concedes this may be 'too much of a good thing'!
Terese rolls her eyes and says she and Paul should make tracks. She suggests a luxurious late afternoon picnic with pâté and Stilton.
PAUL: Chelsea, do you and Thomas want to join us?
CHELSEA: Absolutely!
Terese looks ropeable! Paul notices and looks contrite.
Penthouse
Leo is having a drink with Byron and Aaron. Aaron is pleased that Leo is giving Krista a second chance.
AARON: She really is your match, Leo. I believe that.
LEO: Thanks, Az. Yeah, I believe it too. There's a long way to go, but... at least things are moving, hey?
They raise a toast to 'new chapters', just as Krista appears from the lift behind them.
KRISTA: You haven't heard, have you?
LEO: Heard what?
KRISTA: Fallon didn't kill Seb. The police have proof that she was at the hotel when he died, so... she admitted that her confession was a lie.
Leo looks panicked.
Ramsay Street
Darcy is looking pensively at a yellow rose bush next to the No 30 driveway, when Chelsea approaches with the pram. She's annoyed to find him standing there.
CHELSEA: Do you mind?
DARCY: Oh, sorry. Friends of mine used to live here years ago - just got lost in the memories. I'm Darcy - I just moved into No 22.
CHELSEA: I've seen you around. Doesn't make loitering outside someone else's house any less creepy.
DARCY: No. No, you're right, umm... sorry to disturb you.
Chelsea walks past him towards the house. Sadie then approaches and asks if Darcy's okay.
DARCY: Yeah... old girlfriend of mine used to live there with Toadie, years ago. She had a miscarriage, and we planted that rose bush. Just wanted to see if it was still there.
Sadie thinks Chelsea shouldn't have bitten Darcy's head off, but he says he must've looked a bit strange to her. Sadie admits she's been looking for Darcy.
SADIE: Your advice about reframing what happened to me at the garage... it really helped (...) So I just wanted to say thank you.
She hands Darcy a gift bag.
DARCY: Thank you. This means a lot.
He takes a deep breath and looks around him as Sadie goes on her way.
Lassiter's Hotel
In Fallon's room, Taye is trying to persuade Fallon to stick around as she packs her suitcase. Fallon says she was always leaving to meet her mum - she's just going earlier than planned.
FALLON: I can't stay here. I can't keep hurting Krista and Leo. I'm a disaster.
TAYE: Hey, I'd take this Fallon over a perfect one any day. Perfect people are boring.
But Fallon says she's no good at making decisions, citing sleeping with Taye as an example given he's her only real friend here; she keeps ruining things for herself.
There's a knock at the door - it's Krista and Leo, who she's asked to come down.
FALLON: Since I got to Erinsborough, I've made everyone's lives worse. I wish I could do it all differently, and I'm so sorry.
KRISTA: The things that I said yesterday...
FALLON: I deserved it.
KRISTA: Still, you confessed because you thought that it would help Leo. That's something. When do you leave?
FALLON: Now.
TAYE: Unless you think she should stay?
Fallon smiles at the naivety of this, and Leo shakes his head in disbelief!
KRISTA: I think a bit of distance is the right thing.
LEO: I agree.
Penthouse
Terese comes in with picnic supplies, and is surprised to see that Paul has set up for the picnic on the floor of the penthouse, rather than at the Pavilion as discussed earlier with Chelsea.
PAUL: I should've realised that you wanted some 'us' time. But the penny didn't drop until after I'd invited Chelsea. So I waited for a little bit, and then I uninvited her.
TERESE: But you wanted to see Thomas.
PAUL: Mm. But right now I just want to see you, and only you. And we won't be disturbed here.
TERESE: Well, I do have to admit my threshold for face time with Chelsea is pretty low... but where she and Thomas are concerned, I'm with you all the way.
They kiss, and then have a playful dispute over the white chocolate truffles Terese has brought - chocolate types apparently being a longstanding bone of contention between them. At this point, Paul gets a phone call.
PAUL (worried): *What's* happened with Fallon?
The Waterhole
Taye has reconvened with Cara for drinks; he tells her Fallon's on her way to the airport.
CARA: How are you feeling?
TAYE: ... I'll miss her. It was a messed up friendship. But I liked it.
Taye thanks Cara for her help today; she admits it was good to have a distraction outside of Thomas. But at that point Paul comes storming in, with Terese following.
PAUL (to Cara): Well, I hope you're happy with yourself! Cos Leo is in the firing line again because of you!
Taye objects that clearing Fallon wasn't Cara's idea, but Paul isn't having it!
PAUL (to Cara): No, no - this has all the hallmarks of your terrible judgement.
CARA: I just wanted to help find the truth.
PAUL: Oh, yeah, that's really easy for you to say, isn't it? Because you don't have anything to lose! I mean, what do you care who gets affected? You should have come to me first!
CARA (unrepentant): Why would I come to you?!
PAUL: Because now I have to pay for your careless, shortsighted stupidity! Don't think this is over.
Cara smiles and shakes her head incredulously as Paul stalks off. Taye looks worried.
Coming up on Neighbours
- Darcy tells Karl, Susan and Holly that he has a meeting today about his integrated health centre
- Cara suggests to the family that they hold a naming day for Thomas tomorrow
- Susan checks in with Harold on how he's feeling about Agnes, and raises the topic of her living situation
- Darcy tries to smooth things over with Chelsea, and they introduce themselves properly to one another
