Recap
Malcolm tells Des that he'll have to go on Scoop the Pool in his place.
Clarkes
Des is horrified and tells his father he wouldn't have a hope - it's the Grand Final after all! Bronwyn comes in in the middle of this and tells Des he should give it a go - she reckons that Des is brilliant at sports trivia. Eventually Malcolm and Bronwyn guilt Des into taking part though.
Robinsons
Hilary is banging on about Helen and wants to get a second opinion. Beverly says she's the second opinion and Helen is getting the best care possible.
Katie comes in to tell Jim that the steering's gone all funny on the billy-cart, and that Joe dragged Toby away for giving away "trade secrets". Jim and Beverly think Joe is being very childish.
Hilary asks Katie about a doll she bought her once and apparently it was broken when it fell out of tree, but they gave it a good burial(!)
HILARY: Oh, you poor little mite. Somebody murdered your dolly, too!
Clarkes
Des is just leaving for the studio, dressed in a suit.
Garden of the Mangels
Joe and Toby are working on the billy-cart. Just then Jim comes round and Joe tells him not to come in to spy on the billy-cart(!) Jim tells Joe off for being childish. He gets exasperated and tells Joe that he's a qualified engineer, so it's not like he needs to copy Joe's ideas(!) He stalks off.
Clarkes
Scoop The Pool is just about to start and Malcolm and Bronwyn gather in the living room to watch. The host introduces the show, and sure enough, there's Des looking rather uncomfortable(!) He's playing a geeky-looking chap called Phillip Stone.
The first round begins and Des gets a fit of nerves. He's unable to answer any of his three questions.
No.30
Sharon and Aunt Edie are also watching Des on TV - Des is doing very badly in comparison to the other bloke. Aunt Edie comments how she's bored around the house and Sharon suggests she tries to get a job somewhere. On the TV, Des is starting to do a bit better in Round 2.
Mangels
Joe is giving Toby some dodgy gamesmanship tips for the billy-cart race. Toby is suspicious and thinks it's cheating, but Joe says it's called "race tactics"(!) Joe says they have to show Jim Robinson up because he has a uni degree.
Robinsons
Jim and Beverly are watching Des on TV. Hilary says that quiz shows are terrible things - they just encourage gambling(!) Hilary and Jim start arguing about the statue again, and Jim tells Hilary she's selfish.
Clarkes
Des is entering the third and final round - "Beat the Buzzer". Bronwyn and Malcolm watch nervously.
Des starts doing quite well and he's neck and neck with Philip Stone. They end on a tie of 100 points each! There's a tie-breaker question for the prize of $200,000. Unfortunately for Des, it's an obscure question about the height of peanut trees. He takes a stab and says they grow to five metres high, but it turns out it's a trick question - peanuts don't grow on trees, they grow under the ground. Philip Stone has won! Malcolm despairs.
DES: Sorry, Dad. I blew it.
(The following morning)
Des is back and apologising to Malcolm for not winning. But Malcolm says that he's not upset, he's won a caravan and a holiday - and if Des hadn't given it a go he wouldn't have won anything. Malcolm is looking forward to touring Australia in the caravan!
Des is now ready to turn his attention to the Coffee Shop - he needs to find a decent manager.
DES: I need someone mature, responsible, able to cook, good at organising things and firm enough to keep Sharon under control. That's a pretty tall order!
BRONWYN: Sounds exactly like Aunt Edie!
Des asks her if she thinks Aunt Edie will be interested and resolves to go over and ask her immediately.
Driveway of the Robinsons
Jim and Katie have finished working on the billy-cart.
KATIE: I want Toby to win, really. At least his dad will like him more.
JIM: Sad, but true.
Just then, Joe and Toby come along with their billy cart which sports "Mangel's Mean Machine" painted on the side. Joe starts taunting Jim about his billy-cart. Finally Jim snaps and says the only way to settle things is to race them.
KATIE:(to Toby) I wish they'd get their own toys.
TOBY: I reckon!
No.30
Des has arrived to talk to Aunt Edie about the Coffee Shop manager's job while Harold is away. Sharon is horrified but Aunt Edie gratefully accepts. They agree to meet up to show Aunt Edie around the shop.
Ramsays Drive
Joe and Jim are about to push Toby and Katie off down the driveway in their billy-carts.
JIM: Ready, loud-mouth?
JOE: Yeah, whenever you are, Mr I've got a flamin' degree!
Jim pushes Toby and Katie off and they hurtle down the driveway. Unfortunately Aunt Edie has just come out on to the street and screams in terror as they head towards her.