Recap
- Boyd's scepticism over the justice system
- Connor asking Carmella to keep things a bit neater
- Steph's guilty verdict
Courthouse
Toadie and Max talk about the pre-sentencing hearing...Max wonders what can be done. Toadie says the prosecution usually does not ask for a jail sentence, as we see the sentencing begin. Toadie has one last shot at convincing the judge of Steph's innocence and pleads that while the facts of the case has proven her to be guilty...there is no shred of evidence to show personal gain. As Steph swore on the stand, she had no idea of what Charlie's Will would contain - in fact, she stood nothing to gain. Only the loss of her grandfather, the loss to her family, the loss she herself experienced.
The judge takes a moment before reading down his sentence. Judge Evans has taken all into consideration and is convinced that Steph's actions were not malice and that he considers her to be a good person of character. Yet, she has been found guilty - whatever the motivation, that was the end result. They would be sending out the wrong message if he did not serve her with a sentence of less than 3 years... which is why Judge Evans has granted her a suspended sentence. Cheers and excitement fill the courtroom...except for Michael, who sits there, dumbfounded.
Ramsay Street Celebratory Barbecue
Steph squeezes a hug out of Toadie one more time, before joining Lyn in front of the big table of food. They comment on the amount of food (which is ready to feed the army Lyn invited!) when Boyd brings over more food. He and Steph have a bit of a chat, she's sorry she wasn't there for Boyd when he was being questioned but he brushes it off.
Toadie beats himself up over his handling of the court case, but Max and Valda continually praise him. If they had wanted someone like the prosecutor, than they would have looked under a rock...Max knows the judge saw how honest and sincere Toadie was - unlike that truth spinner prosecutor.
Max pops the champagne, when Michael makes his grand entrance. He gives the group a good evil stare, before commenting he's always wanted to see how people celebrate a murder... which prompts Max to bust out some moves (but is held back by Toadie). Michael is going to appeal and tells them to enjoy their celebrations...because it won't last!
House of Trouser + Carmella
Connor's nostrils are filled with cleaning products as he enters the kitchen to see Carmella furiously scrubbing the table, in vain hope of cleaning up the boys' filth. He once again says she's being a cleaning Nazi, and begins to muck around with a small plastic box....unknown to him that they are the toenail clippings Carmella has found behind the cushions. He is skived out but she isn't finished telling him about the boys small little habits and points to the underneath the table which contains a collection of boogers.
CONNOR: Are you trying to imply that we pick our noses and put the proceeds onto that table?!
CARMELLA: I don't need to imply it!
CONNOR: What? I'm offended!
CARMELLA: Yeah, so you won't mind having a wipe then.
CONNOR: Not at all - I'd love to have a wipe, why not?
She kindly informs Connor that Mama Cammeniti is coming over for lunch, hence the need to impress her with the cleanliness of the house. She'll clean off the boogers and he'll start lunch.
Hoylands'
Boyd reads about snowboarding, when Steph asks if he'll come outside again. She knows it was a bit confronting to see Max's reaction to Michael, but is glad that Boyd was there, for Max's sake. Following him into the kitchen, she looks at him and asks if something is going on...like perhaps some unfinished police business? Boyd, unable to lie anymore sighs and admits he has been a real idiot.
House of Trouser + Carmella
Carmella and Connor both agree that his lasagne making is excellent, although he continues to fret that everything isn't good enough. Carmella says he should just be his lovely self - but Connor is in serious fret mode and informs Carmella about moving her stuff into Stu's room so everything will appear to be above board. She tries to calm him down, saying they are both good people, so they will get along just fine. There's a knock on the door, and Connor freaks out about his hygiene and quickly sprays deodorant on himself.
Hoylands'
Max finds Boyd's spate of lying unbelievable - and how he has implicated Sky. Steph tries to calm him down, as Boyd has told them now. Summer, worried, asks if Boyd will go to jail...but Steph says it won't come to that. Boyd tells Max he thought he could handle the situation on his own and given how much they've all gone through with Steph's trial, he really thought lying was the best thing to do. The police then come to bring Boyd down for questioning and Max immediately stands up, but Boyd says he'll do this on his own. Despite Max's defiant protests, Boyd asks him to trust him as "I got myself into this, I'll face the consequences alone."
Hoylands'
Max tells Summer she'll just need to go to Lyn's for a few hours, giving her assurance the police question are just carrying out routines in questioning Boyd. As soon as they're alone, Max immediately becomes agitated, pacing, while and then grabs his jacket, wanting to leave for the police station. Steph manages to calm him down, asking for him to respect Boyd's wishes to handling this himself.
MAX: Being 17 may give him the legal right not to have a parent present, though what kind of stupid law is, I don't know. But it doesn't mean he's a man for God's sake!
Steph says he's trying to be, in handling the mess he created himself. He hopes that Max will give him credit for that later on. They will go down, but won't make any big deal and just wait for him. Max sighs, just not understanding how Boyd got himself into such a mess. Steph replies it's obvious, that he didn't want them to know he went looking for Gus...and Max gives her a knowing look. He knows Boyd wouldn't have held back, had Gus given him a hard time but Steph wants to know if he thinks Boyd is guilty. Just as Max knew Steph wasn't guilty for Charlie's murder, she thinks Max should give Boyd the same faith.
Community Hall
Doreen tells Lyn and Valda she can't believe Michael would have taken it that far...but Lyn excuses that he's just taking it hard. Well, Doreen has given up and won't give him any sympathy and does not think Lyn should be dishing out any. Continuing, Lyn believes that he's just hurting about the loss of his father but Valda buts in that he's just bitter because he lost his inheritance! Lyn can't believe that, and Doreen replies that while Michael doesn't have the 'light of universal goodness'... "He's a shark!" Valda snarks. Still wanting to believe, Lyn doesn't think it's about money, or even the verdict. He is hurting because he has no one to turn to. He is lashing out because he doesn't know what to do with the pain. While Doreen admires her compassion, she can't agree and Valda agrees.
House of Trouser + Carmella
As Connor clears the table, Carmella asks her mother if it wasn't the second best lasagne she has ever tasted? Lucia agrees and Connor mentions that he put extra garlic in it, thinking she might like it because...she's Italian. They both insist Lucia stay for more wine, but as they are out, Carmella will go grab some. This will also give prime time for them to talk about her. Once leaving, Lucia tells Connor she's glad they have time to talk and orders him to 'sit'.
LUCIA: Well, you cook. And someone obviously cleans. You two seemed to have settled in very nicely.
CONNOR: But you're not happy about it?
LUCIA: My daughter's an adult. If she's happy, than I can live with it.
CONNOR: But you don't think she's gonna be happy?
LUCIA: If you really want to know what I think, than I'm prepared to tell you.
CONNOR: Okay then, Lucia, hit me with it! Come on, I can handle it.
Police Interrogation Room
Skinner and Steiger interrogate Boyd - Skinner choosing to stay silent, while Steiger does all the talking. Boyd once again confirms that he did not see Gus that night. Choosing to take another approach, Steiger casually says they'll just ask a few more notes and then he can leave. He then asks Boyd about AFL - it turns out they both follow Collingwood, although Steiger reckons the Magpies are a bit too soft for the game. He goes on to say the tribunal are ruining the game, when he played it was all about being rough. Boyd, looking a bit relieved, happily agrees with this assessment. Steiger continues - they shouldn't even bother with a tribunal! Some argy bargy and then the whole issue is dealt with!
House of Trouser + Carmella
Slow pan to Connor looking shocked, obviously Lucia's assessment left him with much to be desired. He would never have asked, had he known how narrow minded it was! Lucia lays down what she knows. He has no formal prospects, no family, he's a father after getting a teen girl pregnant and he recently quit a good job in order to be a manual labourer. Connor strongly disagrees that he is just defined by that, he knows, and Carmella knows there is more to him than that. While Lucia does trust her Carmella's judgement...she just trusts hers more. Connor once again says she's wrong and challengers her to let him prove it. At this point, Carmella comes home and they move to have their wine. Once out of earshot, Lucia hisses that she can't know about the challenge.
Community Hall
Spotting Michael alone, Lyn tentatively goes to talk. She begins by hoping he can believe Steph's innocence - wanting him to know what really happened. Michael comments Lyn really stands up for her family...she agrees and says that Michael is part of it too! She hates to see him hurting, but he interjects, saying she just doesn't want him to pursue the appeal. No, HE IS HER BROTHER...look, they are family and she hates to see him hurting, and even though she doesn't know him it doesn't matter. She will do anything in order to help him. Taken back, Michael sits silently though it seems he has been moved.
Police Station
Coming back outside, Max says that Boyd is "assisting with their inquiries". He couldn't go in, unless Boyd asked for him. Steph comforts him, saying he'll be okay. Toadie then appears and they tell him of how Boyd has been inside for an hour. Toadie goes to see what he can do...although maybe not much as he can't go in either unless Boyd asks for a lawyer.
Police Interrogation Room
They recommence the interview and Steiger continues to do the talking, while Skinner silently sits. Steiger compliments Boyd about his handling of the Travis Dean situation - how he went to solely sort him out, without running to the police. He showed some guts! Boyd says he was just protecting his family...Steiger continues to say he wasn't surprised to learn Boyd went after Gus - he wouldn't have been surprised had Gus tried to whinge his way out of it...and he agrees. Oops Boyd...wrong move. Putting him on the spot, Steiger asks how it happened? Boyd tries to say he didn't even meet up with Gus that night, but Steiger continues to provoke him. He went off to ward off Gus, just one more time...afterall, he couldn't back off when this was his family! He supposes that Gus swung first, therefore it was self-defence on Boyd's behalf. Come on, he can tell him the truth! Boyd remains defiant of his innocence, he might have done something had he found him that night, but he didn't!
STEIGER: I thought you were a kid with some guts, you're nothing by a lying little thug!
BOYD: I'm not.
STEIGER: Hey? You didn't touch Cleary. I mean, you'd clock a bloke who'd needle you on the football field but you won't touch a bloke who put your old man in hospital!
BOYD: I might have done something to him if I had of found something, but I didn't. I'm telling you the truth!
STEIGER: Yeah, just like you did with your first two versions of the story. Just like you did when you smashed Jarrod Rebecchi's car! Yeah! I know all about ya. Your mother died, your father cleared out to work on oil rigs. You've had a couple of tough knocks and you think no matter what happens you're the innocent victim. Same old sob story.
Steiger pulls out a black button, and shows it to Boyd explaining how they found it under Gus' body. He must have pulled it off his murderer. Boyd says it's not his, and they can search his wardrobe if they like. Steiger asks Boyd one more time to show some guts, even though Travis was a lowlife, he didn't hide behind his girlfriend.
STEIGER: Show some guts and come clean, you killed him, didn't ya?