Recap
Max walking into Toadie's room and seeing Steph there too.
Will telling Ned he doesn't have the skills to gamble unlike Frazer.
Will telling Carmella he's wealthy but she doesn't believe him.
Steph telling Max she loves Toadie and that they are over.
Scarlet Bar office
Max is having trouble accepting what Steph said because he thinks it is a reaction to Toadie saving her life but she points out that isn't the case and reminds him about abandoning her & Charlie and leaving her to run the business. They start sniping at each other and Steph brings up the fact his only contact was to say he didn't want to be contacted before angrily saying that she can't go back to playing 'happy families'. Meanwhile, Max is having difficulties accepting Steph saying that she loves Toadie and when he reaches out for her Steph quickly pulls.
MAX: Look, I realise that all this is going to take some time.
STEPH: What is?
MAX: (puzzled) Us.
STEPH: (exasperated) Have you even listened to anything I've said?
MAX: So tell me you don't love me anymore.
We don't get answer to that because Frazer shouts through that he wants served, so Max goes to serve him leaving Steph to take a few deep breaths.
In the bar, Frazer works out that the guy who is serving him is long lost Max, and they introduce each other before chatting about sport. Max is having trouble finding some of the things in the bar so he suggests to Steph that he takes Charlie home for a nap but she tells him that the wee man has his naps at the bar now as it is easier. They begin eyeing each other and Max after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, he decides to leave her to it.
Lassiter's Complex
Carmella walks out of the restaurant having decided that Will is a liar despite him saying he told her the truth. Eventually she walks off alone but not before giving him some money for dinner.
Hospital
Toadie attempts to get out of bed because he wants to talk to Steph because he thinks she is going to go back to Max but Janae stops him and suggests that she goes and gets Steph so they can talk. He points out that Boyd isn't going to like that and she replies that she is "just the messenger".
Scarlet Bar
Steph is having trouble with the till and decides she doesn't need Frazer's help to sort it. Boyd walks in and tells her the same thing Frazer did before adding that Max would have known how to sort it but Steph has it under control now. Boyd suggests to Steph that she can ask Max for help and that perhaps unlike her, he is glad to see his dad back. Steph tells him that she can't expect him to feel the same way about Max.
BOYD: You're his wife.
Boyd goes to head into the office and Steph informs him Max isn't there and doesn't know where he has gone to, which Boyd isn't amused at and remarks that she'd be happy if Max disappeared again before he leaves the bar despite Steph wanting to talk.
As Boyd storms off, he ignores Janae arriving at the bar. Steph admits to Janae she doesn't know what to do or say, so Janae suggests she talks to Toadie.
STEPH: I don't know what to say to him either.
JANAE: I think he'll do most of the talking.
Frazer decides that since nobody is listening to him, he'll open the till himself, scaring Steph and Janae half to death!
Park bench
Boyd finds Max sitting on a bench in the dark and admits that he thought Max had taken off again. He starts talking about Steph and says that she is very mixed up atm and wants to know what she told him. "That she's in love with Toadie," replies Max. Boyd wonders if he believes that and Max replies that Steph didn't give him much reason not to before Boyd adds that Steph never stopped loving him. "Maybe, but I think she stopped trusting me," says Max.
Boyd is having trouble accepting the news that is the end of Max and Steph and dismissing the letter he wrote because Max was sick, even when Max points out that coming back was always going to be a big risk.
BOYD: You two are married. Doesn't that mean anything?
MAX: You can't make someone feel something that they don't.
BOYD: No, but you can fight to be heard. I mean what about me, Summer and Charlie huh? Are you just going to give up on us too?
No. 22
Carmella is spouting off to Elle that she doesn't believe what Will said about him being rich. Elle mentions about him asking questions about her wealthy dad but Carmella puts that down to Will learning the part. Elle doesn't believe Carmella's theory that Will is a con artist.
CARMELLA: You really think he's rich?
ELLE: Rich and hot! Which please remind me again, what is your problem?
CARMELLA: It must be wonderful having no principals whatsoever.
ELLE: Well you know it has is moments.
Elle then dials text's Will from Carmella's phone, typing 'prove it' before sending it much to Carmella's annoyance.
Ramsay Street
A limo travels up Ramsay Street as Elle and Carmella are out collecting their respective newspapers. Carmella thinks it is something to do with Elle but in fact it is for Carmella as Will gets out of the limo. This is his way of showing her proof he is loaded but she thinks he hired it and tells him he'll have to do better than that! She starts to head up No. 24's driveway but Elle stops her and suggests she goes along for the ride. Finally she decides to go and sarcastically asks if it is for a "whistle stop tour of your hotel chain?" Despite Will telling her to get dressed, she heads into the limo, again going on about how much an hour one of them costs to hire.
They depart and Elle shouts on Max as he collects the paper. "It's like seeing a ghost isn't it?" he replies and Elle mentions that she heard the rumour saying he was back. Max asks after her family and she responds by saying that Steph will be over the moon to have him back but he lies, saying "yes" before heading inside.
Hospital with a shiny new shot telling us where we are at
Elle is paying Toadie a visit but it isn't a friendly visit, she bluntly tells him that he has to break things off with Steph because he is preventing Max and Steph from getting back together. Toadie wants to know why she is asking him this and why should she care either. Elle quickly says it is because they deserve to be together, which Toadie isn't buying, so she is forced to say that she wished something really bad to happen in the aftermath of Cameron's death...and it did.
TOADIE: Ah there it is. Revenge not what you hoped for eh?
ELLE: (pause) I just want them to be normal again.
Scarlet Bar
Janae enters the bar, surprised to see Steph working and urges her to talk to Toadie. Steph admits that she doesn't know what to say to him to which Janae suggest that how she feels would be a start.
STEPH: The last few months I've built such a case against Max I hated him but then when he just walked in... (downheartedly) In some ways it would just be easier to pick up where we left off.
JANAE: Do you still love him?
STEPH: Yes I do.
Janae then tells Steph about seeing Max a week before he turned up but wasn't sure if she should say anything. Steph is somewhat annoyed given what was happening between her and Toadie until Janae says that is why she didn't say because she saw how happy she was. Steph is having a mini go at her and Janae asks how much Max has said about where he was living. Steph looks very puzzled by that question.
No. 32
Max and Boyd enter the house and Ned decides he has to be elsewhere and even turns down Max's offer of breakfast. Max wonders if he is okay and Boyd thinks Ned probably feels like he is in the way. "There's a bit of that going around" Max mutters to himself.
Max then tells Boyd that he used to think about home all the time, remembering every detail. He then picks up that their wedding photos aren't on show just as Steph, Charlie and Janae enter the house.
STEPH: When were you going to tell me?
MAX: What?
STEPH: About your other family.
Max goes all quiet and Boyd looks at Janae as we head into the commercial break.
Grand Hyatt hotel Melbourne
The limo pulls up outside the very posh hotel and Will drags Carmella out of the limo. When the bell hop is very friendly towards Will, she just thinks he has paid him off. Will pulls a PJ clad Carmella into the hotel and she still thinks it is a game but is having second thoughts when the receptionist hands him something and says "Welcome home Mr Barnes".
No. 32
Max explains to his family that when he disappeared, he was living on the streets and in shelters until one night when it was pouring of rain and there were no beds available in the shelter he was wandering the streets and entered a church that was giving out sandwiches and he ran inside. He continues by saying that the next thing he knew he was praying and that is where he met April.
STEPH: (sarcastically) April.
MAX: And her husband and their two kids.
While Stax fans breathe a sigh of relief that Max wasn't cheating on Steph, he explains that they had a spare room and took him in for one night which turned into them inviting Max to stay until he got his life sorted out.
MAX: I was part of a family again. I began to remember what it's like to be part of something that's bigger than yourself.
Steph remind him that it wasn't *his* family, which he agrees on before telling her that there was no affair. The news of him not having an affair doesn't win Max any favours when Steph lets rip at him, saying its much worse than that - he hit rock bottom and he turned to someone else for help. Boyd pipes up and reminds Steph that is what she did. Janae tries to say it wasn't the same but Boyd is having difficulty understanding that concept even when Janae says that Steph had no choice.
Surprising, Max says that he did have a choice that he could have come home but he didn't, to which Boyd tries to put that down to Max being sick but Max doesn't agree with his oldest son. Max then decides it will be better if he stays elsewhere and will see if Karl and Susan can put him up but Boyd tries to stop him, saying that this is *his* house.
MAX: No it's not...not for the moment anyway.
Max then heads out the house and Boyd gives Steph the evil eye but luckily she has her back to him.
Oh, during that last part, little Aaron who plays Charlie, accidentally made the scene more dramatic by trying to reach out for Stephen to take him. Aww.
Scarlet Bar
Boyd and Janae enter the bar with him having a go at her for not telling him about knowing where his dad was. Janae responds by saying she thought best to keep quiet since she thought Max was living with another family adding what difference would it have made anyway and that what matters now is that Max is back. Boyd hopes that Max will fight for Steph but Janae isn't so sure and suggests that they butt out, which Boyd interprets as her taking Toadie's side.
JANAE: Babe your dad is back. Okay, that obviously makes you happy and that is all I care about.
Ned approaches Frazer to see if there is a room available at No. 30 because but Frazer says that the inn is full. He then asks if Frazer has any tips and tries to take a quick look at his lap top, which Frazer quickly hides, before telling Ned that thanks to Will, he knows all about him borrowing his tips. Frazer lets him off because Ned says it was a one-off and Frazer hopes he isn't getting too serious about it. He then struggles to contain his laughter when Ned says that gambling is to be his new job, despite Frazer pointing out the risks.
Lassiter's Complex
Neddy boy has stormed out of the bar and Frazer chases after him trying again to put him off the idea because he's seen too many people go down because of gambling but Ned firmly replies back that he knows what he is doing before walking off. Frazer again follows and gives him a tip - don't bet when you are feeling down. Ned tries to say he is just an amateur at it to go alongside his personal trainer job at a gym. Frazer apologises for jumping to the wrong conclusion (that it was to be Ned's full time job) and as a way of making it up, gives Ned a tip and gets a promise that he'll stick to the day job. Ned agrees and when Frazer heads off, he gets out his mobile and places a call...to Stu for money so he can buy a birthday pressie for mum and seems happy when Stu agrees to give him the money.
Grand Hyatt hotel Melbourne
A fully-clothed Carmella now believes what Will said (him being rich) as he pours the champers. While she looks at the family photos he explains who Selma was. When she comes across a photo of him, she uses his real name but he would prefer it if she'd still call him Will, saying that is who she knows him as. She then has a go at him for keeping secrets adding would have loved him rich or poor but because he broke the trust that they had its over. Aww, poor Will.
Hospital
Steph enters Toadie's room and from the look on her face, he interprets this as her going back to Max but she shakes her head and says no. He wants to know what comes next and Steph says she doesn't know.
TOADIE: You know, I've been wondering if Dee walked back in now, what would I say to her.
STEPH: And?
TOADIE: Well I'd say that I loved her very much. I still do but the person I was when I was with her no longer exists. I'm in love with someone else.
STEPH: (sighing) Dee's not going to really walk in through the door again is she?
TOADIE: No. (pause and a deep breath) Steph, I love you. Max had his chance and he blew it. I know in my heart that for the rest of my life I want to spend it with you and Charlie.