Recap
- Susan and Karl competing for Citizen of the Year
- Summer creeped out by Andrew's business partner Tomas
- Tomas tricked into thinking Andrew and Summer are a couple
- Natasha warning Summer to stay away from Andrew
- Mark interviewing Declan about Paul's case
- Kate fiddling with her locket during her police interview
Erinsborough Police Station
Mark skims through Kate's interview tape and is stunned when he realises that she's playing with her locket while she speaks to him. From what Donna told him the other week, it's something Kate does when she's not being truthful.
Harold's Store
Declan chats to Kate about her Sydney plans until Mark walks in for a coffee. Mark's slightly aloof with Kate while she explains she's filling in for Lyn, but hopes to see him tonight before she leaves. Mark mutters a "sure" before heading out. Summer notices that Kate looks a bit rattled, but Kate just wishes she had the ability to read minds. Summer probably wishes that too when Andrew walks in for a chat and asks how she's been after her collapse. They manage to at least share a smile and a joke together without Summer feeling too awkward.
Number 32
Michael happily plugs in the Christmas lights to show off to Natasha, but she pretends not to be impressed. She's also not impressed when she asks her dad if Andrew can join them for Christmas lunch and he says no. Natasha rants about Andrew needing time out from his family ever since Paul's case was re- opened, which is interesting news to Michael.
Harold's Store
Summer brings over a coffee for Andrew, who asks how her visit with Steph went. Summer replies that it was the best Christmas present ever and shares a dopey grin with Andrew before quickly scurrying away. Over at another table, Susan tries to chat to Sonya about her Citizen of the Year campaign, but Sonya's too preoccupied leaving voicemails for her MIA sister. Natasha joins Andrew and asks what he's doing with a coffee when they're about to meet with Tomas. She's annoyed when she figures out that he ordered it to have an excuse to be near Summer. Natasha's phone rings but she decides to ignore it when she sees that it's her dad.
Number 32
Michael leaves a voicemail for Tash to apologise for fighting - especially around Christmas time - and asks her to call him back. He looks at a recent photo of himself and Tash on the shelf before deciding to give Rebecca a call. Michael chickens out and hangs up at first, but then redials and leaves a message: "Hi Rebecca it's Mike... Williams (he cringes) You probably already know that". He goes on to say that he heard about Paul's case being reactivated and wanted to make sure she was alright.
Charlie's Bar
Sonya's search for Jade is interrupted by yet another Kennedy on the campaign trail. This time it's Karl, who kind of freaks her out by trying too hard to be a overly- concerned neighbour and quality citizen. Sonya politely gives him the brush- off, so Karl goes over to put his posters on the noticeboard, annoyed when he sees Susan's already up there. With a quick glance around, Karl rips down her posters and replaces them with his own. Andrew and Tash saunter in to meet up with Tomas but things turn to crap quickly when Tash introduces herself as Andrew's girlfriend and Tomas is all, "What happened to hot Summer?"
Lassiter's Complex
Andrew can't believe Tash is dragging him out in the middle of a meeting but Tash wants to know what the hell Tomas is on about. Andrew confesses that he and Summer pretended to be a couple because Tomas creeped her out... And there may have been kissing involved. Trying to keep her burgeoning desire to go all Hulk!Smash under wraps, Tash sets her voice to neutral and asks Andrew a question.
NATASHA: I'm going to ask you this once and then I'm never going to mention it again. But I need a truthful answer, it's really important. Are you into Summer?
ANDREW: If I wanted to be with Summer, what's stopping me?
NATASHA: Nothing.
ANDREW: Exactly.
Tash accepts this answer but warns Andrew that if he tries something like that while they're together, then look out. Andrew kisses her and promises he won't.
Charlie's Bar
Tomas finishes his meeting with the teens, pleased with what they've come up with and praises Natasha for being an asset to the team. Things turn awkward when Tomas then asks Andrew for Summer's number. Andrew ums and ahs until Natasha finally tells him that Summer's working at Harold's and he should pop in. Tomas leaves to go do just that and Tash wonders why Andrew was being so weird about it. Andrew says he was just looking out for Summer and if something goes wrong with the business because of this, it will all be Natasha's fault.
Today's nostalgia photo is of Debbie Martin and Danni Stark in 1993.
First Commercial Break
Harold's Store
Karl slinks in on a mission to tear down more of Susan's posters and replace them with his own. Kate informs Summer that she's finished her shift and Sum says to pass on her love to Harry and tell him she misses him. Tomas saunters inside and Summer tries to hide behind the counter but he's already seen her. He attempts to ask her out but she keeps giving him excuses until he finally relents - but still gives her his business card if she changes her mind.
Summer's next unwanted customer is Natasha, who doesn't get why she isn't jumping at the chance to see Tomas. Summer figures out this is all part of Tash's ongoing quest to "warn her off Andrew", but Tash just retorts that if Andrew wanted to be with Summer then what's stopping him? Summer looks annoyed when Tash reminds her that her last boyfriend was Chris - at least Tomas is "straight and single". All throughout their chat Karl has been demolishing Susan's posters.
Charlie's Bar
Susan is about to graffiti all over Karl's posters when he catches her out. They fight about the dual sabotage until Michael interrupts, asking if they've seen Natasha. He explains about their fight and how Paul's case being reactivated must be stressful for Andrew, but the Ks are all, "Reactivated what now?" Karl asks if Susan kept those mystery emails from last time but Susan says she deleted them, thinking they were a hoax. Declan walks in and is bombarded by the adults who want to know if he's OK. He says he is - until he discovers that Michael left a message for Rebecca about the case before he had a chance to tell her himself. Whoops.
Number 24
Kate's happy that Mark decided to stop by because she was worried she'd done something to upset him. Mark claims he's just had a lot on his mind - plus he went shopping for a Christmas present for her. Kate excitedly opens the gift, which is a brand new necklace. Sneaky, sneaky, Detective Hot Stuff. He helps her put it on but then says he has to get back to work. Kate's a little confused by his sombre mood.
Lassiter's Complex
Summer is waiting around for Tomas to show up after deciding to call him. He finally arrives and asks what made her change her mind about a date, but Summer smirks and says it's just a "meeting". They head off to get a juice from Charlie's, not realising that Andrew has witnessed their little chat and is seething with jealousy. He follows them into the bar.
Second Commercial Break
Charlie's Bar
Summer finishes up her second drink and Tomas asks with a grin how their "meeting" went, chuckling when Sum admits it wasn't bad. Tomas wonders when they should set up another meeting together but Summer just tells him to give her secretary a call. When she leaves, Andrew (who has been stalker- watching them in the background), sidles up to Tomas and asks if hooking up with Summer is really good for business. Tomas retorts that if Andrew can't trust him to do the right thing by Summer then they can't really trust one another to do business. "Maybe we shouldn't be working together at all".
Number 24
Declan stops by to see Kate and comments on her necklace, going quiet when he realises who it's from. He says that he spoke to his mum, who didn't sound too good knowing about the case. Dec wishes he could have told her before Michael did. But the real reason Dec called in was to give Kate a Christmas present for her trip, which he also hopes is an apology gift for the whole entire whirlwind of a year they've had. Dec gives her a kiss on the cheek and leaves while Kate opens the gift - it's a home- made CD titled 'Music Mix 4 a long journey'.
Number 32
Tash is snuggled with Andrew on the couch, prattling on about wanting snow for Christmas so they could make snow angels. But Andrew just retorts, "That's not going to happen, OK, it's Summer" - a response which works on many different interesting levels. Michael arrives home and Natasha is snaky with him until she finds out that he wants Andrew to have Christmas lunch with them after all. "But you've got to wear a cracker crown all day," Michael adds. "It's tradition". Tash tells her dad that a package came for him earlier.
Michael goes into the hall and looks at the back of the parcel but there's no return address. He opens it up and finds a card tucked inside the present - "Merry Christmas from Oakey - Bec". Michael smiles and gets the warm and fuzzies. Tash invites Andrew to stay for dinner, but when she goes to get the takeaway menus Andrew can't help taking out his phone and sending a text to Summer, asking if they can talk.
Third Commercial Break
Number 26
Summer invites Andrew inside, intrigued to learn that he wants to talk about Tomas. More specifically why she's spending time with him when he creeped her out only a few short weeks ago. Summer can't help asking if Andrew's jealous, but when he says no Sum's like, "Well good, because you've got a girlfriend". Andrew then gets serious and says that the situation is difficult because, "I don't..." Summer thinks she knows what he's going to say ("I don't love Tash"), but gets discouraged when Andrew chickens out and says, "I don't want to see you get hurt. That's all it is". Summer snidely says doesn't need him and can take care of herself, kicking him out of the house. They both keep up the detached pretence until they're on opposite sides of the door and sink back against it, sighing about their angsty lives.
Preview
(Tomorrow on Neighbours)
SUMMER: I spend all my time trying to be good, trying to be smart, trying to be safe - but where has that got me?
(Lucas hangs out with Sonya, who is complaining about Jade)
SONYA: I'm settled and I don't want anything to change that.
LUCAS: Who says she will change that?
SONYA: Because that's what she does.
(Jade plants another quick kiss on Lucas - then he sees her out jogging)
JADE: If she doesn't lighten up by Christmas I'll just have to spend it with you.
(Lou, dressed as Santa, chats to the Kennedys)
LOU: For your information the votes in my campaign are increasing by the second. Ha, ha, ha! I mean, ho, ho, ho.
(Summer sees the lights Lyn took off the tree under the couch)
(She strings them back on the tree and walks off - they catch fire)
(Fire brigade sirens are heard in the background)