Previously
- Kyle reveals to Amy that Jimmy saw Paul paying off Liam to leave town for good
- Kyle argues that having a dad Jimmy visits in jail is better than no dad at all, but Amy disagrees
- Daniel chastises Paul after his embarrassing comments about the school are made public
- Daniel learns that Aaron and Nate are responsible for the leak, and warns them it's illegal
- But the trio stumble upon some dodgy property sale records on the USB, and suspect a cover-up
No 24
Daniel's got a map of Erinsborough out, and shows Nate and Aaron that all the contracts of sale on Paul's hard drive relate to properties surrounding Erinsborough High. There are more than twenty of them, and Aaron wonders why anyone would buy up so much property in one place. Daniel suggests that Paul must be planning a housing development. Nate wonders if he's trying to capitalise on what would become a new private school campus of Eden Hills Grammar.
NATE: One of the emails about Freestyle mentioned a contractor getting paid for plans. Maybe that's what Freestyle is - a new estate.
Daniel reveals that Paul bought up some of the properties months ago, before the school closure was announced.
NATE: He knew about the closure for ages.
DANIEL: Or he instigated it...
NATE: We can't let him get away with this. We have to tell everyone what he's been up to.
But Daniel tells them not to say anything to anyone, even Susan, until he's given Paul a chance to explain himself.
No 26
Kyle comes in, just as Sheila is leaving for the Rebecchis' to help out with their laundry. Amy comes in, and is clearly still annoyed with Kyle. He tells her that the arson investigation squad has finished at the school, and that tradies have been asked to help with the clean-up. Amy says she'll handle the normal Dial-A-Kyle work in the meantime, but Kyle says he's cleared the schedule.
AMY: So you want me to go to the school with you?
KYLE: Not if you're gonna be dark at me the whole time.
But Amy says she'll be there for the sake of the school reopening.
The Waterhole
Paul is being interviewed by scurrilous journo Howard Hall of the West Waratah Star (last seen interviewing Lou about erotic fiction in Episode 7050). Paul claims that his snobby comments about the school were 'taken out of context'.
HOWARD: You described the students as bogans and dropkicks.
PAUL: Oh, it was a joke! Humour obviously doesn't travel too well in an email.
On the journalist's suggestion that he's a snob, Paul says he has nothing against state school kids - he used to be one himself, after all. Seeing Daniel lingering nearby, Paul smarmily wraps up the interview and goes over to talk to him. Daniel immediately demands to know whether Paul had anything to do with the school closure, given that he's obviously not sorry about it.
PAUL: No, of course not!
DANIEL: No personal interest, nothing to gain?
Paul asks where this is coming from, but Daniel says he just knows how Paul thinks.
DANIEL: You were at your best when you were facing your mortality - and now you're framing Josh, you're bagging the people that you're supposed to represent. Makes me wonder if you care about any of us.
PAUL: I care about progress. About lifting standards, providing facilities for the community.
DANIEL: Oh, save the spin for the media. It's me you're talking to. I don't want you to do anything you might regret.
PAUL: I don't know what you're talking about.
Paul walks off.
No 28
Susan is on the phone talking to one of the school pupils' parents, who are pulling the pupil out of Erinsborough and sending her to Elliot Park High - despite Susan's insistence that classes will be resuming tomorrow in mobile classrooms. After the call, she expresses her frustration to Karl, and says the community should be standing together, not throwing in the towel.
Susan is trying to remain positive and points out that there's no structural damage to the school as a result of the fire - but Karl reminds her how much it will cost to repair. Susan jokes that she and Ben will keep going to the school even if no-one else does - but Ben, who has been lingering in the background, seems unenthusiastic about this prospect.
BEN: We were all there. We could have died. I'm in no hurry to go back.
SUSAN: No, of course not. It was an awful experience for everyone. You just need some time.
BEN: Look, I will go back, and we all will. Just not yet.
SUSAN: Well you don't have to do anything until you're ready.
Ben goes to No 22 to see Piper, while Karl comforts a despondent Susan, who's now less optimistic about the school being saved from closure.
KARL: But you're not ready for it to end.
SUSAN: I was never going to be. I love that school.
Nate has come out of his room, and overhears their conversation, looking pensive.
No 22
Piper shows Ben the DVD of Icelandic crime drama 'Glugginn', which she's bought to binge-watch with Terese at the hospital. She says her mum's doing well following the skin graft, and that she should be home soon.
PIPER: But if Dad hadn't ditched her to save Lauren, she wouldn't be burnt in the first place.
BEN: That's not exactly true.
PIPER: It is. And if you want to side with my dad, you can go.
BEN: I'm not going home. I came here so you could cheer me up.
He explains that lots of students are dropping out of school, which is upsetting Susan. Piper suggests that they should help out, by 'getting people psyched to go back'. Ben admits he doesn't want to go back yet.
PIPER: Is this because you sucked in a bit of smoke? That's nothing compared to what some people went through, okay? So you've gotta grow up, and show up.
BEN: Has anyone ever told you you're a bully?
PIPER: Well you're being a wimp, okay? Pull it together.
She announces that they will be the first ones back through the school gates.
No 24
Daniel is moaning to Aaron and Nate about Paul's behaviour. He says his break-up with Naomi is no excuse, since he was buying up these properties months before they even got together. Daniel says that, since Paul isn't admitting anything, they're going to have to expose him by sending everything they have to the West Waratah Star.
Nate says he's up for that, after what Paul's done to Susan, but adds that Paul is Daniel's uncle.
DANIEL: He's lied to me for the last time.
NATE: Okay. If you're sure.
DANIEL: Let's do it.
He takes the USB stick from the computer and goes to leave. Aaron looks worried.
Erinsborough High School
Amy and Kyle are cleaning up some of the debris in the schoolyard. Amy doesn't respond kindly to Kyle's advice on how to clean soot off the doors, so he breaks the ice by telling her he only knows because he once blew up a kitchen while trying to cook some spring rolls.
AMY: Oh my god. How do you still have a face?
KYLE: No idea! Burnt my eyebrows clean off!
Amy decides to take Kyle's advice after all, and things begin to thaw between them.
No 24
Daniel is back from his errand. Aaron seems incredibly jumpy about the prospect of Paul potentially finding out who gave the files to the Star. Daniel insists he can't, since he did the deed anonymously, using a Wi-Fi hotspot at a 'dodgy convenience store'; but Aaron's still concerned it will be traced back to them somehow. He admits it's only just hitting him how big this scandal could be.
DANIEL: Yeah. I've basically ruined my uncle.
AARON: Unless the newspaper gets the email, and they think it's a hoax and just don't publish it.
But Daniel logs onto the Star website on his phone, and finds they've already published a story about Paul's dodgy development plans...
Lassiter's Complex
The scurrilous journo Howard is back, asking Paul difficult questions about the Freestyle project.
HOWARD: Do you consider your actions corrupt?
PAUL: Get that thing out of my face.
From a distance, Sheila watches with some satisfaction, while Nate also observes.
SHEILA: To think that I almost let him marry my daughter!
She adds that she wishes she knew who blew the whistle, so that she could buy them a drink! Nate allows himself a smile - just as Susan turns up to tear strips off Paul.
SUSAN: You are morally bankrupt! You knew all along about Erinsborough High closing down - you probably pushed for it!
Paul insists it was a state government decision, but Susan accuses him of taking advantage of that for his own personal gain. Paul tries to pass it off as a community-minded decision, but Susan is having none of it.
SUSAN: If you cared about the community you'd have left the school alone!
PAUL: You know what? If you want to apportion blame, why don't you have a good hard look at yourself? Yes, because your mismanagement made the school vulnerable. It was a sitting duck for a takeover!
SUSAN: Spreading vicious rumours about me is not gonna save you from public condemnation. And if anyone's behaviour here has been suspect, it's yours!
Susan storms off, while Paul gazes angrily at the staring extras around him.
Erinsborough High School
As Kyle and Amy continue to clear the wreckage, Kyle comes across a metal box belonging to former principal Andrew 'Simmo' Simpson. He explains it's where he used to put all the items he confiscated from pupils.
AMY: Well technically, that's Mrs Kennedy's property now, so...
KYLE: Yeah right. We should probably hand it over.
AMY: Or we could open it.
They open the box, and find an array of old phones, MP3 players, slingshots, water pistols, cans of silly string and...
KYLE: A rubber duck!
Amy tells Kyle to confess to his schoolday crimes, so he recalls the events of Episode 5598, seven years ago.
KYLE: Well, Simmo banned any pranks on muck-up day. But me and my mates Zeke, Justin and Shane, had other ideas. We ran through the school wearing balaclavas, spraying silly string and stink gas. Simmo called the cops and we got suspended for a week. Amy admits her own muck-up day story - she once did a nudie-run through the canteen. Kyle says he has newfound respect for her.
AMY: I haven't always been a single mum!
The Waterhole
With not a small degree of schadenfreude, Karl and Susan are monitoring the fall-out of the revelations about Paul's development plans. Karl notes that Paul has apparently been receiving death threats, but Susan remarks that it's probably just a ploy by him to garner sympathy! Karl agrees that it sounds like something Paul would do.
Nearby, Daniel is feeling guilty, while Aaron half-heartedly tries to be upbeat about it all, saying that everything being out in the open could be good for Paul. Aaron gets a text from Josh, congratulating him for bringing down Paul. But Daniel tells him they need to keep it between themselves from now on. Aaron asks what Imogen has said.
DANIEL: I haven't told her. I've got bigger things to worry about now, like my uncle's safety.
Back at the Kennedys' table, Susan admits that a disappointing number of pupils turned up at school this morning. Karl says they probably need more time to get over the trauma, and that Susan's doing a great job.
Aaron answers a call from a private phone number, and looks worried when he hears what the person on the other end says.
AARON: An hour? ... Sure...
After the call ends, Aaron tells Daniel that it was Paul on the phone - and that he wants to come round and speak to him about something.
DANIEL: Something good or something bad?
AARON: What if he knows?
Erinsborough High School
Piper and Ben explore the charred interior of the school. Ben says it's no surprise the kids don't want to come back, but Piper says only a quarter of them were at the sleep-out anyway; and looking at a phone, the pair see some pictures of Year 10 kids living it up at the beach. Susan overhears them talking about it, and is appalled to learn that pupils are using the fire as an excuse to play truant.
Susan tells Ben and Piper to leave the building, as it's not safe inside. She continues to inspect the wreckage sadly, while Ben and Piper watch from the door.
No 24
Aaron stresses to Daniel about what Paul might want to talk to him about. He's convinced Paul's somehow found out that Aaron was involved in leaking the Freestyle scandal and that, if he has, he'll be 'dead'.
Paul arrives, but it soon becomes clear that he doesn't suspect Daniel and Aaron's involvement. He tells Daniel he should have listened to his warnings, and worries about what else the people who hacked his computer could be capable of.
PAUL: I can live with public condemnation. But not death-threats.
DANIEL: Well they're probably empty.
PAUL: Oh, Daniel. I'm taking them seriously. Which is why I'm here.
He turns to Aaron.
PAUL: To offer you a job. I'd like you to be my bodyguard.
Erinsborough High School
As lunchtime approaches (and with it, the promise of a volunteers' sausage-sizzle laid on by the parents' and friends' association) Amy and Kyle are still working, and getting on much better now - laughing and joking together, their disagreement having apparently been forgotten. Kyle gets a text from Jimmy - but it's just a string of numbers. Kyle explains that they've created their own secret code to text each other with, after Jimmy was inspired by something he read in a history book.
AMY: So what does it say?
KYLE: If I tell you, I'd have to kill you.
Amy smiles as Kyle walks away.
No 28
A despondent Susan tells Karl that only 26 pupils turned up to school today, so in the end she cancelled classes - and that some of them ended up at the beach. Karl says it's only natural that some would take advantage, but that he's sure most are genuinely distressed about the fire.
KARL: They'll be back.
SUSAN: Yeah, and by that time the closure will be complete, and Erinsborough High will be no more. That place has been my life. And now it's gone. And it's gone because Paul Robinson got greedy, and some idiot lit a fire.
There's a knock at the door. It's Ben and Piper, with a host of pupil extras they've managed to recruit to come back to school. Piper explains she got all the kids together via her vlog.
PIPER: We want to learn if you want to teach.
Susan smiles, touched by the gesture.
No 24
Nate is horrified to learn that Aaron has been offered a job as Paul's bodyguard. Aaron says Paul has no idea that he was involved in the leaks to the press.
NATE: Oh, you wanna hope it stays that way!
Aaron hasn't said yes yet, but he and Daniel are feeling guilty about what they've done, and that Paul is receiving death-threats because of them - so Aaron is leaning towards accepting the position, not least so he can help 'contain things from the inside'. Nate jokingly accuses Aaron of taking advantage of the situation to land himself the bodyguard job.
NATE: But who's gonna protect YOU once he discovers what you did to him?
Aaron looks worried.
Erinsborough High School
Amy and Kyle continue to clear up the yard. Kyle gets a text saying that the sausage-sizzle is commencing, so they decide to break off for lunch. Kyle tries to take off his filthy work-shirt, but ends up getting trapped in it, so that Amy has to come over and help him. His undershirt comes off with it, and he and Amy have a brief moment - before falling into a passionate kiss!
Coming Soon
- Jimmy wonders why Amy and Kyle are acting so strangely around each other
- Amy asks Kyle and another woman if they're friends
- Daniel tells Imogen that he may have done something bad
- Steph looking scared in the dark