Previously
- Kyle leaves, and Sheila and Amy are upset
- Xanthe overhears Sarah's phone call, where she says that she wishes she'd ended up with Karl
- Xanthe tells Karl and Susan, who is furious.
- Aaron tells Nate that they found Tom's ID in the hotel basement so there's no way he could have survived.
- A gloved hand with a hammer in the Boiler Room™
- Sheila tells Steph that Julie wants her fired because she thinks Steph is involved in the explosion. "Jumping to conclusions" is one of Erinsborough's best loved sports.
Robinson's
Mark comments that it's unfair dismissal. Steph tells him that the hotel is full, and she's meeting the council to talk about hosting an event. He's worried that she's cashing in.
STEPH: What am I supposed to do: turn people away?
MARK: I was gonna suggest exercising caution given Paul's involvement...
STEPH: Nah. I'm not gonna let this place suffer because of him. If this business goes down, so does the chance of my future and Charlie.
No 28
Susan tells Karl that Libby emailed during the night. Karl gets a text from Sarah saying she's sorry they didn't finish their conversation. He says he's not answering, and tells Susan what he's doing that day.
SUSAN: I don't need you on a leash. I just need you to promise me you'll keep your distance from Sarah.
KARL: Of course I will.
He assures her she has nothing to worry about.
Waterhole
Sheila thanks Nate for coming back to work, but he is not enthusiastic. She guesses it's "man troubles" and he says that Aaron isn't himself. Sheila tells him to ask Aaron.
NATE: But we're not that close any more.
SHEILA: But you want to be.
Nate says that Aaron has moved on with Tom. Sheila says that Tom is a skunk.
No 28
Ben is counting money when Susan arrives home. He asks if she and Karl are OK, as they seemed very tense about Sarah. Susan says she has more important things to discuss: Libby has got a job in Shanghai. Ben asks if he has to go, and Susan says it's his choice. Since he's already in the credits, Ben chooses to stay. Susan tells him there are conditions, which include staying away from Xanthe. She graciously allows him to visit Piper.
SUSAN: But Ben... no more trouble.
No 24 - garden
So... he doesn't keep to the conditions very long, because he's visiting Xanthe who's "playing" (and I use the term loosely) the euphonium.
BEN: (lying) Sounds good.
She suggests they start a band, but Ben's expression is not enthusiastic. The two of them exchange information about their parents. Then he tells her he's staying, and the conditions.
BEN: One is that I keep my distance from you.
XANTHE: Susan holds a grudge doesn't she?
BEN: And two, that I stay out of trouble, which means that we get rid of this cash.
XANTHE: I still say we keep it.
BEN: That's theft, and a dead guy's stuff which I'm pretty sure is worse than regular theft.
XANTHE: Um no, it's compensation for my explosion PTSD. And I already spent some.
Xanthe explains it was for Sheila and wants to use it for the common good. But Ben insists they have to hand it in.
Robinson's
Sonya arrives and tells that the council has decided that can't give Robinson's the contract. Steph asks if it's because of Paul.
SONYA: Yes. People lost their lives, scores of people were injured. Jarrod almost died, Kyle, Daniel. It sends the wrong message for us to be associated with Robinson's right now. I really am sorry. It's not personal.
STEPH: I know. It's business - my business. This could sink it.
Sonya points out that they are busy but Steph doesn't think it will last once people hear about the council decision.
Waterhole
Susan is making arrangements with Sheila for the funerals. She gets a text from Karl - the third of the day. She comments to Sheila that he's walking on eggshells to prove he's not seeing Sarah.
SUSAN: I've made him feel guilty for something he hasn't even done.
SHEILA: Yet.
Susan says no: she trusts Karl, but she doesn't trust Sarah. When Karl got the text, she wanted to throw the phone out of the window.
Aaron comes in, and Nate tells him that he's there if Aaron wants to talk. He realises how upset he must be about Tom.
NATE: You were dating; no-one's seen him; it's natural...
AARON: No, no, no. Tom lied to me. He trashed my life. He stuffed up the best job I ever had.
NATE: But that doesn't mean you're not upset about what happened.
Nate suggests that Aaron might need to talk, but Aaron insists that he doesn't.
No 22
Ben arrives, and Piper tells him she's been editing a montage of videos of Doug. She invites Ben to help her choose a soundtrack. She says she'd been worried that Brodie might be responsible and it would have been her fault.
PIPER: At least it's not something I have to live with. Lucky me. What I need right now is for my brother and my Pop to be alive but I don't have that right now...
She turns round and knocks a vase over, spilling water over her laptop. She's very distressed, saying she can't afford a new one, and she won't have the montage ready for the funeral.
Harold's
Piper has a new laptop and she tells Xanthe that Ben bought it for her.
Nate approaches Sonya and asks if Aaron could get his job back. She refuses, but he reminds her that Aaron proved himself at Hotel Doom™. He says that he still loves Aaron and can't handle watching him fall apart. Sonya sighs.
Robinson's
Steph is staying positive about Sonya's decision, telling Mark there will be other contracts. He says he assumes she hasn't seen the paper, which he brings up on his phone: "Shameless dive cashes in on contracts".
Waterhole
Sonya offers Aaron the job of Assistant Manager at the Nursery. She tells him that Nate had spoken up for him, and obviously really cares about him. Aaron says Nate shouldn't have got involved, and turns down the offer.
Steph stomps up to the bar and waves the phone with the news article in front of Sheila.
STEPH: You warned me that Julie was slinging mud, but you have thrown the first handful.
SHEILA: Well, I can't help thinking...
STEPH: What? What, Sheila, that because I own a business with Paul, that I'm on his side?
Mark tries to get them to calm down. Steph says that she gave evidence to the police, but Sheila says that everything she told the reporter was true.
SHEILA: Lay down with dogs, lady, itchy scratchy.
No 28
Xanthe marches in and accuses Ben of being a hypocrite for buying Piper the laptop. He denies that he was hitting on her, saying that he was trying to help because her whole world is falling apart.
XANTHE: Helping people with that money was my idea which you clearly trashed.
BEN: Maybe you were right.
XANTHE: You mean maybe you were wrong.
She decides the best thing to do is to take his share of the money, which she proceeds to spill on the floor. They hear Karl and Susan coming home, so they pick it up and drape a throw over both of them and the notes.
SUSAN: Start talking.
Ben jumps up while Xanthe puts the money in the bag. They claim that Ben was tutoring her on Romeo and Juliet.
SUSAN: Your remedial study will cover Romeo and Juliet.
XANTHE: I know, but I know nothing. I'm seriously like Romeo and Who-liet?
BEN: She's really hopeless.
XANTHE: Not *really* hopeless. But I will need two lessons a week, possibly three.
BEN: I think one is fine.
Karl and Susan are satisfied, and decide to lift the ban. Karl finds a $50 note, which Xanthe explains as the fee. Karl tells her to make sure she gets her money's worth.
Robinson's
Steph tells Mark she wants to see Paul. Mark says she knows he's guilty, but she says some of the evidence is circumstantial and maybe he is being framed.
STEPH: I need to look him in the eye and hear the truth.
She says if she thinks he's innocent, she'll keep fighting for the motel and for him. Mark asks her what happens if she's convinced he's guilty.
Harold's
Piper comes in while Ben and Xanthe are talking about what happened earlier. He takes Piper's laptop bag and says he'll pay for whatever she's having. Xanthe tells Piper she's happy about their "lurve connection". Piper says that Ben's a friend, but if Xanthe is interested, she should go for it.
Waterhole
Sheila tells Karl and Susan she hopes Ben is not lead Xanthe up the garden path. They suggest it might be the other way around, but it should be good for Xanthe's study.
KARL: Ben has promised to knuckle down.
SHEILA: If he can concentrate. I mean, you don't know what it's like being born like that.
SUSAN: Like what?
SHEILA: Irresistible to the opposite sex: I had it, Naomi had it, and now poor Xanthe's got it. Oh, it's a curse.
SUSAN: Yeah, must be(!)
Karl leaves, and Susan explains that there he still has to treat casualties from the explosion. Sheila looks dubious and Susan says she's got more important things to think about than Sarah.
Aaron asks Nate why he interfered, saying he doesn't deserve a job with Sonya. Nate says he wants to look after him, but Aaron says he doesn't want his help.
Nate follows him outside, and Aaron says it's his fault that Tom is dead.
Preview
- WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
- Ned is annoyed that Lauren has told Brad about the tattoo, but she says she doesn't like secrets
- Brad asks if everything is OK
- Sarah is in pain. Susan tells her to back off
- Karl asks Sarah what she wants
