Previously
- Paul is taken in for questioning by Mark, much to Terese's distress
- Mark arrests Paul, despite his protestations that no- one knows how the explosion happened
- Toadie tells Stonie he can't investigate his mystery acquaintance; he doesn't want Sonya finding out
- Sonya expresses her fears to Lucas on the phone that Toadie is hiding 'something big' from her
- Aaron tells Nate he has a new potential client for his social media business
- Ben tells Xanthe he and Angus weren't arguing over her; Angus stole his share of Tom Quill's cash
- Angus sets off the fire alarm to spare Xanthe from having to sit her English exam
Erinsborough High School
As the fire alarm continues to sound, Susan escorts her pupils from the building. Piper asks her if there's really a fire; Susan doesn't know yet. But Angus is calm about the alarm, for obvious reasons.
XANTHE: I can't believe you did it.
ANGUS: You wanted to get out of the exam.
XANTHE: Yeah, but setting off the fire alarm? If anyone finds out it was you...
ANGUS: They won't. As long as you don't tell them.
Cue titles.
Robinson's Motel
Aaron has arrived with Paul - his new prospective client! Paul confirms he wants Aaron to 'manage his brand', but Aaron's a little suspicious Paul only wants to use him because Mark's his brother, to get inside info on the police investigation. Paul says he wants Aaron as his rep because he's well connected with the people who hate him, and thereby, best placed to help change their opinions.
AARON: If I choose to work for you, it is purely professional. It doesn't mean I take your side, nor that I even believe you.
Paul hopes to change Aaron's mind by showing him his now legendary investigatory whiteboard! Aaron promises not to tell Mark about it, and is surprised at the lengths Paul has gone to to demonstrate his innocence - saying he'd previously thought it was all an act. Paul asks if he'll take on the job. Aaron looks conflicted.
No 30
Sonya comes in; she and Toadie are preparing to leave for a local government conference she's speaking at in Canberra. Sonya's flustered and nervous about her speech.
Steph comes in. Toadie gets a text which makes him look worried, and Steph notices. She volunteers herself and Toadie to go and pick up Nell from daycare, ostensibly in order to give Sonya space to pack. Sonya agrees, but looks suspicious; she knows Toadie and Steph are hiding things from her.
The Waterhole
Sheila is unimpressed when Aaron tells her he's thinking of representing Paul.
SHEILA: I thought Josh was your friend.
AARON: Yeah, he was. And that's all the more reason to make sure the right person goes to jail.
Sheila concedes she'd never have thought Paul would do something like this, but adds that the evidence speaks for itself.
A stranger appears at the bar, asking to know where Ramsay Street is. Sheila tells him that she lives there, but he rubs her up the wrong way when he expects her to draw him a map of how to get there. As Sheila bustles off, the man looks at a press cutting from his pocket from the West Waratah Star, about the new mayor's Citizen of the Year Awards, accompanied by an image of Sonya...
No 28
Karl is relieved to learn from Susan that the fire bell was a false alarm. She explains that the firefighters think one of the kids set the alarm off deliberately, and Ben, listening in, makes it clear he thinks Angus was responsible.
Once Ben's left the room, Susan admits she thinks he might be right, given Angus's history of disruption in his previous schools. She tells Karl she'll look into it further.
Harold's Café
Piper, Xanthe and Angus are sitting at a table. Piper's been shaken by the fire alarm, remembering what happened last time. Xanthe covers for Angus, not telling Piper that he was responsible.
XANTHE: At least we don't have the exam anymore.
PIPER: Until tomorrow.
XANTHE: ... Oh, yeah.
Piper goes to hang out with Tyler for a bit, promising to meet Xanthe later for a study session. Once she's gone, Xanthe points out to Angus how freaked out Piper was - and says she wouldn't have complained about the exam if she knew Angus was going to set off the alarm. She also asks him again to give Ben the money back that he stole; he claims he hasn't had the chance yet.
A slip of the tongue leads to Xanthe confessing that she found the money along with Ben. Angus asks her to tell him the whole story.
Meanwhile, Toadie and Steph are having a coffee. Steph pesters him for information on what he's keeping from Sonya. He admits that the text was from 'a guy' from whom he's trying to protect Sonya.
TOADIE: I actually paid the guy to stay away from her.
STEPH: What? So who is he?
Toadie doesn't tell Steph, but does admit that the guy has asked to see him ASAP.
No 30
Susan is venting to Sonya about Angus and his abandonment complex. Angus is heartbroken, says Susan, even if he won't admit it, and is just acting out to cover it up.
Conversation moves onto Sonya's suspicions that Toadie and Steph are keeping something from her. Susan asks if she's still feeling jealous about their friendship, but Sonya says it's more than that; Toadie has been acting really strangely, and Steph whisked him away earlier after he got a text message that made him look worried. Susan thinks she might have imagined it.
SONYA: No, no! There is definitely something going on. I just have no idea what it is.
The Waterhole
Sheila hands the stranger a drink, and a piece of paper with a map to Ramsay Street that she's drawn for him. She asks why he's in Erinsborough.
SHEILA: Business? Pleasure?
STRANGER: Personal.
SHEILA: And thank you for the map, too, I suppose? (!)
STRANGER: Oh, sorry. I appreciate it.
SHEILA: Hmm. Not enough.
Sheila marches off.
No 30
Aaron tells Nate that he's not sure whether he can take on the new prospective client, without admitting that it's Paul.
AARON: There's just a few question marks around his sincerity.
NATE: So it's a challenge.
AARON: Yeah, definitely.
NATE: So rise up to it!
AARON: This person has major image issues. I'm just a tiny little fish in a great big pond.
NATE: No, you're a great white shark, alright? I have faith in you.
As his main investor, Nate encourages Aaron to get back out there and 'work his magic'.
Power Street
Outside Grease Monkeys, Tyler and Piper are having a coffee and a laugh. Ben turns up and asks Piper if she wants to come to the library with him. She doesn't.
PIPER: But, erm, why don't you ask Xanthe?
BEN: Why would I do that?
PIPER: Oh, don't play dumb. I got, like, fifty texts about your study session, and about how horribly awkward it turned out.
Ben protests that he thought they were just hanging out as mates. Piper points out that he talks about Xanthe an awful lot for someone who's not interested in her, and Tyler agrees.
BEN: If I mention her a lot, it's because she's always finding ways to make my life unbearable.
PIPER: Yeah, because she really likes you!
TYLER: Have you thought about asking her out on a date?
BEN: Are you kidding?!
Piper encourages him to take her to a Sista Hood concert tonight. Ben doesn't want to see Sista Hood, but Piper says that Xanthe would love him for it.
TYLER: It's not that complicated. Just ask her out!
Clearly embarrassed, Ben doesn't argue this time - just wanders off. Piper and Tyler joke about him liking Xanthe once he's gone.
Robinson's Motel
Aaron turns up to see Paul. He says he'll take him on as a client, provided that Paul doesn't ask him to do anything illegal, interfere with the investigation, or lean on Mark for information. Paul agrees, and offers to talk Aaron through his whiteboard research in more detail. But Aaron says he doesn't have the skills to prove Paul innocent; just to make him look innocent.
Harold's Café
Xanthe is telling Angus about how she and Ben found Tom Quill's money, and kept it because everyone thought he was dead. Angus said he'd have done the same, and would 'totally' spend the cash. Xanthe complains about Ben's hypocrisy, having told her not to spend any money and then buying Piper a new laptop with it.
Angus remarks that Ben is 'totally crazy' about Piper. Xanthe says Ben has no feelings for Piper, but Angus tells her that Ben is just enjoying stringing both of them along. Xanthe can't believe it, but Angus then tells her what Ben said about his mum dumping him with the Kennedys to get rid of him.
ANGUS: The nice guy act is just to get what he wants. But the truth is, he's only out for himself.
Robinson's Motel
Aaron is on the phone trying to convince somebody at the West Waratah Star to hear Paul's side of the story, but he has no luck - telling Paul that they're too concerned about the legal implications.
AARON: The editor thinks that you're trying to play a long game. He thinks that if you can sway the public opinion in your favour, it will urge the police to investigate other suspects. Is that what you're doing?
PAUL: If it forces the police to find out who really caused the explosion, then that's a good thing, isn't it?
Aaron says that if the mainstream media won't help them, they'll have to find someone else who can gain exposure for them.
AARON: Piper!
PAUL: What?
AARON: Piper Willis! She's doing a series about the Lassiter's explosion on her vlog!
PAUL: Hang on. Piper, as in Josh's sister? Doug's granddaughter?
AARON: Yes! Paul, interviewing you might help her deal with what she's going through.
PAUL: Oh, yeah, and she'll really give me a fair hearing, won't she?
AARON: Paul, that's totally up to us. Hey, if we can change her mind about you, we can do anything. Come on, it's worth a shot.
No 30
Sonya is still packing, when Toadie drops the bombshell that he can't come with her to Canberra after all. He says that the text message he got earlier was from a client in trouble, who he has to stick around and meet up with. Sonya's annoyed as she was counting on Toadie's support, and he apologises. Steph comes in, and Sonya marches off to give Nell (who's Not In This Episode™) a bath.
TOADIE: That went well (!)
Lassiter's Complex
Stormclouds are gathering over Erinsborough...
Harold's Café
Ben comes in looking windswept, and sits down with Xanthe, who has her headphones in. He asks if she's listening to Sista Hood, and mentions the gig tonight - but she interrupts, asking him if it's true that he picked on Angus because of his mum. Ben admits he did, but in the heat of the moment.
XANTHE: And you call him the jerk?
BEN: I can't believe you're defending him. Angus, the guy who stole our money?
Xanthe says Angus just did that to wind Ben up, but Ben's not buying it.
BEN: You're just a sucker for the bad boy act, aren't you?
XANTHE: I would rather an honest bad boy, than a fake nice one.
BEN: What's that supposed to mean?
At that moment, Angus comes in - showing Xanthe two tickets he's bought to the Sista Hood concert! Xanthe leaps up and hugs him.
BEN: You're seriously not going with this loser?
But Xanthe ignores him, and rushes off with Angus to get ready. Ben takes a second pair of Sista Hood tickets he's bought from his pocket and throws them on the table, frustrated.
Erinsborough
The darkened sky is riven with CGI lightning and rain.
No 24
Aaron is talking to Tyler and Piper about his idea of Piper interviewing Paul for her vlog. Piper's sceptical, as she thinks Paul just wants to use her to garner public sympathy.
AARON: ... Okay, that is part of it.
But Aaron says Piper would be in control, and could ask him any questions she wants. Tyler thinks it's insane for Aaron to expect Piper to relive what she's been through like that. Aaron says he thought Paul was guilty too, but now he has doubts - and this would allow Piper and her viewers to make up their own mind.
No 30
Toadie and Steph are talking about his meeting with the mystery guy. He hopes they can 'put it to bed' while Sonya's interstate, so she never has to find out. Suddenly the back door blows open due to the bad weather outside. Then lightning strikes, and all the lights go out; Steph ascertains from a glance out of the window that the whole suburb is affected.
Steph decides to go and check that everything's okay at the motel. She asks if Toadie will be okay, since she's worried that the 'guy' who wants to meet him might turn up and be dangerous. Toadie says he's not going to hide from him. Steph leaves, telling Toadie to call if he needs her.
Harold's Café
The storm rages on. The café is closed, but Xanthe comes in with Angus on their way home from the concert, to get a snack before they go home. She thanks Angus for a great night out.
XANTHE: You didn't use the money you took from Ben, did you?
ANGUS: No. I, erm... I gave that back.
He strokes her hair.
ANGUS: I had an amazing time tonight.
XANTHE: As if you like girl bands!
ANGUS: But you like them, and I like you.
XANTHE: ... Er, you should know I have a thing for Ben. I have done for a while.
ANGUS: Then why haven't you done anything about it?
XANTHE: I don't think he feels the same way about me.
ANGUS: He's even more stupid than I thought. And when you're Australia's next supermodel he'll realise he missed out on the biggest thing that's ever happened to him.
XANTHE: You're just saying that.
ANGUS: Let me, erm... Let me put it in another way.
Lightning strikes again as their lips meet for a kiss.
No 28
Angus comes in, to find Susan still awake. She explains she's been speaking to some of his old teachers overseas - and that they reported similar incidents to today's fire alarm at all four of his boarding schools.
SUSAN: Anything you'd like to tell me?
ANGUS: Nope.
SUSAN: I think if you'd been here for the real fire, you'd understand how distressing today was for some people. Angus, I get how hard it is for you to be here without your family. But you don't have to deal with it by making trouble. You could just come and talk to me. Any time you need to.
ANGUS: Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.
He goes to his room. Susan looks worried.
Robinson's Motel
With the power still out, Aaron is setting up a spooky-looking lantern by which to conduct the Paul/Piper video interview. Tyler is hanging around being protective.
PAUL: If this is too difficult, Piper, we don't have to go ahead.
PIPER: It's my choice, and I want to. I'm not doing this for you.
PAUL: Alright. Well, I appreciate you hearing me out.
PIPER: Let's get started.
She introduces the video as 'Pipe Up: The Lassiter's Disaster Diaries'.
PIPER: Tonight I am talking to the man charged with killing two people. Two people I love and miss every day. So, Paul Robinson - what do you have to say for yourself?
No 30
The storm continues. Toadie is lying on the sofa asleep, when he is disturbed by a knock at the door. The knock persists, and he gets up to answer it. It's the stranger who we saw earlier speaking to Sheila at The Waterhole.
TOADIE: Come in, Walter.
Walter walks into the house. Toadie doesn't look especially pleased to see him.
Promo
- Toadie makes Steph promise that she won't say anything to Sonya
- Walter becomes acquainted with Steph
- Piper challenges Paul to explain the overwhelming evidence against him
- Cecilia Saint tells Terese that she is 'absolutely certain' Paul was responsible for the explosion
- Terese is upset to see Aaron and Paul walking and smiling together
