Previously
- Shaun tells Elly he got the school counsellor job at Erinsborough High
- At school, Shaun is introduced to Emmett by David and Aaron, and learns it's his first day
- Emmett becomes frustrated when Marty Muggleton pushes him to answer a maths question
- Roxy tells Kyle they should stop being angry at one another and give their relationship a go
- But Kyle can't get over the fact that Roxy kissed his cousin Levi
- Pierce says someone will have to go and suss out the state of the island
- Shaun goes and reports back, saying the place is 'pretty trashed'
- Kyle volunteers to be one of the group that goes to clean up the island
Lassiter's
In the office, Pierce comes in to collect Chloe so they can head off for the island clean-up. But Chloe has bad news - she misread the date for the local government grant application, which they'll now need to complete today in order for the island project to go ahead. Pierce says they'll have to skip the island clean-up and work together to get it done.
CHLOE: We convinced our friends to return to a place where they were all horribly traumatised - and now we're piking?
PIERCE: Yeah, well, they wouldn't be going if they didn't want to. And if we don't get the paperwork done, the entire project will be put on hold for months.
Chloe agrees, and calls Kyle to break the news.
Lassiter's Complex
Kyle finishes up the call with Chloe, and explains to Levi and Roxy that Chloe and Pierce aren't coming to the island. Levi suggests this would give Kyle an opportunity to decide not to go himself, but Kyle is determined to still go. Roxy feels awkward that it's the three of them going together given recent events, and suggests they call it off. But Kyle is still going, so Roxy and Levi go too.
Meanwhile, Emmett is outside Harold's working on his homework. David and Aaron are nearby, and discuss how he was working on it all last night, and must be tired. Aaron's worried that he won't be able to help Emmett for much longer as the level of maths is quite advanced - but at least they'll have more time with him to help when the holidays start.
David and Aaron join Emmett at the table, to discuss the holidays; they're going to alternate their work shifts so one of them can be with him each day, to help with homework, but there will be 'plenty of time for fun too'. Aaron and David suggest Emmett could bring some of his new schoolfriends round to hang out, or go bowling with them. Emmett seems perturbed by this.
EMMETT: ... I should probably do homework. I don't want to get behind.
Aaron and David seem surprised, but go along with this.
No 28
Elly, Bea and Shaun are in the garden. Bea tells Elly and Shaun that she's decided to go and help with the clean-up operation on the island.
ELLY: What? Why would you go back there?!
BEA: It's just a place, and it can't hurt me (...) It's not gonna be easy, but it's something that I have to do.
Bea rushes off to meet the others at the dock. Once she's gone, Shaun reminds Elly that Bea will be surrounded by friends who will take care of her. Elly feels like she should be there too, though this feeling doesn't extend to actually going. She wishes Shaun good luck for his first day at Erinsborough High.
Lassiter's / Murder Island™
In the hotel office, Chloe and Pierce are doing very important work on their grant application. Chloe is worried about Kyle going to the island.
CHLOE: What if he can't cope with the memories?
Pierce replies that he can always leave early if he needs to. But Chloe wants to give the clean-up team a call to make sure they're okay.
On the island, Kyle, Roxy, Levi and Bea are walking through the bush when Chloe calls. Kyle puts her on speakerphone, and she thanks them all for helping out. She advises them to work in pairs. She's surprised to hear that Bea is there; Bea explains it was a last-minute decision. Chloe leaves them to it, but reminds them to keep checking in with each other.
CHLOE: Some of you went through a lot in that place.
Chloe gives Pierce a worried look as she ends the call.
On the island, Levi tells Kyle he'll pair up with him. Bea asks how Kyle's feeling; he says he's alright.
BEA: You know we're here because we want to face our fears. We're not letting Finn win.
KYLE: Sure.
They head off to get started, but Kyle is obviously struggling already - and tells them he'll catch up, before rushing off alone into the bush. He has a flashback to his first sighting of Gary after he arrived on the island.
KYLE: Dad!
GARY: Son?
In the present, Kyle looks sad.
Lassiter's Complex
David congratulates Shaun on his new job; Shaun thanks him, but say he has to get through a trial period before it's permanent. David asks if Shaun would mind keeping an eye out for Emmett at school; Shaun says he'd be happy to help.
Erinsborough High School
Marty Muggleton's maths class is just finishing up, and Emmett tries to strike up a conversation with another boy, Louis Curtain.
EMMETT: Do you maybe want to go bowling or swimming over the holidays?
LOUIS: With you?
EMMETT: Well, I was gonna ask a few other people as well, but, umm...
LOUIS: Listen, stick to your old friends. If you have any. No-one here rates you.
Louis walks out. Emmett goes over to Muggleton to hand in his homework. Muggleton isn't impressed with it.
MUGGLETON: Did you forget a page, or...?
EMMETT: That's it.
Louis glares ominously at Emmett from the corridor.
EMMETT: Umm, can I stay inside for recess? I don't feel well.
MUGGLETON: Spending some time out in the fresh air might do you good... But, if you're really not feeling well, go to sickbay.
EMMETT: No, it's okay.
Emmett walks out.
Lassiter's Complex
Elly runs into Toadie, and asks him how he's been faring since Dee left. He says he's getting through it; he visited the Sonya Wall, he explains, to help him feel grounded, and is going to focus on the Sonya Foundation for a while, and give some of the programmes a revamp. Toadie asks how Elly's doing, and is surprised to hear that Bea has gone back to the island.
Erinsborough High School
Shaun finds Emmett sitting alone on the steps in the yard. Emmett thinks he's in trouble, but Shaun assures him he's not. He asks if Emmett has anyone to hang out with. The silence speaks volumes.
SHAUN: It's alright if you haven't made any friends yet. It can take a while.
EMMETT: They don't want to be my friend. They think I'm a loser.
SHAUN: I doubt that's true.
But Emmett just gets up and walks away, despite Shaun calling after him.
Lassiter's Complex
Outside the pub, Sheila is filling in Aaron about the clean-up trip to the island. Aaron's surprised all of the gang have felt able to go, saying it took David a long time to get over his guilt about Finn. But they agree that Chloe and Pierce's project is a good thing, and honours Gary's memory.
SHEILA: I'm just so worried about Kyle.
AARON: Levi's with him. He'll be okay.
Murder Island™
Kyle, Levi and Bea are litter-picking. Kyle has another flashback, to him crying out for Gary during the fire (after hearing he'd been killed), and Paul convincing him not to try and find Gary, or else 'Sheila is going to lose two people today'.
In the present, Kyle rushes off again. Levi offers to go with him, but Kyle says he wants to be on his own. Levi asks Bea how she's doing, and they flirt lightly over who's picking up the least rubbish. Levi bets he can collect more rubbish than her; the prize would be a free car service.
Bea agrees; if she wins, says Levi, she gets a ride in the patrol car and to play with the flashing lights! Bea says that would be exciting, if she was six. They continue to flirt and throw rubbish at each other.
Ramsay Street
Shaun tells David and Aaron that he thinks Emmett is struggling to make any friends at school, explaining he found him on his own during recess. Aaron and David realise that's why he's been so keen to do homework in his spare time. Shaun's concerned that, combined with Emmett's other issues, it isn't making for an easy start at the school - he's really behind academically.
Shaun explains that there are some tutoring programmes in the holidays that Emmett might benefit from, but that not all kids respond well to a bigger workload. If things don't improve, he could consider repeating Year 8. David and Aaron aren't keen on this, as Emmett has already repeated a year once when he was younger.
DAVID: It'll only make him feel like a failure.
SHAUN: It might be the best way to get his education back on track in the long run.
DAVID: How do we even bring that up with him? He's gonna hate us.
The Waterhole
Elly shows up while Pierce and Chloe are working on their funding grant application. Pierce has learned that for the island project to go ahead, they need to secure a partnership with at least one other community-based not-for-profit organisation. Chloe's panicking as they can't organise that by the end-of-the-day deadline.
CHLOE: This is hopeless. We've abandoned our friends, and now it's all for nothing.
ELLY: I think I might know how to fix this...
Murder Island™
Kyle is at the campsite, and gets a text from Levi asking if he's okay. Roxy comes over to join him. Now Kyle gets a call from Sheila.
ROXY: If you don't want to answer, then don't.
KYLE: I probably should.
ROXY: Why? So she can ask if you're upset? So she can tell you that it's okay to go home if you want to? If you want to stay and help, then stay and help. You can make your own decisions; you're a big boy.
KYLE: Thanks, Rox.
There's an awkward pause, before Kyle heads off to resume the litter-picking. We cut to him walking through the bush on his own again with a rubbish bag. He steps on something, and looks down - it's one of Finn's arrows, like the one that killed Gary. Kyle picks it up and stares at it, looking sad.
No 32
Aaron and David are talking to Emmett about the extra tutoring sessions Shaun suggested. Emmett's worried that the other kids will think he's an idiot, but Aaron argues it will improve his grades and make him feel better about school.
EMMETT: I don't want to.
DAVID: ... Otherwise, we'll have to look into you repeating Year 8.
EMMETT: I'm already the old loser kid! You want to make that worse?!
AARON: Emmett, just hear us out first.
DAVID: We'll be with you every step of the way.
EMMETT: I said no!
He stands up and walks off.
The Waterhole
Toadie arrives, having been summoned by Chloe at Elly's behest. Elly explains how Toadie is looking to revamp some of the Sonya Foundation programmes including Buddy Club, and how Chloe and Pierce need a not-for-profit partner for the Murder Island Camp For Kids™. Toadie says he's open to teaming up, so he and Chloe agree to work out the detail today. Elly looks inordinately pleased with herself.
However, as Chloe and Toadie get talking, Elly looks a bit forlorn.
Murder Island™
Roxy finds a traumatised-looking Kyle in a burnt-out patch of bush, sitting on a log, holding the arrow. She sits next to him.
ROXY: Fire really did its thing, hey?
KYLE: Yeah. Rox, I dunno why I'm here.
He explains he wanted to be involved with the camp to honour his dad, but wishes he'd chosen another way to help. He feels like he's putting himself through hell for no reason.
ROXY: You don't have all bad memories here. Try and focus on the positive ones (...) like, this is the place where you and your dad fixed things after it was so tense between you both.
KYLE: Yeah, I guess. You might be onto something.
ROXY: I think this place has good and bad memories for all of us. Me included. This is where we first got together.
KYLE: Skinny-dipping in that billabong was pretty fun!
ROXY: Simple and fun, wasn't it?
KYLE: Yeah. It was perfect.
No 28
Aaron and David are paying a visit to Shaun to discuss Emmett; they explain that the idea of repeating Year 8 went down really badly with him. Shaun suggests that he could give Emmett some one-on-one tutoring. David is keen on this idea, but Aaron says there's still the issue of making friends.
DAVID: Do you know anyone in his year we could buddy him up with?
SHAUN: Kids don't usually love it when parents get involved in their social lives. I'll keep an eye on him - see where it goes.
Elly arrives home, and Aaron and David gush about how incredible Shaun has been, offering to tutor Emmett. They tell her Shaun is one 'helpful baby daddy'. Elly nods and smiles, but again looks a bit perturbed.
Murder Island™
At the camp, Bea and Levi continue to flirt and discuss their litter-picking bet - they argue over who has won, until Levi calls it a draw. Feeling thirsty, he looks around for water, then goes outside to find some. But when Bea locates some water herself and goes to take it to Levi, she finds him lying on the grass, having what looks like a seizure...
Coming up on Neighbours
- Louis Curtain asks Emmett if he wants to hang out
- Aaron asks David if he's heard from Emmett; David says no
- Shane is confused as to how Ned has bought Yashvi sunglasses when he was broke this morning
- Roxy asks Kyle what's stopping them getting together
- Clive asks Sheila why she won't talk about Levi; she says she doesn't know how to be around him
