Previously
- Karl and Susan encourage Mackenzie to eat after Grant mentioned she was off her food
- Mackenzie has strange dreams about Hendrix being in a swimming pool and her unable to reach him
- Harold mentions Melanie's previous stint as stepmother, to Joe's kids; Mel says she's lucky to do it again
- Harold remarks that Nell and Hugo must like Melanie because 'she's still quite the child herself'
- Zara twigs that Harold's not entirely on- board with Toadie and Mel, and asks him to help break them up
- Emma blackmails Freya into treating a woman with an injured leg, to ensure David's safety in prison
Warrinor Prison
Leo and Aaron are visiting David. Aaron is trying to cheer up David with photos of Isla, but to no avail.
DAVID: It's okay, Leo, you're allowed to smile. I'm still alive.
LEO: You been keeping a low profile?
DAVID: Any lower, and I'd be invisible.
LEO: Well, let's aim for that, eh?
Video and audio footage of the meeting is seen briefly from the perspective of a security camera trained on the visitors' room, as if to suggest they are being watched.
DAVID: Nobody's even looked at me sideways since the attack. Must be how initiations work. One and done. And make sure Dad knows that I'm handling this. I don't want him to get involved again.
David asks if Freya is prepared for her sentencing which is coming up. Aaron says she's nervous, but won't admit it.
DAVID: She'll be fine. By dinner time tomorrow, this'll all be behind her.
AARON: Hey, we should be thinking about *your* sentencing.
DAVID: That's next week's problem. Let's just focus on Freya.
Lassiter's Complex / No 32
Freya is in the courtyard, on the phone to Aaron who's at home. Freya asks after David; Aaron says he's on the mend and that Emma appears to have kept her word - David's safe, for now.
FREYA: Yeah, for now. I don't trust anyone involved in this. Not Emma, not the prisoners, none of them.
AARON: I just - I really wish we could go to the cops.
FREYA: Yeah, I know. But if we did, that would be it for David. And we can't compromise Levi either. He's been in way too much trouble lately.
Freya waves at Levi, who approaches across the courtyard, and kisses her. She claims Aaron is wishing her luck for the sentencing tomorrow. Aaron wraps up the call, saying he has to go and see to Isla, but promises to chat to Freya tomorrow.
LEVI: You alright for our date?
FREYA (stressed): I don't think I can...
LEVI: Just relax. Breathe. Don't stress, okay? Everything's gonna work out for you, I know it, yeah?
FREYA: There's a chance I could still go to jail.
LEVI: But look, even if the worst was gonna happen, it's all the more reason to enjoy tonight, okay?
He puts an arm around her and leads her away for their date.
No 30
Harold and Amy are reminiscing over the Ramsay Street history book, specifically the 'Full Monty' page.
AMY: You know, Harold, I've always thought you were the one that got away.
HAROLD: Hm?
AMY: I was *this* close to getting you to bare all in the Full Monty!
HAROLD (laughs): Ah, no, well, fortunately, modesty prevailed!
AMY: Maybe I should do it again. I hear Tad's got a nightclub, you know.
HAROLD: Oh, no, no. Well, fortunately, that is a discotheque, more than a... what, a performance parlour?
AMY: Oh, foiled again!
Zara, who has been making a drink in the kitchen, now retreats to the sunroom, but continues to listen to the conversation.
AMY: Look, now that we're alone, can you please not buy into anything that Zara is saying?
HAROLD: Yeah, well, she's certainly got very strong feelings about you and Jarrod.
AMY: Look, I just - I think she likes the setup that we have here. You know, she doesn't want to lose it. That's what I'm putting it down to, anyway.
HAROLD: Look, since we are talking... what's your opinion of Melanie as a stepmother?
AMY: To Nell and Hugo? She's great! They love her.
HAROLD: It's a very big deal, taking over somebody else's children. And she has tried it before.
AMY: Oh, with Joe, your ex-son-in-law?
HAROLD: Mm.
AMY: Did something happen? I know that they got divorced.
HAROLD: No, no - well, look, it is all in the past, but Jarrod's very special to me. I have to make sure that he'll be okay.
AMY: He loves Mel, and he's a very good judge of character.
But Harold still looks unconvinced.
No 28
The next morning, Harold is making a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, when Mackenzie emerges from Hendrix's bedroom. They greet one another, Mackenzie a little awkwardly.
HAROLD: Karl and Susan said that I'd possibly bump into you down here, but it's still a lovely surprise! Now, can I get you some breakfast? I make a mean benedict!
MACKENZIE: ... Uh, no, thanks.
HAROLD: Well, at least join me in a cup of coffee.
MACKENZIE: ... Thank you, but I really should be going.
HAROLD: Please - please, indulge me... See, I... I came to Erinsborough to support Karl and Susan, and Jarrod. But you see, if I'm honest, I came for you as well.
Mackenzie is slightly taken aback.
Lassiter's Lake
Freya walks Levi to work, and is looking a lot more positive today, saying she's ready to handle whatever the sentencing throws at her. Levi tells her he'll clock off work early so he can be there with her, and also reveals that he's brought her lucky hat along, as a good luck charm! Freya thanks him, then gets a text from Toadie, summoning her so they can prepare for her court appearance. She kisses Levi and he leaves.
Freya then gets another text, this one from Emma McIver. It reads, 'Another job. I need you now.' Freya looks worried.
No 30
Karl is having coffee with Toadie, who declares he's breaking out the 'good biscuits'. Toadie tells Karl, 'You know the drill,' at which point Karl covers his eyes so he can't see where the good biscuits jar is kept. Toadie makes a noise in the kitchen to throw him off the scent, before creeping over and retrieving the biccies from their real location, behind a plant pot in the living room!
Harold's Café
Melanie is having a parallel coffee with Susan, and tells her she's thinking she and Toadie might get married in a year or eighteen months.
SUSAN: Oh! Gee, I wouldn't have picked you for the long engagement type.
MELANIE: I am so not! I would get married before lunch if I could. Brunch, even. But I've got to rein myself in.
SUSAN: Well, the perfect wedding's worth the wait.
No 30
Karl and Toadie are also talking wedding plans as Karl devours the good biscuits.
KARL: Obviously you've got your musical entertainment organised for the wedding, but other things take time. You've got the venue, you've got outfits, cars, catering, you name it.
TOADIE: Yeah, see, none of that stuff really matters to me, mate. As long as I've got Mel, our vows, the rings, and the kids.
Harold's Café
Melanie explains to Susan that Toadie has called Callum to see when he could fly over from the US for the wedding. Susan hopes it won't be too long.
No 30
Karl tells Toadie that good things come to those who wait, as he retrieves another biccie from the jar. Without looking up from his phone, Toadie snatches the biscuit off Karl, replaces it in the jar, then puts the lid back on and slides it away from Karl. He's had a message from Callum.
TOADIE: He can't swing any more time off than what he's already taken. So it's either a year's time... or in three weeks.
No 28
Mackenzie has taken Harold up on his coffee offer, and they sit on the sofas together.
HAROLD: When Karl and Susan told me your story - oh, my heart broke for you. To lose somebody so special, so young... But you've got to hold onto your memories, Mackenzie.
She nods, looking tearful.
HAROLD (wistful): I often lose myself in my memories. Last time, when I was here... oh, dear. I had visions of my late wife, Madge. (points to his head) All up here, of course. I think about her wherever I am, but when I'm *here*... where I loved her, where I lost her... my memories are so... *vivid*.
MACKENZIE (crying): I had such a short time with Hendrix, umm... I'm scared I'm gonna forget him.
HAROLD: Oh, dear girl, no.
Harold takes her hand.
MACKENZIE (sobbing): I keep having this dream, where I can see him, but I can't get to him. And I'm so scared.
HAROLD: The pain dulls, and it makes the memories sharper. And if I listen hard enough, I can *always* hear Madge. (chuckles) More often than not, giving me a stern talking to!
Mackenzie laughs through her tears.
HAROLD: Why don't you try it? Now?
MACKENZIE: Okay. (laughs) He's telling me to stop being a wet cat, and think about the good times!
HAROLD (laughs): Ah, not one to mince his words, eh?
MACKENZIE (smiling): No.
HAROLD (emotional): Do you know what? I think he and Madge are gonna get along like a house on fire.
MACKENZIE: I think he would have gotten on well with you, too, Harold.
We pan upwards and see Susan and Karl silently watching this tender moment from the door, then return to Mackenzie, who looks somehow like a weight has been lifted.
No 32 / Lassiter's Complex
Aaron, who is at home, is on the phone to Freya, who's in the courtyard at Lassiter's. She's been telling him about Emma's latest demand.
FREYA: What are we gonna do?
AARON: If you say you won't do it, David's in trouble.
FREYA: I know, I know - but I've got my sentencing. I'm meant to be prepping with Toadie, like, right now.
At this point, Toadie himself approaches, and tells Freya they need to get started.
FREYA: Can we reschedule, actually?
TOADIE: Uh, no...
FREYA: I don't really think I can do this right now.
TOADIE: Freya, I get that you're feeling anxious. But I'm sorry, a judge just will not cop that as an excuse.
Freya's brother Zane then approaches.
ZANE: What's the point of having a lawyer if you don't actually listen to him?
Freya's shocked to see Zane, who explains that Toadie asked him to write a character reference for her - so he thought he'd go one better and give the reference in court in person. Freya tells him that's awesome, but she's still on the phone to Aaron, and tells them she'll come into the law office in a second. Zane suggests that if the call isn't about keeping her out of prison, it can wait!
Ramsay Street
Amy is cleaning the Drinks Divas van, when Zara comes out for a chat.
ZARA: Hazza seemed to have a bit on his mind last night.
AMY: Harold! Or Mr Bishop to you!
ZARA: Did you find out why he's not Team Melanie? I'm guessing it has something to do with his ex-son-in-law?
AMY: So you *were* listening.
ZARA: I was trying to. Didn't catch every word.
AMY: Well, I'd say it's between him and... Melanie!
Melanie herself has appeared, and enthusiastically tells them that the post she put on 'the socials' about her engagement to Toadie has attracted lots of comment.
MELANIE: And I've just updated it to say that we're getting married in three weeks' time!
AMY: (...) Well, why would you say that?
MELANIE: Because we are! It's the only Callum-friendly time we could lock down. You know, if I knew that this wedding stuff was gonna go off like a frog in a clog, I would've said yes yonks ago!
This piques Zara's curiosity, and she asks if Melanie said no at first. Mel reveals that it wasn't a 'no', just a 'one step at a time'. She goes inside to reply to more of the comments on her social media post. Once she's gone, Zara quips that Melanie seems to be more interested in the wedding for the social media 'likes' than anything else.
ZARA: If she was committed to Toadie she would've said yes in the first place.
AMY: Well, she probably had a very good reason why she wanted to wait.
ZARA: Okay - have you ever seen a fairytale where someone has to be worn down to get their happily ever after?
AMY: You know, there's some pretty messed-up fairytales out there.
Lassiter's Complex / No 32
Freya still hasn't hung up her call to Aaron. Toadie tells her he'll see her inside in five minutes.
ZANE (following him): Make it three.
FREYA (to Aaron): Did you get all that? Look, I'm just gonna have to text Emma.
AARON: Okay. And say what?
FREYA: That I'll be there, just not right now.
AARON: Freya, I just don't think it works like that!
FREYA: Well, I can't exactly be in two places at once. I'm just gonna promise to be there as soon as I'm out of court. Hey, I don't want you to worry, okay? Of course David is still my main priority. And if she responds and says it's urgent, then... I'll just have to bail on my sentencing.
Rebecchi Law
Toadie is talking about Freya's psych report, which he explains states unequivocally that trauma affected her judgement on the day Gareth died, but she's distracted looking at her phone. Toadie and Zane both ask her if she's okay.
FREYA: I'm listening, I promise. I'm just waiting on a really important text message.
ZANE (impatient): More important than what we're doing here?
FREYA: Do you know what? I'm just gonna call them. I'll call them, and then I'm all yours, okay?
Freya rushes out of the office, and calls Emma. There's no answer; instead, Freya gets a message from a private number. It's an audio file, apparently recorded from the kitchens in Warrinor Prison.
DAVID (voice): Hey, mate, can you pass me that pan?
There's no reply, but Freya then hears David screaming in agony. Horrified, she glances back towards the law office, unsure what she should do...
No 28
Susan and Karl are doing a crossword, when Mackenzie emerges from Hendrix's room.
MACKENZIE: You're right to be concerned about my eating. It's a problem. Umm... the same thing happened when my mum died. I just... can't eat.
KARL: Thank you for trusting us with this.
SUSAN: It's nothing to be ashamed of, Mackenzie. Grief takes all kinds of forms.
She comes and sits opposite them.
MACKENZIE: The thing is, it's not just the grief. It's an old issue. Umm, it's something I did sometimes years ago, when I wasn't feeling comfortable in my body. I guess it just flared up.
SUSAN: Oh, sweetheart.
MACKENZIE: But it was even before Hendrix was sick. I was feeling insecure about all the Fashion Week stuff. Right or wrong, I felt validated by Montana. But... Hendrix validated me more. Every day, he made me feel just... right. And now he's gone.
SUSAN: But you *are* just right. You're perfect.
KARL: Yes. And you know we're here to support you and listen to you. Is there anything else we can do?
MACKENZIE: No. No, that's all I need. And I'll get help. I know these feelings don't just go away. I might always have to manage them. And I will.
SUSAN: ... How would you feel if we were to relay some of this to your dad?
MACKENZIE: ... I'll do it. I know he wants to support me. And I haven't let him.
KARL: He'll be very happy to hear from you.
MACKENZIE: It might be nice to talk in person. I might look at flights.
SUSAN: How about a cup of tea first? Maybe a sandwich?
Mackenzie nods, and smiles.
MACKENZIE: You know, Harold was right. I can hear Hendrix when I listen. And he'd say that it's the right thing to do.
Lassiter's Complex
Aaron convenes with Freya, and tells her that he's heard from the administrator at Warrinor; David has been in some sort of accident in the prison kitchen.
FREYA (scoffs): Accident?
AARON: They won't even tell me how bad he's hurt. Freya, I'm going to the police. There's nothing stopping me now.
FREYA: Yeah, let's do it - let's go.
AARON: No. You have to go to your meeting.
FREYA: But they're gonna want to talk to me as well.
AARON: That's fine, they can wait. I'll look after David; you take care of yourself. Good luck.
As Aaron heads to the police station, Toadie and Zane approach Freya and demand to know what's going on.
FREYA: David's been assaulted, and it's my fault, and I've been trying to protect him.
ZANE: Are you actually insane? Why would you get involved in someone else's mess when you're in a massive one yourself?
TOADIE (to Freya): Alright, don't say anything. Because if you've done something illegal, I need to report it, and then you need to find new representation.
FREYA: No, I know. But Aaron's gone to the cops, and I should really be in there with him.
TOADIE: Okay, alright. I will try to push your appearance back an hour. But you need to know that this is not gonna reflect well on you. And if we lose the court date completely...
ZANE: ... you've blown your chance.
FREYA: Thank you - thank you. An hour's all I need.
Toadie and Zane head off, leaving Freya to go to the station.
A dreamscape
In Mackenzie's dream, Hendrix is floating in the swimming pool again - but this time, Mackenzie finds her way out of the adjoining house, and joins him in the water. He smiles, and takes her in his arms. They lay back and float together.
No 28
Mackenzie wakes from her reverie, smiling, seemingly more at peace now.
No 30
Zara is in the sunroom, when Harold comes in looking for Toadie's kids.
ZARA: They're not here.
HAROLD: But I thought you said they wanted to see me.
ZARA: I made that up, to get you down here. Look, please, just hear me out. I know you think Mel's not stepmum material... I overheard.
HAROLD: I see.
ZARA: And I know Mum doesn't want to get involved, but I think there's some things you should know.
HAROLD: Oh, well - since you've already lured me here under false pretences...
ZARA: Mel has major Sonya issues. Mum came home to find all of her photos face-down.
HAROLD: No! I do hope Nell and Hugo weren't around?
ZARA: No, but they could've walked in. I mean, imagine it (...) When Toadie first proposed, Mel said no. And she didn't move in here for months after they started dating (...) I know you don't want to get involved either -
HAROLD (sternly): No. I will not act as matchmaker for your mother and Jarrod.
ZARA: And I wouldn't ask you to. But when you put all of that together with what your gut's telling you, can you really stand back and do nothing?
Harold is lost for words...
Erinsborough Police Station
While Freya stands by, Levi tells Aaron that David's being treated in the prison hospital - he's not critical, but is severely burned. Extra guards have been placed outside, but that's all the information Levi has. Aaron heads outside, and Freya asks if she can talk to Levi.
LEVI (coldly): I don't think that's a good idea right now.
FREYA: I know, I wanted to tell you about Emma, but I didn't have a choice.
LEVI: We always have choices, Freya. You just made the wrong one.
FREYA: She completely cornered me with David.
LEVI: Then come to the police! (...) We could've fixed it. If you'd come to me, I could've... You don't trust me, and that's what it boils down to, right?
FREYA: That's not it at all!
LEVI: Well, you lied to me, *and* you shut me out. I don't even know why we're together.
Freya looks upset as Levi walks off.
Coming up on Neighbours
- Nicolette tells Clive, 'Just as long as you're both happy, and no- one's dating anyone else'
- 'Course not,' Clive replies
- Byron plans to distract Danielle while he searches her house for proof of her involvement with Clive
- Aaron tells Andrew he's unwilling to leave this up to him, when all he's done is fail David so far
- An upset Paul tells Terese he's 'unable to do a damn thing' for David, 'completely useless as usual'