Previously
- Toadie and Melanie getting married.
- Terese telling Paul she still loves him and will give him another go.
- Paul and Terese reuniting.
- Amy hoping for positive news soon after finding a donor.
- The farewell party on Ramsay Street.
- Susan commenting about what's happened in the past two years...
- Toadie and Terese getting married.
- Paul admitting he's perhaps been a bit foolish.
- Toadie glad that Melanie is gone because of the hurt she's caused the family.
- Reece telling Byron about being on the hunt for her sister Kirsta... but she's supposed to tell anyone!
- Byron and Reece finding somewhere Kirsta has stayed and hear she wasn't there alone.
- Holly telling Mackenzie who Eden really is... her ex.
- Eden calling Holly stupid.
- Nell determined to see Melanie... but running into trouble when she does.
- Holly curious to know why Melanie knows her ex Eden.
- Nell safely back home.
- Melanie telling Toadie to take a seat, she's got something to say!
There are no titles today, just Neighbours appearing after the recap.
Number 22
"I can explain everything," Melanie says to Toadie and Terese after she follows them into the house. They are barely seconds inside when Susan rushes in and gets confirmation that Nell was at Melanie's place. Just like the audience, Susan is confused why Eden was there too.
MELANIE: It's complicated.
She asks for them all to take a seat and Terese remarks they aren't going to have afternoon tea!
MELANIE: The truth is quite a lot has happened and it all plays into today.
Naturally Toadie is confused, so Mel explains that they need to go back two years... "to the day before our wedding."
MELANIE: That's when all this really began.
TWO YEARS AGO
Lassiters Complex
Toadie and Melanie are making their way to The Waterhole annoyed at Amy taking off, when Melanie spots a female, "someone I knew from a long time ago." He reminds her that "the whole suburb is teeming with old faces!" but this face seems to have spooked her.
From the Melanie voiceover, whoever this person was, it was someone Melanie hadn't seen for years and apparently wasn't meant to be in the country.
The Waterhole
Toadie and Melanie are sitting round a table with Callum, Mackenzie, Amy and Yashvi discussing the wedding. Amy is thrilled to hear that they do want her at the lake even if they don't necessarily agree with what she's doing.
Voiceover Melanie describes how the run up to the wedding felt "just perfect" and it continued on into the night, where she felt "like the luckiest girl in the world."
Number 30
It would appear Toadie and Melanie are keeping secrets from each other - she's doesn't know what is planned about the ceremony while he is oblivious to the street party.
YASHVI: Oh well, if it was a competition, I'd say the bride's probably winning.
While Toadie takes his co- conspirators (Callum and Mackenzie) down to finish off what's planned at the lake, Melanie continues drinks with Yashvi and Amy, determined not to be outdone!
Someone calls at the door, and whoever it is, Melanie is surprised to see them when she answers the door. The mystery guest, having flown in from London, doesn't look too happy that she isn't being welcomed with open arms by Melanie. The person reassures Melanie that she's "in a really good place" and is simply here to talk. Mel can't do that right now, so mystery woman hands over her number - and we find out that the mystery woman is called Kelly.
Voiceover Melanie describes how so many thoughts were running through her mind over how she could slip away to meet Kelly and find out why she was in town.
Back Lane Bar
Mel has somehow managed to sneak out to meet Kelly. From the conversation, it appears that Melanie was once their family housekeeper although both acknowledge it became more than that especially when Kelly was younger. Whoever Kelly is, much to her father's disappointment, she hasn't joined the family firm.
Mel takes out the paper Kelly handed over and we now know why she was confused... it would appear that Kelly is actually Krista but doesn't want to use that because changing her name is the only way she can be freed from "the entire toxic beat that is my family."
Kelly wants to make a fresh start, like Melanie, and is told about her impending marriage to Toadie and who doesn't know about Kelly.
MELANIE: And they can never find out. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Voiceover Melanie says that she took Kelly nodding her head as confirming she understood what was said to her, along with shutting down "any ideas she had of us."
Number 30
Melanie tries to pretend she isn't there as Yashvi, Callum, Amy and Toadie discuss whether Paul and Terese were seen pashing or not and if they will reunite.
Eventually when they are left alone, Toadie asks "wifey-to-be" where she disappeared off to and she doesn't disagree when he concludes it must have been some last minute wedding arrangements.
TOADIE: Listen, whatever happens, our wedding is going to be perfect.
Number 22 (present day)
Melanie admits that she had to believe the wedding was going to be perfect and allowed herself to get caught up in the wedding by pretending the conversation with Kelly didn't happen.
Lassiters Lake
We rewind again to two years ago to the wedding day - with Melanie arriving in the VW, breaking tradition and throwing the bouquet before then running down the aisle with Toadie to get married.
Number 22 (present day)
"I thought I'd found my happy ever after," Melanie concludes with before Terese asks if the trip down memory lane is reliving "some of your mistakes?" Toadie is curious to know why she is talking about Kelly/Krista while Susan wants to know what the connection is between her and what happened to Nell.
TERESE: Assuming there is one... or is this just some twisted game that you're playing on us?
Melanie's reply is that Krista turning up meant "our lives were never gonna be the same again!"
Ramsay Street
Andrew questions Holly over where Eden could be hiding out and she can only think of the place he was crashing at previously but doesn't think he'd go back there. He wants to have a chat with Nell first before talking more to her (and Toadie/Terese) however it looks like Holly is reluctant to head into #22.
Number 22
Recalling their happy wedding day, as far as Melanie was concerned, Krista was gone.
We go back in time again to the post- wedding celebrations moving from Ramsay Street to The Waterhole
The Waterhole
As David/Aaron, Paul/Terese, Toadie/Melanie, Chloe/Elly, along with the very much singletons Callum and Bea, sit around one of the tables, we hear that Chloe will be relocating to Sydney to be with Elly (and working at Lassiters Sydney) and Bea is relocating from Broome to Sydney too. We get confirmation Shane did indeed rip up the contract, so it's Paul and Terese running the hotel again.
The happy atmosphere round the table is shattered for Melanie when she spots Krista coming into the bar. She excuses herself for a visit to the ladies so she can talk privately with Krista.
Lassiters Complex
Melanie isn't at all amused to see Krista again and drags her as far away from the pub possible so they can talk privately. She isn't happy at lying to Toadie, and after hearing Krista saw the ceremony, asks why she is "jeopardising this for me?!" Krista's reply is she has "no- one else to turn to" including her mum who is in Zurich and fears if she goes to any of the Sydney relatives, her mum will be informed along with her dad and older sister.
Krista pleads that nobody can know she is in Australia and that she wants to make a fresh start, all she is asking for "is a little help." That help is money, which Melanie doesn't have, but the promise to be "out of your way" if Krista gets some money, does seem to be tempting Melanie.
The Waterhole
Melanie is back at the table alongside Susan, who has had enough of listening to Karl jamming with Mike, Scott and Charlene!
As part of the catch up, we hear Bea met a guy in Broome who runs a boat charter company but her news is totally trumped when "original member of the House of Trouser" Lance enters the bar (he arrived with Amy). Toadie is overjoyed at having Lance in town and we hear Amy persuaded him to be her "future baby daddy."
Voiceover Melanie explains that the news about Amy deflected attention off her, but inside she admits to freaking out "surrounded by all these beautiful people" while thinking about Krista and what was she going to do.
Number 22 (present day)
Terese can't listen to any more of Melanie's story and walks through to the kitchen. Toadie follows her and she asks, "why are we putting ourselves through this," and can't see what this story has to do with what happened to Nell. "I'm as confused as you are," Toadie admits and after pacifying Terese over Melanie being in the house, promises "everything's gonna be okay."
(Later)
Commercial break later and Holly enters the house and tells everyone that there is no leads on Eden but Andrew is onto it. She then informs Toadie that he's getting a statement from Nell and Terese hopes the lass is "not speaking riddles like you are!"
Before Holly can say more, Melanie asks that she be allowed to finish first, promising that "it will all make sense."
Melanie continues by saying she barely slept the night of the wedding, pretending it was the due to the excitement of the celebrations... and we go back again to two years ago.
Ramsay Street
The day after the wedding, those Ramsay Street Residents that are not hung over (Elly, Chloe, Leo, Mackenzie, Amy, Lance, Aaron, David along with the newlyweds) are helping clear up the mess left in the street. Everyone is curious how Amy got Lance to be her baby daddy and apparently the very hungover Phil Martin has the answer! We hear that after a 2am phonecall discussing the pros and the cons of having a baby, Amy's agreement to move to Cairns (because Lance is being transferred to the Top End) is what sealed the plan.
During the distraction of the baby daddy story, Melanie nipped into the still parked up Drinks Diva and goes into a cupboard and pulls out a load of $100 bills which she then stuffs into her trouser pocket. Thankfully she isn't caught when Amy appears at the back door asking that she serves up some celebratory drinks and that she will need to find a new partner as she is moving to Queensland!
Voiceover Melanie admits she barely listened to what Amy was saying as she was figuring how to get away.
Back Lane Bar
Melanie meets up again with Krista on safer territory than the hotel where she is currently residing. Handing over the envelope with almost $2k inside it, comes with a proviso - leaving Erinsborough because Melanie can't be part of her rebuilt life.
MELANIE: Not now. Not ever.
KRISTA: Well, I'm really sorry that you feel that way.
"How else am I supposed to feel?!" Melanie replies back and we hear that thanks to Krista, she is wanted by the police!!!
MELANIE: I went to that drug deal to help you. To plead with those guys to leave you alone. You were only 16 years old.
KRISTA: And I'll always be grateful to you for that.
MELANIE: But that doesn't change the fact it was me left holding the drugs. It was my face all over the CCTV. It has taken me this long to be able to kook at myself in the mirror and not see a criminal. To see someone worthy of love... Toadie's love.
Melanie then tells her that Toadie "is a really good guy," perhaps "too good for me really" however, Mel doesn't want to lose him. Krista promises to find a way to repay Melanie and is told the best thing to achieve that is to leave her alone!
Number 22 (present day)
Toadie is shocked to hear about the drugs and if she's innocent as Melanie claims, asks why she didn't tell that to the police? "I wanted to," Melanie admits but Krista was scared her dad would find out and so it was a catch 22 situation - Melanie couldn't clear her name without dumping Krista in it.
TOADIE: Did you do a runner?
MELANIE: I panicked. Everyone knew me as Melanie Mangel but my passport was still in my maiden name, Pearson. I'd never changed it.
It then dawns on Toadie that Melanie is a fugitive.
MELANIE: I'm not saying it was the right decision, Krista bailed me out of jail and put me on the first flight home.
Susan questions why she didn't go to the Australian police when she got back to Australia and in hindsight Melanie wishes she had done that. Terese wonders why the Krista's wealthy family aren't helping her and the reply is that she didn't want her family to be told and she wasn't sure if she could trust them, or if they'd put the blame on her.
While Terese demands that she now tells the police everything, Toadie is severely peeved at Melanie keeping this from him and demands to know why she didn't!
MELANIE: I didn't want to lose you!
Toadie scoffs at that reply and Melanie adds that she "honestly believed that the problem had gone away" and at that point, she didn't know about Eden.
Terese asks how Eden fits into this and it's Holly who now fills in the gaps, though she's just herself put all the pieces together. We hear that when Holly came back at the time of the wedding, what should have been her fresh start turned out to be "the start of all the trouble."
Robinvale Hostel
Both Reece and Byron have drawn blanks in their quest for information about Krista. Byron wonders if the two that accompanied Krista also stayed at Lassiters? Reece doesn't think so as the Lassiters booking was just for one person but others could have sneaked in unnoticed.
Byron then notices the photos on the community board and goes over to have a look and yes, Reece immediately spots a photo of Krista on the board and immediately recognises the others in the photo... Holly and Eden!
Coming up on Neighbours
- Susan flabbergasted at the stuff happened underneath their noses!
(Holly watching as her mum takes off with Shane)
- Byron concluding that Holly didn't twig Reece and Krista were sisters otherwise she'd have said something.
(Holly and Krista partying)
- Krista at a loss over how to explain things.
(Eden pashing Holly)
- Holly trying to explain things.
- Terese inviting Melanie to explain all to the newly arrived Andrew.
