Previously on Neighbours
- Haz learns that he's won a Best Local Coffee award that Mackenzie has nominated him for
- At a picnic, Mackenzie has a weird feeling that somebody is watching her and Haz
- Toadie tells Terese that if she gave him another chance, he'd never betray her again
- Paul encourages Melanie to 'fight' for Toadie, but she tells him she won't
- Paul also encourages Terese to go away for a while, to get some space from Toadie
- Toadie tells Nell that Terese is going to Adelaide; Nell thinks he should convince her to stay
- Terese reads Toadie's letter inviting her to meet him at the camping spot where they first kissed
- The tent prepared, Toadie anxiously waits to see if Terese will accept his invitation
- Nell tells Melanie about Toadie's plan; Nell's worried that if Terese doesn't show, that could be it
- Terese looks conflicted as she holds the letter
Lennon's Lookout
Toadie takes a seat in a camping chair, then gets up again and fastidiously moves the chair he's prepared for Terese a little closer to his, knowing this is his one chance to make things right. He hears footsteps on the ground behind him, and turns excitedly to see... Melanie!
TOADIE (annoyed): What are you doing here?
MELANIE: Terese isn't coming. I saw her leave for the airport.
Toadie then gets a text from Terese, confirming this. It reads, 'I'm sorry. I need space.' Toadie looks gutted.
Some time later, Toadie and Melanie are sitting in the camping chairs, talking.
MELANIE: It's funny, I never would've picked Terese as a camping enthusiast.
TOADIE: She isn't. Andrew and Wendy took a bunch of us out here, and, uh... Terese and I were both still messed up about how our marriages ended, so they thought that this would take our mind off things.
MELANIE: Guess it worked.
TOADIE: Yeah. When everyone else went to bed, Terese and I just sat up, watching the stars, talking. We kissed for the first time when the sun came up. It took both of us by surprise. Things just kind of developed from there.
MELANIE: I'm sorry she chose not to come.
TOADIE: Uh- huh. I'm sorry I gave you false hope. I really am.
MELANIE: I wanted you back. Can't deny it.
TOADIE: Melanie, why are you here?
MELANIE: Nell told me where you were, and what you were hoping for. After I realised that Terese wasn't coming, I just had this vision of you waiting here all night, and I just... jumped in Karl's car and drove.
She gets up to leave.
MELANIE: But I shouldn't have, you know. I think I've just made an awkward situation even more awkward. I'm sorry.
Toadie sits in silence as Mel walks away.
The Pavilion
Haz and Mackenzie are continuing their picnic. We get an odd aerial shot of them, reminiscent of CCTV, as if restating Mackenzie's fears about being watched earlier. Mackenzie suggests they go on a road trip to New South Wales together - she'd love Haz to meet her dad and spend some time with him. She suggests they could then fly to Margaret River to meet Haz's parents. He doesn't look keen.
HAZ: Umm... they're still overseas.
MACKENZIE: Still? (...) I thought that was just Christmas.
HAZ: No. They love to travel. And their house in Margaret River's more of a storage unit these days.
MACKENZIE: Oh. So, what about your sister?
HAZ: She's on a work trip... and I think she's gonna be gone for a while.
Mackenzie observes that Haz doesn't say much about his family. He replies that there's not much to say.
HAZ: We're all pretty independent. But you will meet them eventually.
MACKENZIE: I'm gonna hold you to that.
An alarm goes off on Haz's phone, which is seemingly to remind him that his shift at Harold's is about to start. They begin to pack the picnic stuff away.
No 22
Toadie comes back from his abortive camping trip to find Nell looking up flights to Adelaide; there's one leaving in 90 minutes, and she's keen for Toadie to catch it so he can make amends with Terese there. But Toadie insists he's not going to chase Terese to Adelaide.
NELL: Why not? You can't just give up.
TOADIE: She needs some space, so that's exactly what I'm gonna give her.
Toadie tells Nell about the text he got from Terese, which arrived just after Melanie turned up at the camping spot.
NELL: Melanie was there?
TOADIE: Yeah. She said that you told her where I was? Now, I know you were just trying to look out for me, but I really wish that you hadn't.
Nell apologises. But she's visibly furious, having had no idea that Mel would go to the camping spot herself. Nell doesn't express this to Toadie, but gets up, claiming she needs to go and tell Sadie that her babysitting duties aren't required tonight, and then prepare dinner. But Toadie can see she's agitated and encourages her to sit back down, putting an arm around her.
TOADIE: I've already told Sadie, and the last time I checked, organising dinner was a parental duty. So can you just, you know... be a kid for a while, okay? I will look after everything else.
Nell looks unreassured.
No 32
Mackenzie is preparing a candlelit dinner for her and Haz, and hands him a glass of wine as he comes home from work.
MACKENZIE: I didn't want your day to end with you pulling a closing shift and scoffing cold leftovers.
HAZ: You're incredible.
MACKENZIE: I know.
HAZ: I have a surprise for you too.
MACKENZIE: Is it dessert? Because I forgot to make any.
HAZ: No, but I did rework the rosters for next week. Do you want to do a road trip to see your dad?
MACKENZIE: That is so much better than cake.
She kisses him.
No 28
Melanie is telling Holly about her trip to the camping spot to tell Toadie that Terese wasn't coming. Holly thinks that it was 'brave' of her to go.
MELANIE: Hmm, yeah. If 'brave' means 'she who humiliates herself'.
HOLLY: Well, in the moment, maybe. But Terese didn't turn up. And who was there for him in his time of need? You.
MELANIE: Hang on. Haven't you been warning me to stay away from Toadie for, like, weeks?
HOLLY: Months, actually. But then you hooked up. Clearly I was wrong, and he's still got major feelings for you.
MELANIE: You should've seen his face. He was so disappointed when I came to the campsite and not Terese. No - Toadie and I are over. He knew it. And now I know it.
Lassiter's Complex
The next day, Mackenzie and Haz are both heading to work. Mack tells Haz that her dad is really excited to meet him. Haz says the feeling's mutual, although admits he's also terrified.
HAZ: It's like a sixty- forty split.
MACKENZIE: You don't have to be scared of Dad. He's a total softie these days.
HAZ: Okay. Well, I thought Karl Kennedy was the least judgemental man alive. And look how that ended up.
MACKENZIE: Well, that just shows how bad you misread it.
They agree to meet for lunch later, and Haz asks her to bring 'a comprehensive list of your dad's interests'. They kiss, and Mackenzie heads off to the law office as Haz puts his key in the lock of the door at Harold's. But Mack turns around when she hears Haz shout 'no!' from inside the café...
Harold's Café
The place looks like a bombsite - it's been completely and utterly torn apart, with furniture strewn everywhere, smashed cups, and the coffee machine wrecked. (The drinks fridge is fine, though - go figure!) Haz gasps and sinks to his knees, looking devastated. Mackenzie appears behind him and looks equally horrified.
A while later, Haz declares that the coffee machine 'needs a casket'. Nicolette comes in, and Haz tells her they're closed; she's equally horrified by the mess and asks what happened. Mackenzie says it was a break- in; no one was here at the time. Haz explains that Andrew is on his way, but he's not sure what good it will do.
NICOLETTE: It'll help you when you submit the insurance claim.
HAZ: How long do those things take to pay out? I don't have any stock, or a functioning coffee machine. I can't open for service, and I don't have any money to repair or replace anything.
MACKENZIE: We'll work something out.
HAZ: How, Mack? The mayor's supposed to be here tomorrow to give me that award, and I won't even be able to let her in to see the place.
Andrew comes in with a colleague, who he instructs to head to the kitchen and start checking for fingerprints. Once they're done, he says, Haz can come to the police station to make an official statement. Mack is about to start cleaning up, but Andrew tells her to hold off until they've assessed the scene.
NICOLETTE: Who would do something like this?
MACKENZIE: Maybe it wasn't personal.
NICOLETTE: It looks personal. Targeted attack or not, what can we do to help?
No 28
Nell arrives to give Melanie a serve.
NELL: I told you about Dad's plan. It was cos I needed someone to talk to - not to give you an in with him.
MELANIE: That's not why I went. I was just worried about him, that's all.
NELL: So you're more worried about Dad's feelings than mine?
MELANIE: ... I didn't think of it that way.
NELL: You don't think about a lot of things.
MELANIE: Nell, I'm so sorry. Tell me how I can fix this.
NELL: You can't. I don't want you to even try.
MELANIE: Nellyfish, please...
NELL: Don't call me that. You're not my mum. Not my friend. Just someone who hurt my dad and messed me and my little brother around. We'd be better off if we forgot you ever existed.
Melanie looks shaken as Nell leaves.
Harold's Café
Haz comes in to find that the Ramsay Street reinforcements have arrived to fulfil their episode quotas (and help with the cleanup). Cara is doing her utmost with the coffee machine, Aaron is repairing... something or other, and Remi and Nicolette are removing a smashed mirror from one of the bathrooms.
AARON: How many years' bad luck is a bathroom mirror, huh?
REMI: For this lunatic, hopefully all of them.
Amazingly, Cara has had some success with the coffee machine - or at least the coffee- brewing and milk- steaming parts of it (what are the other parts?) so that Haz can at least open for service. She's got a list of parts that are needed to fully repair it and can install them when they arrive. Haz is very impressed and offers to pay Cara, but she insists it won't cost him more than a couple of pints. Haz objects, but...
CARA: Too bad. That's the going rate for this job.
Holly is here too, cleaning up the kitchen with Mackenzie. Haz thanks Mackenzie for organising all this, but Mack can't take all the credit - Nicolette wanted to help and together, they made a few calls.
MACKENZIE: As well as the crew here, Jane is out buying some snazzy replacement cushions.
HAZ: This is... hey, I really... I don't know how to thank you all.
AARON: (...) Haz, you don't have to, mate. We know that you'd do the same for any of us.
Lassiter's Complex
As Mackenzie takes a bag of rubbish out to the bin, she encounters Toadie, looking forlorn. Toadie asks how Haz is doing; he's a bit overwhelmed, Mack reports, but will be okay, and she thanks Toadie for giving her the day off to help Haz. Toadie says it's fine.
TOADIE: If you can't be there for the ones you love, then what's the point of any of it, really?
Mack asks after Terese; Toadie explains she's gone to Adelaide. Mack says some time apart might help, but Toadie's very upset, and starts sobbing.
TOADIE: I don't know what I'm gonna do. I've never let so many people down before in my life.
Mack drops the bin bag, and gives him a hug.
MACKENZIE: Would you be open to some advice? (...) Working out what comes next for you and the kids is gonna be hard enough. Trying to do all that while you're still living in Terese's house - I mean, that's not fair on any of you. Okay?
TOADIE: Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
Recomposing himself, Toadie thanks Mack for the advice. 'Any time', she replies.
No 22
Toadie is talking to Hugo and Nell on the patio. Toadie's decided that, when Terese comes home from Adelaide, she should be able to come back to her own house, and they need some distance from one another, so they're going to move out.
HUGO: But where are we gonna live? We can't go back to our old house. Cara and Remi live there now.
NELL: It's okay. We'll find somewhere else.
HUGO (upset): I don't want to find somewhere else!
Hugo rushes off indoors. Toadie calls after him, but Nell tells him to give Hugo a minute.
NELL: This is all a lot.
TOADIE: Yeah. It is... I'm really sorry.
NELL: ...
Harold's Café
The cleanup continues. While Cara and Aaron screw a chair back together, Haz finishes up a call from Andrew, who wanted to know if Haz had any security cameras in the café, like the ones that stream to your phone.
HAZ: Which I categorically do not have.
NICOLETTE: Maybe you should get some.
HAZ: Well, I just... I don't want my customers to feel like I'm surveilling them, you know?
He explains Andrew has also asked him to think about whether he knows anyone who might have a beef with him.
MACKENZIE (joking): Maybe it was your competitors for the Small Business Award.
HOLLY: Probably less likely than Slade, right?
HAZ: Yeah, he's already on that. But I can't think of anyone else.
REMI: Is it a coincidence that this happened right after a convicted criminal moved into the neighbourhood?
CARA: Felix was convicted of burglaries.
AARON: No, it's got to be Slade. He's on the run, he needs cash. If he breaks in here, he gets what he needs, and then he gets a little revenge on the side.
HOLLY: Well, if he runs into me in a dark alley, he's gonna find out what revenge looks like.
Everyone laughs, and Haz says he's pleased to have Holly in his corner.
HAZ: That goes for all of you. Thank you all so much.
No 22
Toadie gets a phone call from Callum, his son in the USA. We only hear Toadie's side of the conversation, but it seems Callum has heard about the drama with Terese and Melanie.
TOADIE (glancing over at Nell): I think I can guess who from.
NELL: You want me to keep major life updates a secret from my big brother?
TOADIE: Yeah, no - I am fine, Cal, really. I've got everything under control... Are you serious?
Hugo comes in and shouts 'hi, Callum!' Toadie tells Callum that he'll think about what he's said, and call him back.
TOADIE: I love you, mate... okay, bye.
As he hangs up, Nell and Hugo are keen to know what Callum has said.
TOADIE: He wants to fly the three of us out to California for a few weeks.
NELL: When can we leave?
HUGO: Can we go to Disneyland again?
TOADIE: It's the middle of the school term. It's just not that easy, just jetting off to the US.
NELL: Sure it is! I can get my teachers to set me a bunch of work, and Callum can teach Hugo fractions (...) Come on, Dad, this is perfect. We can figure out where we're gonna live when we get back.
The kids put on their best pleading voices and beg Toadie to say they can go. He agrees, and they both smother him in a hug. Toadie looks relieved to make his kids happy for a change.
Harold's Café
The RSRs have just about finished their cleanup, just as Jane comes in with the finishing touch - the snazzy new cushions.
HAZ: Wow. You've all done more in a day than I could've accomplished in a week. Thank you all so much; I'm really so grateful.
JANE: You don't have to thank us.
HAZ: I do. I've never had friends or neighbours that have had my back like this before. So, thank you, really. This café means everything to me; and because of you all, I get to keep it (...) Would it be okay if we maybe got a selfie together? I'd love to show my customers what an amazing community we're all a part of.
Everyone duly obliges - Mackenzie, Nicolette, Holly, Aaron, Remi, Cara and Jane all position themselves behind Haz and say 'coffee beans!' when instructed, and he takes the perfect selfie which everyone crowds round to look at.
Ramsay Street
Holly and Melanie are walking home together, and see Nell, Toadie and Hugo putting their cases in the car. Mel and Holly assume they're moving out of No 22, then Hugo shouts over to them to explain that they're going to Disneyland.
HOLLY: Say hi to Prince Eric for me!
HUGO: I will.
Nell gives Melanie a look before moving away with her case. Mel explains to Toadie that Nell's angry because she went to the camping spot.
MELANIE: So, Disneyland...
TOADIE: Yeah, it's gonna be good to just get away from... everything, for a while.
MELANIE: Well, I hope you have a wonderful time.
Toadie smiles, and gets into the car.
HOLLY: Are you sure you're done with that man?
MELANIE: I am sure. The Rebecchi chapter of my life is over.
No 32
As they relax on the sofa together, Mackenzie tells Haz about Toadie taking the kids to California, meaning she's in charge of Rebecchi Law until he's back.
HAZ: Nice. Wielding the ultimate power of the law.
MACKENZIE: Mm. And I'm going to use all of it to smack down Slade or whoever did this to you, okay? Smack 'em down hard.
HAZ: Wow, I didn't realise you had such a bloodthirsty streak! It's hot.
Mackenzie's about to head to work, but first has something to show Haz - she's printed out the selfie of all the RSRs, so that he can hang it in the kitchen at the café. Haz thanks her, and Mack leaves for work. Haz's phone then chimes, and he looks at the message that's come through. It's from 'Unknown', and it's a video file, with the caption, 'I know the truth about you'.
Looking puzzled, Haz presses 'play' on the video. He sees a hooded figure smashing up the café. As the figure approaches the coffee machine to smash that too, Haz is disturbed to see what looks very much like his own face staring out from the hood!
Coming up on Neighbours
- Andrew asks Felix where he was last night; Felix replies, 'You seriously think I did this?'
- Mackenzie assures Haz that Andrew will catch whoever trashed the café
- More of Haz looking worried as he rewatches the video
- Holly shows off to Melanie a new dress she's bought, in which she plans to woo Felix
- Holly and Felix share a friendly greeting at No 26