No 30
It's evening, and Remi, Cara and Dex are at home when JJ comes in. His mums want to know why he didn't show up for the meeting with Lana from the Department.

JJ: Sorry, I'll do it another time.
CARA: What other time?! This was a once- off.
JJ: (...) What's the big deal?!
REMI: She said, if you couldn't be bothered turning up, you're out. You've been expelled.
DEX: Like none of us saw this coming (!)
JJ: Screw them!
CARA: What?!
JJ: I'll just be a tradie, like you.
CARA: You're a kid with charges for stealing from a building site. No builder is gonna want you anywhere near them. *I* wouldn't even hire you at this point.

Cara walks out after some backchat from JJ. Remi tells him how worried they are for him, but JJ insists he can take care of himself. Remi walks out as well. Dex glowers at JJ.

JJ: What?!

But Dex just shakes his head wearily.

No 28
Karl is on the phone to Susan, while Holly and Melanie listen in. Karl agrees with Susan that Aster is the priority, and sends his love to Elly and Chloe. But he doesn't look happy, and after ending the call, tells Holly and Melanie that Susan is staying on in Sydney for a bit longer.

Karl heads out of the room, seemingly down about Susan's absence, so Holly suggests to Mel that they do something to cheer him up. Mel agrees it's a good idea, and asks what he'd like.

HOLLY: Anything with cycling... or music. We could ask him to play something?

Mel isn't keen on this, but reluctantly agrees, and suggests it to Karl when he comes back in. He seems pleasantly surprised by their sudden enthusiasm for his music!

No 30
JJ is sitting in the sunroom when Andrew comes in; he explains Cara and Remi have called him round as they want to make sure JJ is okay. He suggests they talk about it to dial the pressure down, but JJ is in nihilistic mode, asking who cares now that the school has kicked him out. Andrew sits down.

ANDREW: Who cares about school, or... who cares about everything?
JJ: (shrugs)
ANDREW: So it's everything.

JJ pulls the letter from his pocket that he wrote to Felix.

JJ: I wrote all this stuff about, like, not having a dad - and how I sort of looked up to him. I just wanted to see if he was okay, too.
ANDREW: Yeah. You know, he wasn't much older than you are now when he made that sperm donation. He just... never learned how to take responsibility for his actions. But you can. Don't think it's you - that he doesn't like you. Because, then, it's me, too. It's Wendy, it's Sadie - it's everyone who offered a hand to help him when he fell over.
JJ: Maybe he just needs some more help.
ANDREW: Mate, he won't take it. Probably not even from Jools now.

But the mention of Jools looks to have sparked an idea in JJ...

No 32
Haz is on his laptop when Mackenzie comes in. He explains he's trying to pick up the trail of the cyber- tormentor, and to work out which of his former colleagues he's dealing with.

MACKENZIE: Why don't we just go to the police now?
HAZ: No!
MACKENZIE: Seems like you basically haven't got anywhere.
HAZ (irritable): Yet. But I will, and nothing else bad has happened, so... maybe they've done everything they wanted to do anyway.
MACKENZIE: So you're happy to just go down rabbit holes while we wait and see?
HAZ: Mack, we had a deal.

Byron comes in from the pool, and suggests pizza for dinner later. They agree, but Haz strops off to his room with the laptop.

No 28
Karl is playing a song on his guitar for Holly and Melanie, who look utterly bored - but as soon as he finishes they break into rapturous applause! He asks for requests, but then quickly decides to play an 'Elvis- y thing' he's been working on. But Holly and Melanie both make excuses not to stay and listen. Karl is offended, and then annoyed when Holly admits they were trying to cheer him up as he's missing Susan.

KARL: I have plenty to keep me busy. There's work, Eirini Rising, refining our nutrition regime. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me.

He strops off.

No 30
Cara and Remi are discussing whether they've responded in the right way to the JJ/Felix situation, over a glass of wine. Remi doesn't seem so sure, but Cara thinks they have.

CARA: Felix has been here for two months - JJ's been expelled, he's up on charges. He's shutting us out.
REMI: Wanting to visit prison.
CARA: In one or two years' time, will he be in there as well?
REMI: ... Okay. Well, we can never let him see Felix again.
CARA: Exactly. So, we just try some new schools. We try and come up with a way to explain the charges. Maybe this diversion programme thing will help.
REMI: Honestly, I'd just be happy if he showed up to the next meeting.

No 32
Mackenzie is working on the sofa when Haz comes in; things are still awkward between them.

MACKENZIE: Haz, can we talk, properly?
HAZ: Yeah. But I still want to do things my way, if that's what you're gonna say.
MACKENZIE: Fine. Whatever. But is there any way that I can help? (...) You're looking for someone, and I have my lawyer's search methods.
HAZ: You wouldn't offer if you knew these people like I do.
MACKENZIE: Well, I can see for myself what they're like.
HAZ: I'm serious. What they did to Wade was...
MACKENZIE: What they did to who?
HAZ: Doesn't matter.
MACKENZIE: It can't be worse than the things that I've seen.
HAZ: All I'm saying is, if you stick your head up, it might get chopped off. So, please, just leave it to me.

Mackenzie reluctantly agrees, but once Haz has gone, she does a web search for 'Wade hacking deep fake'. She finds news results from 2021 about a man called Wade Fernsby, whose company Fernsby Contractors was apparently subject to a data breach by hackers, according to Fernsby himself, which caused it to lose $7.2 million and fail.

Reading further, she learns that emails between Fernsby and hired contractors were leaked to news outlets, documenting a 'string of condemnable exchanges' which 'painted a grim picture of labour exploitation, in which Fernsby denied payment to contractors for their works'.

Byron comes in and Mack snaps the laptop shut, claiming she was 'wasting time looking at shoes'. He grabs a drink and heads back to bed. Mackenzie starts scribbling down notes about Wade Fernsby...

Lassiter's Lake
JJ is at the rotunda. Jools turns up - it appears he's asked her to meet him. She laughs as she sits down.

JOOLS: What a cracker. You do look like Felix.
JJ: Is he okay?
JOOLS: Aside from being in jail? Yeah. He had a hissy fit at me for dobbing him in to the cops, but he got over it.
JJ: He won't put me on his visitors list.
JOOLS: Why would he?
JJ: Cos I want to see him. I wrote him a letter, and that came back, too.
JOOLS: ... Look, this is gonna be hard to hear. But he did that job to get away from being a dad.

JJ becomes very upset.

JJ: That's why he wanted to leave the country? To get away from me?
JOOLS: He's been freaked out ever since he figured out the birthmarks.
JJ: But all the time we spent together - the stuff he showed me... he helped me, and I wanted to help him!
JOOLS: Yeah, and it nearly got you in jail!

Dex has appeared nearby, and sees JJ talking to Jools.

JJ: Jools, just tell him to call me - he'll listen to you! There's got to be more to this.
JOOLS: I'm sorry, kid. Not on this.
JJ: No...
JOOLS: You need to let it go.

Jools walks away. JJ turns and sees Dex, and takes his hurt out on him.

JJ (yelling): Can't I do anything without you sticking your nose in it?
DEX: You're just making it worse than it already is!
JJ: Stay out of it!

JJ runs off, and Dex heads away in the opposite direction.

Lassiter's Complex
Mackenzie and Haz are heading to work, with Byron and Sadie tagging along - but Haz and Mackenzie aren't speaking, and Sadie decides to call them out on it.

SADIE: Well, will you guys be talking by tonight?
HAZ: We are talking.
BYRON: As someone who lives with you, it definitely doesn't feel like it.
MACKENZIE: Haz - have a nice day.
HAZ: You too.
MACKENZIE (to Sadie): See? Happy?

They all go their separate ways, then Mackenzie gets a phone call from one of her council colleagues, who is calling her back. Mack asks if the council has access to company records from other council areas, as she's looking for a phone number.

MACKENZIE: His name is Wade Fernsby. I'll email you the details... yeah, thank you. Bye.

She glances guiltily over at Haz who's at a table outside the café. He frowns back at her.

No 30
Dex comes in from the garden bouncing his basketball, but Cara reminds him, 'no balls in the house'. JJ comes in through the front door, claiming he was out for a walk. Remi and Cara try to talk to him about enrolling at other schools, and JJ uninterestedly agrees to take a look at some prospectuses.

CARA: Great. Glad you're being reasonable today.

The mums head out to the sunroom.

DEX: You don't say 'thanks'?
JJ: What?
DEX: For them still trying to help you? You're being a complete tool. Why are you seeing that idiot's girlfriend?
JJ: He's my father! What don't you get about that?!
DEX: He messed up everything.
JJ: He didn't.
DEX: Then you did.
JJ: Just shut up! And don't say anything about Jools.
DEX: Stop hurting Mum and Ma. Or next time, I will tell them.

Dex stomps off, and JJ puts his head in his hands.

Ramsay Street
Sadie and Byron have a bit of a pash before she heads off to uni - then Byron notices Dex bouncing his basketball miserably in the street, so goes over for a chat with him.

BYRON: How's it going?
DEX: Don't you mean, 'how's JJ?'
BYRON: Err, no. Why would I say that?
DEX: He's all anyone cares about.
BYRON: No, I was asking about you.
DEX (smiling): I'm okay.

Byron grabs the basketball and challenges him to a game. They play for a bit.

BYRON: Hey, umm... don't feel like you have to act like a tough guy around me. If you don't want to.

Dex smiles again, unsure how to respond to this.

BYRON: Alright. Let's see what you've got.

As they continue playing, Karl and Melanie come out of No 28 for a bike ride. Melanie apologises to Karl about last night.

KARL: That's alright. My music's designed for a sophisticated palate. Susan loves it.
MELANIE: Well, I hope she's home soon. I know you've been missing her.
KARL: Mm. Sometimes it feels like she prefers being in Sydney to being here.
MELANIE: Oh, no, I think Susan just enjoys being needed.
KARL: I need her too.
MELANIE: Yeah, but think of all the responsibilities she's used to. All those kids she helped out at the school. She loved all of that. Now she's just doing that for Chloe, Elly and Aster.
KARL: Hmm. I never considered that... I'm not enough for Susan.

A miserable Karl gets on his bike and rides off. Melanie looks concerned.

Coffee Hut
Mackenzie has just sat down with a mug of coffee when a man turns up - Wade Fernsby. She thanks him for meeting her.

WADE: Did you turn your phone off?
MACKENZIE: Oh, should I?
WADE: Would you?
MACKENZIE: Yeah. Yeah, of course. It's actually probably a good idea. I did have a spy app on here for a while.

Wade looks annoyed, but is okay to talk as long as they're speaking privately now.

WADE: I'm just getting my life back together; I don't want it to go to hell again.
MACKENZIE: It sounds like you've been through some hard stuff with the hackers.
WADE: You actually believe me? Most people figure I'm lying just to cover up my bad behaviour.
MACKENZIE: I thought maybe you could tell me more than what was in the paper.
WADE: I can if you really want. It's not a very happy story.
MACKENZIE: I need to know.
WADE: For your friends?
MACKENZIE: For all of us. How did it start?

No 22
Karl has come round to give Terese 'this week's receipts for reimbursement' for his expenses for the nutritional programme he's working on for Eirini Rising.

TERESE (reading the receipts): Ooh, that's a lot of kale. Doesn't it bloat?
KARL: Yeah, the side effects can surprise you.
TERESE: No proper receipt for the lemons?
KARL (shifty): They didn't have a receipt book on them at the time.

Karl says everyone's responding well to the nutritional programme. Terese asks who he means by 'everyone' and he admits that Melanie's doing it with him.

KARL: I didn't mention that because she said that you two had a talk yesterday.
TERESE: Uh, yeah, we did.
KARL: Did it help?
TERESE: Umm, you know, I feel a lot lighter. But the trust will never be there again.
KARL: Still. It's a step forward.
TERESE: It is.

Terese asks if Karl's free to catch up at the tram before lunch, as she wants to run some ideas past him, presumably about Eirini Rising. Karl agrees and says he'll see her then. As he leaves, a sly expression creeps across Terese's face...

Coffee Hut
Mackenzie is still with Wade Fernsby.

MACKENZIE: So, it was your ex- business partner?
WADE: Thought he was a friend, until he decided he could make more money by wiping me off the map. Next minute, he goes to the hackers.
MACKENZIE: That is so cutthroat.
WADE: They went after everything. My employment records, my taxes, my bank accounts. And then, they... my wife and I had been going through a rough patch - counselling and everything. The hackers made a compromising deepfake video of her, and then uploaded it. My wife worked at a preschool. She lost her job. She blamed me. I probably lost about 90 percent of my friends when that happened.
MACKENZIE: I can't believe how cruel they were.
WADE: No, they don't care.
MACKENZIE: So there were no leads on how to find them? No names?
WADE: No. The police were useless. I've just had to gradually build back what I can by myself... Sorry. Wish I could help more.
MACKENZIE: No. I've learned a lot.

No 26
Andrew is in the garden when JJ turns up looking for him.

JJ: I saw Jools.
ANDREW: Ah.
JJ: And she's not gonna help me see Felix.
ANDREW: Yeah. Knew that was a long shot.
JJ: Everyone's telling me all this stuff about him, and I don't know what's true, cos he won't talk to me.
ANDREW: I'm not telling you he's all bad, but he is in prison right now because his priority is himself. He should've kept you well away from that building site, and he didn't.
JJ: I talked him into letting me help.
ANDREW: Yeah, but he is the adult, JJ.
JJ: He let me choose! No one else does. I don't have any control over anything, and I hate it!
ANDREW: Have you ever considered the impact of your choices, though? With my dad, as a kid, I loved him. As an adult, when I understood everything that he did for me, I respected him. Is Felix that person for you? You need to think about who you want to be. As a young man, as a son, as a brother. I mean, who loves you enough to help you get there?

The 82
A still- grumpy Karl turns up on his bike to find Terese, Holly and Melanie - plus random Wendy and Aaron - waiting for him, and is confused by the excited- looking welcoming party.

KARL: What's all this about?
AARON: It's an intervention, Karl.
KARL: Who for?
WENDY: You!
TERESE: Dr Karl, it is not every day we get to mark our success. But I just wanted to show you how thrilled I am to have you on board with us.

She gestures over to a nearby building, which is festooned with an Eirini Rising advertising billboard, complete with a huge photo of Karl - captioned 'Dr Karl Kennedy, Resident Doctor and wellness expert'. Karl's mood lifts immediately.

KARL: It's incredible! Oh, I never realised it would be so big! ... And there's just the one of these round about the place?

Terese gives him a look as if to say not to get above his station! But Karl is still thrilled.

KARL: Thank you, Terese. I'm very, very proud to be part of Eirini Rising. And thank you to all of you, too, for coming down to make this so special. And it is special. Hey, can someone take a photograph to Susan?

They all take photos of Karl doing a thumbs- up in front of the billboard.

Rebecchi Law
Haz has brought Mackenzie some treats from her favourite bakery, but she looks miserable and doesn't even take them off his hands when proffered.

MACKENZIE: I think we need to talk.
HAZ: I know.
MACKENZIE: It's so horrible, Haz.
HAZ: That's why I've bene trying to protect you.
MACKENZIE: Me, or you?
HAZ: ...
MACKENZIE: I met with Wade Fernsby. And according to you, he's some horrible person, but he didn't seem like that to me. And he told me what you and your friends did. To his poor wife. Did you know that she lost her job?
HAZ: I didn't know that.
MACKENZIE: But you did do the fake compromising video?
HAZ: ...
MACKENZIE: I just don't understand... how you could do those things, and just walk away. Act like it never happened. I don't know if I can be with someone like that.

Coming up on Neighbours
- Haz makes a call to someone listed in his phone contacts as 'Pr0xxy', and tells them, 'we need to talk'
- Karl tells Melanie his chain has come loose during a bike ride, and tells her to go on ahead
- Wendy tells Mel about a 'serial pooper' on the loose; Mel looks at a map and says, 'that's where we rode'
- Nicolette invites Sadie and Byron over for lunch so she and Sadie can get to know each other