Previously on Neighbours
- Terese makes amendments to Susan's schedule for the Eirini Rising residents' moving- in dates
- Harold can move in on the open day, says Terese; but later Susan whinges to Karl about Terese's amendments
- After the tour with Shirley Burchmore, Susan tells Terese she'd rather not be involved in sales pitches
- Karl unveils his plan to infiltrate the YAHMILs (Young And Hot Men In Lycra) to flush out the public pooper
- Karl equips Aaron with a helmet camera so he can follow and film any YAHMILs who break away from the pack
- Leo gives JJ his induction into working at the vineyard; he'll be labelling the Yorokobi pinot noir
- This includes special bespoke labels for each Eirini Rising resident, as gifts for the official opening
- Nell ditches school to head to the vineyard and hang out with JJ while he's supposed to be working
- Krista overhears giggles in the labelling room, and tells Toadie that Nell might be at the vineyard
- Toadie brusquely tells Remi and Cara that JJ is a bad influence on Nell
- While JJ's out of the labelling room, an intruder enters and syringes a liquid into one of the bottles
Toadie's car
Toadie and Terese are driving Nell back from the vineyard. Toadie quizzes Nell about her behaviour.
NELL: It's not a big deal.
TOADIE: You wagged school. You made us drive all the way to the vineyard.
NELL: I didn't *make* you.
TERESE: I think we're just trying to understand why you would do something so out- of- character.
Remi's car
A not dissimilar conversation is going on between Remi, Cara and JJ, who are also on their way home from the vineyard.
JJ: Look, it was Nell's idea.
REMI: Toadie's not gonna buy that.
JJ: I had no idea she was coming till she turned up.
REMI: The last thing we need is another neighbourly feud.
CARA: Look, we just want to be sure you didn't encourage her.
Toadie's car
Nell is defending JJ, saying he did nothing wrong.
TOADIE: Well, he's not a very good influence on you, hey? Let's just agree on that.
NELL: What about all the times you broke the rules at my age?
TOADIE: You want to go there, do ya?
Nell looks like she does, but Terese suggests they just focus on getting home in time for their dinner guests.
No 22
A little while later, Toadie opens the door to Susan and Erinsborough's newest resident, Harold Bishop!
HAROLD: I've been called many things in my life. 'New' isn't one of them!
Harold is welcomed by Terese and Nell, who explains that Hugo's not in the episode (he's at a friend's) but has asked Nell to pass on his 'greetings'.
TOADIE: How was the flight?
HAROLD: The flight was fine. Hard part was saying goodbye.
TOADIE: Oh, yeah. Sky and Lana's loss is our gain.
HAROLD: Not that there won't be many trips back to see them, and my grandchildren.
Harold queries why his moving- in date was changed, prompting awkward looks between Susan and Terese - he says he doesn't want to disrupt the grand opening by dragging his suitcase about the place. But Susan assures him it'll be fine; they'll get him moved in first thing before the festivities begin. Terese breaks the awkwardness, which Harold senses, by offering everyone a drink - while Toadie gives Harold a big hug.
The Waterhole
At the bar, Karl is picking up a cake, while giving Aaron a pep talk prior to his next undercover ride with the YAHMILs to try and snare the public pooper. An amused Leo listens.
KARL: Just keep your eyes and your ears open.
LEO: Yeah, I reckon another one of your senses might come in handy as well.
Aaron looks nauseous. While Karl leaves, Leo joins Krista at a table. She's had an email from Brett, the stand- in manager at Lassiter's while Paul is away. Apparently Brett is excited to start, and Krista feels buoyed that Paul trusted her to give final approval on the hire. They toast this, and also Leo's new pinot.
KRISTA: Yorokobi's on fire.
LEO: Yeah, I might have just got a big new order as well.
KRISTA: And to think, the residents of Eirini Rising will be the very first to try it tomorrow.
LEO: Yeah, that's pretty good. New chapters for everyone, hey?
They kiss.
No 22
We begin on a shot of the chocolate cake Karl has just picked up from the pub, with a 'Welcome Home Harold' sign on it. Susan, Karl, Terese, Toadie, Nell and Harold have also been joined by Jane for Harold's homecoming dinner.
JANE: This was such a lovely idea, Terese.
TERESE: Well, we couldn't let Harold move back without a celebration of our own.
Harold looks a bit wistful, and Susan asks if he's okay. Harold says yes, and recalls the last time they were all together, when Jane and Terese were at loggerheads over Eirini Rising - but now, with hatchets buried and Karl and Susan on board, he says it couldn't have turned out better.
JANE: You are amongst friends, Harold, and we love you very much.
But Harold still looks a little distracted as they begin to dish up the meal.
Sports field
The next morning, Aaron is limbering up prior to his bike ride with the YAHMILs, and chatting to members Matty and Jacob. Aaron thanks them for letting him join the club, and forces himself to laugh along with their 'jokes', before getting down to his investigation.
AARON: So do you guys always stick together as a group?
MATTY: Try to.
AARON: So if anyone has to stop, the others don't wait up?
MATTY: Gotta keep things moving, especially at this time of morning.
AARON: ... Right.
They prepare to set off, but Jacob says they need to wait for Phil.
JACOB: He's always disappearing.
AARON: Where does he go?
JACOB (with air quotes): Work calls.
They look over to where Phil is emerging from behind a tree, with a phone to his ear.
AARON: In the bushes?
JACOB: He has the worst phone reception.
PHIL (on the phone): I really have to go now.
Aaron eyes Phil with suspicion as he rejoins the group.
Eirini Rising
In the courtyard, tables are being set and wine glasses lined up in preparation for the grand launch event. Terese is panicking about whether they should do the speeches earlier than planned, but Susan tells her they should stick with the schedule and get the residents settled first, to make sure everyone's here. Harold then arrives, with Toadie and Karl helping him with his cases.
HAROLD: Well, will you look at this?
TERESE: Welcome to Eirini Rising!
SUSAN: Does it live up to the brochure?
HAROLD: No... it's better!
Toadie points out to Harold the way to the pool, gym, hair salon and cinema, and Harold jokingly asks if he's on the payroll. Toadie then makes a bad quip to the effect that he should ask Susan for the sales pitch, which makes things awkward again between her and Terese, recalling Susan's last foray into sales. Harold again detects the tension between the pair, but heads on inside to unpack.
While the others go with Harold, Toadie apologises to Terese for making things weird with Susan again. Terese insists it's fine - nothing will spoil today. But they are famous last words, for at this point Leo and Krista turn up to deliver the Poisoned Pinot™!
Leo asks Toadie how much trouble Nell and JJ got in last night. Toadie says it's all fine, and repeats that nothing will spoil today. Eek - now they've said it twice! We zoom in ominously on the 'Yorokobi Pinot Noir' label on the box...
Harold's Apartment
Susan and Karl have accompanied Harold into his new home.
KARL: Well, what do you think?
HAROLD: Uh...
SUSAN: Try to imagine it with all your personal touches.
HAROLD: Oh, I'm sure it'll seem like home soon enough, eh?
Karl says they'll organise a consultation with Harold's doctor in Queensland. He seems worried about this, but Karl assures him it's just for a handover, once he's settled in. Susan shows him the emergency call button by his bed, and says there's one in the bathroom too. Harold looks a little disconcerted.
SUSAN: It's just if you need it.
HAROLD: Yeah...
KARL: It's alright to feel overwhelmed, Harold.
SUSAN: Yes, it's a big step. Whatever you're feeling, it's perfectly natural.
HAROLD: Anyway, tell me - what's going on between you and Terese?
Susan pleads ignorance and insists everything's fine - it's probably just nerves about today, she says. To change the subject, Karl says Harold's other possessions have arrived, and that everyone was very intrigued about one of them, pointing to a large item by the bed. He removes the cover to reveal... his trusty tuba! They all laugh.
A road somewhere
Aaron and the YAHMILs are on their bike ride. Aaron is last in the pack, panting as he struggles to keep up. However, music of intrigue soon begins as he spots one of the YAHMILs disappearing down a path at the side of the road. Aaron turns off and follows the cyclist, while the others continue on the road.
Presently, Aaron comes to an abandoned bike by a clump of bushes. Quietly laying down his own bike, he peers into the foliage. Aaron (and we) are greeted with the sound of somebody grunting and straining, and we soon see the miscreant squatting in the bushes. It's Jacob (and not Phil as the subtitles wrongly claim). Aaron looks disgusted, but grits his teeth and gets out his phone to take pictures of the pooper...
Eirini Rising
In the office, Susan tells Terese that Harold is getting settled in, but that they need to meet with the kitchen staff. But Terese is preoccupied with her sales regime, saying they have a lot riding on it.
TERESE: Oh, and if Shirley or any of her friends have last- minute questions, just direct them to me.
Susan pulls a passive- aggressive face at this, though it isn't clear why, as Terese is doing exactly as she asked and helping Susan avoid getting into sales matters herself.
Leo then turns up with bespoke bottles of wine for both of them, as a gift from him to congratulate them on their first day. Susan and Terese both look touched.
In the courtyard, Jane receives the same gift from Krista, on Leo's behalf, and is equally pleased. Cara, Remi, JJ and Dex turn up then; Dex worries that he's the only one here in school uniform. But he's somewhat placated when he sees Nell, too, is in her uniform, standing at a distance with Toadie; and when Jane calls him her star pupil.
JJ: I hope it's okay for me to be here too.
REMI: JJ wanted to volunteer.
JANE: Oh, I'm sure Terese will appreciate the help.
JJ smiles over at Nell, who smiles back. Toadie grouchily asks what JJ's doing here, but Nell just ignores him! Meanwhile, Aaron has turned up to show Karl the evidence he's gathered on his phone.
AARON: Brings a whole new meaning to the word 'photodump'.
Karl is ecstatic, and asks for the pooper's name - but at this point, by a twist of fate, Jacob himself turns up at the launch! It transpires that he's the grandson of Shirley Burchmore, the rich prospective resident who Terese has desperately been trying to woo. Karl groans as Terese goes over to greet Shirley and Jacob...
Sometime later, Leo is setting up bottles of the (possibly) Poisoned Pinot™ in the courtyard, and waiters begin to serve the wine to unsuspecting guests.
JACOB: Hang on, Gran. I'll get you a better chair.
LEO (to Karl and Aaron): Doesn't he mean 'stool'?
KARL: Ah, the cheek of him.
AARON: Don't say cheek.
Jacob spots Aaron and comes over to greet him, confirming to Aaron that Shirley's his gran.
JACOB: She's my number one.
LEO: Don't you mean number -
But a smugly smiling Karl interrupts Leo before he goes too far. Jacob senses something is going on...
Nearby, Jane tells Terese and Susan that she isn't sure she's ready for the speeches. Susan suggests a toast to all their hard work beforehand, and the waiter brings them over some glasses of wine, including a non- alcoholic variant for Terese.
TERESE: Listen, I just want to say thank you to the two of you. I really wouldn't have been able to do it without you both.
JANE: Cin- cin.
They all clink glasses and sample the wine.
JANE: What is that taste?
SUSAN: I don't know. Is it tannins?
Toadie then comes over to tell them the speeches are due to start.
TOADIE: Ladies, it's time for Eirini to rise.
But Jane goes in for a few more sips first...
A few minutes later, Terese takes the microphone; she, Jane and Susan are on a stage at the front of the courtyard, flanked by Erinsborough High pupils (including Dex) on their right, and Eirini Rising staff on their left. Among the audience, Paul's cousin Hilary is visible, as well as Harold, Toadie, Nell, Remi, Cara, JJ, Leo, Krista, Aaron, Karl, Jacob and Shirley.
TERESE: Welcome to the official opening of Eirini Rising! (...) The journey to today has been a long one, but it began with a dream. And that dream was to provide an experience for the beloved senior members of this wonderful community. Some say that growing older is a privilege. But equally, for the rest of us, it's a privilege to have older people in our lives. You're not just the past - you're the future. And we're here to celebrate that. And I wanted it to be a 'diaskedasi', which is the Greek word for fun. But of course I couldn't call it that, so I settled on 'Eirini', which means peace.
SUSAN: When Terese invited me to come on board, I knew this would be a very special opportunity. I know how it feels to get older, and the uncertainty that comes with that. Maybe at this stage of your lives, you thought you would have a loved one by your side, but you no longer do. Or maybe our bodies just don't work the way they used to. But here, you will be safe. You will be supported. And the fact that it's right alongside Erinsborough High makes it that much more special.
Jane comes to speak, and seems ever so slightly tipsy after her half- glass of wine.
JANE: I haven't really been principal for very long, and so, Susan Kennedy is the one who is responsible for the school being the way it is. But we are all so very, very proud to be sharing this site with Eirini Rising. And so, on behalf of...
Jane pauses at length, appearing to have forgotten her words; she looks a little faint. Ominous music plays, and Karl clambers out of his seat, seemingly expecting Jane to keel over. But Susan and Terese help her regain her balance, and she seems to recover.
JANE: Oh! I think I shouldn't have had that cheeky sip of wine!
Karl takes his seat again, satisfied that she seems okay.
TERESE: So, please enjoy the day. Thank you.
JACOB (raising a glass): To Eirini Rising.
TERESE: Oh! Eirini Rising!
Everyone cheers and claps, but Karl and Aaron are giving Jacob a dirty look as he takes a sip of wine. Shirley notices, and Karl plasters on a smile instead.
A while later, Karl and Aaron come into Karl's new office space. Aaron is telling Karl that he'll get his chance to challenge Jacob, but not today. Leo has left a bottle of wine for Karl on his desk too, and Aaron suggests they have a drink to calm down.
KARL: Yeah, I suppose one drink couldn't hurt.
More ominous music...
Back in the courtyard, Leo is pouring wine Cara and Remi, while JJ, Nell and Dex are milling about. Nell apologises to JJ for her dad getting so mad. Dex still seems to be stressing about being in school uniform, and asks if they have to wear them all day. Nell tells him to relax, saying he looks cool.
Meanwhile, Hilary barely manages a smile when Susan reacquaints her with Harold.
HAROLD: Hilary...
TOADIE: How good is this? Old friends reuniting, eh?
HILARY: And where's my wine?
TERESE: Oh, I'm sorry. Have you not been given it yet?
HILARY: No, I was not.
SUSAN: Well, don't worry. We'll track it down - it's a very nice drop, I must say.
HILARY: Be that as it may, I'm re- gifting it to my son.
Hilary walks off; Harold seems troubled again, and asks to be excused, before walking away himself. Terese seems surprised Harold and Hilary didn't have more to say to each other, as she thought they'd kept in touch over the years. Toadie follows Harold to see if he can work out what's wrong.
Meanwhile, Karl and Aaron join Jacob by the buffet. Jacob asks if they know what's in one of the snacks he's picked up, as he's 'on a bit of a health kick'.
KARL (sarcastic): Oh, really? How's that working out for you? Keeping you regular?
JACOB: Listen, Doc, I'm picking up a bit of animosity here.
KARL: I'm surprised you pick up *anything*.
AARON: Hey, Karl, come on...
Karl takes a sip of wine, and Shirley appears.
JACOB: I know you wanted to join our crew, and we said no...
AARON: Listen, how about we have this chat a bit later?
SHIRLEY: Does anyone know where the bathroom is?
KARL: Oh, now *you* should answer that, Jacob.
AARON: Karl, not now.
JACOB: Uh, let's go, Gran.
KARL: Yeah, cos when you've gotta go, you've gotta go.
Aaron tries to stop Karl from going any further, but he says he's had enough. Susan and Terese watch with confusion from a distance.
KARL (to Jacob): Admit it. You're the pooper.
SHIRLEY: What?!
JACOB: ...
Susan groans silently and rolls her eyes.
Harold's Apartment
Harold is helping himself to a glass of his own bespoke (non- alcoholic) wine, but there's already a second glass poured on the table. Toadie comes in; he'd knocked, but Harold says his mind was elsewhere. Toadie comes and sits next to him.
TOADIE: That's a lot of booze for a teetotaller!
HAROLD (laughs): Yes. You'll be thinking I've lost my marbles again, eh? Oh dear, no - it's just with being here with you all, I was wondering how much Madge would love it.
TOADIE: Ah. Yeah. I thought there was something on your mind.
HAROLD: It's silly, isn't it? She's been gone for so long.
TOADIE: No. Not silly at all. It's normal. Doesn't matter how long they're gone for, you know, these things just keep popping up, don't they?
HAROLD: Mm. I was thinking that maybe I could have... *we* could have a toast to her, eh?
TOADIE: Yeah. That's a lovely idea.
Harold passes him one of the glasses of wine, and looks very emotional.
HAROLD: To Madge.
They clink glasses, and sip.
Eirini Rising
In the courtyard, Karl and Aaron watch as Jacob and Shirley have a tense conversation a little way away. Terese approaches Karl angrily.
TERESE: I can't believe you chose today of *all* days!
KARL: I have been humiliated for weeks for something I didn't do.
Shirley and Jacob come over to join them.
KARL: Hope you're not gonna deny this, because we have proof.
SHIRLEY: It is true. My grandson is dealing with the consequences of a high- fibre diet.
KARL: I would say it's more like a sick fetish.
SHIRLEY: It won't happen again. I will see to that. Please accept our apologies.
KARL: Hmm. Alright, well, let's talk about how we're gonna fix this, okay? I would suggest a public statement?
SHIRLEY: My grandson is a barrister. That would harm his reputation.
KARL: What about *my* reputation?!
SHIRLEY: This can't get out. If it does, I won't be buying the studio.
KARL: Oh, blackmail - really?!
TERESE: Please, we can talk about this...
SHIRLEY: There is nothing to discuss. I won't be buying, and neither will any of my friends. It's up to you what you do next.
Karl and Terese glare at her incredulously.
Meanwhile, Cara and Remi seem happy to see JJ making himself useful, collecting up the empty wine glasses, and tell Jane they only wish they could get him to do that at home.
Nearby, Dex is holding an uncorked bottle of wine - the name on it is Hilary's. He raises it to his lips and takes a swig, but JJ catches him in the act and demands to know what he's doing. Nell comes to join them.
DEX: Just chill, nobody will notice!
NELL (recognising the name on the bottle): There's a really grumpy lady out there looking for this.
JJ: You realise these bottles are one- of- a- kind? We can't give it to her now!
NELL: Get rid of it - say it never turned up. Go!
JJ hides the bottle under his jacket and makes a furtive exit, while Nell keeps a lookout. But when she turns back towards Dex, he's on the ground - unconscious.
NELL: Dex? Dex, wake up! Hey!
When Dex is unresponsive, Nell cries out for help. Everyone looks worried...
Coming up on Neighbours
- Vic tells Byron and Nicolette he has a surprise for them both; Nic asks what he's cooking up
- Remi is distraught as she tries to revive Dex
- Toadie is concerned to see Nell with her arm around JJ in the hospital waiting area
- Dr Bowman tells Cara, Remi and Karl that Dex is in a serious condition
- The Varga- Murphys and Karl look through the glass into Dex's hospital room; he's still unconscious
- Susan admits to Harold that she's finding Terese difficult to work with, and isn't happy
