Previously on Neighbours
- Karl is appalled when Dr Bowman perves on Cara and Remi at his farewell party, and makes a gauche remark
- Karl later admits to Susan that he's made a complaint to HR about Dr Bowman's behaviour, but not told Remi
- Vic admits he has stage four bowel cancer, and an emotional Byron admits he doesn't want his dad to die
- Vic tells Nicolette and Byron that he wants to buy them a business to build and work on together
- But Nicolette tells Vic she doesn't want a business; she just wants him to get better
- Susan whinges to Karl about Terese micromanaging her residents' moving- in timetable at Eirini Rising
- Harold picks up on the tension between Susan and Terese, but Susan insists they're fine
- JJ and Nell go to help themselves to the catering at the vineyard while JJ's supposed to be working
- But while he's gone, a mystery villain comes in and syringes an unknown substance into a wine bottle
- Terese, Susan and Jane raise a toast at the Eirini Rising launch event...
- ... while in his new apartment, Harold and Toadie raise a toast to Madge
- Dex decides to take a swig from Hilary's missing bottle of wine, and JJ demands to know what he's doing
- Nell encourages JJ to get rid of the bottle, as it can't be given to Hilary now
- But moments later, Dex collapses to the floor unconscious, and Nell tries to revive him
Harold returns to the opening titles today, after 15 years' absence from them. On both Channel 10 in Australia and Amazon Freevee in the UK, the usual Paul, Leo and Abigail shot is followed by a new shot of Melanie and Harold walking away from the Waterhole. Melanie is holding a cake box which presumably contains the pavlova that she'll later deliver to the pool party in the final shot of the titles - which has now been truncated to shorten Mel's entrance.
Eirini Rising
Dex is still out cold on the floor, and Nell is becoming increasingly frantic. Karl rushes over, with Remi and Cara in tow. Dex is unresponsive to Karl's efforts to wake him - but then he starts having some kind of seizure, and foaming at the mouth. Remi asks JJ and Nell if they know what happened, but they report that he was fine a minute ago.
KARL: Has he had seizures before?
REMI: No!
Cara calls for an ambulance, while Karl tells Susan to make sure there's a clear path for the paramedics when they get here.
REMI (distraught): Dexie!
Erinsborough Hospital
Dr Bowman is tending to Dex in a hospital room, while Remi, Cara, Karl and JJ wait anxiously outside.
CARA: What's wrong with him?
REMI: Epilepsy? Or meningitis?
KARL: I'm sure Dr Bowman will work through all the possibilities.
Dr Bowman emerges, and tells them that Dex is in a serious condition, and they're in the process of stabilising him. Once that's done, they'll run a series of tests to work out what's wrong with him.
CARA: What do we do till then?
DR BOWMAN: You wait.
Harold's Apartment
Susan has made Harold a cup of tea, and he asks if there's been any news on Dex, but she tells him no. Terese comes in; she tells Susan she's said goodbye to all the guests, but that Shirley Burchmore and her friends weren't very impressed about what had happened.
SUSAN (disapproving): Well, let's put Shirley and her issues aside for a moment.
Terese is about to do the rounds of the residents to check everyone's okay, and Susan volunteers to go to the hospital to check on the situation with Dex. But Terese says Karl's already there, and will surely update them when there's something to report.
TERESE: Besides, we've got more residents moving in, so we need you there. It's your responsibility.
SUSAN: Uhh, yeah. Of course.
Harold is listening to all of this curiously. When Terese leaves, Susan puts on her 'everything's fine' face but Harold doesn't look convinced.
No 32
Nicolette arrives, having been summoned by Vic. He tells her and Byron that he has a surprise for them this afternoon; so Byron agrees to see if someone will cover his shift at Harold's.
NICOLETTE: What are you cooking up, Dad?
VIC: Oh, it's a cracker. Trust me.
Mini Golf Course
Vic has brought Byron and Nicolette to play mini golf.
VIC: Are you ready for an action- packed afternoon?
NICOLETTE: Don't know if I've used 'action- packed' and 'mini golf' in the same sentence before!
BYRON: Isn't this a game for kids?
VIC: Hey, where's the spirit? Don't you remember, when you were little? You both begged me for months to take you mini golfing. The day I organised I had to cancel last- minute for a business meeting. The look of disappointment on your faces is burned in my mind.
BYRON: Sounds vaguely familiar.
NICOLETTE (to Byron): Think I was more disappointed I didn't get to whip your butt.
VIC: Well, it might've taken a few years, but... I wanted to make it up to you both.
Nicolette's competitive streak is already showing, and she heads onto the course to tee off.
VIC: I'd forgotten how competitive your sister is.
BYRON: Yeah, I haven't.
VIC: Hey, might be best if we let her win. Otherwise this family fun day out will end in tears.
BYRON: And they won't be ours.
Their plan agreed, they head down to the course to join Nicolette.
Erinsborough Hospital
Susan has disregarded Terese's instructions and come to the hospital, where she's appalled to learn from Karl that Dex is being treated by Dr Bowman.
KARL: I mean, he's always treated his patients with the utmost care.
Meanwhile, Nell is sitting with a very worried JJ in the waiting area.
NELL: Your mums, the doctor - they have no idea Dex drank anything. If it is that, don't you think they should know?
JJ: I don't want to get him in trouble.
Nell puts a comforting arm around JJ, but at this moment, Toadie walks in, and looks very unimpressed.
Eirini Rising
In the office, the phone on Susan's desk is ringing and Terese goes to answer it, but doesn't get there in time. Susan then walks in, back from the hospital, and tells her that Dex is stabilised. Karl will stay with the Varga- Murphys, Susan reports, but she'll also go back later to check on them. While Terese is pleased that Dex is stable, it was news to her that Susan had left the premises.
TERESE: You went there after I told you you were needed here?
SUSAN: I thought it was important that one of us was there, given it happened at our event.
TERESE: Susan, Dex is at hospital! What about the residents here that need caring for?
Susan just shakes her head and doesn't reply.
Erinsborough Hospital
Dex is still unconscious. Dr Bowman tells Remi and Cara that his brain scans are normal and that they've ruled out meningitis. But his blood pressure is low, and they've yet to establish the cause. Cara gets frustrated that Dr Bowman can't even give them an estimate of when they might find out what's wrong, but Remi tries to calm her down, telling her that these things can take time.
DR BOWMAN: One of the blood test results showed a low level of alcohol in his system.
REMI: Alcohol? Are you sure?
Cara then finds the cork from the wine bottle in Dex's jacket pocket.
REMI: He was drinking at the opening? No, I don't believe it!
But JJ appears at the door and confirms that he caught Dex drinking.
A little while later, Andrew has arrived. He tells the Varga- Murphys that nobody else from the Eirini Rising opening has fallen sick. Cara asks if the alcohol itself could be to blame for Dex's condition, but Dr Bowman says that the small amount in his system makes that unlikely - though he could have reacted to the sulphites in the wine. The levels would have to be quite high, though.
ANDREW: We can test the remaining bit of the wine. What did you do with the bottle?
JJ: I tipped it down the drain, then threw the bottle out. It had the 'Hilary' label on it, though.
Andrew says he'll ask Terese to track the bottle down, and Cara gives him the cork too. Andrew leaves, and Remi suggests they run a test for sulphites. Dr Bowman says he'll get a nurse in to take more bloods, as he has a meeting. At this point, Dex begins to wake up, and the relieved Varga- Murphys crowd round his bed.
Mini Golf Course
The game is in progress, and we get a little montage of various scenes while music plays.
There's some fun to be had, but Nicolette gives Byron the deadliest stare every time he gets a ball in one of the holes - while missing most of her own shots! Her frustration gradually increases until she throws her putter onto the green in annoyance, and smacks Byron as she walks away! We then see her lying on the ground and blowing her ball into a hole.
NICOLETTE: Stupid game! Whoever invented it deserves a special place in hell.
VIC: There's always the next hole, hmm?
Byron's about to follow Vic, but Nicolette grabs him by the collar of his shirt, then presses her putter up against his face!
NICOLETTE (menacing whisper): We need to get one thing straight. Stop. Winning.
BYRON: Nic, I know you really want to win, but...
NICOLETTE: I am deliberately losing so that Dad can win, and you are stuffing things up.
BYRON: Oh!
NICOLETTE: It's so that he has some nice memories of me. It's not funny!!
But Byron can't stop sniggering.
BYRON: Don't you see, Nic? Me and Dad were letting *you* win, because we know how you get.
NICOLETTE (emotional): Well, that's so sweet!
BYRON: Oi, Dad! Nic's losing the game deliberately.
VIC (laughs): I never thought I'd see the day when my daughter would tank a game.
NICOLETTE: Yeah, and you never will again! Okay, now we've sorted that out - game on. And the loser is buying dinner!
Eirini Rising
Leo and Krista have collected up all of the wine bottles from the launch event and are taking them away.
LEO: I can't believe I'm responsible for Dex getting sick.
KRISTA: Hey, we don't know that.
LEO: We've got to find that last bottle, okay?
Toadie and Nell are also here, helping to clear up along with Harold, Susan and Terese. Toadie asks Nell why Dex would be drinking, as he's usually such a good kid. Nell says she and JJ thought the same.
Nearby, Susan tells Terese that she's organised a meeting tomorrow for the staff and residents, so they can ask any questions about what happened today. But Terese isn't keen at all.
TERESE: Susan, there's no need to drag this on any further.
SUSAN: Well, the residents are pretty shaken up. They need to be assured that Dex's illness was isolated.
TERESE: I wish you'd discussed it with me first.
SUSAN: Earlier you said I wasn't attentive enough to the residents. Now, what, I'm *too* attentive?!
Terese clearly doesn't know how to deal with Susan's backchat, so just sighs and walks off. Harold, who has been observing the exchange, invites Susan round to his apartment for dinner tonight, with Karl. Susan says Karl's busy later, but that she would love to come. But she's clearly still in a mood about Terese, and Harold looks worried as she walks off.
Meanwhile, Leo has found the missing 'Hilary' wine bottle, and furtively tells Krista that he wants to get his 'people' to test it before he gives it to the police. Krista starts to query this, but...
LEO: Look, if I'm responsible for this, I need to get ahead of it. I won't withhold any of the results from them, I promise.
KRISTA: Okay, well then, just give it to them now.
LEO: Yeah, but Dex is stable. Look, if he wasn't, this would be different. This is my business on the line, okay? I've already got bottles shipped to other customers. I can't have them getting hurt.
Krista agrees, but looks concerned as she and Leo get into the car.
Erinsborough Hospital
Dr Bowman is just coming out of his meeting as Karl approaches in the opposite direction. He stops Karl with his hand.
DR BOWMAN: I've just been hauled over the coals by HR because of you.
KARL: What you said about Remi and Cara was out of line.
DR BOWMAN: At your farewell party? And I said all those nice things about you.
KARL: It was a work function. I couldn't let it slide.
DR BOWMAN: I was having fun!
KARL: It was inappropriate.
Bowman steps towards Karl slightly menacingly.
DR BOWMAN: So you ran off straight to HR? You've made a big mistake.
He then backs away and walks off. But Remi has seen the tail end of this encounter, and is worried, assuming it had something to do with Dex.
KARL: It wasn't about Dex... but you're not gonna like it.
Shortly afterwards, an angry- looking Remi has passed on what Karl has told her about Dr Bowman to Cara, who is equally angry.
CARA: What a sleazebag. Give me one reason I shouldn't knock his block off!
REMI: Yeah, well, Karl's reported him. Apparently, Gavin's got a history of it, too. The HR department just need to compile their report and he should be out of there.
CARA: And Dex?
REMI: We're gonna do something about that right now.
Mini Golf Course
Vic is smiling as he watches his offspring argue about the result of the mini golf game, and Nicolette quibbles over Byron's scoring.
BYRON: Has anyone ever told you you're a competitive nightmare and a sore loser?
NICOLETTE: Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying? (...) Dad, are you gonna back me up?
VIC: And miss the show? Not a chance, Nickel. Indulge me a little.
NICOLETTE: Well, then, I guess today was a success.
Vic asks if the pair of them have thought any more about the family business idea. Byron says they're trying to figure out what they'd work well in together.
NICOLETTE: Without potentially killing each other. It's gonna be a stretch.
BYRON: You're gonna turn it into another competition?
NICOLETTE: Well if I did, you would lose. But we'll think of something.
Byron, who has been mimicking Nic mercilessly, offers her a lick of his ice lolly, but she knocks it to the floor in annoyance. Vic winces and laughs. Byron appeals to him to intervene, like they're little kids!
Harold's Apartment
Susan is looking for cutlery in one of the packing boxes, but Harold tells her she's a guest and not to worry about it.
HAROLD: I tell you what - why don't you tell me what's going on between you and Terese, huh?
SUSAN (sighs): I'm finding it difficult to work with her.
HAROLD: Ah.
SUSAN: At first, it was just about responsibilities. But now, every time I make a call on something, she questions it, or outright disapproves. I'm not happy! Not with Terese, not with the job. It's not what I thought it would be.
HAROLD (sighs): Oh, I do hate it when good friends are at odds with one another. Isn't there some way that you can resolve your problems?
But Susan doesn't look hopeful.
Erinsborough Hospital
The next morning, Andrew is updating the Varga- Murphys on the investigation. He tells them they've found a needle mark in the foil and the cork that Cara gave them, which may mean the wine was tampered with.
ANDREW: We can't be sure (...) but with Dex's unusual reaction, there's enough to treat this as an attempted poisoning.
Dex looks worried, but then urgently needs to throw up, and Remi passes him a bag to vomit into. Dr Bowman comes in offering to help, but Remi tells him no.
REMI: We're getting another doctor to treat Dex. You are not needed here.
DR BOWMAN: ...
CARA: What she said.
Realising what this is about, Dr Bowman looks irritated, but leaves the room without another word.
Yorokobi Vineyard
Leo is talking to Andrew on the phone, apologising, while Krista listens. Once he's finished the call...
LEO: The police are treating this like a criminal case. They think it might've been a targeted attack.
KRISTA: Well, who'd want to target the vineyard?
LEO: I don't know. I'm gonna have to recall all the bottles I've sent out. This launch is turning out to be a disaster.
KRISTA: So you think that it happened here?
LEO: Yeah, possibly.
KRISTA: Hey, well, you should give the police your CCTV footage. If it did happen here, it'll be on that.
LEO: Yeah. Yeah, I've got cameras covering the whole place. Even in the clean room where we bottle everything (...) No, there is one place where there aren't any cameras. The labelling shed. And the last person in there with the Eirini Rising bottles was JJ.
Harold's Café
JJ has come to pick up some food for Dex. Harold is at a table, and Toadie and Nell are by the counter.
JJ: Tuna's totally gross, but whatever Dex wants, he can get at the moment.
HAROLD: Tuna is very good for the old brain cells. He'll be sharp as a tack at my age.
TOADIE: I'm looking forward to hearing more of those pearlers now you're back, Harold.
HAROLD (laughs): Any time, Jarrod. Any time, eh?
NELL: I think it's sweet you're doing a toastie run for Dex.
JJ: Oh. Thanks.
Leo comes in, followed by Krista, and asks after Dex. JJ says he's still not great, but doing better.
LEO: Look, did you leave the wine unattended when you were labelling the bottles?
JJ: Umm... yeah, for a bit. Me and Nell grabbed some leftover catering.
LEO: Well, did you lock the door when you left?
JJ shakes his head.
LEO: So anyone could've gone in there and tampered with the wine?
JJ: I dunno...
LEO: I thought I could trust you, mate.
JJ doesn't know what to say, and rushes out.
LEO: Sorry, was that, umm... was that too harsh?
TOADIE: Absolutely not.
NELL: Dad!
TOADIE: It's the truth, and it needed to be said.
NELL (moving off): I think you're all being totally unfair.
TOADIE: Where are you going?
NELL: To check on JJ.
TOADIE: No. No, you're not. In fact, you're banned from seeing him.
Nell doesn't look happy.
Eirini Rising
No sooner has Susan arrived at work than Terese tells her she needs to take Mr Coomer 'through the integrated system' - nobody was here when he called yesterday, Terese tells her pointedly, and so he has no idea how to operate the lights and cooling in his apartment.
SUSAN: Right, I'll put it on my list.
TERESE: Oh, we can't keep him waiting.
SUSAN (pass- agg): Just give me one minute to put my bag down, and I'll get onto it straight away.
TERESE: Oh, and Susan - I really need you to convince Karl to drop this whole thing with Shirley's grandson.
SUSAN: I'm not sure it's that simple.
TERESE: We need the sales. And our reputation has already taken a hit.
SUSAN: (scoffs)
TERESE: Is there a problem?
SUSAN: Yes! Yes, there is - *this*. This ongoing conflict and tension between us.
TERESE: I... I thought we'd resolved it.
SUSAN: Well, so did I! But clearly we haven't.
TERESE: Oh, come on, Susan. An argument here and there is fine in the workplace!
SUSAN (interrupting): Terese, you are not listening to me! You are just... you are bulldozing me, again! I never wanted our working relationship to interfere with our friendship, but it is. And this job, it isn't worth losing it over. Now, I won't leave you without a manager. But you really, *really* need to find someone else.
Terese looks stunned.
In the closing credits, Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) is promoted to second- tier regular status today (being listed in the same bracket as JJ, Nell and Dex in this episode) - though as with other characters in this bracket, time will tell how consistent this designation will be.
Coming up on Neighbours
- Haz is pleasantly surprised that Mackenzie has come to chauffeur him home from hospital
- But Amira tells Mackenzie that her own car is already parked out front. Mackenzie looks peeved
- Susan tells Karl that Terese has been working with Paul for so long, she's comfortable with work conflict
- Toadie reminds Terese that Susan isn't Paul; but Terese says this is just how she operates
- Amira makes eyes at Nicolette in the pub; Nic is embarrassed as Vic jokingly quizzes her about it
