Episode 123

Extended Summary

Lance and Martin are waiting outside the caravan, worrying that if Frank watches the tape any longer they won’t have time to show it to George.Lance wonders if Frank might try to kill himself so they look through the window, sniffing for gas…just as Frank comes round the corner and hands them the tape back.

Celia is welcoming Alan to town and tells him that Donald isn’t representative of Summer Bay.Frank turns up and Celia introduces him and Alan to each other.Frank asks if Roo is there but she’s out, although Celia explains that she’s moving back in with Alf soon.Frank assures her he’s just there to make sure Roo’s all right.Celia tells him she’s patched things up with Brett.Frank leaves, saying there’s no message, and Celia doesn’t seem to notice he looks unhappy at the news.

George is telling Carly what a big hit she could be in the documentary but Carly abruptly halts the pleasantries by saying that they need each other for it to work.George notes that they do have something in common after all, neither of them let anything get in the way of what they want.Carly asks if that’s why he beat her up.Dropping the rest of the pleasant façade, George tells her that the film crew will be coming to the house to film material about her humble home life:It was all in the contract and she should have read the small print.Carly says Tom and Pippa might not like it but George says since she signed the contract there’s nothing they can do.

Lance and Martin ambush George outside, asking him to see their video.George isn’t interested but his car won’t start because Martin has removed the distributor cap.He reluctantly accompanies them to the caravan and watches the tape, seeming astonished at the wobbly camera work and Lance filming himself, but tells them he’s impressed and will tell the camera crew about them.Lance fixes the car, although he doesn’t seem entirely sure where everything goes.George tells them to go to film school like everyone else… although even that might not help them.As he drives off, Martin reminds him he promised to tell the film crew about them.He calls back that he will:they like a good laugh.

Tom is shocked to find Pippa lifting boxes at the store, until he discovers they only contain bread.George comes in to interrupt their good mood and asks for a drink, since Carly didn’t offer him one.He takes delight in telling them that he met Carly at the house and will be filming there, neither of which they knew about.Tom goes to confront Carly, who says she didn’t know about the filming and wanted to meet George alone so he’d know she isn’t scared of him anymore.Tom tells her she should have told them that and wants her to cancel the filming.Carly seems about to tell him something important but then just says that it’s her big break.Tom tells her the film crew won’t be allowed inside the house or to film any of the family apart from her, he doesn’t want them being portrayed as a group of hicks she lives with when she’s not being glamorous.

Martin is telling Lance they need a new approach:Carly and George won’t help them but since the camera crew are going to be there anyway all they have to do is hang around and show them how good they are. Lance thinks he works better in front of the camera but Martin assures him they’ll find him something. Frank comes in and asks for the wedding video, saying he’ll pay for the cost of the tape.Martin gives it to him.At Celia’s place, Roo tells Alan she’s glad he’s there because at least one person at school will talk to her.Alan says Frank came round earlier asking after her.Roo admits they still love each other but says she isn’t happy about it.

Celia turns up at the store and tells Pippa to stay sitting down.She brings up Carly’s trip to the city and says she’ll need a chaperone to shield her from bad influences.Pippa confirms the department wanted her to have one.Celia says that since Pippa can’t go in her condition and Tom has to work, she’s volunteering to go.Later, Pippa mentions it to Tom at home and after the initial shock he seems to quite like the idea and suggests they tell Carly that Celia’s going with her to make her sweat.

Frank is playing his guitar in the caravan where he and Roo were meant to live when Roo turns up.Frank is angry to see her, thinking she’s back with Brett, and tells her he believed her when she told him she still loved him and still wanted to get married, pushing her back into her seat when she tries to leave.Roo tells him she only saw Brett because he was trying to get custody of the baby and that she did mean what she said:She was pleased when she heard Frank was asking after her and is hurt by what he’s just said.Frank drags her to Lance’s caravan, where Lance and Martin quickly make themselves scarce, and plays her the wedding video, telling her that what really hurt was her coming down the aisle towards him looking like that and then telling him the baby wasn’t his.Roo runs out.

At the house, Bobby is introducing Alan to Tom and Pippa.There’s an awkward silence before Tom brings up the fact he’s Donald’s son but both Alan and Bobby stress they don’t get on and Alan is amused when Bobby tells him everyone calls Donald Flathead.Lance and Martin turn up wanting to watch the television and explain Frank and Roo have taken over their caravan.Bobby looks unhappy at the news.Frank sits in the caravan watching the video repeatedly until he pulls it out of the machine and smashes it.Roo arrives home in tears and calls out for Celia and Barbara but no-one’s home.Leaning against a wall, she bitterly mutters “”Right, Frank.Right.””

Tom meets Pippa outside the house and tells her Lance’s caravan is empty but there’s a light on in Frank’s. Pippa tells him Lance and Martin have settled in for the night anyway.They hear a smashing noise.Frank is smashing up the caravan, shouting that he hates it.Tom and Pippa arrive and Tom restrains Frank until he collapses sobbing, saying he still loves her.