Episode 36

Australian Air Date: 7th March 1988
UK Air Date: 3rd April 1989
Writer: Ray Harding
Director: Mark Piper
Cat No: HAW-036

Malicious gossip spreads when Carly’s terrible secret is revealed. Meanwhile, there are angry clashes in the Fletcher household over the kids’ handling of the crisis.

COLLEEN SMART (LYN COLLINGWOOD)
First appearance. Lance’s dotty mother. Stan/Les’ wife. Gossiped with Celia over Carly’s attack.
ALISON PATTERSON (KATHRYN RIDLEY)
Third appearance, last seen in #34. Spread the horrible truth about Carly’s attack around school.
MARGARET (JANICE COPELAND)
Gossipy friend of Celia’s.

>Footage from this episode, of Tom talking to Carly about her recent trauma, is used as a flashback in #529.

Extended Summary

Lynn speaks to Bobby about herself telling Celia accidentally about the attack on Carly. Bobby is angry but calms down.

Lynn and Bobby agree to tell Alf so he can stop Celia spreading it any further; Bobby tells him.

But Celia has already told a bunch of people including Doris Peters and she spread the latest gossip around even more. Alf is very angry with Celia for it.

Bobby and Lynn tell Carly in school about Lynn’s slip when she accidentally told Celia about it; Carly gets very angry and sad at the same time. Lynn tries to explain it was an accident as she was so angry that it slipped out.

Colleen, Lance’s mother, tells Pippa in Ailsa’s shop that she has heard what happened to Carly.

Carly, Bobby and Lynn tell Pippa of her being raped.

When Tom finds out about it, he gets extremely angry and says he could strangle someone; he is also angry with the kids as they have not told then because then they would have better chances of catching the rapist.

Tom and Carly speak to the policeman, Bob, about it.

Sally reads a storybook and has some problems with a few words.

Tom has calmed down a bit and he has a long talk with Carly about the attack.

Steven and Sandra help each other with a science project for school. Steven notices a bruise on her arm and asks if Barlow hit her. She says it’s her own fault and that her father really hates to hit her!

Barlow is insensitive and reckons it was mostly Carly’s fault that she got attacked. Martin and Lance say they would like to hit the man who did it to Carly. Tom hears what Barlow says and gets very angry with him.

Alison picks on Carly in school; Lynn intervenes but Sandra prevents trouble.

Alf wants Celia to apologise to Carly for telling everyone about the attack. She cries, but he is still angry with her.

Tom and Barlow have a fight because Barlow says Carly got everything she deserves. After a while Tom wins the fight.

Ola Carlsson, 1999