Episode 399

Extended Summary

Lance is putting up curtains while Martin tries to talk about Marilyn wanting him to move out. Lance says Martin doesn’t have to leave until Lance Jnr comes along, so he’s got nine months. Martin asks him what marriage means to him and Lance doesn’t seem to have thought past the ceremony and the wedding night but Martin’s claims that he won’t be able to go out and won’t have any money fall on deaf ears so he storms off.

Alf and Celia are closing up the store, with Celia insisting that Morag is having a “liaison” with Danny and bringing shame on their family. Alf doesn’t seem bothered, saying he just wants to get home to his own family. He takes two bottles of red wine from the shelf and, when Celia says he’s supposed to be being healthy, retorts that he’s walking home. Ailsa is looking after Duncan when he arrives back and Alf takes him off her to put him to bed, realising that Ailsa’s got something on her mind.

Matt is serving Stacey a bunyip burger at the Diner, noting they’re popular because the secret ingredient is an aphrodisiac. Martin arrives and wonders why Matt’s working there again; he says he’s just helping out. Martin has a business proposal for Stacey: He wants to trademark the name “bunyip” and release lots of merchandise. Stacey says it’s too generic a name to copyright and isn’t interested in being involved but says if he’s serious he needs to come up with a more specific name to trademark. They throw around various alliterative names until Matt comes back with a bonza bunyip burger and Martin decides that’s it: Bonza Bunyip.

Ailsa has told Alf about Emma and Alf doesn’t think they should have anything to do with her because she’s up on criminal charges. Ailsa points out she was as well twenty years ago and things would have worked out a lot better for her if someone had shown her kindness. She says Alf’s family would have supported him but Bridget went out of her way to make things worse for her after what happened with their father and she’s not going to let her do the same to Emma. Alf thinks Ailsa has fallen for a sob story and Emma will mess up their family if she comes to live with them. Ailsa says Bobby would still be hiding out in a caravan if everyone had taken that attitude with her but Alf doesn’t want to discuss it further and goes to bed.

Next day, Adam and McTavish are trekking through the bush and McTavish picks a spot to set up camp, despite Adam trying to persuade him to go further. He calls out loudly that the bunyip might be nearby but McTavish tells him to keep it down. Adam is shocked when he produces a net which he plans to trap the bunyip with but helps him set up a trap that includes using mirrors to attract the bunyip. Adam says he has something to do and slips away.

At the store, Celia is trying to talk to Alf about Emma and encouraging him to show compassion. Alf tries to get rid of her by asking her to look after Coral, who is browsing the shelves and commenting on how expensive everything is. Celia tells Alf that Emma is Ailsa’s blood relative; Alf retorts Morag’s his blood relative but Celia thinks Alf would let Morag stay if she needed to. Coral comes to the counter and asks the price of an item but it’s dearer than she thought so she takes it back to the shelf and just buys some flour. By the time Celia has finished serving her, Alf has made himself scarce.

Later, at the caravan park house, Pippa is looking after Christopher in the kitchen while Coral makes Pippa’s old favourite, chocolate pecan cake. Pippa is pleased but worried by the amount of money Coral must have spent on the ingredients and tells her she doesn’t have to spoil them; they love her anyway and the treats have to stop. Stacey arrives at the Diner, where Ailsa and Matt are still rushed off their feet with tourists. She says she’s looking for Marilyn because she has some news for her and Ailsa says Marilyn’s gone with Lance to buy a wedding dress. Stacey didn’t know they were getting married and thinks her news might not be that well-received after all.

Adam finds Martin, who is dressing up as the bunyip, and warns him about the trap, telling him to just come over and pose for some photographs. Adam and McTavish lie camouflaged in the bushes as Martin approaches and begins striking fearsome poses. He stops to check his reflection in one of the mirrors and McTavish hits him with a tranquiliser dart from a blowpipe and then pulls on a rope, causing the net to lift up around him. Adam and McTavish unwrap him, with McTavish pleased with his capture until he realises the “bunyip” is snoring. He unmasks Martin and Adam feigns surprise at the bunyip being a fake. Soon after, the pair arrive back at the Diner, with Adam trying to convince McTavish he knew nothing about it. McTavish asks Ailsa for a whiskey or failing that a cup of coffee. She offers him a bunyip burger but, realising it’s a sensitive subject, suggests a fillet steak instead. Adam tries to get his money off McTavish but he only gets a small amount for his expenses. Martin comes staggering in, still wearing most of the bunyip outfit and mostly out of it from the tranquiliser. McTavish tells everyone he is the bunyip and storms out, feeling insulted. An annoyed Ailsa wipes “Bunyip burger” off the specials board.

Later, at the caravan park house, Ailsa tells Pippa and Coral about Emma; she wants to help her but Alf won’t have any of it. Pippa refuses to give her any advice or encouragement however, saying she and Alf need to sort it out themselves, and Ailsa is annoyed by the lack of support. Coral cuts in, realising Pippa doesn’t want to talk about it because of Dodge.

Stacey arrives at the mobile home and meets Lance. She says she can come back later but then Marilyn enters wearing a glittery wedding dress and is so busy making a big speech about it that she doesn’t notice Stacey at first. Lance suspects Stacey wants to talk to her in private but Marilyn says he’s going to be her husband so he can hear anything. Stacey says she’s got a call from Channel 6, who have been trying to find Marilyn and want to offer her a job as a game show hostess. She says she’ll tell them Marilyn’s getting married and can’t do it but suddenly the only thing on Marilyn’s mind seems to be going on television and being famous.