Episode 506

Extended Summary

At the mobile home, Martin is amused that Lance and Marilyn thought he was dying. Marilyn seems embarrassed by the mistake and goes off in a huff but Lance can see the funny side, especially since it meant Martin got a shot with Carly. Up at the house, Grant gives Tom notice on his van, saying he’s leaving in the morning. He’s going to go and work for his dad making garden furniture. Tom tells him they believe he’s innocent but Grant says his only hope would be if Vicki admits the truth.

The class are gathered on the field for Sports, with Vicki being ignored by everyone and some of the students banging into her as they run past. Emma and Viv wonder who’ll be standing in for Grant, suggesting an elderly woman teacher who a boy says he’s never seen stand up. It turns out to be Don and he makes Emma and Viv the two team captains. As Vicki goes to stand with the others, Emma trips her up. Emma and Viv pick their teams and Vicki is left over. Don tells her to go on Emma’s team but both Emma and Viv make it clear they don’t want her. Vicki runs back to the school and starts clearing out her locker, telling Don she’s going home. She asks Don why he can’t do anything and Don points out he can’t expel the whole school. Vicki protests it’s not her fault what happened and Don pretends to sympathise with her, telling her she’s been brave but now has to pay the price and it’ll blow over in a month or two.

Celia shows Goodhope around the Stewart house but tells him she has to go back to the store. She tries to apologise for what Alf said but Goodhope is more amused than anything and Celia also sees the funny side when she recalls how embarrassed Alf looked. Emma and Viv walk home; Emma is celebrating getting one over on Vicki. Viv admits she feels a bit sorry for her but Emma tells her it’s Grant she should feel sorry for. Back at the Stewart house, the girls are studying at the table when they hear a noise from the other room. Goodhope is in the lounge with his back to them, reading something. The girls think he’s a burglar and Emma suggests hitting him on the head but Viv isn’t keen. Since the telephone is in that room, they decide to phone the police from the call box on the corner. They wait until Goodhope goes back into a bedroom and then rush out. Goodhope hears the front door go and wonders who’s there. Viv keeps watch on the house while Emma runs down the road and calls the police.

Marilyn is chatting to Tom out in the caravan park. She’s worried Carly will hate her for persuading her to go on a date with Martin but Tom points out Marilyn did believe Martin was dying. Lance comes up, looking upset, and Tom realises it’s because of Martin leaving. Marilyn points out he’ll still have her but it doesn’t seem to perk Lance up. Tom and Lance head off in opposite directions and, after a couple of seconds’ indecision, Marilyn heads after Lance.

Celia tells Alf she’s going to go and check on Goodhope. Grant arrives and he and Celia exchange a few curt words. Grant tells Alf he’s there to say goodbye. Vicki comes in while Alf is saying she needs a kick up the backside for what she’s done. Alf notices her and tells her that he’ll serve her because the law says he has to, otherwise her feet wouldn’t touch the ground. Vicki runs out. Grant feels sorry for her and Alf tells him he’s too soft. Emma and Viv are sat on the police car outside the Stewart house. Emma says they should call the papers and tell them they caught a burglar, thinking they might get their picture taken. Celia turns up and they tell her what’s happened. Two constables escort a protesting Goodhope from the house. Celia berates the girls for their stupidity and tells the constables who Goodhope is. Emma and Viv look awkward.

Vicki arrives back at school as Don is leaving and tells him she needs to tell him something about Grant. She admits that he didn’t do anything and she made it all up. Don takes Vicki to Grant’s caravan. Grant asks why she did it and Vicki says everyone was laughing at her because he told them she had a crush on him. Grant admits he spoke to someone but says he never mentioned her name. Vicki tells him she didn’t expect it to go as far as it did and apologises. Don tells her to wait outside and he’ll take her to explain things to her parents. He tells Grant he can expel Vicki if Grant wants but Grant thinks having to face up to her parents will be punishment enough and they should have a fresh start. Don agrees and welcomes Grant back.

Martin tells Lance he’s finished packing. Lance is grumpy about Martin leaving. Martin says they’ll always be friends but he has to think about the future. He manages to laugh Lance out of his mood by reminiscing about nearly poisoning Celia and the bunyip and suggests they go on one last rave up. Marilyn comes home and says she’s going to cook Martin a surprise farewell meal. Lance tells her about the rave up. Marilyn offers to get changed and go with them but Lance says they wanted it to be just the two of them. Marilyn seems disappointed but accepts it.

Alf, Ailsa, Celia and Goodhope have dinner at the Stewart house. Emma comes through, saying she’s meeting Viv at the Diner, and apologises to Goodhope but he says to think nothing of it. Goodhope agrees with Alf’s observation he’d have spent a night in jail without Celia but says it just made his stay in Summer Bay memorable. Celia drags him away, reminding him his talk’s about to start. Ailsa jokingly asks Alf if he thinks they’ll be safe and Alf admits Goodhope’s not a bad bloke for a reverend. At the Diner, Viv tells Emma about Vicki’s confession and Grant being reinstated. Grant comes over and the girls fantasise about the punishment Vicki will get off her parents. Grant tells them to go easy on her from now on but also buys them both a milkshake to thank them.

Lance and Martin arrive home, puzzled as to why they didn’t manage to get drunk. Lance suggests they don’t have much to rave about. They grab some beers from the fridge and Martin says they’ll have a proper rave up when he’s on leave. He proposes a toast to their friendship and they clink cans.