UK Air Date: 4th August 1999
Marilyn accuses Natalie of having an affair with Jesse. Chloe is shocked when Jesse suggests that he adopt Olivia. Hayley is under fire from Will for her racist views. Why is John, the new teacher, bitter about his past?
Extended Summary
Fisher distributes a memo to the staff at the school concerning the conduct of teaching staff in their personal lives. Fisher hands it Natalie and John and Natalie has no idea that is meant to be a dig at her. In the diner later she has no idea what is meant by Chloe telling her just to ignore the gossip going on in Summer Bay. Natalie asks Marilyn what the gossip is and Marilyn says that having an affair with someone and your husband knowing about it may be acceptable in Europe but not in Summer Bay. Natalie learns that Marilyn thinks that she and Jesse are having an affair. Natalie says does everyone seriously think she would have an affair with her daughter’s boyfriend. Alf hears this and leaves the dinner quickly. Marilyn later tells Fisher that she will never gossip again whilst Fisher is embarrassed by the memo he handed Natalie.
James asks Chloe how she would feel about having children and that he would like to start raising a family soon. Chloe doesn’t really say anything but later tells James that she would like to leave it a bit longer because of University. James says OK but he proposes adopting Olivia instead
At home while James is playing with Olivia, Chloe calls round at Irene’s and phones James and pretends to be working later at the diner. Irene asks why she is lying and Chloe says it is to save her marriage.
Hayley, Sam, Will and Peta are playing a game of monopoly when Will comments to Hayley that it is hard luck for her about the new teacher John Russell and that she should get out while she still can. Hayley storms off to her room in a huff. Irene is shocked to discover that Hayley is racist. The next day in class John asks the class to suggest an issue they would like to debate and Will suggests racism which John agrees to. Later John tells Fisher he would like to run a workshop which is based on the brown eyes blue eyes experiment that was carried out by an American researcher which Fisher thinks is a great idea.
When in the diner John orders the most expensive item Alf tells him it is very expensive. John tells Alf he has the money and Alf is embarrassed and even more so when Fisher asks him to join him and Marilyn and introduces John to Alf as the new general studies teacher. While eating their meal Marilyn discovers John is divorced.
On the beach Sam meets John heading in for surf, and Sam’s surprised to see him there. John jokes saying that you don’t see many black fellas surfing, but Sam is embarrassed that he was taken aback. Peta, who appears to be free to come and go as she pleases, stays late to watch a movie with Will. Irene is surprised that Peta doesn’t need to check in with her grandmother. Peta tells Will the next day that her grandmother doesn’t care what time she comes in.
Jenny Gray, 1999
Guest Cast
OLIVIA FRASER-RICHARDS (BRIDGET & HOLLY DURKIN)
PETA JANOSSI (ALEETZA WOOD)
JOHN RUSSELL (JOHN MOORE)
