Episode 3711

Extended Summary

RECAP
The pupils lock themselves into school
Beth tells the gathered parents that the students are in a couple of the classrooms, and they have all acess routes covered
Sally opposes Hyde’s idea to cut off supplies of water/electricity etc to the rebel students, and he refuses to let her negotiate with them
Kim finds the photo in Hyde’s e-mail and out in the school corridor he tells everyone it’s not Hyde’s child… it’s his!

***

NEAR THE BEACH
Sally sits on a bench, staring wistfully out to sea as depressing music plays. Alf arrives, and the pair discuss the lock-in with Alf worried about Seb, and presumably what could go wrong whilst he is locked in a school of his own doing. Sally tells him that Hyde isn’t even letting her go to negotiate with the kids, and they are full aware that something like this would never happened under the rein of Don Fisher. Sally feels she can’t do anything without feeling disloyal. Alf knows that something has to be done – the students can’t stay in there.

SCHOOL
The gathering grumbles as Kim voices his decision to depart, and a new random pupil comes to the forefront under the name of Carla, reckoning Kim’s earlier “hero speech” was bull, and when it comes to the cruch he is his father’s son. Kim protests that they don’t understand the first thing about the situation, whilst Jade tries to diffuse the tension. She asks Kim to step outside the room, beginning to sound more and more like a teacher every minute. Kim is upset that Hyde kept his own child from him, convinced that Hyde paid his ex off in order to keep it all a secret so that no one would find out his son got a girl pregnant. Instead of trying to sympathise, Jade attempts to talk him out of leaving, using the classic “Hyde will win if you do” excuse, eventually making Kim think long and hard about things.

Outside, Hyde tries to disperse the parents, and Mr Rogers, who doesn’t appear to have shifted since he found out about the lock-in, snidely remarks about Hyde’s refusal to discuss matters with the kids and try to bring things to an amicable end. Hyde chooses to ignore his interruption, asserting that he’ll continue to monitor the situation, and by nine o’clock the following morning, lessons will commence as usual. Alf protests, as does Rogers, but Hyde can only insist he doesn’t make deals with law breakers.
Sally warns him that his attitude is not beneficial to himself or the department – it’ll create bad publicity – and once again suggests that she go in and make the peace. At last, Hyde appears to be thinking about it.

Inside one of the classrooms, we once again locate Tasha, who despite having gone barmy on the first night, managed to disappear calmly for the past couple of episodes before reappearing again, agitated as ever at being locked in. Robbie attempts to comfort her, assuring Tasha that he won’t let anyone hurt her, but it seems that his assurance of protection doesn’t exactly quell her fears. She is now panicking about what Hyde will choose to do if they don’t come out, and particularly the mood that Irene will be in once they emerge. They are interrupted by a loud (rather too loud) voice from outside the closed door – “I want to talk about a lock-in at Summer Bay High”. It’s Matilda, exaggerating to a radio station about what vile conditions the pupils are facing within school. Robbie acts fast in tearing the phone off her, and as she shouts over him, Robbie tells the viewers that everything is fine, and Matilda was making it up. Needless to say, Matilda is peeved when Robbie hangs up the phone, but both Robbie and Tasha are hugely annoyed at her. Tasha walks off with her phone, prompting Matilda to refer to her a a “complete psycho”. She explains to Robbie that she wanted them to be in the press, portrayed as heroes, and she had never bargained on being in such a mess. She’s exhausted and just wants to go home. Robbie softens up.

Elsewhere, Kim is trotting up and down like a bull in a cage when Jade arrives with a bottle of water. He receieves it with a mere grunt as she thanks him for sticking around and insists that none of them are enjoying it, and she thought Hyde would have given up by then. Kim muses that people tend to estimate his father, and when he gets out he’s goingf to confront his father as to why he felt the need to keep the small matter of a child a secret. He hurridely explains the situation to her – he liked Brooke, but he wasn’t up to being a Dad so they decided to get rid of the baby. All he thought of was himself, and he never thought about what Brooke may have wanted. Jade comes up with the solution that tends to solve everything in the Bay – talking to her. Kim is stressed that he has a kid and he doesn’t even know his name. He tosses the water bottle ungratefully back in Jade’s face, and marches off down the corridor.

The pupils are whinging to Jade again, this time on the matter of escapees – Kim wanting to leave, and Jade having released her sister. They’ve got it into their heads that Kim will defect to his Dad’s side, and decide that if Seb and jade want it to be democratic, then they’ll have a vote to decide Kim’s case. Too late. Jade has already let Kim leave.

Outside, the parents haven’t left and Hyde is continuing to insist that as the students have broken the law, then they shouldn’t be prepared to meet them half way. Until they learn repect, Hyde’s not interested in listening to them. Kim arrives at the right moment to mock Hyde’s view of repect, demanding to know why Hyde didn’t tell him he had a child. He proceeds to push Hyde up against the wall, again, and has to be restrained by Alf. Hyde is adamant that someone had to take responsibility for Kim’s mess, and Sally advises that Kim leave and let things be, and he does so. Mr Rogers rants at Hyde for his double standards, but Hyde doesn’t seem to be listening. He leans against a tree looking pretty saddened by the whole thing. Sally moves in for the kill, telling him that she can see both he and Kim are hurting, before proceeding to ask once more whether she can talk to the kids. A deflated Hyde agrees.

Tasha reckons that Kim is too young to be a Dad, and Robbie explains that it’s ‘biology’ and Kim didn’t have a choice… sure, because he didn’t do anything at all to cause Brooke to become pregnant…
Sally interrupts them as she calls through the school gates, and Tasha is all in favour of letting her in. Robbie reckons Jade, seemingly now a dictator, should make the decision, but Tasha talks her round – Sally just wants to help them, and the whole situation is getting crazy.
The pair step out where Sally can see them, and after ensuring Sally is alone, Robbie tells her that all they want is Hyde fired. Sally reminds him that what they all wanted originally was Hyde to listen to them – yet they aren’t prepared to listen now. Sally pleas to be let in, but Robbie doesn’t have the keys – Jade has. After further persuasion from Sally, Tasha and Robbie go to find Jade.

BREAK

BEACH HOUSE
Kim sits staring stonily at the ground as Irene talks to him about how stunned she was when she thought Hyde had a secret child and was “starting over”. She attempts to comfort him, but he shrugs her off, unable to even explain to her how he is feeling. He still can’t come to terms with how Hyde has lied and manipulated the whole situation, and how there’s a part of him out there that he knows nothing about. He chooses to totally ignore her suggestion that he talk things through with his Dad, instead getting himself worked up that he and Brooke had agreed she wouldn’t have the child. He feels that he has let her down by walking away, and vows that he won’t make the same mistake again. He wants to be a part of his son’s life, despite being totally freaked by the whole thing.

SCHOOL
Sally is finally with the pupils in one of the classrooms, wanting to hear their demands so that she can negotiate with Hyde. The list begins – less rules and penalties, a democratic system, no detentions, no homework, a girls common room, new sports gear, one afternoon a week off for shopping… not asking for much then. Jade stops them in their tracks to remind them of why they are locked in in the first place. The long list reverts to chanting to get rid of Hyde – “Out, out, out, out”

Hyde sits on the steps outside dismally, as Sally arrives back. She tells him that the kids won’t be coming out until they feel they have been listened to. Hyde is well aware that they want rid of him, and Sally encourages him to ease up and prove to them that he will listen – because the situation won’t end until he realises that compromise isn’t the same as defeat. Hyde refuses point blank to give in, and he’s certainly not going to resign.

It’s now evening, and inside the school Sally tells the students that Hyde won’t back down, and he definetely won’t resign. Despite the grumbles that arise, and Matilda being desperate to go home, Jade is still hanging onto the hope that they can make Hyde listen. Sally warns them all that Hyde is talking expulsion – and not just for Jade and Seb, as he may want to assert his position. Hyde will realise who’s inside the school when the rest of the school arrives in the morning, and also warns them that if the police are called in, they may well face charges. matilda panics, but Jade gets up to assure them all that NO ONE is going to jail. She demands that they don’t let Hyde frighten them.

BEACH HOUSE
Kim walks out to the front porch, where Hyde is lying in wait, wanting to talk to him. He tells his son that Brooke informed him of her plan to keep the baby, and didn’t want to put pressure on him by telling him. She felt backed into a corner by Kim, which was why she decided she wouldn’t go through with it, but when crunch time came he couldn’t do it. Kim doesn’t believe that Brooke wouldn’t have wanted him to know, and Hyde tells him that Brooke was well aware that he was unable to give her the support she wanted. Kim still doesn’t get why Hyde kept the truth from him, and Hyde’s principal logic switches back on as he tells Kim that having a kid could only hold him back. Kim doesn’t see it as a favour, and doesn’t believe Hyde when he insists that Brooke doesn’t want him involved. The child’s name is Charles, and Kim is incensed to discover that Hyde has met his grandson. Hyde apologises, hoping that one day Kim will understand, but Kim vows to find Brooke and his son.

SCHOOL
Sally is about to leave, and agrees to see what she can do about getting them food. The kids are getting more impatient, and bickering breaks out, most of the students desperate just to go home. Jade once more swoops in to try and raise morale, by sticking on the “this would have all been for nothing” record again. Sally tells them that although she doesn’t agree with them, she also doesn’t agree with the way it has been handled, and is willing to help them – within reason. Robbie has come up with a masterplan, and he assures them that it’ll beat Hyde at his own game.

Sally goes back outside, to find the group of angry parents still keeping vigil outside. Mr Rogers is concerned that his daughter doesn’t have medication for her asthma on her, and Hyde can only apologise that Sally couldn’t make any headway. He swears that Hyde will pay – after all, he has contacts in the department. Sally tells Hyde that the kids are determined, and not ready to give in just yet, but Hyde is adamant that they won’t be rewarded – they’ll pay for it… every last one of them…

Inside, Jade is still calling the shots, instructing the kids to put everything back where they found it. They’re packed up and ready to go as Sally comes in, willing to support them until the end. As the rest of the pupils file out of the room with Sally, Seb assures Jade that everything will turn out ok. She hopes so – because if not she can kiss her HSC goodbye…

BEACH HOUSE
All Kim can do is stare at the TV and grunt as Irene informs him that she is off to bed, and that he should do the same. We are then treated to lots of shots of Kim in different locations and positions around the house as depressing music plays. Before the credits roll, he is lying back with tears appearing in his eyes.