Episode 3732

Extended Summary

RECAP
Matilda flirts with Kim.
Kim asks for Morag’s help in a legal battle
Alf refuses to let Duncan leave the Bay – he has to face up to his actions.
Dani and Noah encourage Scott to reveal all to Beth about Val

***

BEACH
Robbie isn’t in the least bit impressed that Hyde is making him join the army cadets – Hyde’s “it’ll make a man of you” attitude reminds him of his Dad, and he doesn’t see the fun in being stuck out in the bush with a rucksack and a compass. He tries to talk Tasha into joining with him – she’d love it, and as they approach Kim, Robbie tries to get him to join up as well. Kim reckons he has better things to do with his time – like hang on the beach picking up girls, and right on cue, Matilda strolls up to her “favourite lifeguard”, claiming she didn’t know he was on duty, and wondering if he’d like to take a walk away from the “kids”. Kim gently turns her down – he’s working, and must stay on the beach watching the swimmers. She saunters off for a swim, leaving Kim, Robbie and Tasha laughing after her.

DINER
Colleen is depressed at how all the caravan park kids are flying the nest and making her feel old, but Alf isn’t sympathetic. Val enters, and Alf seems pretty over-the-moon to see her. She also knows Colleen from the old days – she could hardly forget “Miss Groper”. Alf and Val exchange pleasantries, with he updating her briefly on his life before Scott enters. He pulls her aside for a chat, not wanting her hanging around hurting his family, but she knows she has a right to go wherever she wants. Val tells him bluntly that she has kept Jack’s secret for years – she’s not going to start telling people now.

BEACH
Robbie watches his sister floundering around in the ocean, waving back to Kim and comments that she’s “such a loser”. Talking of losers, Duncan appears, and he and Kim exchange unpleasantries about one anothers clothes, with Tasha casually wonders why he’s hanging around there, because no one likes him. He smirks, commenting that at least he can get out of “this hole”, whereas the rest of them are stuck in the Bay “forever”. As Duncan swaggers away, Matilda is hysterically shouting back to the beach – “Shark!” Shark!”. Kim sounds the siren on the little lifeguard car, and as Robbie picks up the megaphone to get everyone out of the water, Kim runs to get Matilda.

SURF CLUB
The panic is over, and Matilda is being fussed over, Robbie and Tasha fascinated by her encounter. Kim is more suss, wondering exactly how close the shark got to her. She claims it was five metres, and Kim spots the flaw in her story – if it was five metres away, nothing would have stopped it. As he works out it was all a hoax, Matilda apologises for her “little mistake”. He isn’t having any of it though and coldly tells her to get out of his sight before he loses his temper.

CARAVAN PARK
Max sits crosslegged on the table, making noises as a rhythm to Henry’s breakdancing. Beth swiftly puts an end to it and sets them to work folding some washing, and all attention moves to Matilda as she enters and announces that she was thrown off the beach. Max and Henry toss the washing on the floor, and they all gather around to hear the story of the shark that she reckoned she saw. She is adamant that she wasn’t making it up, and whereas Max is genuinely concerned for her, Henry finds it amusing that the shark took one look at Matilda and ran away. matilda storms up to her room in a huff.

BEACH HOUSE
Robbie excitedly tells Kim and Tasha of the fascinating facts about great white sharks that he has found on the net, and Kim isn’t impressed with Robbie and Tasha treating it as a joke – Matilda’s stunt was dumb. As Robbie leaps into Kim’s arms, feministically announcing “Kim, my hero!”, Morag appears in the kitchen, wryly commenting that there is obviously no adult around to supervise them. Robbie and Tasha stumble out of the room to allow Morag and Kim some peace. Morag talks to Kim about his legal battle – his ex has had a kid, and Morag assumes that it came as somewhat of a surprise to find out that he was a father. Kim wonders if there’s anything she can do, and she is confident she’ll get things sorted within a few days. She reminds him that she expects payment within 7 days of invoicing, bids him a good evening, and departs.

THE PALACE
Chopping onions isn’t helping Scott’s attitude, and as he wipes away tears, he voices his concerns about Dani to Hayley. She subtley suggests that they could do with someone else around the place – there’s ‘a friend’ who wants to stay for a couple of days. She is willing to clear out the studio if necessary and Scott is happy for whoever it is to stay – so long as they can chop onions.

DINER
Morag, Alf and Duncan enjoy a family dinner in the diner, with Morag lecturing Duncan on the importance of a proper family dinner – “a family that eats together, stays together”. As Alf tries to make conversation with Duncan about the days activitites, Colleen has to pull Alf away for some help in the kitchen, and Duncan snidely reminds Morag of her earlier remark – “a family that eats together…”. Morag isn’t happy that he is spending all of his free time at the beach rather working, but Duncan reassures her that he didn’t stay long at the beach – Kim Hyde was getting heavy with him, and Morag is defensive of her nephew as Duncan spews nasty tales about Kim.

CARAVAN PARK
Matilda isn’t flavour of the month in the Sutho-Hunter household, with the supposed shark attack playing on everyones minds. Val interrupts the unhappy family atmosphere, wanting to rent a van. She greets them all with a bit too much familiarity, and as she comments on the house, Matilda tells her that they used to have a farm. Robbie returns with the bookings… book, and a problem arises in the fact that Val wants to stay long-term – she needs to speak to Rhys and Beth, who are out. Val tells them it’s no problem, and hurridely leaves, remarking on the fact that they are obviously a happy family. After she has gone, Robbie wonders how she knew his name.

BREAK

SCHOOL
Matilda brags to a school-friend (possibly Max’s ex?) about her shark attack and, more specifically how her hero, Kim, beat the shark away with his bare hands. Max looks on, downhearted, as Kim puts in an appearance, and the friend asks Matilda to prove that she and Kim are an item. Matilda saunters over to Kim, warning him about all the girls lying in wait to pash him, and decides to walk him to class. As Kim walks away, Matilda links onto his arm, and they walk away, Matilda coming up to Kim’s waist. Kim subtley scratches his head, freeing himself from Matilda’s clutches.

Duncan stares out of the window glumly as Sally attempts to teach his class. He pulls him up for not paying attention just as the bell rings and the class can escape. However, Sally pulls Duncan aside before he can leave, wanting a chat – she’s not his enemy, and she realises that things are hard for him, but things about the accident will eventually settle down. Duncan isn’t so sure, and mentions that there’s a particular student that’s making things hard for him… he doesn’t seem to object too much when Sally probes him for a name.

Sally confronts Kim about Duncan’s allegations, and Kim is stunned that she would consider believing him, but agrees to keep his distance from Duncan.

Matilda proudly reads out a love letter to that friend, who wonders who it is from, but whoever it is hasn’t signed it.

OUTSIDE SURF CLUB
Robbie tells Val that the van is ready when she is, and as Val leaves, Scott pulls Robbie aside for a word. Robbie explains that the woman was at the house the previous night wanting to rent a van, and Scott is less than impressed. He refuses to tell Robbie what “the problem” is.

DINER
Val grabs a coffee as Duncan thieves some drink, telling Alf to take the cash out of his pocket money. He collides with Scott on his way out – he is after Val, wanting to know what she is up to. She claims that her showing up at their caravan park was a coincidence, but Scott demands that Val stay away from the whole family. Alf intervenes to check that all is well, and Val storms out, leaving her coffee. Alf warns Scott from coming on too strong, and advises Scott to tell Beth himself if he is so worried. Scott doesn’t think he’ll be able to tell his mother that her marriage was built on a lie.

SURF CLUB
Robbie is still trying to talk tasha into joining the cadets with him, but she isn’t keen on the idea of returning to her parents’ way of life – guns and all that. She doesn’t care if it’s just a game.

Henry can’t believe that Max actually still likes Matilda – particularly as they’re practically family. The bathroom incident is brought up again, and Max is quick to state that he didn’t walk in on her deliberately, and he doesn’t like Matilda kust because she’s pretty. Henry points out that she treats him like dirt, and Max is quick to excuse his newest love of his life – Matilda is only doing that because she reckons she’s in love with Kim. Henry recommends that he tell Matilda how he feels

SCHOOL
Max is getting cold feet, but Henry pushes him into going to talk to Matilda. He nervously tells her how pretty she looks, and suggests that they go into Yabbie Creek on Saturday – maybe to see a movie together. As Max’s ex sniggers away in the background, Matilda tells him that he’s cute… before announcing that it’s also sad, and she’d rather die than go out with him. Max is left to be reassured by Henry – at least he gave it a go.

CARAVAN PARK
Henry catches Matilda writing love letters/poems to herself and is highly amused, and decides to use it as leverage to get her to do his chores. When she refuses his terms, he snatches a print-out and runs off, swiftly pursued by Matilda. As she chases him around the house screaming at him, Beth enters, yelling at them to shut up before welcoming Scott to World War Three. He needs to talk to her, and his tone tells her that it is serious. He breaks it to her that Jack was cheating on her, and Beth is understandably shocked… not at the news, but at the fact that he knew as well. She is so sorry that he had to keep the secret for years, but he is angered by the fact that she didn’t sem to mind that her husband was having an affair. He wonders if she knew who it was, but she just wants it all left in the past – she doesn’t want the others finding out. Scott informs her that ‘she’ is in the Bay, and he doesn’t know what she wants with them. Robbie enters, having overheard a short bit of the conversation, and demands to know what is happening.

Robbie is angry and upset that ‘she’ dared to come to their house, and also by the fact that he was lied to by both his Mum and his brother. Jack was always pressuring him, whilst all the time he was the liar and the cheat. Matilda and Henry wander in, and are quickly instructed to go outside whilst the adults continue their arguement. Robbie desperately wants to understand, because Jack was always on about honour and doing the right thing. He is furious that Beth continues to defend Jack, and refuses to listen to more lies. Scott tries to stop him walking out, and Robbie swiftly starts to lay into him – they’re supposed to be brothers, and Robbie hates him for keeping it from him after everything Jack did.