UK Air Date: 17th February 2010
Writer: Chelsea Cassio
Director: Scott Hartford Davis
Mink shocks Xavier by revealing a family secret. Angelo is left reeling when Charlie suggests that maybe they shouldn’t move in together. Leah is forced to admit that she has a real problem.
Extended Summary
Charlie and Angelo have agreed to move in together, but Charlie is showing a lot less enthusiasm than her partner. Angelo is keen to move into Leah’s place, but despite Leah being happy with that plan, Charlie lies to Angelo and says that Leah isn’t keen on the idea. Angelo buys the paper so they can check the rental properties out, but Charlie finds an objection to every flat that Angelo finds. Later, when Angelo tries to gauge just how excited Charlie is about moving in with him, she staggers him by saying that maybe it’s too big a step for them to be taking right now.
Leah, Geoff and Ruby are all still struggling to get back to normal after the race riot. Leah’s solution is to remain house-bound living off takeaways, while Ruby, feeling very guilty that she instigated the whole thing, wants to talk about it. Geoff would prefer to forget it and put it behind him. Those around Leah begin to see that she has a problem and Miles and Alf offer her their help and try to get her out of the house, but Leah pushes them away. Even a visit from Geoff and Ruby comes to nothing and doesn’t improve Geoff’s depression either – his anger having been inflamed by seeing one of the rioters in the Surf Club. Geoff is finding Ruby’s constant worrying about causing the riot irritating and he eventually explodes and tells her that yes, she does has to wear some of the blame for the protest becoming violent, and Ruby’s left crushed.
Leah takes another call from Hazem’s mother Nira, and it’s clear that she hasn’t been visiting him at all and she really has no intention of doing so. Geoff and Ruby tell Irene about Leah and she agrees that she she doesn’t sound right, immediately heading off to see her. Irene’s visit convinces her that Leah has a real problem -it seems she’s too scared to even leave the house. When Irene leaves, Leah has a panic attack and curls up on the floor in despair.
What Gina’s seen of Mink she doesn’t like and she doesn’t want Xavier hanging around with her, but she can’t put a blanket ban on them. Mink is aware what Gina thinks and gets an inkling of why she feels that way. After Mink gives Xavier a hard time he probes Romeo for reasons why she’s as aggressive as she is, and Romeo reveals that Mink’s only recently out of juvenile detention, but he won’t say what she was in for. When Mink sees Gina in the Surf Club, she confronts her, demanding to know if Gina has a problem with her, but Gina doesn’t buy into the discussion. Later, Mink pays Gina a surprise visit at home. She tells Gina she thinks the reason Gina doesn’t like her is because she sees herself in her. She believes Gina was the “bad girl” 30 years ago and that’s why she reacts to Mink the way she does. Gina’s very confronted by Mink’s visit, but reveals little. Xavier’s furious with Mink when he finds out she’s paid his Mum a visit. They argue about their respective families problems, but Mink’s unrepentant. She then shocks Xavier to his core by revealing that her mother abandoned herself and Romeo – the reason being that Mink killed her abusive and violent step-father, and that’s why Mink was locked up.
Guest Cast
MINK CARPENTER (MATYLDA BUCZKO)
NIRA KASSIR (LENITA VANGELLIS)
Trivia
Mink Carpenter revealed that she killed her stepfather.