UK Air Date: 18th January 2016
Cat No: HAAW08-079
Evelyn & Tank runaway together – but has she made a huge mistake? Roo struggles to live with her decision to be with James.
Extended Summary
Zac tells Oscar that things are improving with Evelyn – but when Maddy arrives and goes to Evelyn’s room, she finds it empty.
Meanwhile, Evie and Tank are in the bush, with Evie wondering if she’s made the right decision by running away. But Tank reassures her that her family made her do this. She gets a text from Maddy, but Tank tells her not to answer it, and she put her phone away.
The next morning, when Alf goes to Evelyn’s room to find it still empty, Alf, Leah, Zac and the teens try and get in touch with anyone who may know where she is, but have no luck. Maddy checks the diner, then finds Oscar on the beach, about to give up searching for her. Maddy reminds him that he never stopped caring for her, and it helped her through her issues, so he can’t stop trying for Evelyn when she needs him the most. He gets out his phone and texts her, reaching out a final time.
Meanwhile in the bush, the pair have arrived at a secluded, run-down bush shack, and Evie isn’t impressed, but she hides her feelings and pretends she like it. As she’s unpacking, she receives Oscar’s caring text, making her more confused and tempted to return, but Tank tries to convince her that her family are trying to control her. Later, she reveals that she’s planning to go home after a few days to finish school and live with her family – causing Tank to freak out. He tells her he thought this was the start of their new life, and that she’ll have to put Summer Bay behind her if she wants to return home. She tells him she’s going back, and he explodes and storms out, angry at how ungrateful she is.
He later apologises to a shaken Evelyn, telling her she’s been let down by so many people and didn’t want the same to happen again, but she tells him he can’t snap at her like that, and he promises he won’t. The two seem to be back on track. But later, as Evie is searching for a pen, she discovers a balaclava and flick knife, and realises this is how Tank got the money for them to run away!
Back in Summer Bay, Zac tells the teens that the police will get involved if Evelyn is still missing tomorrow, and puts on a brave face, but when the kids go to bed, he shares his fears with Leah. At the shack, Evie can’t get any phone signal to call for help, as Tank arrives back. As he has a shower, she grabs the car keys and slips out, but as she’s getting the car started, he comes out and stops her! He admits he robbed the shop, but that he did it for them… then forces her inside, grabs her phone and throws it away. As Evelyn pleads that she wants to go home, he deadlocks the door…
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Maddie opens up to Alf that she can’t believe Roo doesn’t realise she deserves better than James. The couple arrive back in the Bay, and Roo’s anxiety builds when she realises Maddy has moved out.
When Maddy and Roo run into each other at the diner, Roo tries to reconnect with her, but she’s preoccupied by the search for Evie, leaving Roo feeling even more disconnected from her. Roo’s continuing to doubt her choice, and when James tells her he’s looking forward to her meeting his kids, she retorts that she thinks she should meet his parents first – causing him to make an excuse to leave.
Roo’s later confronted by Megan, who tells her how hard it’s all been on her family. Roo tells her James said they’d only ever stayed together for the kids, and Megan admits she’d been putting her career first, and isn’t going to any more. Roo argues it has nothing to do with her, but Megan tells her if she stays with James, she’s going to tear their family apart. She gives Roo some family photos, to try and make her reconsider. It’s working – Roo feels more guilty than ever before.
Roo and Alf meet at the diner, and Alf apologises for letting her down – he didn’t teach her that it’s wrong to let your partner treat you badly. He tells her he knows she deserves better, but that it’s her choice – making her feel worse than ever!