Foellfan

H&Alover, I noticed the t-shirt too, talk about rub it in Cash! The cuddling scene with Eden I thought was sweet, it's clear she's in real pain; loving someone and them betraying you and they're both men you're supposed to look up to is tough and then when you're left with the wreckage, it's breaks in seconds, repair is never simple. Both Levi and Jimmy should stay away really, they can choose to feel guilty or not but they don't have a right to her forgiveness. I know everyone's going to hate me for this but...Flick has found her people at last! Grungy, selfish bottom feeders, she always struck me that she'd be the 'grungy gang girl' type, hanging off the guy tipping vodka by the bottle and banshee hollering. I'm glad Cash is sticking to his guns, true he won't win the war but the RBs won't either. The scene with Irene is the car was so well done but so uncomfortable, sh has the mannerisms down perfectly, this will be a masterclass from LynneI think but a tragedy for Irene/the viewers because, as we all know, it never ends with one drink sadly.

Wow, Eden's got a heck of a hook, Cash better watch out! What struck me though was her crying, that's not pure anger that's hurt and disbelief too; she wanted to move on with her life, though circumstances forced her to do in a way that maybe she hadn't planned and that meant leaving them both in the past but now they're back squatting and playing victim, so I can appreciate her reaction. Cash leaving the uniform, they do often have more than one uniform shirt but I wonder if going plain clothes might have been the idea so that he could not necarrily arouse local, both RB and non, suspicion, while putting out feelers as it were.

Thanks, I wasn't entirely sure, thought better to be safe than sorry. Haven't seen today's yet but following my catch-up I just had to mention the scene of Irene ringing the hotline I thought was very well done but also I think would subtly help give people the 'go-ahead' if you like if you're anxious about it yourself, there's nothing wrong in asking for help. Also on the semi-lighter side, Cash's colleague slays me, her dry yet honst sarcasm and what they face and how tied their hands are but in all seriousness the danger everyone faces, not an easy note to hit. I think she we did see her during The Brax Days but, correct me if I'm wrong, I vaguely remember her when Colby and Robbo were around, I know the latter wasn't an RB but same-ish era.

BIG catch up! Sadly we know Dana going to fold re: Xander which is a shame; I think Irene she forgave because sadly kind people are easy targets, Harper because, in spite of it all, she'd still show up when the chips were down as sisters do. Xander is a different matter because, he did basically at one point say she was the one with the problem because she has trust issues, in other words actively blaming her and then condeming her to others (Salt scene, not sure if it was Bronte or Flick but he basically said ignore her she has problems) so if she forgave him any time they have a disagreement he can play the 'Issues' card which isn't nice. Re: Harper/pregnancy/Dana, yes contracptives can most definitely fail or either side, the only foolproof one is not doing it, but Dana's immediate reaction did make me giggle. Harper shouldn't tell Tane if she doesn't want to keep it, best he's out of that but if she does, yes I know she wouldn't have to tell him but, call me crazy, think he'd be smart enough to figure out that that's not a basketball she's hiding up her jumper! Tane and Perri, I've enjoyed the culture scenes, also I can understand Tane's immediate want to keep him safe, a natural reaction to sleeping rough and abuse I think.Yes, Perri's 17 but just because he's classified as an adult doesn't necesarrily mean he has the wherewithall of one, he's still a scared kid really. I don't think he has love or loyalty for his father in the true sense, it's a mixture of fear and the conditioning of subconcious self-loathing, classic abuser's trick. We know Mum isn't around, has it been established yet which kind of 'not around'? His lack of cultral knowledge strikes me that either she was isolated when she married him or, if she is no longer alive, he's barred the whanau. (People do this, it's shocking, just because they want their own way and don't give a care about the child's wants or needs.) Hopefully Tane can help Perri stay safe and also discover his heritage as is his birthright.

You've met Felicity right? Aforethought has never been her strong point, merely instant gratification, hehe! I don't think either Cash or Eden meant quite what she's doing in the first instant anyways! Good ol' Alf to the rescue, he can usually smell a rat at 50 paces and yes, Slade, agreed re: John where money's concerned; sadly don't buy Xander suddenly being worried, guilty maybe but that's cause his tongue sore from licking Bronte's boots. Though Dana's not my fave, I too would've suspicious of Bronte right from the start but that's just me. As I said before, this whole storyline gives me Belle Gibson vibes (I know most Aussies would know that news story) but you want to talk scam queen extrodinaire I think the writers might have based Bronte at least partly on her, especially the constant collapsing/'I feel faint', I believe Gibson used to fake seizures though.

Re: Cash and Mangrove River too true!

His name is Rory, he's a River Boy who came to help Mali last week.

H&Alover, I get what you mean about Mali, I guess what I kind of meant was rather that he was ready to chuck it all in for Iluka and still felt need of the safety net, maybe an element of self doubt on his part and Tane's point about being the youngest but he ultimately stepped up because his brothers were not ever going to be there again, that changes someone's outlook and I guess he was kind of pointing out to Mali to see that lesson in a nicer enviroment as in Iluka still being there at the end of the phone if you catch what I mean. I chuckled at the wolf whistle comment, some women do abhor it however some women do still like it, me I don't mind if that's all they do, but I think Flick was actually pretending to dislike it to play the feminist part, as we saw later he had kind of rattled her in a nice way as in she might well fancy him and she hasn't had any action lately.

Harper isn't blameless and he did not force her, sorry to burst your bubble there but she is being unprofessional; she could've given him another SW to work with. John was wrong to influence everyone really, it's a commitee decsion; I did like Tane's chat with Mali because Mali does need to stand on his own two feet and fly from the family and it's no bad thing, it doesn't mean you're gone forever. Unfortunately, Tane learned that through loss and grief but thankfully Mali doesn't have to. Tane made a good point that he got into trouble but had support to turn things around, young people don't always have that and, I think they'll more likely to relate to someone like him who's been there than a pious person with only academic experience there. Equally John is being hypocritical right now, he was an angery viscious louse when he arrived, it's only in recently years he's become a cuddle comedian with a moral compass.

I have to give full thumbs up to the stunt coordinators for the fight scenes, brilliantly done and did keep the adrenaline pumping; did enjoy the comments from RB boys about 'watching the show'. I think with Mali he isn't naturally like that but because everyone's tried to shield him, now he's realised what true threat is and sometimes that threat to a loved one can make you do things you'd never thought you were capable of. The end of it with Rose I found actually kind of sad, her disbelief even though she knew what she was walking into. I'm glad Elandra was on her side. Bronte may look like Jennifer Grey but this Baby definitely needs putting in the corner; I know Dana is still being wayyy too unsubtle about it but we all know she's onto something and Xander is being a naive, patronising oik. I expected both him and Flick to be suckered in but the latter usually offers resistance and also, in his former job Xander would've often dealt with people who were economical with the truth, admittedly not for money but usually paramedics, a bit like police, can develop a 'nose' for that sort of thing.

Elandra, I think she's scarier than any gangster, loved her trying to pull the boys into line, off topic but loved her earrings too.

I think had Valerie stated longer, her financial desperation as is an addict's nature on occasion could've been noted as an S/L but I think it's a fine line between education and condoneing addiction as a good lifestyle, wich of course, is not the case, for anyone at all. Off topic I know but with the way they've kind of blown Eden's hair out in the big waves (love the style) and the t-shirt/dress style thing it reminds me of Julia Roberts when she was in Steel Magnolias.

Valerie was a selfish hard-bitten liar though, as Bronte seems to be shaping up to be, that was my point rather, both women excel in deceit and managed to con. Oh Harper, instead of acting like an adult you screech and stamp like a teenager, I'm glad she did speak to Tane maturely at the end though; I think he is partly caught on a sticky wicket as she had said no feelings, only friends; yes, they did sleep together but, given when/how it happened it had the air of a bit like her predessessor it's more like a tonic for frustration or something to pass the time. In a sense I can understand him being a tad taken aback by the sudden 'romance novel teenager' about face. It's a shame she couldn't put him in touch with another SW for the project as having someone with the knowledge of the red tape/emotional pitfalls would be handy in project refinement.

Irene really has got 'Mug' written on her forehead sadly and she has been incredibly selfish but Leah was the same with tinpot Valerie, she and Bronte are both wasters, but at least Leah didn't endanger their entire livelihoods. I'm glad Mali did call Mac out though, if the shoe had been on the other foot and it'd been Rose or Iluka in their at Dean's hand, Mac would've been the first to wheedle around Mali all hair twirling and lip trembling begging for a lie. Hypocrisy shows up at the worst moments.

I think it's fairly new in the context of finance but in hairdressing, especially blue ones seem to have been around forever, hehe!

Ah, the Bay classic! H&Alover, sadly for me he's always been a bit wooden and bland, I guess he's supposed to be that dramatic contrast to Rose who's a doer. I must admit when he first arrived he did give me closeted LGB vibes though I know that isn't H&A's bag per se but I wondered if that was going to be his 'mark', a bit like Marilyn is necasarily a dynamic character either and borders on irritating but is oftn saved by the 'lovable ditz' bit if you get my drift. Did the love the drama of the Allens, great to see a female boss too but agree very much that it would've had more impact if the wounded parties, both literally and figuratively, hadn't been Mac and Levi. I did feel sad for Mali in the sense of watching your loved one being dragged away knowing full well it's very likely the next you might see them is when no longer living, not easy. I know it's not good he's kept Rose in the dark on a relationship/moral level but maybe, in a roundabout way, he's done the right thing for her job-wise as it would soon be proved she wasn't in on it.

H&Alover, I just find Xander a bit pointless to be honest he gives nothing and his continuing patronising of Dana today is even more annoying. Kind of hoping Dana's just telling him what he wants to hear and she'll turn detective again soon. Did like her boyfriend exchange with Harper, typical sister comedy, hehe! Glad Tane's back, I know Harper's changed her mind but him stepping back is a good thing, another relationship is a bit early and also maybe assessing feelings in cold mundanity of everyday is a better way to begin, to make the same mistake twice would be silly as he did with Flick i.e. thinking with rocket rather than brain. Also his plan for the gym, if memory serves me though I may be wrong, I think Ari had similiar thoughts when they first started, giving second chances as he had had, it was nice to hear him mentioned actually.