2024 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

Tane continues to be a bit over-involved in this and the other characters don't quite seem to know how to react.It's all right saying family's everything to him, but the newly christened Maia isn't his family.And he seems to be jumping to unnecessary conclusions about the people who are, despite Harper and Rose trying to keep him grounded.Mackenzie and Mali made an attempt at airing their concerns but it fell on deaf ears, so it's probably smart for them to back off for now.Tane volunteering his services as a foster carer wasn't the worst idea in the world, although I'm not sure he fully grasped the part where he had to be ready to give her up if her family turned up.

I know Valerie hasn't exactly behaved responsibly, but it does seem as though, for the most part, she's just been using the pills to get her through rough patches.Theo seems to have quickly reached the point where he needs them to do normal everyday things and, while she's not entirely selflessly motivated given her worry of people noticing, Valerie's right to cut him off.

[Foellfan]

20 hours ago, pembie said:

I myself think Tane is having a breakdown over this baby he comes across a tad creepy too me if it is a breakdown then it’s quite good story for him 

 

My thoughts exactly, re: breakdown, mind you it would hardly be surprising given his tenure in the Bay so far. I enjoyed the scenes for purely selfish reasons, though, hehehe!

Valerie shows her usual cowardice but then that is the nature of someone drug-reliant through choice, Theo is being epically stupid too. 

[H&Alover]

Tane is obsessed with Maia, well at least she has a name now, and while I don't want to stereo type Maoris/Aborigines or any other culture who are family orientated it would fit Tane's upbringing, so just can't get his head around the fact a mum OK or dad would do that.  Mali though would get  it. The hospital don't seem that bothered about a non relative of Maia being there 24/7, holding her/feeding her.  Dana and Harper who we've actually seen working in her SW role, carrying the obligatory clipboard with papers,  are there too and Tane has become  a familiar face to Maia and she's comfortable with him. 

I'm guessing it's not going to be  a five minute turn round Tane applying to become an emergency foster parent, especially for one so young.  I couldn't find any record of him having been arrested, though we know he's been up to naughties, no speeding fines, not that would prevent it so nothing legal stopping him.  He has his own business, which he is neglecting at present, can't see him having problems getting character references.  The big problem would be a permanent residency, I take it Harper meant a home of his own rather than an Australian residency, as he doesn't, a home of his own that is. 

That part of the beach didn't look as if it would have been that busy and even though John said he hadn't seen anything on his last patrol he would have been on his buggy which would have drowned out her cries.  I'm wondering why whoever it was didn't leave her outside the  hospital/doctor's surgery - no scrap that we don't have a doctor's surgery in the bay - somewhere more public where there may be CCTV.  OK I'm going to be very melodramatic here but maybe Mum or Dad is dying has no-one else to turn to so that is why they have left her on the beach so wouldn't get picked up on CCTV.   The police do have her clothes so may be able to track down where they were bought, they looked pretty new or the bag she was left in, plus DNA. 

Lovely gestures from the locals donating baby clothes and toys for Maia, that is the kind of neighbourhood Alf was thinking of when he was bigging up  the  Surf Club. 

Mac filled Mali in as to why Tane and Felicity broke up  him wanting family, her not and taking the pill behind Tane's back.  Then at the end we saw Felicity walk in and see him with Maia, has she really not been aware of the situation before now? 

Theo was bloody lucky swinging that interview, especially as it seemed he didn't remember any of it, even Kirby praised him.  This one though will be live and he'll be answering questions.   Kirby is right he could ruin Lyrik's rep, Remi won't be happy  neither will Eden.  I imagine that is how a lot of addicts who don't have their own supply behave, begging their 'dealer' for just one more.   Valerie is risking a lot, OK I know she got Theo started on them, but not every gets addicted, just the one suits them, but unfortunately for her, Theo wasn't one of them  and he has got addicted very quickly.   She stands to lose her 'home' and Leah and Justin's respect.  Theo, even excusing his desperation for his next fix, was so cruel bringing up Josh. 

[Red Ranger 1]

We do get at least some insight into Tane's thought processes here: He sees it as traditional to take in and care for a baby that needs someone like that and can't really grasp the way other people see it, even with Roo trying to get him to put himself in the mother's shoes. (I assume Rose did manage to log the donations for Maia before Roo turned up at the hospital with them in the very next scene!) Felicity seems to be about the only one who can see his point of view, but then she hasn't seen as much as the others.She didn't look entirely committed while looking up foster care at the end: I think it might be the guilt talking there, given she's denied Tane one opportunity to be a parent and can now do it in another way.But really, I can't see that ending any different.

Theo was absolutely pathetic here, using every trick in the book to get his next fix and, frustratingly, succeeding.I don't know what Valerie was playing at: Even from a solely self-preservation viewpoint, Leah and Justin aren't going to see any difference between her giving Theo drugs herself and helping him get them from someone else.

Edited April 23 by Red Ranger 1

[Psychic Wombat]

Looks like I was completely wrong in putting faith in Theo being the sensible one in the house . Anyway, I can't help wondering where Valerie gets her money from to buy drugs (or even food), she's been in the clinic for a while and I don't recall her talking about work. These things always seem to be glossed over by H&A.

[H&Alover]

What Tane isn't grasping is that not all communities are as caring as Maori's are who do look after a mother who is in difficulties and take the baby in.  Roo, wisely, kept the fact she had her daughter adopted quiet, wonder what he would have made of that?  No luck in Rose or the rest of the cops tracking down where Maia's clothes were bought.  They must have taken Maia's DNA so maybe be able to track her that way.  I guessing she has grandparents somewhere.   Or maybe someone, somewhere will remember a young or not so young woman living near them with  a baby and who then disappeared.  I'm guessing TPTB didn't want to pay out for an actor to play Sarge for just one appearance hence him not being able to make the appeal which fell to Rose. 

It was the fact Tane isn't an Aus so not a permanent resident that is preventing him fostering Maia so I got that wrong, though he still doesn't have a home of his own.  

From what I could gather Flick must have been out of town and just come back as she was surprised to see the gym closed and all those donations for Maia and not knowing anything at all about her. Then she got filled in about Tane finding the baby so went to see him at the hospital.  Her face when she saw him really took her aback.  Once she found out he couldn't foster her, she did look into her being able to but is she doing for the right reason?  Would she be suitable anyway given her medical history?  Talking of the gym what he is going to do for money, he's going to lose clients and staff. 

Theo has been a right plonker, but at least Valerie has put Kirby's mind at ease that she won't be giving Theo any more drugs.  We know Rose wasn't talking to people about any drug dealing but it was about the baby but Valerie wouldn't, thinking maybe Kirby had blabbed. Kirby did offer to help Theo by asking him questions he may get asked in the interview but he shut her down.  We'll just have to wait and see how it went down.   Not all band members can get their heads round being interviewed, no fault of their own, it's just not their thing. 

Justin, as we saw, had another errand - delivering Remi's repaired bike back to him.  Which doesn't look like it went down well at all with Bree.  

Psychic - Theo paid for the drugs as Valerie said she couldn't afford it.  It does raise the question which I asked where is she getting the money from for the coffee she was buying and is she giving Leah & Justin anything to pay for her keep?   

 

[Slade]

I'm assuming Valerie believes she has full control of her drug habit and when she first gave the pills to Theo wasn't expecting him to become addicted.  However, her main concern isn't so much what happens to Theo.  It's that if Leah and Justin find out it could affect her living arrangements.  I agree that her not giving him the drugs but giving the phone number of the dealer didn't make much sense, given Leah and Justin would find out she was responsible anyway.  But her actions have shown she was more worried about them finding out than helping Theo, which was why she wanted to speak to Kirby as she thought Kirby had told Rose.  Also, she said "I've finally got a good thing going here".  So, basically Valerie wants to leach off of Justin and Leah.  I'm assuming this because I don't recall hearing anything about her working so am unclear what her source of income is.

Was disappointed with Felicity.  I thought she accepted that the relationship with Tane was over and I would have expected the next part to have been for someone to initiate divorce proceedings.  Mali seemed surprised that she went to see him at the hospital but I do get that she still cares for him, so I suppose you can argue it was reasonable for her to check in.  However, actually going to the trouble of looking at how to foster a child and even considering it means, she's possibly still in love with him (fine she can't help how she feels) but she obviously is trying to appease him and presumably will argue as he has a child (at least temporarily) the main reason for the marriage breakdown has been addressed.

 

[Red Ranger 1]

So yep, Kirby's gesture, while very much welcomed by Remi, went down like a lead balloon with Bree.I guess at least it's forced Bree to be honest about how she feels but ultimatums can backfire.I guess my feeling is that Bree probably has a point, but no more than she had before the accident.Motorcyclists are vulnerable but the chances of Remi having another accident are fairly remote.(Okay, I guess living in Summer Bay makes it more likely but still.)

I'm assuming good intentions from Felicity here. Despite Cash seeming to assume that, I don't think she saw this as a way to win back Tane, i think it was genuinely motivated by wanting to do something for him, possibly with a bit of guilt in there.I forgot that she and Cash had been fostered, which adds another dimension to it.I think in Felicity's mind she'd foster the baby for a bit, with Tane helping out, then once Tane was approved she'd hand Maia over to him.Cash eventually found the right argument, helping her see this is a bigger commitment than she's willing to make.

It really is Irene's month for putting her foot in it: First dropping Dana in it with Harper, and now dropping Leah and Justin in it with John. John was typically indiscreet but did manage to provide Justin with a decent ear afterwards.

[CaptainHulk]

Guess Reenie likes the taste of Shoe leather as much as Palmer!

[H&Alover]

There have been  a lot of bad comments on a  FB page about Bree's attitude to Remi and the bike, her doctor's side really coming into the way she feels about it but if it was their husband/wife/partner/brother/sister/son/daughter how would they feel about them getting on a bike again especially after how Remi meet his accident.  He was safely driving along when he was smashed into by  a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road.  Bree, as a doctor, would be one of the first after the police and paramedics to see the aftermath of a motorcycle accident whoever's fault it was.  But then and playing Devil's Advocate here what about people getting trapped in their cars and it catching alight and they get burned alive. Yes, thankfully, that doesn't happen very often but just once is enough.   Sometimes bikers are luckier as they get thrown off and only get minor injuries.   Actually I think more damage was done to him with Wes and Mickey keep lugging him and out of their van. He's fine with sitting on it in the driveway but how would he feel being on the open road?    Do we know Remi's specific injuries?  

Cash was the grown up and sensible one here with Felicity looking at emergency fostering.  Like you Red, I feel there was guilt behind it, she's not  a mum type, not every woman is, and  just wants to make up for what she put Tane through.  She was meaning to do it a good way but hadn't thought it through.  The Flick we saw when she snapped at Cash was the Flick of old, but she did listen to him and called Gary who had experience of fostering.. He, in a way, was lucky as he knew Cash and Felicity and they knew him and his wife so it was an easier transition.   Cash asked a  very good question  about if she was successful what would happen the next time she was asked to foster a baby -  what would she say  - her silence said it all before she said no.  She can still be there for Tane.   

Cash it seems is working days but still not finding exciting enough - not every day as a cop was a thrill a minute though was it?  It does look like that could be changing very soon as he meets this character Stevie!

Only a brief mention from Justin but it seemed Theo's second interview did go well.  

Many people take antidepressants but only when they feel they really need them so I  guess and it is just a guess that is how Valerie views the pills she's taking. Everybody reacts differently to certain drugs while they gave Theo confidence it's a false confidence.   

Funny Irene and John joining up to put their respective feet in that very big boot.  Obviously it was a select group of people who knew either before or after the event that Leah had been in  a clinic so of course it was a shock to John to find out she'd gone back.   He was very typically the John we know and love by asking the questions he did but he did  have the grace to apologise to Justin after and say he'd be there for him.