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Weekly Reviews > Episodes 4133-4137 by Rhys
UK Broadcast: January 20th - January 24th 2003
Writers: Megan Herbert, John Hanlon, Margaret Wilson, Noel Maloney, Michael O'Rourke. Directors: Tony Osicka, Gary Conway

Despite British episodes being out of sequence with the weekdays they were broadcast in Australia, this week's worth of televised episodes appeared to mark a subtle change for the better in terms of episode structure and use of characters and their plot devices...

The most prominent story to run through the week, coincidentally launched on the Monday. Felicity and Stuart set off on their "road trip" into the Victorian countryside. Flick has supposedly only just passed her driving test - despite the fact that six months previously she was driving around Sydney with Marc Lambert. As a result of Flick attempting to rouse a sleeping Stuart, she loses control of their camper van, which proceeds to career towards a cliff edge. The van comes to stop, balancing precariously over the edge of the drop. Flick manages to escape via the rear of the van, but in doing so causes it to lose its hold and tumble down the cliff face, with Stuart inside. Despite the van being ripped to shreds in a truly awesome stunt, Stuart survives with a dislocated shoulder and minor injuries. The couple manages to find shelter in an empty woodland lodge the following day, but Stuart is suffering the effects of hypothermia having being soaked to the skin by torrential downpours the night before. Felicity's mobile phone is out of range, meaning no one back home realizes that Stuart is close to death. Miraculously, a ranger arrives in time to discover them and Stuart is rushed to hospital to recover, by Friday's episode.

Jack Scully arrives this week, now portrayed by New Zealand actor Jay Bunyan, just in time to say farewell to his sister, Michelle, who is embarking on a year long educational visit to New York. Jack's return surprises everyone. The Scully home remains full of family, however, when it emerges that an insurance error means Michelle can no longer make the journey to the States. Michelle continues to be depressed about the situation until Nina and Connor organise a rather embarrassing "New York style breakfast" at the Coffee Shop to compensate for her disappointment. Despite her sister not making the trip, Felicity is urged by Stuart to continue with her plan to take up a position at a New York branch of Lassiter's Hotels for a year - promising he will be waiting for her upon her return to Australia. Quite how Felicity's indefinite departure will be written into the show remains a mystery, as it's well known that Holly Valance has no intention of reprising the role.

Lou is continuing to suffer a persistent cough, and declining offers of help from both resident doctors and his friends. However, when he discovers what he presumes to be mosquito bites on his legs, he visits Karl for some advice. The doctor is horrified, admitting Lou to hospital immediately. It transpires that the sores are a secondary symptom of kidney damage. Karl warns his friend that he may need lifelong dialysis treatment if his kidneys are irreparable. A nice touch of continuity is a telephone conversation between Lou and Lauren. We learn, through Lou, that his daughter wants to come and visit earlier than her planned visit during the Christmas holidays, but Lou assures her they're no need. Rosie continues to worry about Lou, especially as she ended their relationship only days before he was hospitalized. Lou, however, is adamant that he won't entertain her - much to the Reverend's distress. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Maggie Millar's role as Rosie is becoming less and less prominent in the show. She is now purely employed as a secondary character in the few scenes she appears in. It would appear that the decision to axe the character had been made prior to the scripting of these episodes, and that the decision to allow her less airtime was being enforced.

Susan and Karl's relationship has taken on a more mature stance. Despite her previous, quite obvious reservations, it would appear that Susan is now more than happy to share a bedroom with Karl, and much of this week's episodes have been dominated by Susan's newly rediscovered sexual appetite. It is quite surprising that some of the scenes, despite their comic inclination, made it to air on the BBC - examples including friskiness over the breakfast table and lunchtime rendezvous in the bedroom. Although the sexual relationship between the couple is verging on the farcical, it is a welcome nod to the Karl and Susan relationship of old - and despite the odd reference to her amnesia, it would appear that Susan is now being written as a middle-aged woman, again.

Largely, I suspect, due to Madeleine West's continuing recovery after her accident, Dione got a comparatively short amount of screen time this week, despite being the center of an important story. Little reference is made all week to the attempted sexual assault on her by Mr Martin Cook, until Friday, when Toadie witnesses Cookie attempting to calm Dione by holding her firmly in her place. Toadie misreads this as a sign that Dione is being unfaithful to him - a theory backed up by her general distance and quietness of late. Little does he know that his supposed friend, the good surgeon, is actually making Dee's time at the hospital a living hell. That evening, Toadie, sparked by fury of what he witnessed earlier, declares to Dione that their relationship is over.

Other storylines which received less devotion, this week, included the relationship between Chloe and Darcy, which continues to impress thanks to a faultless performance by Stephanie Daniel. Max discovers Boyd has a girlfriend, however, the relationship doesn't last long when Heather dumps the eldest Hoyland sibling, having discovered Boyd hinted to his friends that they had been kissing. Max fears for Summer, also, when he learns she has asked Stephanie to act as her mother for a fashion parade at the primary school. Not only is he wary of anyone taking the place of Anna-Claire here but he is also battling with his own feelings for Ms Scully.

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