Steph found herself receiving some good news this week, but it still got her further into hot water. Michael, meanwhile, was trying his best to honour his father’s memory by continuing the family business – only to have Doreen break the news to him that Charlie had already sold his boat and there was no longer a business to continue. As the family gathered to hear Charlie’s will, read by Toadie since the solicitor was up in Townsville, there were shocks all round when Lyn ended up with more than Michael. However, it was the fact that Steph received 70% of Charlie’s estate which was almost too much for his son, who stormed out of the house. Steph struggled to put the trial out of her mind as time went on, despite reassurances from Max and Lyn that everything would turn out ok in the end. As Toadie began to prepare her for the case and she did her best to answer his questions, it became clear that the situation wasn’t looking too good. In an attempt to get some decent rest, Lyn took her over to number 26 and set her down on the couch. Whilst there, Steph had a dream in which Charlie appeared and told her that everything was happening for a reason and that he was happy. This “meeting” gave Steph the strength she needed to face her trial. What could have been quite a cheesy scene turned out to be quite moving, as Steph’s plight becomes more and more desperate. The twists and turns of this story are keeping things interesting as the action builds toward the trial, and Carla Bonner should certainly be commended for portraying Steph’s constant resilience so well.

Paul continued to use David as his puppet, as the pair of them began to plan David’s campaign strategy in the build-up to the local by-election. As if that wasn’t enough, Paul was also busy flirting with Izzy, who was desperate to win him over with her ideas for a new coffee shop. And he was sprung by Lou and Harold when he dug up a case of American dollars in the backyard of number 22. He was forced to explain to them that he’d buried it there before he fled to Brazil in 1993 and he quickly got out of a tight situation by offering to put the money back into the community. He decided on a community health clinic, but was turned down by Karl when he offered it to the surgery. Karl’s feelings toward Paul had been tarnished by stories from Phil Martin, and seeing him flirt with Izzy only made matters worse. Karl was amused as he saw David stumbling over his words as he gave interviews to the press about his bid for council, but Paul was determined that his man would get in. He arranged radio interviews and photo calls for David, telling him exactly what to say in the process. With fingers in so many Erinsborough pies, it’s not quite clear what Paul’s intentions are, as he flirts with Izzy and Lil and tries to win over as many locals as possible…

Boyd and Sky found themselves with a serious problem as they attempted to outwit the police and lie about Boyd’s whereabouts on the night Gus died. Their story seemed flawless, as they looked up an old tv guide and claimed that they’d been watching the movie, Chinatown, that night. Boyd even watched the film with Sky to make sure he could answer any questions. As the two of them were interviewed, however, it became clear that there was a huge hole in the alibi – the movie had been cancelled that night when the sport overran. Things were looking grim for Boyd when the police turned up at number 32, searching the house for evidence. Meanwhile, Stingray’s brief relationship with Shazza came to a conclusion, as he decided to sleep with her while her parents were away. Serena tried to warn him off, but he was determined to go through with it and was left disappointed when she didn’t seem to be very impressed. The next day, she announced that she’d only been using him to make her real boyfriend jealous and dumped him, leaving the way clear for Serena…

Stuart struggled to adapt to a life without sight and it was obvious this week that he simply wanted life to carry on as normal. When Sindi left him sitting outside Grease Monkeys while she ordered, he overheard local drug dealer Trev Daly on the phone and realised that the man had skipped bail and was wanted by the police. When Sindi returned, Daly had gone, but Stuart didn’t realise and he forced her to help him follow and arrest the man. When they finally caught up with him, Stu was humiliated when he realised that he’d actually got local barrister, William Smythe in an arm lock and it looked like Stu might lose his job. Fortunately, everyone was very understanding about the situation, but that didn’t make Stuart feel any better about his disability.

Despite Connor’s reservations about the idea – each of which his girlfriend had a quick answer for, Carmella moved into number 30 this week, on a two-week trial basis. Her stuffed toy collection proved to be a hurdle for Connor to overcome, but hopefully her presence will banish some of the dodgy House of Trouser memories. Meanwhile, Harold, Lou, Max and Izzy were pressing ahead with their plans for a new pub and coffee shop. However, when Carmella overheard Lou and Harold complaining about Max and Izzy’s modern ideas, she suggested that they all swap around and a couple of new business partnerships were formed.

Notes: This week saw the debut of the new number 32 kitchen set, which was renovated towards the end of last year, following the petrol bomb attack. Cliff Ellen made two brief return appearances as the deceased Charlie Cassidy – once in a voice-over to read his will, and again appearing as a ghost to say goodbye to Steph.