Toadie tells Lou that he knows somewhere he can get free paint, but it might mean that every wall will be painted a different colour. Ruby is grateful when Harold buys back her statuette, but insists that she’ll pay him back every penny. Lou and Steph find Valda, barely conscious, on a park bench...

Valda is in hospital and Lou brings her a copy of a book about a woman who finds out her aunt is really her mother. She accuses him of being unsubtle, but he thinks the book will inspire Valda to come clean to Lyn. Lou warns Valda that the truth always comes out. She asks about the pub and he tells her they’ve had a country and western theme and that the place hasn’t been the same without her. She jokes that he only came to see her to get his cook back.

..

Lyn is in the kitchen, looking closely at the photo Valda left behind. Joe comes in and says he’s got the nursery ready for Valda to sleep in. Lyn tells Joe that he’ll have to apologise to Valda sooner or later and he tells her that she should ask Valda about that photo.

Ruby arrives at The Coffee Shop and offers to give Harold a hand getting things ready before the end of his shift. He tells Ruby that there’s a seminar on at the town hall that afternoon about wise investments and it might be an idea if they went along to it together. She says she’ll be busy, but tells him he should go along. She then gives him some money, the first installment of the money she owes him for the figurine. He doesn’t want to take it, but she explains that paying the debt means a lot to her, as it means that she’s no longer a gambling addict.

..

At number 30, Dee and Toadie have just finished pulling down all the posters to start decorating and she says that it was very therapeutic. He says that it was difficult, as some of those posters belonged to Lance and there was a lot of history there. She reminds him of how difficult it was to get rid of the couch and tells him that sometimes, he needs to just let the past go. She starts making coffee, until he notices a paint spot on her head and starts laughing hysterically. She remembers when her parents last redecorated and all they did was argue. She tells him that she only kept secrets from him so that she could keep control, but now she realises how destructive it was. The phone then rings and it’s Tim, telling Toadie about the arrangements for meeting Darcy at the prison. Dee says that she wishes she could have helped him before it all got so out of control.

At the prison, Toadie arrives and tells Darcy that things are looking like they’re in his favour and the case should go well with some good character references from Susan and Karl. Darcy tells Toadie that he has to go and get Dee and bring her back, and that he’ll only speak to both of them together. He then gets up and walks away, leaving Toadie confused.

..

At the hospital, Valda is engrossed in her new book, but when Lyn and Joe walk in, she hides it. They’ve brought her some food and flowers, and Joe apologises for what he said to her before she left. He says that he aimed his stress at the wrong person. He goes off to get a vase and Lyn asks Valda why she left in the first place. Valda says she thought the family needed some time together and she just wanted to go and visit some friends. Lyn asks her about the photo and Valda says that it’s Lyn, as a baby.

Ruby is on the phone at The Coffee Shop, making an appointment for a job interview at Grease Monkeys and Harold is surprised. She says it seemed like a good opportunity and he asks if he’s done something wrong. He asks if it’s about the statuette and she says that she just wants to earn a job on her own credits. She asks if he has a problem with her working for the opposition and he says he doesn’t, before sending her home to get ready.

..

Valda is telling Lyn about her childhood and Lyn is surprised to learn about how small and fragile she was when she was first born. Valda explains that her mother was terrible worried about her and how she struggled to breastfeed the child. Lyn says that she feels so lucky to have been so loved by her parents. Valda hides her book under the blankets. Lyn wonders why Connie never told her any of this, and Valda thinks she probably just forgot.

Harold phones Grease Monkeys and tries to put in a good word with the boss for Ruby.

..

..

Dee and Toadie wait for Darcy to appear, wondering what it’s all about. He appears and thanks them for coming. She tries to apologise, but he stops her and tells her that this is his final opportunity to say what he has to say. He explains that he loves her and that it’s taken him a long time to realise how much he loves her and how much her hurt her over Tess and all the gambling business recently. He says that he broke up her relationship with Toadie. She asks how he found out about Darren and he says he found the certificate, then contacted Darren. She is shocked that he was only around because it was part of the plan. Toadie realises that Sindi was also part of the plan and Darcy admits that he paid her. Dee is horrifed and runs out of the room, while Darcy says “Goodbye Dee” and Toadie just stares at him, disgusted. He then picks up his coat and walks out.

Back at number 30, Dee is surprised by Toadie’s reaction. He admits that he hates himself for letting Darcy ruin things and says that other couples have been through far worse, citing the Kennedys as an example. He asks her if she knows why he’s called Toadfish, she says it’s a family thing. He explains that a toadfish is an ugly spotty little thing, but she tells him that she never saw him that way. He says that he gave up on her too easily and that he never deserved her in the first place. She tells him that from now on, he’ll only be Jarrod to her.

..

Lou arrives at the hospital and sees Joe and Lyn coming out of Valda’s room. He goes in and tells her that she’s just done a very courageous thing, but she says she didn’t do it. She explains to him that she’s been fantasising about the reunion that she and Lyn will have, and that everyone will accept her. She explains that she’s only doing it to make herself feel better and isn’t even considering how the Scullys will feel to suddenly learn the truth, it would mean that Lyn’s whole childhood had been a lie.

At The Coffee Shop, Lou is telling Harold about Valda’s condition, when Ruby bursts in. She asks why he phoned and gave a reference and he assumes that she didn’t get the job. He’s thrilled and suggests going out for dinner, but she tells him that she’ll never know if she got the job on her own merits. He explains that he was just trying to help and she explains that she needs to make her own way, without him.

..

..

Darcy is sitting in his cell, when the hatch in the door opens. He looks up, and then the door is slammed shut and locked.

Comment: This episode proved a very effective departure for Darcy, as his revelations to Toadie and Dee meant that he managed to stir things up, even from prison. The final scene was very unusual, with Darcy looking straight at the camera, but certainly gave the character a deserving ending.

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