Channel Ten: 27/06/03, BBC One: 19/08/03
Karl arranges for Lori to visit the surgery for some tests and asks if she might be pregnant, she tells him that she’s on the pill. Boyd steals money from Max’s wallet.
In the kitchen at Number 32, Boyd is on the phone to Daniel, raving about his new sneakers as Summer listens in. He tells Dan that he sold a few video games to pay for them. As Boyd hangs up, Summer asks why he told Daniel that they were the real thing, before noticing that the sneakers are different to those that Max bought him, but Boyd denies it.
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Over at Number 26, Lyn answers the door to a rather awkward Karl, who quickly explains that he has brought over an old video projector at Joe’s request. He tells them that he saw Valda at the hospital and that she’s looking better, but wasn’t best pleased about having to stay another day before going on the say that she’ll need some TLC when she comes home. Joe explains that he’s turned the nursery into a temporary bedroom, which Karl comments is a nice touch, both ends of the span – from a baby to a Great-Auntie and asks what they’re planning to watch. Joe tells him that they’ve got some old home movies as Steph explains that her Gump has sent down some old items movies as an early birthday present for Lyn. Noticing Lyn’s uncomfortable body language, Karl says that he best leave them to it and asks if they need a hand to set up the projector, but Joe says they’ll be alright before seeing him to the door. As Steph continues to root through the box, she discovers one dated Easter 1957, which she comments is before her mum was even born, to which Lyn & Joe laugh at the thought. Joe suggests that Steph invite Max & the kids over to have a barbecue whilst they watch the videos, which Lyn thinks is a lovely idea, as long as it’s not just an excuse to get Susan & Karl over.
Back at Number 32, Summer tells Boyd that she knows that he is lying, but he tells her to mind her own business. As they begin to exchange insults, Max walks in and asks what they’re fighting about, but Boyd tells him that they’re not. Max is glad, explaining that he spent half an hour going around the supermarket with his shopping list before getting to the checkout only to find that his wallet was missing $100, which Summer quickly realises, is down to Boyd. As Max continues to tell his story and put the shopping away, he’s surprised to see that Boyd is wearing his sneakers as he thought that he didn’t like them, but Boyd tells him that they’re great, which puts a smile back on Max’s face, leaving Summer glaring at her brother.
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At Number 28, Karl arrives to find Lori sorting through her Afro Harold t-shirts. She explains that they had a good day and almost sold out, so she’s taking more over to Harold tomorrow. Karl checks if Susan is around, to which Lori says no, before telling her that he wants to talk about her test results, they’re all clear. He tells her to be more careful in future, but she says she will as she couldn’t stand the stress, before going to give him his very own Afro Harold t-shirt. As she puts one down and picks up another, Karl asks what she’s doing, so she tells him that he’s more a large than a medium, to which he isn’t best pleased. He tells her that his football fitness regime has dropped off a bit, which is one of the perils of orange duty, but Lori says that he is riding his bike everywhere, so that should give him enough exercise – if he’s been doing it, that is. Karl explains that it’s been busy lately, so he’s had to take the odd cab or two, Lori questions if it is just the odd one, before Karl eventually admits that he’s taken quite a lot, although it’s quite punishing financially, before telling her that he is fit, but hasn’t got enough time to exercise. Lori asks who he’s trying to convince, so he invites her to go out for a bike ride. She’s a little reluctant and asks if it’s a race, but Karl says that it isn’t, reminding her that her physiotherapist told her to steadily increase her exercise. She looks for confirmation again that it’s not a race and as Karl tells her it’s just for fun, she agrees.
Still in the kitchen at Number 32, Summer is signing up Joe to sponsor her to do her fast and has managed to con him into paying $2 per hour. Max asks Joe what time the video night starts, before telling the kids about it. Boyd tells them that he’s planned to do homework with Daniel, but Max tells him that he’s coming, before telling Steph that he could do with some cheering up as he lost $100, blaming it on old age. Looking around, Joe notices Max’s sneakers and asks if they’re new. Max tells him that he got them off Lou at a quarter of the store price and that he bought a pair for Boyd as well and still came out on top. He asks Joe what size he takes, but they’re different, so suggests that Joe tries on Boyd’s, offering to get him a pair of Lou. Joe says that would be great, but Boyd isn’t happy about letting Joe try on his sneakers. Just then, Max notices that Boyd’s shoes are different to his and thinks that Lou has ripped him off, Boyd tells him that they aren’t, but Max asks to see them. As he does, Summer tells her dad that she took the money from his wallet for the Salvation Army, but Max doesn’t believe her. As Joe quickly makes his escape, Max asks if Summer is joking as it isn’t funny. Summer tells him that there are millions of children starving, so she thought it was the right thing to do, but Max explains that no matter how good her intentions, it is still stealing and asks why she didn’t say anything before. Summer tells him that she was too scared, to which Max comments that it was because she knew it was wrong, before grounding her, including from going to the home movie night.
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Back at Number 28, Lori sees Karl coming out of his bedroom wearing a purple lycra t-shirt and asks if he has a dance class, but he tells her that there is nothing wrong with being properly outfitted. Lori reiterates that the main object is to have fun, Karl agrees, before telling her to let him know if she’s had enough, so she asks what he’ll do if he’s had enough before her. Karl laughs, telling her that’s the spirit - the better the attitude, the better the training session, before heading out of the door, quickly followed by an enthusiastic Lori.
At Number 32, Summer is reading aloud as Boyd walks in to get a bottle out of the fridge. She asks where he’s going, so he explains that he’s off to the stupid movie night over the road, to which Summer comments that at least he isn’t grounded. Boyd tells her that he didn’t ask her to take the blame and that Max wouldn’t have found out and even if he did, it’s not her problem. Summer says that it is, as every time he gets in trouble it causes problems between their dad & Steph and she’d rather be grounded than have them fighting.
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In the kitchen at Number 26, Lyn is looking in the fridge for the cream. Joe tells her that it’s in there somewhere, before she asks Steph, who has no idea. Max asks where Jack is, so Joe explains that he’s out with Nina, which comes as a surprise to Lyn whom he told that he was going to the hospital to visit Valda, before Joe backtracks, saying that he probably is later on. Lyn says he better be, before finding the cream in the salad crisper, wondering who would put cream in there. Max asks an unenthusiastic Boyd to help with the barbie, but Lyn says that he’s doing well to be there with all the oldies, to which Steph takes offence. As Harvey starts jumping up, barking, Joe tells him off as he’s had his food, but Lyn says that he might need to go outside. As Joe tells Harvey to go outside, Lyn tells him to let him out as he’s not going to know just because he’s told him, but Joe roars that he’s marinating the steak. Desperate to escape, Boyd offers to do it.
As Boyd takes Harvey out, Lyn says that she’d have thought Summer would have been there rather than Boyd, before Max explains about her stealing the $100 from his wallet to give to charity and that she’s at home with a babysitter. Steph comments that at least she meant well, to which Lyn agrees, but Max reiterates that it is still theft. As Joe goes out to put the steak on the barbecue, he asks Lyn to bring the chicken out, whilst she sheepishly asks Max if it would be ok if she took some cupcakes around to Summer later on. Smiling, Max agrees as Boyd asks if he can go and check on her. Lyn laughs, explaining that she knows the code for that, it’s “Dad, please let me out of here, come on, I don’t wanna be here with all these old people” – Max says that he can, before he adds that he might stop at Daniel’s to do the homework he mentioned earlier. Max turns to Lyn and tells her that he doesn’t even want to know what homework is code for, before turning back to Boyd and telling him to be back before nine. As Boyd leaves, thanking his Dad & Lyn, Steph shouts goodbye after him, whilst Max asks Lyn to tell him that boys get easier as they get older, to which she puts on a fake laugh and moves away. As she does, Steph moves over to Max, telling him that she’s been invited to a reunion at her old high school for the 50th anniversary of it being built, inviting him along, before resorting to telling him that she’d do the same to him, which he says he’ll hold her to.
At the movie night at the Community Hall, Connor is giving Stuart advice on where to sit with Kat so as not to look too clingy. As Connor goes to the front, Stuart asks Kat to sit with him near the back, putting his arm around her in case she gets scared, but she says that she’s seen the Alien movies about a 1000 times, so knows every scream & death back to front, before offering him some popcorn.
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In Ramsay Street, Lori has beaten an out of breath Karl back home and asks if he’s alright as he looks a bit tired. He puffs and pants before squirting water over his face.
Back at the Community Hall, the movie still hasn’t begun, so Connor has come over to talk to Kat & Stuart, wondering if he alien has got loose in the projection room, before Kat jokes that it has attacked the projectionist. Stuart says that he has a feeling it won’t be long now, but Kat says that might be the alien growing inside of him. As the lights dim and the movie begins, Kat recognises to latecomers as her friends, Johnno & Dazza and goes over to say hello, leaving Stuart alone.
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At Number 26, Lyn asks Joe how long it is going to take to set up the projector as Max’s phone rings. Joe says that it won’t be long, but she reminds him that he said that half an hour ago, before Steph offers to call Karl. Hanging up, Max explains that the babysitter has had to pop out for half an hour, so he has to go back and check on Summer, but Steph tries to convince him that it would be better for her to go around than the person who grounded her, as it’ll look less like she’s being checked up on, plus she can use the guise of delivering a cupcake. Max agrees, but just one, so she heads off, telling them to start without her if her dad ever gets the projector going, but Joe is in a mess, with film everywhere. Lyn asks what he’s done now, but he shouts at her not to pressure him, as she knows that it doesn’t help, picking up the projector. As he does, Max spots the manual which had been hidden beneath it, which Joe takes a close look at whilst taking a bite out of a cupcake, bringing a smirk to Lyn’s face.
Next door at Number 28, an exhausted Karl has changed out of his lycra and is greeted by Lori, who presents him with a bowl of ice cream. Karl asks if Libby & Susan are home yet, but Lori says that she wouldn’t expect a mother and daughter out late night shopping to be home for another hour. Karl asks why she isn’t having any ice cream as he feels bad enough about her being fitter than him, let alone being better at dodging fat food. Lori explains that she can’t eat for half an hour due to her antibiotics, but Karl wonders what they’re for. She says that she had an old repeat prescription from the last time she had cystitis, but they’re nearly gone as she’s been taking them for a couple of weeks. Karl asks if she was taking them when she was sleeping with Connor, she says that she was, but it’s ok as she feels much better now, however she’s shocked when he tells her that antibiotics can negate the effects of the contraceptive pill, particularly the low dosage that she was on, asking if she read the box. She says that she didn’t realise, so Karl tells her that perhaps she should take the pregnancy test after all.
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Back at the Community Hall, Connor walks over to Stuart, complaining that the projector has broken down, before asking where Kat is as she returns. She apologises for not making it back as Johnno was halfway through a story about nearly losing his job when the opening credits rolled and would have felt rude for bailing. Stuart says that it’s ok as Connor heads outside for some fresh air. Kat tells Stuart that it’s his turn to buy popcorn, but he says that he may even get her an ice cream, before asking her to dinner the next night, but she asks to do it another night as she’s having dinner with Johnno to catch up properly. Stuart asks where she met him, so she explains that they worked together at the cricket ground, before telling him to back off as he asks if Johnno has a girlfriend. Stuart points out that she’s just agreed to go out with another guy whilst she’s there with him, but Kat says that she doesn’t want another six months to go by without seeing Johnno again and thought that he was happy to just go with the flow as they are having a good time, or at least she is. Stuart tells her that he is too as she goes off to get more snacks.
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At Number 32, Boyd counts out $100 and tells Summer to take it and explains that he sold his sneakers to Daniel as Steph walks in. As she listens in from the hallway, she hears Boyd tell Summer to give it to Max and explain that she got it back from Harold, but Summer says that Max won’t believe her. He tells her to do it as he doesn’t want to deal with any more guilt trips before turning around to see Steph.
Over at Number 28, Lori enters with a paper bag, putting it down on the kitchen counter and walking over to the sink. She looks back at the bag, before going back and picking it up, taking out a pregnancy test.
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Back at Number 26, Joe has finally got the projector working and Lyn explains to Max that the footage they’re watching is of the Easter picnic, which they used to have every year at the Sheergold place and that her mum used to plan for it for weeks and weeks. Max asks what year it is, so she explains that it was ’57, to which Joe comments is just before she came into the World. Looking at the footage, Joe spots Connie and points out how tiny she is. Lyn says that she wishes that she could be that slim whilst pregnant, before telling Max that she was like a Bondi Bus when she was pregnant with Flick, but he says that he doesn’t believe that. Ever the diplomat, Joe agrees that she was huge, for which he receives a slap on the leg. Watching the footage, Joe points out that her mum must have been pregnant then as she came along not long after, but then again, she didn’t show until really late with Jack as Henry comes on screen and begins dancing with Connie, before moving away to reveal Lyn’s Auntie Bev. Lyn wonders where Valda is, however Joe says that knowing Valda she’s behind the camera issuing orders, but Lyn says that doesn’t sound like her as Bev takes over the camera, revealing Valda. Lyn says that she must have been shy in those days, whilst Joe comments that she was a big girl then too, but Max innocently points out that she’s pregnant. Looking again at the screen, a stunned Joe repeats to Lyn that Valda is pregnant, before looking on at his wife, who is staring at the screen, with all three realising what this means, only the sound of the film rolling breaking the silence.
Regular Cast Credits
Featured Regular Characters: Boyd Hoyland, Summer Hoyland, Karl Kennedy, Lyn Scully, Joe Scully, Stephanie Scully, Max Hoyland, Lori Lee, Connor O’Neill, Stuart Parker
Guest Cast: Gemma Bishop as Kat Riley
Trivia Notes
• Boyd is on the phone to Daniel Clohesy
• References to Henry & Connie O’Rourke
• As well as home movies, Lyn’s package contained postcards and books, amongst other things
• Joe tells Max that the home video night will start around 6pm
• Max wears size 11 shoes, whilst Joe & Boyd both wear 10 and a half
• The feature at the Community Hall’s movie night is Alien
• During the scene preparing the barbecue at Number 26, although light outside, it is dark enough for the lights, to be on in the kitchen, judging by the shadows thrown, whilst the adjoining laundry & lounge are in complete darkness, whilst shortly after, Karl & Lori are outside in Ramsay Street in pure daylight, before the subsequent scene opens with an establishing shot of the Community Hall at night
• Kat orders one large bag of popcorn and two ice creams
• Lori’s paper bag is labelled ‘Erinsborough Pharmacy’
Summary
by Callum
