Lou's Place - Outside: Steph tells Libby that there is nothing between her and Max. Libby mentions Steph not telling Joe and Lyn about the trip and spending less time with Alex. Steph says that she has to go and leaves to sort out the bill. Inside, Lou overhears Valda on the phone to the butcher Mr. Michaelson about a delivery. Lou calls him a crook and they start arguing over the better brand of meat. Lou is then further outraged when Valda says that Steph, as family, does not need to pay. Max breaks it up and Valda says that she will not put up with Lou’s behaviour.

Street: Summer is delivering newspapers on her bike when she sees her name spray-painted on the pavement, followed by a line of arrows. Following them, she comes to a letter, obviously from Jacinta, pinned to a tree trunk: "Summer, the paper route is mine! Tell anyone and your dead!"

Lou's Place: As Stuart comes to the bar, Valda proudly tells Lou that she made pie with the supposedly bad meat. As Rosie and Lyn join them, the two make a deal to test their recipes and keep whichever one is best-received. Alex then serves Rosie and Lyn, assuring Lyn that he and Steph will be back for the birth. Realising that Lyn does not know what he is talking about, he is forced to tell her about the trip.

No 32 - Hallway/Kitchen: Boyd is talking to Heather on the phone when Summer grumpily returns. She tells him that she is quitting the paper round to focus on homework, overheard by Max who asks if any has been done. Boyd leaves to do it and Max asks if Summer is okay; she moodily says yes.

No 26 - Kitchen/Living Room: Steph is preparing salad when Lyn returns and ignores Steph’s greeting. She asks when Steph is leaving and Steph gathers that she found out, explaining that there was never a good time to tell her with everything that has happened. Lyn starts to shout before calming herself and apologising, praising Steph on how self-sufficient she is and encouraging her to take this chance…Later, the two are admiring photos from the play when Alex arrives. Lyn leaves him and Steph to talk, and Alex asks if Steph even wants to go on the trip. He tells her to give it some serious thought and leaves.

No 28 - Kitchen: Susan and Libby are setting up for dinner, Susan encouraging Libby on taking a job at the school. With no substantial food, they leave for the pub, hurrying back after forgetting to take Ben.

No 32 - Kitchen: The Hoylands are cleaning up after dinner, and Rosie asks what Boyd and Summer are whispering about. Left alone with Max, Rosie tells him that Lyn did not know about Steph leaving, and that Max made a breakthrough with his words of comfort. She encourages him to try again in saying how he feels.

Lou's Place: As Valda collects Susan and Libby’s dishes, Libby mentions her pie being dry, unlike Susan’s. Valda then reveals the experiment and Lou - whose meat was used in Libby’s pie - is forced to concede defeat. Stuart greets Libby and Susan, who invites him to join them.

No 32 - Kitchen: Max says that he does not want to make things complicated in telling Steph, and Rosie tells him to be happy. Summer and Boyd return for more ice cream, while Rosie gets a call from the Bishop. She re-enters and tells Max that she has been asked to attend a conference the next day in Sydney about New Guinea’s cyclone relief, looking suspicious.

Lou's Place: Susan goes to pay, and Stuart apologises to Libby for the previous night. They agree to go back to being friends again.

Ramsay Street: Next morning, Lyn joins Harold as he trims his shrubs, showing him the photos from the play. Harold looks guilty, now aware of how bad the play was, but is cheered up when Lyn praises his work. Going to No. 26, they say goodbye to Steph as she leaves for work.

No 32 - Kitchen: Max and Summer are making lunches when Summer hears Steph’s motorcycle starting. She mentions this to Max and he hurries outside.

Ramsay Street: Steph pulls out of the street, not hearing as Max runs out and calls after her.

Carpenter's Mechanics - Outside: Stuart is examining Alex’s bike when Steph arrives with repairs from Moco. Alone with Alex, she admits that she was unsure about the trip but now wants to go with him. She laughs as he picks her up in a hug, looking slightly unsettled when Alex mentions Max.

Lou's Place: Rosie leaves the office with Lou, having told him about Sydney, while Lou and Valda continue to bicker about recipes. Harold enters and cheerily greets them all when Lou keels over in pain. As Valda leaves, Rosie and Harold gather that Lou is faking, pretending to have cut himself on a bottle opener to keep Valda quiet.

Lassiter's Complex: Max pulls up and calls out to Steph as she passes. Joining her, they make small talk and he awkwardly pauses before she starts to leave. He says that he found out about her possibly not going on the trip and she tells him that she and the family are all for it since nothing is holding her back in Erinsborough. He watches her leave, not having the courage to say any more.

Regular Cast Credits

Guest Cast: Marco Pio Venturini as Alex Argenzio, Joan Sydney as Valda Sheergold

Trivia Notes
• Lyn compares Harold’s satirical play to The Naked Gun
• Susan mentions that Karl is working late
• For her part in the experiment, Valda gives Libby her meal and a pineapple upside-down cake on the house

Summary by Brendan