Channel Ten: 21/11/05 BBC One: 14/02/06
Episode Title: The Wedding Spanner
Recap
• Boyd is left both embarrassed and flattered when Janae defends him to his strict university interviewer
• Harold scolds Connor for just running away from his problems and leaving Maddy behind
• Sky publicly urges Joe to own up to Lyn about his commitment issues and call off the engagement
The General Store: As Lyn stands away to let Sky and Joe talk, Steph comforting her, Sky refuses to believe Joe’s claims that he is here for the long haul, but he does not wish to talk and leads Lyn away; Steph asks Sky what her problem is as Sky looks unmoved by everyone’s hurt.
Skate Park: Janae, watching Boyd skate back and forth, sighs and looks bored. To cheer her up, he suggests that with his driver’s license, they can visit Stingray and Dylan anytime. She explains that she misses them more than she thought and Boyd agrees, talking about how - if not in prison - they would probably be out enjoying the school holidays; they joke about how typical it is that the two of them are stuck here together. He leads her onto the court to teach her how to skate, saying that this way they will have a shared interest, despite her reservations; she forthrightly refuses and he accepts.
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The General Store: Steph insists to Sky that despite her original uncertainties, she now believes that Joe and Lyn are good for each other and it is not up to Sky to judge them; Sky shakes her head in disbelief.
No 26 - Living Room: Lyn arrives home with Joe, who refuses to accept Sky’s judgements; he insists that she is just struggling with the plane crash and Dylan’s ordeal when Lyn interrupts, asking if he wants to be married or not.
The General Store: Sky remains adamant that Joe is not cut out for a long-term relationship; Steph simply listens in disappointment as Sky explains that she does not want Lyn to get hurt.
No 26 - Living room/kitchen: Joe rambles, attempting to reassure Lyn that he wants to be married 99.9%, which does not go down well with Lyn as she agonises over pushing him into it. She cannot be talked around no matter how much he claims to love her, and storms out of the kitchen when he says that he is happy to not be entirely satisfied.
No 24 - Garden: Harold is hanging out the laundry when Connor climbs over the fence, apologising for the intrusion; Harold is happy to learn that he is here to stay. He praises him for taking the first step and leads him inside to get settled.
Skate Park: Boyd, having coaxed Janae onto his skateboard, rushes to stop her before she falls. He says it is unbelievable that she, as a Timmins, has never rode before and she jokes that she was adopted after Charles and Diana preferred a son; he leads her away for another go, claiming that she will get better. As she falls again, she asks to stop as she looks stupid and a group of kids are laughing. He does not care, saying that she is more important.
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No 26 - Kitchen: Steph is questioning Lyn on Joe, referring to his previous marriages and Lyn replies that just because Joe’s marriages and her own are broken up does not mean that they cannot be happy with each other. Steph says that she wants Lyn to be happy, particularly with someone equally as happy and committed; she refuses to believe that Lyn pushed him into proposing. Lyn, almost pleading, asks if it is so terrible that she wants to be a mother and grandmother with someone by her side.
No 24 - Living room: Harold leads Toadie into the living room, explaining that he could not tell him this over the phone; Toadie jokes that they should call Karl and is getting impatient when Connor enters from a bedroom. He apologises and Toadie, immediately relieved, hugs him and is glad to have him back…Connor and Toadie sit down to catch up, Toadie explaining that he was putting of arranging a wake because he was hopeful that Connor would come back and he could thus apologise and repair their friendship. Joe interrupts and, taking no notice of Connor, asks where Sky is. As he looks in her room, leaving the others alone, Connor explains that Toadie should be angry after what he did; Toadie is fine, excited about having him back. Joe comes back into the main room and is about to leave when he sees Connor; Toadie jokes that he had a swimming race with Dylan who won. Harold leaves to make coffees, Toadie explaining to Connor that Stuart will be thrilled he is back. As Toadie says that Connor’s bedroom is just as he left it, Joe explains that he and the rest of the community had long given up hope. To avoid awkwardness Harold asks Joe for help in the kitchen, leaving Connor to explain to Toadie that he will not be coming home just yet.
Scarlet Bar: Boyd and Janae enter, Janae claiming that she needs to go to a doctor with the bruise on her arm. Hinting, she mentions playing doctors and nurses as a child and they go to the office together. Sky enters and, seeing Joe pouring tea, attempts to make conversation. He asks her to apologise, which she does, and again asks him to be honest with Lyn; she cannot stand and watch him fool himself like this, leaving him hurt. In the office Boyd gives Janae a plaster and she again hints that they should get intimate, to which he does not reciprocate, with difficulty.
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No 24 - Kitchen: Connor is washing dishes when Harold enters with clothes sent by Toadie from number 30. Connor demands to know how they can just go on as friends as if nothing happened; as Harold urges him to just look ahead Connor ignores him, saying that he cannot go back. Harold gives up the persuasion, handing him the phone and telling him to at least call the police, Lori and his parents.
Scarlet Bar: Boyd and Janae play along like a doctor and patient, Janae coming on strong by suggesting that Boyd wanted things to go this way just so that they could be here alone together. Giving up in annoyance, she starts to leave when he apologises, explaining that he just wants things to be right and in their own time. She claims that not only is he not like a typical superficial boy but that she herself has changed and matured; they kiss and fall back on the sofa before deciding on a more romantic setting and hurry out.
No 26 - Living room: Steph asks if, without Oscar, Lyn would still want to be married in a hurry; Lyn claims that she does, and that she is capable of loving Joe for good, before Steph suggests that they are both entering the engagement on differing levels - how is it fair for her to place an ultimatum on Joe just because of her need to be stable?
No 24 - Kitchen: Harold finishes the dishes as Connor ends a call to his mother, explaining that he could not bring himself to tell the whole truth. Harold suggests he write a letter as it may be more therapeutic, before saying that Connor need not pay him back for the overseas call. Connor gets up to leave, turning down an invitation to lunch by claiming that he has imposed too much already; he mentions living in a shelter until he gets a job, before seeing a photograph of David, Lil and Serena. He is immediately flustered as Harold offers him the sofa and declines, before Harold tells him sincerely that he, Harold, needs all the help that he can get.
Park: Boyd tells Janae to wait in the car, her face covered with a bandana, and starts unloading camping equipment and luggage. Setting up the tent he hits himself to kill a wasp and cries out, forcing her to come and see what has happened. She laughs, seeing the site half set up with a picnic; she starts to walk forward but steps in cow poo. He hits her, again to shoo away a wasp, before realising that he forgot insect repellent and saying that it has all seemed to go wrong. He explains that he picked the flowers at a petrol station while she was browsing inside and she says that no one has ever gone to this much trouble for her; they kiss.
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The General Store - Kitchen: Sky is cleaning a countertop when Joe enters, making her reluctant to talk. He urges her to talk to him, admitting that he should be honest with Lyn given his past experiences and she is glad that he came around. He mentions Connor’s return saying how unlikely it seems that he survived out on his own, unlike Dylan who could have handled it easily. Sky then suspects that they were in it together, saying that they are just as bad as each other.
No 26 - Kitchen: As Lyn cooks, Joe mentions his poor love life and she bluntly states that she understands that he is not ready. He describes how he has trouble with commitment and apologises for not being truthful. She says that with both of them coming from different angles and while they love each other, marriage is not a solution. They agree to stay together for the time being and accept things.
No 24: Harold explains to Toadie that Connor needs his own space to recuperate, and so will stay with him for now. He refuses to let Toadie see Connor, saying that he feels like Connor has lost a part of himself. He finishes by stating he and Connor need each other to mutual support and closes the door on Toadie.
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