Episode Title: Hard To Heart
Cast: Ian Smith as Harold Bishop, Stephanie McIntosh as Sky Mangel, Claudine Henningsen as Kerry Mangel, Stefan Dennis as Paul Robinson, Pippa Black as Elle Robinson, Alan Fletcher as Karl Kennedy, Jackie Woodburne as Susan Kinski, Caitlin Stasey as Rachel Kinski, Matthew Werkmeister as Zeke Kinski, Kyal Marsh as Boyd Hoyland, David Hoflin as Oliver Barnes
Guest Cast: Bob Hornery as Tom Kennedy, Nick Russell as Caleb Maloney, Barry Friedlander as Alan Napier
Recap
• Boyd confronts Caleb’s friends for abandoning him after the accident but is told he doesn’t know the whole story
• Susan wants Karl to invite his father to stay but Karl is concerned about dealing with dementia – Susan thinks it’ll be great fro them and the kids to have him stay a while
• Sky & Caleb’s hug turns to a kiss and Boyd sees
No 24 - Kitchen: Boyd rushes over to pull Sky away from Caleb and threatens to punch him but Sky calls for him to stop and back off. Boyd fears Sky is making the same mistake she did with Terence but Sky tells him she can handle the situation and asks Boyd to leave. He does begrudgingly and reminds her he’s only next-door if she needs him.
The General Store/Lassiter's Restaurant: Paul hands Elle her mobile as Oliver calls. She greets him with a hello and Oliver explains two of their regular customers Mr. Ridley & Mr. Wong have had personal items stolen from the cloakroom. Elle’s voice changes and she becomes very formal when responding to Oliver’s questions on what to do next. Oliver isn’t pleased and tells her he realises they want to take things slow but he doesn’t appreciate being treated like a stranger by her. Elle tells him she isn’t. Oliver wants to know if he should sort things out but Elle angered reminds him that she is still the owner and he a guest. Oliver comments about the shares he owns. Elle wants to finish the conversation and asks Oliver to sort out a bottle of champagne for the two men and she’ll come over to see them. Paul asks what is wrong and Elle gulps down her coffee so she can get back to the hotel. Paul asks to come along as he needs mental stimulation and reluctantly Elle agrees.
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Erinsborough Hospital - Alan Napier's room: A nurse checks on Alan’s condition as he lays in his coma. As the door closes shut, the noise stirs Alan, and he calls out Oliver’s name.
No 24 - Kitchen/Lounge: Sky announces to Harold that their dinner is ready and asks him to let Lou know. However Harold tells her Lou has already gone to bed and it is clear he’s missing Lolly already. Sky answers the front door to find Boyd who has come over to check she is okay. He jokes that she is some kind of ‘freak-magnet’ but Sky assures Boyd Caleb is nothing like Terence. Boyd tells her she was still taken advantage of and Harold overhearing wants to know what happened. Sky explains the kiss was just Caleb misreading the situation and that he feels bad about it. Concerned Harold warns her that she must remember she hardly knows Caleb and Boyd asks her to support Janelle’s plan to get Caleb off to see his parents. Sky makes it clear she has no intention of forcing Caleb to do anything or stop seeing him. Sky promises she just likes Caleb as a friend and has no intention of getting involved with him or anyone. But Sky makes it clear she will one day want to date someone, and if it is someone like Caleb, they’ll have to accept it.
No 28 - Dining table: Karl is on the phone to the nursing home assuring them they feel reasonably comfortable in being able to handle Tom’s illness. Susan brings over Karl’s dinner plate to the table and urges Zeke to eat up but Zeke tells her he isn’t hungry. Susan realises he’s missing Lolly and Rachel jokes about it but Zeke is adamant he and Lolly’s relationship is not over but is simply a long distance one. Zeke jokes about Lou saying the distance between him and Mishka has made their relationship even ‘spicier’. The thought of Lou & Mishka puts Rachel off her food. Karl finishes his call and delivers the news that he’s been advised not to take Tom out of the home for any period of time, as they fear it will only confuse him more. Susan explains she has taken 2 weeks leave so Tom will have her to look after him and both Rachel & Zeke offer to look after Tom if either he or Susan cannot. Karl fears Tom needs nursing more than minding but Susan reminds Karl he still is a doctor despite what he thinks. Karl tells them he thinks it will be too hard to cope but takes a moment to reconsider when Susan speaks about his greatest fear. If he doesn’t spend time now with Tom out of the home then he may never get the chance again.
The General Store: Boyd arrives and seeing Caleb tries to make amends by saying that his actions earlier were not personal, just a way to protect Sky & the Timmins family. Caleb isn’t convinced and thinks Boyd is thinking of himself and his feelings for Sky. Boyd dismisses the claim and wants Caleb to leave Sky alone and offers to lie for him if he leaves now rather than see her. Caleb points out he’s waiting to see his friend Jamie but even if he was waiting for Sky he’d stay as only Sky can tell him not to see her again. Boyd explains that Sky would never do that as he believes she is still confused about believing a part of Stingray is in Caleb. Caleb tells Boyd he’s either a control freak or jealous. Boyd tells him he knows nothing of his relationship with Sky and what he also doesn’t know is how Sky was taken advantage of in her grief in the General Store. Boyd vows he’ll never let that happen again but suddenly Caleb grabs his chest as he suffers pain. Boyd, concerned, gets the pills from his bag.
Lassiter's Restaurant: Elle returns to join Oliver & Paul at their table that is partly partitioned off from the rest of the diners. Elle explains she has sorted the theft problem out in her mind by following the rules that the customer is always right. Oliver doesn’t agree as he knows the waiters they are accusing and thinks they are ‘good guys’ and thinks the fact that the fact these customers spend $A300 on a meal when they visit is clouding her judgement. Paul offers to be the one who has a chat with the staff involved as he feels maybe Elle has overlooked something and the waiters could explain a legitimate reason for them being in the cloakroom area. Elle concedes to let Paul help. Paul is taken aback however when Elle informs him she’ll have to talk to the staff first about him as last time he was in the hotel they saw him being thrown out by security.
No 28 - Dining table: Harold arrives and is invited by Rachel to wait for Susan as she’s on her way home. Nervous, Zeke makes a mistake in offering Harold a chair but Rachel reminds him Harold is not elderly. They explain that they are waiting for Tom to arrive to stay and Harold reminds them to think of him as a person just like any other whatever state his mind is in. Harold assures them things like Tom liking animals and being a keen chess player are things they can relate to Tom with. Susan & Karl with a bewildered Tom arrive home. Tom thinks Karl is a taxi driver and he doesn’t recognise Harold either. Harold decides to see Susan at a better time and leaves. Karl tries to take Tom’s bag from him and Tom pushes him away. Susan tries to explain he is home and that he cannot go to the farm. Karl tries to make Tom realise who he is but Tom is adamant that Karl is not his son. Tom looks around to see Zeke and greets him as Karl, giving him a hug. Karl & Susan look on as Tom jokes that maybe Zeke can tell him who they are and why he’s been brought to ‘this dump of a place.’
Lassiter's Restaurant: Paul returns to find Elle sitting at the table alone, doing paperwork. He tells her that the two waiters, Andrew & Jamal, have been employed with Lassiters for over three years and liked a lot by the team. In his opinion he thinks Elle should give them the benefit of the doubt that they are not guilty. Elle can see that Paul has enjoyed the challenge and Paul admits he feels like another piece of his life has fallen into place. She thanks him for his help and making a better job of it than she did. Paul assures her she can still mend her relationship with Oliver and Elle realising he’s right decides to find him. She leaves Paul to look over last week’s profit margin report – after she shows him how to turn the laptop on.
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Erinsborough Hospital - Alan Napier's room: Alan continues to sleep with the heart monitor displaying a steady heartbeat of 97. In his head Alan is reliving the moment he tried to tell Oliver about his parents. Alan regains consciousness and calls out Oliver’s name.
Lassiter's Restaurant: Elle walks through the restaurant to find Oliver sitting at the secluded table. She apologises to him for the way she treated him and Oliver pulls him to her and they kiss. Paul interrupts and seems slightly embarrassed at such a public display but delivers the news to Oliver that he has a message for him. Alan Napier wants to see him at the hospital as soon as possible.
The General Store: Paul explains to Harold he’s worried that Elle could be vulnerable to Oliver if he is on the rebound from Carmella & that Gail had concerns about Oliver too. Paul thinks that it also sets the wrong impression to the staff, which amuses Harold who jokes that Paul used to be known for his indiscretions – Paul seems upset by this but Harold assures him his instincts now are correct and they should have known better. Paul is concerned how to treat the matter and Harold muses that Paul is sounding like a father – Paul is happy with this.
No 28 - Dining table/Lounge: Susan suggests she show Tom his room but he shakes off her embrace and tells her he’s not going anywhere and looks to Zeke saying ‘We’re not going anywhere are we son!’ Karl brings over a photo album and places it in front of Tom. He shows Tom a picture of him with his horse Castro and a picture of Tom holding Libby when she was a baby but he recognises nothing. Susan offers a coffee but Tom wants a beer and Karl agrees to get him one from the fridge and asks Zeke to come with him. Karl checks to see if Zeke is happy to play along as being him to calm Tom and Zeke agrees it seems the best way. Zeke questions how Karl feels about not being recognised and he dismisses his feelings as being fine with it. Zeke returns to Tom to give him his beer and calls him Dad to get Tom to come and see his room. Karl struggles to cope with hearing Zeke calling his father ‘dad’.
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Erinsborough Hospital - Waiting area: Sky finds Boyd waiting for her and she is furious at the way Boyd bullied a man just after he has gone through life or death surgery. Boyd tries to defend it as being protective but Sky realises there is more to this. Boyd admits having spent time with her again recently it has opened up old feelings he had for her. Sky makes it clear the past he keeps thinking about is still the past and she wants nothing more from him than friendship. Sky goes back into Caleb’s room leaving Boyd to himself.
Erinsborough Hospital - Caleb's room: Sky closes the door and Boyd steps away from the room. Sky jokes to Caleb about his scare and he admits he suffered the heart murmur after not taking his medication regularly enough due to her looking after him. Sky makes him promise he will now take his medication properly.
Erinsborough Hospital - Waiting area: From a distance, Boyd watches Sky & Caleb. Harold arrives with Kerry and Boyd suggests he give Sky & Caleb some time alone – seeing them in the room, Harold agrees. Harold mentions that he has concerns about Caleb but Boyd now believes he does have genuine feelings for Sky. Harold feels more concerned that Sky is using Caleb as another substitute for Stingray but Boyd again dismisses this assuring Harold that there is more to it than that now. Boyd remarks that they just have to let her go now.
No 28 - Lounge: Zeke comes out of Tom’s room to tell Karl & Susan that Tom wants to play him at a game of chess. Karl reveals it is exactly what he did as a boy with his father. Tom comes out of his room and Karl calls him ‘dad’ but Tom angered tells him that it isn’t right a nurse calling him ‘dad’. Zeke mentions that Karl is a good chess player too but Tom calls him too stupid, which hurts Karl’s feelings. Rachel finds the chess board & pieces and Tom goes to his room to get his glasses. Susan tries to boost Karl’s morale by telling him he’ll connect with his dad once he finds something in common with him. Suddenly Karl has an idea and leaves the house.
Erinsborough Hospital - Caleb's room: Caleb is playing a game of ‘peek-a-boo’ with Kerry when he points out that perhaps Sky & Kerry should go as Harold is still waiting for them. Sky hesitates and admits she doesn’t want to leave. Sky opens up to Caleb that she realises Stingray has died and that the heart transplant was a medical procedure and she never believed in destiny or fate so she is sure she knows that it is just coincidence that she likes him.
Erinsborough Hospital - Alan Napier's room: Oliver & Elle are outside Alan’s room looking in on him through the window as he sleeps. Oliver asks Elle to come in the room with him but she feels like she should wait – Oliver asks her what she wants and Elle replies to be next to him. Oliver embraces her and tells her it is where she belongs. Oliver mentions that Alan tried to tell him something when he collapsed and Elle suggests it could be some thing good. Elle takes Oliver’s hand and they both enter the room.
No 28 - Dining table: Tom & Zeke are playing chess but it is clear that Tom is having difficulty remembering how to play. Karl returns with an old record player & records he rescued from his father’s house after the fire at the farm. Karl begins to play a record ‘Lily of Laguna’ and Tom recognises the song and begins to sing. Karl joins in and Tom takes to dancing with Rachel before handing Rachel onto Karl so he can dance with Susan. Karl is so happy to see his father in this way again.
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Erinsborough Hospital - Alan Napier's room: Alan wakes to find Oliver and he introduces to Elle to him. Oliver introduces Alan as a family friend but Alan blurts out he is Oliver’s grandfather. Astounded, Oliver questions to which side of the family but Alan reveals neither of his parents are really his true ones. Oliver wants to know who his parents really are. Paul looks in from the window to see if Elle & Oliver are there and walks away but Alan, who becomes very uncomfortable, sees his brief appearance. Oliver sensing Alan is looking at someone turns but sees no one at the window. Oliver continues to question Alan who his parents are but Alan slips back into unconsciousness and Oliver steps back trying to come to terms with the revelation.
Regular Cast Credits
Trivia Notes
• The medical chart used by a nurse to update Alan Napier’s condition is a copy of Harold Bishop’s medical record used in the Charlotte Stone story. All the details refer to Harold with Alan Napier’s name now replacing Harold Bishop
• Karl would play a game of chess with his father every night before going to bed
• Tom Kennedy prefers to play chess with the white pieces
• The record Lily of Laguna was written by Leslie Stuart in 1898. The version played in the show was a rerecording in 1927 and sung by Foster Richardson
• Caleb suffers a heart murmur
• Off screen Lassiters regular customers Mr. Ridley & Mr. Wong accuse 2 waiters Andrew & Jamal for stealing personal possessions from the cloakroom
• Oliver learns Alan Napier is his grandfather and his parents are not really his
• Alan Napier’s flashback is from Episode 5188
Summary by Paul
