Channel Seven: 08/05/85 BBC One: 17/12/86 UK Gold: 23/12/92
Recap
• Jim cannot make Max see he is wrong to move out of Ramsay Street
• Shane despairs at his parent’s inability to try and stop Max moving out of the house
• Scott tells Danny he thinks they could make a go of living on the farm and looking after Mrs. Forbes
• Shane takes out his anger on Maria about the fact he is continuing to be kept in the dark over why his parent’s split up
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No.26 – Lounge:
Helen watches for Jim to arrive home from work. As he walks towards the front door Helen dashes from the window and hides a pilot’s cap under a cushion on the sofa before grabbing a magazine and slinging herself onto a sofa to pretend all is normal as Jim enters the house. Jim asks after her day and Helen tells him she received a call from a Nick Burman. Jim sees the pilot’s hat and realising Helen is hiding Nick, he decides to tease her and tells her that he cannot see Nick as he owes him a lot of money. Helen begins to panic but then Nick comes out of hiding having overheard his friend and it becomes clear it is just a joke.
Jim explains that he and Max were friends with Nick at school. Nick then left for overseas but three months travelling turned into him taking a job flying domestic routes and staying away longer. Nick explains he has got a job flying 747 planes and now international routes that has brought him back home.
Helen goes to make coffee while Jim and Nick sit down to catch up. Nick asks after Max and his gorgeous wife Maria, recalling how he had intended to woo Maria before Max. Nick brings up about a bet he had with Jim and explains to Helen how they bet $A10 on who would marry first and Jim still owe Max. Nick calls Max the lucky one for getting Maria. Jim says nothing about Max & Maria’s current problems.
. . . 
. . . 
Bedsit – Room 19:
Max arrives ‘home’ but is depressed by his surroundings.
No.24 – Lounge / Kitchen:
Maria busily cooks the evening meal while Shane watches the TV news despite Maria wanting him to water the plants in the garden. He joins her in the kitchen and comments about her cooking Max’s favourite meal but soon realises what he has said and apologises. They decide to eat in the lounge rather than at the table for a change.
Bedsit – Room 19:
Max’s evening meal preparations are not as successful as he struggles to cut up a tomato with a blunt knife.
. . . 
No.26 – Lounge:
Nick hands out duty free presents to the Robinson’s including some perfume for Lucy who runs to the kitchen to show Helen.
Nick comments to Jim how he sometimes wishes he had had a family and Jim tells him it isn’t too late. Nick recalls how the last time he saw him was when he & Anne were engaged and remarks how proud Anne would have been of him bringing up four children alone.
No.26 – Kitchen:
Helen teases Lucy that the perfume is a gift for an older person as she sprays some on herself. She questions Jim if Julie mentioned to him about being late home that evening but Jim has had no such message. Nick flatters Helen telling her that he is sure Julie takes after her in her good looks.
. . . 
The Pacific Bank:
Julie is becoming annoyed with Des as he is still working, trying to resolve a computer programme error that Greg caused by reprogramming the computer. Julie defends Greg and rather blames the computer before Des sends her off to locate the original programme disc.
Mr. Arnold calls from his office asking Des if he has resolved the issue as he has a dinner engagement with his wife. Des decides not to explain that Greg caused the issues despite Mr. Arnold suggesting Des needs a computer course.
Julie thinks Des is down on Greg after feeling jealous about how well he has fitted into the bank and Daphne’s loan rejection. Des tries to get Julie to see that Greg has created the problems on the computer but is further aggravated when Arnold father and son chastise him for keeping them from going home.
Julie advises Des seek Greg’s help as she wants to get home. Des swears at the computer but Julie thinks he is insulting her and she storms off.
Bedsit – Room 19:
Max gets himself a beer and decides to put the radio on but the reception is appalling and he turns it off. Opening his beer it spills all over his hand and he makes a toast to himself.
No.24 – Lounge:
Shane thanks Maria for a fantastic meal but backs out of doing the washing up to go for a walk. The house empty, Maria again feels the loneliness without Max.
No.26 – Lounge:
Nick recalls a friend he and Jim had at school called Norm Hedges . They joke that he is probably in prison by now.
Julie arrives home and is surprised to see Nick is their guest. He introduces himself to her and she is immediately flattered by his charm and his gift of perfume. Julie mentions about Nick’s blue Mercedes car outside and asks for a ride. Lucy & Julie go with Nick for a drive and Helen suggests Jim needs to tell Nick about Max & Maria splitting up. Jim suggests he always suspected Nick went overseas after not getting together with Maria, to get away from the situation. Jim thinks Nick has returned as he is suddenly trying to find out what he is missing in his life.
. . . 
Bedsit – Room 19:
Shane arrives to see Max and Max lies he has been keeping himself busy with invoices. Shane asks his father to fix a leaking tap at the back of No.24 but Max thinks it is now his job as man of the house. Max offers Shane to join him in a beer.
The Pacific Bank:
Greg sits impatiently by Des’s side as Des continues to try and resolve the issue with the computer. Greg goads him about being the one who caused the computer glitch and that living with a stripper has clouded his judgement. Des can no longer hold his anger in, telling Greg a few home truths that he is a useless, imcompitant idiot, riding on the fact he is the bosses son. However Mr. Arnold has overheard Des and accuses him of resenting the Arnold’s over Daphne’s loan rejection. Mr. Arnold demands to see the two reports Des is working on on his desk first thing the following day.
. . . 
Bedsit – Room 19:
Max and Shane enjoy a joke over their beer and Shane takes the opportunity to ask again about the reason behind Max and Maria splitting up but Max refuses to talk about it. Instead he tells Shane he wants him to know he can visit anytime he likes. Shane thanks his father for the beer before leaving.
No.26 – Lounge:
Nick arrives back from the ride he gave the girls and Jim opens up the whiskey that Nick bought him as a present for them to drink. Helen remarks about dinner being soon.
Nick asks after Paul & Scott and picks up all is not well. Jim admits Scott has run away but doesn’t want to talk about it. Julie & Lucy come back into the house and Jim excuses himself from the room. Nick realises the time and comments to Julie about seeing Max & Maria. Julie explains Max & Maria have split up and has a gossip about Max being the one to move out. Nick wants to see Maria and asks Julie to show him which house is the Ramsay’s and they walk out of No.26.
Helen is not impressed that she has two less dinner guests to feed.
. . . 
No.24 – Kitchen / Lounge:
Maria is washing up when she hears a knock on the front door and she is stunned to see Nick after so many years. They hug each other and Nick admits he knows about her and Max splitting up. Maria refrains from telling Nick why they split but he can see it is not something she wants. Maria tells him Max will not change hi mind and that her marriage is over. Maria begins to sob and Nick comforts her in his arms.
Shane arrives home and makes it clear he is not happy to find his mother in the arms of another man.
Regular Cast Credits
Featured Regular Characters: Max Ramsay, Maria Ramsay, Shane Ramsay, Jim Robinson, Julie Robinson, Lucy Robinson, Helen Daniels, Des Clarke
Guest Cast: John Murphy as Mr. Arnold, John Higginson as Greg Arnold, Vic Hawkins as Nick Burman
Trivia Notes
• John Higginson is not credited in the end titles as appearing
• Max’s favourite meal is lamb casserole
• The last time Nick Burman saw Jim before going overseas was when Jim became engaged to Anne
• Nick originally only went overseas for three months before getting a job as a pilot on domestic routes. Nick now flies 747 planes and travels international routes
• Jim, Max & Nick Burman went to school together and were known as the ‘terrible threesome’
• Jim & Nick had a friend at school called Norm Hedges
• Nick had a crush on Maria before she married Max
• Max, Jim & Nick had $A10 bet between them as to who would marry first
Summary by Paul
