Loveday Writing

Melody asks Ken how he managed to lie for so many years and if his parents saw him graduate. Ken tells her that Howin was always away on business and Jing was too sick to travel. Melody suggests that he take his parents out to dinner for Father’s Day to tell them the truth, but he forces her to go with him. Things come to a head at the dinner when Howin chokes on his food and Melody has to help him because Ken freezes. Melody and Ken take his parents back to the Clinic, where Ken reveals the truth to them. While Jing accepts Ken’s choice to be a hospital administrator, Howin storms off.

Ken goes to speak to Howin outside and tells him that he lied because he knew he would never be able to meet his expectations. Ken also tells him that he’s proud of what he does. Howin calms down and tells Ken to never lie to them again and they make up.

Overall, I enjoyed the spotlight being on Ken for a change and finding out more about him and his family. I also appreciated that Melody simultaneously helped him play along with his lie, but also called him out on it and enabled him to tell the truth, and ultimately have a better relationship with his parents.

Penny – This is the first episode where Penny has gone back to her “normal” self. She spends the episode treating a teenage boy, Brody, for injuries he claims he sustained due to a trip. However, when Penny examines him, she asks him what really happened as his injuries aren’t consistent with his story. Brody tells her that he was drinking on the barn roof at his home and the next thing he could remember was lying on the ground. He also tells her he has been drinking more as his life has gone downhill as he’s not playing football anymore, as he wasn’t scouted for the national League due to injuring his shoulder during a trial.

Later, Penny goes to Brody’s home to see him and his father, Graeme, as she believes that Brody didn’t tell her the full story. Penny relays her concerns to Graeme, telling him that she believes Brody’s accident was a cry for help. Graeme initially dismisses her concerns, but when she tells him that there’s no shame in seeking help, Graeme admits that Brody is broken and he can’t fix him.

When Penny and Graeme go to Brody’s bedroom to talk to him, they find a suicide note and rush out to the barn to find him. While they find his crutches on the ground and a ladder leaning against the barn, Brody is still walking around the barn with a bottle in his hand. Penny tells Brody to go back to the Clinic to get help for his depression, he is reluctant until Graeme says he’ll go too.

Penny, Brody and Graeme arrive at the Clinic after Ken’s father storms out, and Penny gives them mental health questionnaires to complete, to put them on a mental health care plan.

Overall, I enjoyed this subplot for many reasons. The first, “Bad Penny” is finally gone. Secondly, we finally saw a compelling medical drama, which this season has been lacking, and it’s a medical drama that is relatable as mental health in regional areas is a serious issue. Thirdly, this is the first occasion I can recall where Penny dealt with a medical drama on her own, showing her competence as a doctor, and it was good to have her and Hugh apart for a change.

Meryl, Hugh and Sharna – Meryl is going to court the next morning and is desperate not to go to jail. Michael comes back to town and his plan is to discredit Sharna as a witness by using her past against her.

Michael eventually finds out that Sharna was an accessory to a crime – she took the blame for a hit-and-run that her brother was involved in, as he was on drugs at the time. Meryl later tries to break into Sharna’s office to get more dirt on her, but Hayley catches her in the act.

Meanwhile, as Meryl has given Eliza back to Hugh to dig up dirt on Sharna, he arrives at Sharna’s house with Eliza. While Sharna seems uncomfortable at first, she immediately takes to Eliza and has fun with her. Hugh invites her to the Father’s Day dinner Meryl is holding at the homestead, but she declines due to the conflict of interest, although she changes her mind and shows up.

During the dinner, Meryl tries to pry into Sharna’s personal life and asks her about her brother. Hugh and Sharna briefly argue about Meryl before Sharna leaves. Meryl tells Hugh about her and Michael’s plan to discredit Sharna, and while he is angry, he seemingly if not reluctantly approves, as it could possibly mean that Meryl avoids a jail sentence.

Overall, while it was good to see some progression of this story arc, I felt that its presence wasn’t the most compelling part of the episode. It will be interesting to see how Meryl’s trial plays out in the next episode.

Hayley, Ajax and Tom – Their story arc accelerated in this episode. Ajax doesn’t gamble in this episode, but this is only due to lack of money, which he tries desperately to get a hold of by trying to sell a tractor and then stealing Nanna Hannah’s ring, which Matt intends to propose to Charlie with, but puts in a desk drawer at the homestead, as he hasn’t found the right time to propose.

When Ajax goes to see Matt about the tractor, Matt asks him if he is having money trouble. Ajax doesn’t admit to it, but Matt offers to pay him if he helps with delivering the “Taste of Whyhope” eskies that he and Charlie have put together, to bring money in for The Brewery.

Meanwhile Hayley spends her day questioning whether she is a bad person as she has realised she has broken most of the 10 Commandments, which included (almost) stealing used socks from the local op shop and accidentally using the Lord’s name in vain.

When Hayley leaves work, she finds Tom outside on his motorbike waiting for her. He offers to give her a ride to the house site to show her something. While she at first refuses to get on the bike as there’s no helmet (although Tom brought one for her), she agrees and ends up enjoying the ride. Tom shows her an old wood stove he got for the house, which she loves. Tom tells her that Ajax is working so hard on the house to make her happy, but she tells him she believes that Ajax is working so hard on it in an effort to fix their marriage. Tom asks her if the marriage is broken, but she doesn’t answer.

Later, when Tom gives her a ride to the homestead for the Father’s Day dinner, he hugs her and tells her he’s in love with her. Before she can respond, the family arrives for dinner. Later at the dinner, after Sharna praises him for trying to build a house and Hugh praises him for always knowing what he wants, Ajax puts the ring back in the desk drawer. Matt follows him and although he doesn’t see Ajax put the ring back in the drawer, he gives him the money for helping him with the esky delivery.

During the dinner, Tom texts Hayley telling her he can’t stop thinking about her. While Hugh and Sharna are arguing with Meryl, Hayley leaves and goes to see him. She asks him why he told her he loves her, and chastises him for coming into her life and making her “feel things”. When Tom asks her what she feels, she doesn’t answer but passionately kisses him. They start to hook up but Hayley stops herself and breaks down. Tom asks her if she wants him to leave town and she says no.

The episode ends with Hayley admitting everything to Ajax, and Ajax admitting to her he couldn’t get the French doors but not about his gambling problem. Ajax asks her what he did wrong and she says nothing, and that things between them are different. She asks Ajax if he wants her to leave, he says no as they have Jimmy, but he kicks her out of their bedroom.

Overall, the progression of this story arc was well done and I appreciated that the writers didn’t go with the cliché of Hayley and Tom sleeping together. Bayliss’, Castley’s and Younes’ performances were on point. While the truth about Tom has come out, the situation hasn’t completely come to a head, but based on the preview for the next episode, which shows Ajax confronting Tom, it definitely will. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next week, and whether Ajax will reveal the truth of his escalating gambling problem or whether his hand will be forced.

Matt and Charlie – Matt and Charlie were barely featured in this episode. The only thing worth noting was their “Taste of Whyhope” initiative, and Matt giving Ajax money.

 

Overall, I felt that this was the best episode of the season. I’ve felt that this season has been weak due to the introduction of new characters that we’re supposed to be invested in despite not knowing them (Wes & Kassie), the overnight, drastic and unnecessary character change of one of the leads (Penny), and a story arc that takes a character completely off course from who they actually are (Hayley). However, this episode brought the show back to its roots a little with the medical drama Penny was dealing with, and having Hayley admit to the truth about Tom to Ajax.

I also felt a strength of this episode was having its focus off Hugh for a change. Not that a focus on Hugh is bad, he is the lead, but the focus on Ken, Penny, Ajax and Hayley, enabled for interesting subplots and some overdue character development.  With the Ajax-Hayley-Tom story arc in particular, I wasn’t a fan of Hayley cheating at first, but as she stopped herself from hooking up with Tom and admitted the truth to Ajax, it now seems less about taking her character off course and more realistic. Another strength of the episode was having it set over the course of a single day as it made each subplot and story arc easy to follow.

I’m looking forward to seeing the Ajax-Hayley-Tom and Hugh-Meryl-Sharna story arcs come to a head next week.

Stray Observations:

-We found out a lot about Sharna in this episode:

• She has a solid 5-year plan.
• She is not close to her father.
• The thought of giving birth terrifies her.
• Her brother is in jail.
• She took the blame for her brother’s hit-and-run because he was on drugs at the time.

-Apparently Eliza doesn’t like Charlie.

-Ken is an only child.

-Despite the fact that Ken didn’t end up becoming a doctor, he did study medicine for a year.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Hi, sorry, babysitter fell through and as it is Father’s Day, I felt bad leaving her at a bus stop.” (Hugh to Sharna on having Eliza with him when he visits her)
• “Ambitious women have ovaries too; I want it all I just wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get it.” (Sharna to Hugh about how good she is with Eliza)
• “I can’t go to jail.” “Says the woman picking a lock, I can’t witness this.” (Meryl-Michael while Meryl is trying to pick the lock to Sharna’s office)
• “We’re family, we help each other out with dumb arse plans to build the Taj Mahal in Whyhope.” (Matt to Ajax while giving him money)