Loveday Writing

When Easton gets to the soup kitchen, there’s no table settings or ingredients for him. He later finds out from Pastor Penny that Ben told her that Easton would organise these things. Easton and Terry go to confront Ben at his restaurant. Ben tells him that the chef donates the resources for the fundraiser lunch and refuses to help him. While Diana, waiting in the car, spots Nayani heading for the dumpsters. When Easton finds Diana, he also discovers Terry dumpster diving. This leads to Easton joining him as they manage to find fresh enough ingredients to use for the lunch, which Nayani lets them do as Ben throws out anything that is over two days old. Easton and Terry continue dumpster diving at a supermarket.

When Easton, Terry and Diana return to the soup kitchen, they discover that Harry has bought and set up the table settings, and June arriving. Ben then arrives with Matt Preston moments later. When they unpack in the kitchen, Diana finds that Kwame sent her a box of berries. When Easton chucks a temper tantrum, Diana pulls him into line by pointing out the fact that the fundraiser lunch is not about him or his ego, and that without Terry, he’d have nothing to cook with. Terry also points out the dumpster food isn’t the problem, he is.

When Ben sees Easton watching everyone eating, he finds a microphone and gets him to say a few words to everyone. While he starts to talk about how appreciative he is to get the tick of approval from those in the industry, he ends up admitting to using ingredients from the dumpster, and how food wastage is a problem. Later, Diana has dessert served, a pastry with berries and custard, inspired by Terry. Instead of making a speech, Diana gets Terry to tell his story about the dessert.

After the lunch, Matt Preston tells him that his speech was the wake-up call the industry needs and tells him to get in touch with his producer for further media opportunities. Kwame comes to see Diana, she thanks him for the berries and starts talking about Nayani, only for Harry to come in and hug her over the dessert’s success. Easton reluctantly thanks Terry and apologises to him as he leaves the soup kitchen.

Meanwhile June has literally made herself at home by taking over Brett and Denise’s bedroom, with Brett and Denise now sleeping on the bunk beds in Easton’s childhood bedroom. Denise asks June how long she plans on staying, saying that even though she regrets leaving and she wants to make up for lost time that it needs to be discussed. However, June tells Denise that she doesn’t regret leaving as she had wonderful adventures. Denise then proceeds to tell June to go to the charity lunch as it’s in her honour.

The episode ends with Denise and Brett throwing June out, only for June to give them the deed to the house, which is in her name. Easton asks June if he can stay and she accepts.

Overall, I felt that this was the best episode of the season so far, due to Easton and Diana ultimately being humbled by needing Terry to help them source ingredients for the fundraiser lunch. I also appreciated that the lunch ended with Easton being provided another opportunity for success from Matt Preston, one that he hadn’t thought of and from someone within the industry. I also appreciated the June subplot and I’m looking forward to seeing what life will be like for everyone with June living with them in the house.

Stray Observations:

-Apparently Denise once packed three suitcases for an overnight trip to Canberra.

-Terry was in the army.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Oh, speaking of shitface, I’m looking for Easton.” (Diana to Margot)
• “We haven’t aged a day since then.” “Yeah, it was only last year.” (Brett-Denise on the photo of them with Diana in their bedroom)
• “Chef West, the last time I met you, I think I called you a ‘gelded former prodigy’ and you called me a ‘turgid little wiener in riposte’.” (Matt Preston to Easton)
• “I’m Easton’s mother, June.” “Aren’t you dead?” “A minor misunderstanding.” (June-Ben-Easton)
• “Jesus! It’s like looking into the pantry of a serial killer. Maybe I should just roll up the wheelie bin and get them to eat from that!” (Easton to Terry and Diana on the ingredients from the dumpsters in the kitchen)
• “I’ve somehow stumbled into a culinary class taught by a homeless dude with a trash fetish and now I have to find my way out of this literal dumpster fire.” (Easton to Terry and Diana)
• “Actually, I can’t do this bullshit. Fresh produce has always been the key to my success. But today, everything you ate came from the bin. All of it, every ingredient that went into that meal you just ate came from a dumpster. Actually it was several dumpsters. Cafés, supermarkets, restaurants, a big shoutout to Ben Zhao who’s Z2 dumpster provided such plentiful bounty. I’ve been working in this kitchen for a few weeks and I’ve served people who are lucky to have one meal a day, yet here we are in this industry with our heads jammed right up our own arseholes, throwing out food because it’s too lumpy, or it’s got a bruise, or it’s two days too old. Now, all the ingredients you ate today might’ve come out of the rubbish, but they are not rubbish, the problem is us, you, we’re the rubbish. Thanks for coming.” (Easton’s speech at the charity lunch)