Loveday Writing

There is no mention of how much time has passed as the premiere kicks off with Helen walking into the café that she was banned from in the previous season, which is now Blendology, a juice bar. She tries to get a coffee, only to be told they don’t make coffee, and when she tries to order a customised juice, she ends up going to the 7/11 to get her favourite one-dollar cup of coffee.

When Helen arrives at work and sees George wearing a headset, he tells her that it’s his streaming headset and he’s patched it into the office’s phone system. He plays a game called Rubble Runner, which involves knocking down buildings with a bobcat and he is live streaming on Twitch later that night and offers to connect Helen to it. Roz then informs them that they have mediation training that night, although George uses his live streaming event to get out of it.

Helen’s case for the week is a nuisance claim. Leslie comes to Helen as her mother, Dorothy, who has recently passed away, rented out a granny flat to Keith Budge. Keith is now contesting Dorothy’s will. Helen tells her that she can’t throw Keith out as his lease is for two years, however there was no provision for him in Dorothy’s will, so she call Keith to tell him so. He ends up hiring his own solicitor to continue contesting the will.

Meanwhile, Roz has bought a second-hand photocopier from Gumtree, which she places in Helen’s office and is emitting so much heat that Helen is constantly sweating. She goes home to take a shower, which leads to the reveal that she is living in a granny flat in Tony and Viktor’s backyard. Viktor clearly wants Helen to leave, and her frustration with the photocopier emitting heat and everyone coming into her office to use it and distracting her, leads to her bringing up the situation during the mediation training. Helen barely pays attention as she is watching George’s live streaming event on Twitch, which she ends up enjoying.

Later, Helen meets with Keith and his solicitor, Debbie Lim. He claims they were intimate partners, although he is unconvincing as he mispronounces words from his supposed affidavit, Debbie provides weak evidence, and Keith can’t answer Helen’s questions. Debbie tells Helen to tell Leslie to pay him the $30,000 they’re suing for. Helen ends up convincing Leslie to settle with him for $10,000 as nuisance claims are more cost-effective if you settle.

Later, when Helen goes home, Viktor tries to use the possibility of having to knock down the granny flat as it may be too close to the boundary as an excuse to get rid of her, although this gives Helen the inspiration she needs to win her case. Helen goes to the granny flat to tell Keith that as the flat is too close to the boundary, it needs to be knocked down and kicks him out. George then knocks down the granny flat by driving a bobcat into it, referencing his love for Rubble Runner.

The end credits scene has Ray asking Helen if she’s been working out as she’s lost weight and she tells him she lost water weight with the photocopier making her sweat. He tells her he’ll have it moved and as he’s trying to get in shape for an upcoming reunion, he puts it in his office.

Overall, I didn’t feel that this was the strongest season opener as it was written in a way to be just like every other episode, for a premiere, nothing really stood out to mark the occasion. However, I appreciated the callbacks to the previous season, including a reappearance of Marg Downey as the mediation trainer, Lindy Baxter-Smythe, who previously appeared in the season one episode, Taken.

However I am looking forward to watching and reviewing the rest of the season.

Stray Observations:

Episode title – Goddamn Flim-Flam Man is how Leslie describes Keith.

Running gags – Everyone but Helen and Ray drinking juices from Blendology, everyone’s comments on Helen sweating due to the heat emitting from the photocopier, and Roz telling Helen to stop throwing a fit over the photocopier.

-Roz is a keen netballer and is the Goal Attack on her team, she is also into decoupage.

-George gives Helen a message from a phone call she missed. She was apparently requesting a brown burkini, although why she’s asking for it isn’t made clear.

-According to George, his job as receptionist is his side hustle and playing Rubble Runner is a lifestyle choice. I wonder what he regards as his main job/hustle?

-Tony’s drag queen name is Judy, as in Judge Judy.