Loveday Writing

Heather – As this episode is narrated by and focuses on her, I’ll start with her.

The episode kicks off with Heather waking up at Ed’s place, with Ed informing her that he wants to throw a casual soiree to celebrate hers, and Timmy’s graduation day. Despite Heather making it clear she doesn’t want a celebration; Ed informs her that he already sent invitations to everyone. Heather then has to deal with the ire of Ainsley and Liz, as Ed invited all of them to the soiree even though she never told them she was graduating.

Later, Ed conference calls with Heather and Timmy, as he has organised for them to give a keynote speech at the ceremony, something that neither one of them wants to do, but reluctantly agrees to do anyway. When Heather eventually returns to Ed’s apartment, she expresses her irritation at him as she is copping it from everyone. Ed then asks her to move in with him, which she dismisses as she believes they’ll “kill each other in the first week.”

As the soiree at Ed’s house comes to an end, Col finds out that Timmy took four marijuana gummies and will meet them on campus for the graduation ceremony. When Col and Heather get there, Timmy calls for help from an accessible toilet. Col and Heather manage to get him up, with Simmo offering to help, only for them to run out of time. Heather helps Timmy on stage to receive his degree, and then she gets her own.

Heather is then forced to make an ad-lib keynote speech as Timmy wrote their joint speech but was too stoned to tell her where he kept it.

The episode ends with Ed promising never to interfere with the natural order of her life again, Heather telling him that she’s decided not to move in, only to change her mind when Ed informs her that he didn’t ask her to move in to take care of him.

Ben, Mia, and Mel – Ben only played a minor role in this episode; however, it still established some possible subplots for him in future episodes.

Ben spends the first half of the episode dealing with Col jumping to conclusions that Heather and Ed are getting married, and asking Heather if he can bring Mia to the party Ed is throwing for her, as she’s hoping that Heather’s graduation will inspire her to go back to school. When Mia arrives at the party, both of them are happy to see each other, and Mia informs her that Ben and Col think Ed is dodgy. Heather then informs them that Ed has such a large house as his ex-wife is loaded and he got the house in the divorce.

Mia informs Ben and Heather that she is dating a few people, no-one exclusive, which freaks Ben out, but Heather tells him that Mia’s trying to wind him up. Heather also deduces that Ben hasn’t told Mia about Mel yet. Mel then arrives at the party, introducing herself to Mia. When Mia asks her if she’s graduating as well, Mel tells her that she isn’t as she left school at 15 and has never looked back.

During the graduation ceremony, Mel lets Mia have a sip of bourbon and soda from her flask. Mia asks Mel if she is sleeping with Ben, and Mel admits that she is, as often as she can.

When Ben and Mia get home, Ben asks why he can smell alcohol, but Mia tells him that it’s because he’s been drinking. Mia tells him that she thinks Mel is cool.

Liz and Stuart – Liz and Stuart are more in the background as they don’t appear at the graduation party or ceremony at all, as they are attending couple’s counselling.

During the counselling session, Liz and Stuart talking about Liz’s cheating, as well as Stuart’s past with mismanaging their finances and leaving Liz to deal with it (which was seen in season one). Just as they appear to have a breakthrough, Stuart admits that their old friend, Simone, hit on him and gave him a blowjob just before he came back to Melbourne.

Liz and Stuart fight during the car ride back to the house and in the front yard. Stuart tells Liz that his cheating makes them even, but Liz dismisses him and calls him out for hurting and taking everything away from her, and ends their relationship. When Liz walks into the house, she finds Manju sitting on a lounge nearby. Manju tells her that Stuart wasn’t right for her, and now she is free.

Harry – Harry is also in the background of the episode, however that doesn’t mean he didn’t have an exciting day.

Whilst he is filling in for another GP at work, one of the patients he tends to is Anton, the real estate agent he tried to casually hook up with at the beginning of season two. Anton asks for Harry for advice on a mole on his upper thigh, Harry is professional and offers to do a biopsy on it for him, and Anton makes an awkward attempt at flirting with him.

When Harry arrives at the graduation ceremony, he tells Ben that Anton is texting him again, and asks Ben if Anton is flirting with him. Ben confirms that he is, and Harry tells Ben he can’t pursue anything with Anton as he is technically a patient now.

Ainsley – Ainsley is in the background of the episode as well, spending most of her time at work covering for Lachlan, before she leaves for the graduation party. As she is locking up and on the phone to Lachlan, he is getting a massage and tries (and fails) to guilt her into staying at the office.

When she gets to the graduation party, Simmo reveals he told Col about her inheritance, and Col wants to talk to her about using it to invest in property. Ainsley politely brushes him off.

Towards the end of the episode, Lachlan tries to act like a boss and reprimand Ainsley for leaving the office unattended, however Ainsley quits on the spot, informing Lachlan that she has the means to no longer put up with his bullshit, and walks out.

Overall, I felt that this episode was a filler, acting as a springboard for the second-half of the season. I felt that the episode was slow paced, a little too slow at times, however I am looking forward to seeing the subplots that were established – Heather moving in with Ed, Mia’s rebellion, Liz breaking up with Stuart, Harry running into Anton, and Ainsley quitting her job – play out in the remaining episodes.

On smaller notes, Col was hilarious as always and I hope he keeps appearing, in contrast, I’m hoping that Ainsley quitting her job means that Lachlan is gone for good. Nothing against Hugh Sheridan, I just can’t stand Lachlan, and by extension, Mel. However, with Mel dating Ben, she’s not going anywhere anytime soon. I also appreciated the reappearances of Mia and Timmy, however I felt that both of them were underused, especially Mia.

Stray Observations:

Episode title – A reference to Timmy taking four marijuana gummies on graduation day, which leads to chaos before and during the graduation ceremony.

Running gag – Col offering people beta blockers to help them relax, as they block the release of stress hormones.

-According to Col, Ed’s place is on a big block of land with four off-street parking spots, which sold for $1.4 million in 2005.

-According to Col, Heather never let him throw a party for her in their 20 years together.

-According to Ainsley, Lachlan once burnt his “bum hole” with hot wax and claimed it was a medical emergency/allergic reaction, and did this at 11am on a work day.

-Heather once got high off hash cookies and somehow woke up in Darwin.

-Timmy’s full name is revealed to be Anthony Timothy Doyle, he goes by his middle name.

-Heather’s middle name is revealed to be Marie.

-Apparently Col used his Uncle Herb’s disabled parking permits twice. According to Col, the permits were a gift.

-According to Heather, Timmy completed his Year 12 English exam whilst off his face on mushrooms and still managed to get an ‘A’.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Col, I’m sensing you’re wanting me to be outraged, but Ed having money is a good thing isn’t it?” “Oh, Benny. Benny, Benny, Benny, you sweet-hearted fool. You’ve got no idea what this is, do you?” “Well, it’s a casual soiree with, um, finger food.” “She’s getting married.” “What?” “I know it’s like salt on an open wound, but at least we’ve got each other.” (Ben-Col going back-and-forth on Heather and Ed, and the graduation party Ed has invited them to)
• “What is wrong with you?” “Oh, just a staggering amount of shit, and you know it.” (Ainsley-Heather on Heather’s choice to hide her impending graduation from everyone)
• “He thinks you’re getting married.” “I genuinely think he was hit on the head as a kid.” (Ben-Heather on Col)
• “Thank you so much for your lovely card.” “Oh, you’re more than welcome. I meant every word, he was…he was an intimidating man.” (Ainsley-Col on Des)
• “Heather’s smiling, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” (Col to Ben on Heather and Mel talking to each other)
• “He’s sent you what, seven text messages in 10 minutes, he’s probably already nude.” (Ben to Harry on Anton)