Loveday Writing

This episode touched on the Indigenous perspective of the Bicentennial, gave an insight into Kay’s drug addiction and early life, and Dale planning an elaborate marriage proposal to Helen.

The episode kicks off on 4 December 1987, with the News at Six crew rehearsing a song-and-dance number to promote their upcoming Bicentennial coverage. We then move forward to 12 December 1987, where Kay is in rehab and Evelyn is there attending a therapy session. Geoff is absent as he is interstate for work. When Kay’s therapist tells Evelyn that it would be beneficial for Geoff to attend, she asks if the sessions can be held at night, Kay tells her therapist it’s so he can avoid being seen. Geoff is shown doing his own Bicentennial coverage in Western Australia as a re-enactment of the First Fleet arriving is taking place, which is interrupted by Indigenous protestors, led by Lynus Preston.

Two days later, Geoff is back home complaining about the lack of outrage in the papers about the protest to Evelyn. Evelyn tries to talk Geoff into going to the rehab therapy sessions, but he doesn’t listen to her. Geoff later provides his opinion on the protestors, specifically Lynus, on his show, questioning his Indigenous heritage.

The next day, Geoff’s broadcast is discussed at the News at Six office, with Rob agreeing with Geoff but also trying to assert he is not racist by using his footy team as an example. Helen wants to interview Lynus, but Dennis and Lindsay want to focus on Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Noelene points out that Prince Charles and Princess Diana have been living apart for months, pitching that they have separated but not announced it yet.  Dale uses this to pitch six minutes of the bulletin being spent on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s “separation” in exchange for two minutes being spent on Helen’s interview with Lynus Preston. Rob is later seen talking about his biracial footy team with Noelene’s family, with Noelene pointing out that she’s never seen or heard him catch up with any Indigenous players. Later, Dale calls his mother asking her to bring him his gran’s engagement ring.

The next day, Helen goes to see Lynus whilst he’s on the air of his radio show. This leads to her spending the entire day with him and a documentary crew filming him, which includes Tim. The more time Helen spends with Lynus and the other protestors, as he keeps holding off on having the interview with her due to his commitments, the more irritated she becomes as the story is being held off. After she is insulted by one of the protestors at lunch, she leaves, with Lynus going after her. Helen calls him out on wasting her time, reminding him that no other network is giving him the opportunity she is, and her network has a bigger audience than the documentary ever will. Meanwhile, Dale gets his gran’s ring from his mother, and tells her that he plans on proposing to Helen with a special meal cooked by a chef, surrounded by flowers and fairy lights.

Meanwhile, Geoff and Evelyn have a family therapy session with Kay at rehab. Kay outlines that she feels she had to be constantly perfect and the pressure of that led to her addiction. However, Geoff dismisses this as she had a childhood most people would dream of and chastises her for acting like a victim, and for blaming him and Evelyn for her addiction. Later, Evelyn goes to the rehab and is informed that Kay has left and her room is empty. Kay’s therapist tries to encourage Evelyn to keep supporting Kay, but Evelyn walks away.

Back at the office, Charlie calls Helen and tells her that she should move on professionally and she admits that she would if another network would hire her. Charlie tells her that Lindsay’s job is on the line.

Later, Lynus shows up agreeing to the interview. When Helen interviews him, he goes on a diatribe, and Helen tells him to put himself into the story and talk about how he feels about the Bicentennial. However, as the bulletin gets underway, Noelene’s Princess Diana and Prince Charles separation story is prioritised as a royal correspondent rebutts it, which leads to Lynus’ interview being pulled in favour of airing the Bicentennial promo. Helen calls Lynus later to apologise.

The episode ends with Dale and Helen arriving home depressed and angry over how the day panned out. Dale tries to stop Helen from going inside, but she does anyway. He goes through with the proposal, and although she is touched, she tells him that she loves him but can’t, running out of the house and driving away.

Overall, I felt that this was a sombre and powerful episode, that could be viewed as apt even today, especially with the upcoming referendum. However, the episode, writing-wise, did have its flaws. I could honestly see Lynus’ interview being pulled from the bulletin coming, but despite this predictability, I could feel his and the protestors’ pain, as the cancellation was balanced out well with the cringe of the Bicentennial promo. I also felt that the Noelene-Rob subplot of Rob trying to prove he’s not racist and Noelene calling him out on his ignorance was wasted as it didn’t go anywhere.

I could also see Helen rejecting Dale’s proposal coming and I was personally glad she did as their marriage would never work for obvious reasons, that being said it will be interesting to see where Helen and Dale go from here.