Loveday Writing

The penultimate episode of a season is designed to provide a springboard for the finale, and it managed to do so, although only towards the end.

The episode kicks off with Janet receiving a phone call from Greenvale Crematorium, who are informing her that Ash’s ashes are still awaiting collection. Janet doesn’t say a word, hangs up and blocks their number on her phone.

We then cut to the reveal that the hospital surveillance footage of Ash’s death has been leaked to the Ballarat Herald, and two prison guards are watching it on their phones during their break. When they go back to work and see Jordan walking in front of them, they knock him down and make a remark to him about not seeing them coming up to him from behind. Meanwhile, Fiona calls Mary and then Lillian to let them know that the footage has been leaked, and advises them to put themselves on a “media blackout” to avoid seeing the footage.

When Mary comes home, she finds Lillian waiting there and reveals she is there to see Hamish. Mary makes it clear that she knows about Taylor, and they both end up having a fight about each other’s behaviour. Lillian tells Mary that Hamish is not weak, as he picks her up when she goes off the rails and that he can handle anything. Lillian finds Hamish in the chicken coop and he asks her if she is going back to her parents’ house. Lillian tells him that she doesn’t know yet and informs him that she is going to meet Taylor.

Meanwhile, against Fiona’s advice, Mary watches the leaked surveillance footage on her phone in the bathroom. Naturally traumatised by viewing it, she goes to leave the house just as Jack arrives, to inform Mary and Hamish that Jordan’s plea change was denied and he is definitely going to jail for Ash’s murder. Mary breaks down in tears at the news. We then see Jordan’s solicitor, Geoff Barry, visit Jordan in prison. After Jordan has an outburst at Geoff for not getting the plea changed, Geoff calls him out on his choices and behaviour. Jordan tries to threaten him but it doesn’t work, with Geoff telling him that they’re done. Andrew tries to organise a dinner with Mary, Lillian, and Hamish to celebrate, but none of them are available. Andrew, having gone to see Hamish at their home, tells him that he likes Hamish’s paintings, and Hamish in turn, thanks Andrew for his efforts and work in getting Mary her job back.

Meanwhile, Janet goes shopping with her sister, Caroline. Caroline tells Janet about Jordan’s plea change request being denied, and tells her that it’s good news and that this means she can move forward in her life. Janet, not liking this comment, makes a nasty remark towards Caroline about a dress she wanted to buy, after initially telling her that the dress suited her. When they finish shopping and Caroline tries to broach the subject again, Janet lashes out again, and Caroline calls her out on her behaviour. Janet then reveals that Ash’s ashes were split between her and Lillian, and she still hasn’t collected her half of the ashes. Caroline then takes Janet to pick up the ashes, telling her that Ash can’t sit on a shelf forever.

Meanwhile, Andrew returns to Adelaide and asks Kelly why she is still buying bacon when he can’t eat it (referencing an earlier scene when he was having breakfast with Lillian, when she asked him if he should be eating bacon). He later meets with a viticulturist to discuss opening a winery in Ballarat, much to Kelly’s chagrin.

Meanwhile, Lillian travels to Melton to meet Taylor, her husband, Brendan, and their son, Jett, at the local park. Whilst their meeting is awkward, Taylor is ultimately happy to meet her and is hospitable, however Brendan is hostile, specifically due to the fact that Lillian was watching them from outside of their home. Lillian ends up getting drunk at their barbecue with Brendan and Taylor taking her to a local motel to sleep it off. Whilst Taylor goes to the bathroom before they leave, Brendan tells Lillian that Taylor wanted her health to be perfect before she contacted her, and that Lillian seems disappointed in Taylor (echoing Lillian’s take on Andrew’s reaction to Ash being his donor). Brendan tells her that they’re grateful for Ash’s donation but that he doesn’t want to see her again.

Back in Ballarat, Mary lies to Hamish about having to work a long shift and attending to a multi-car collision. Hamish finds out about the lie the next morning, when he runs into Mary’s registrar, Sam, at the supermarket. Hamish then confronts Mary at the hospital café, telling her that their marriage will end if she continues to lie to him. Hamish then goes home to blow off steam by cleaning the house when Phillip comes over, looking for Lillian. They end up having an argument over Lillian, with Hamish calling out Phillip (and by extension, Michelle and Daniel) for not caring enough about Lillian to support her during Ash’s loss and for not visiting her, and that he and Mary did, and that Lillian is perfect the way she is. Mary comes home and overhears the conversation, she ends up giving Phillip the address of Lillian’s apartment before he leaves. Mary then apologises to Hamish for lying to him and finally tells him about her PTSD.

Back in Melton, Taylor visits Lillian at her motel room to give her a lift back to her car. When Lillian snaps at her as Taylor insists on giving her a lift, she immediately apologises and echoes Brendan’s words to Taylor, telling her she is perfect for Ash’s lungs. They end up having coffee together and Lillian asks Taylor if Ash’s lungs feel like her lungs. Taylor tells her that physically they do, but mentally, it’s a struggle, as no-one prepares you for the fact that a person had to die in order for her to live.

When Lillian returns to Ballarat, she gives Rick notice that she’ll be moving out of the apartment, and he tells her that Phillip is there waiting for her. Phillip compliments the view that she has from her apartment, and she tells him that if she’s going to run the new clinic, she needs her pay to be doubled so she can pay off the funeral debt faster. She also tells him that Janet didn’t want Ash’s organs donated and that’s why she’s in debt. When Phillip sees the apartment, which he likes, he sees Ash’s sports stuff and tells her that they’re actually worth a lot of money, and if she sells them near their market value, she can be debt free.

The episode ends with Janet putting Ash’s urn in a box and in a cabinet, clearly unable to cope with it being in plain view.

Overall, I felt that this was a solid penultimate episode, providing the springboard of Lillian starting to get her life back on track by telling Rick she plans on moving out of the apartment, and Phillip providing her with a way to pay off her debt faster. I also appreciated the closure of Jordan’s story arc, with his plea being denied meaning he will go to jail and no trial will take place, as it avoids the dramatic cliché of the season ending with a trial. There is no over-the-top drama when it came to ending this arc, it was a simple and satisfying end with a remorseless Jordan having to face the consequences of his actions, no matter how hard he tries to threaten and bully his way out of them.

I also appreciate the realism of Taylor and Lillian’s meeting, specifically that it was awkward and Brendan was justifiably antagonistic towards Lillian for basically stalking them for days prior to their meeting, and borderline forcing their hand by finding Taylor after her collapse and taking her to hospital. Whether Taylor ends up becoming friends with Lillian, like Andrew did, remains to be seen, but they at least end their awkward meeting on good terms.

I also appreciated the exploration of Janet’s grief, you alternate between pitying her and being frustrated by her. Whether she redeems herself in the finale for her poor treatment towards Lillian also remains to be seen. I also enjoyed watching Hamish finally standing up for himself and Lillian towards Phillip, and to Mary when he catches her in a lie.

Interestingly, Andrew’s appearance was only brief, as his story arc is bordering on coming to a close, as Mary has her job back and Jordan’s plea was denied. It will be interesting to see where the writers take the potential Ballarat winery subplot in the season finale.

It will be interesting to see how the season ends in the next episode.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “I just wanted you to know, in case I get arrested or something.” (Lillian to Hamish on going to meet Taylor)
• “That’s a good take, I’m going to run with that. I’m not insane, I’m just romantic!” (Lillian to Taylor, on Taylor telling her that her seeking out recipients of Ash’s organs could be seen as romantic)