This week in Summer Bay…
MONDAY
The motorcycle-riding, violin-playing Mercedes has arrived in the Bay. According to Remi she is a secret weapon that will ensure victory in the ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition, but to Eden she is a snake.
Remi is easily charmed by the passion for music and history he shares with Mercedes, who claims to be Remi’s original bestie, whereas Eden is basically ‘Mercedes Take Two’ – and the sequel is not as good as the original. Kirby cops a serve from Irene for abandoning her shift at work, and she and Eden are all too happy to avoid the rehearsal, Theo and Mercedes. Eventually they agree that if they stick together, they might be able to get through it. And sure enough, putting differences aside, and aided by a new string section has Lyrik’s rehearsal sounding incredible. But the moment is fleeting, and rising tensions explode into arguments.
Eden shows Mercedes the door, and she’s back on her bike. Theo and Kirby face off to see if it’s possible to separate their personal life from their professional. Remi’s job of uniting the band seems impossible. Rose and Mali are stuck in relationship limbo. Talking through their complications is made even more difficult by a heartbroken, hungover Kirby. Although he promises things are different, Rose has reached a point where she cannot trust that Mali is going to fight for them to be together. She needs space. Kirby reinforces to Mali that if you care for someone, you have to show up for them. Advice that Mali takes seriously.
TUESDAY
Remi is at Mercedes’ heels, begging her to give his unstable band another shot. Remi arranges for Mercedes to crash with Felicity, and they are fast friends. Eden’s nightmare continues as Felicity arrives home and introduces them to her new temporary housemate: Mercedes. Eden is livid. She would rather drink poison than share a glass of wine with Mercedes. Bree quizzes Remi; how close were he and Mercedes?
Is there anything she should know? But he is clear that Bree has nothing to worry about. Despite the ongoing band feuds, Remi remains convinced; if Lyrik can pick up their instruments and manage to put their differences aside, they have this competition in the bag. If Mali truly wants to have another shot with Rose, he’s going to need to give her some space. She’s not ready to talk, and that includes a chance run-in at the diner. Luckily, Irene has a wise word for Mali; show up. And that is something he knows he can do. Mali might still get that last shot he was hoping for.
WEDNESDAY
Cash tells Justin they need to back off and let the task force do its job, or they might end up like Andrew’s mother. Justin doesn’t want to hear it and tracks Cash back to the station. Justin’s seeing red. Why can’t they go into the compound and drag Andrew out?
Cash warns Justin if he even sneezes the wrong way, he’ll end up in prison. And then what happens to Andrew? Eden’s grievances to Felicity about Mercedes and the band are poorly received, especially when they have bigger things to worry about. Cash is going rogue. He is clearly blaming himself for the dangerous situation that Andrew is in. Should Cash take action? Felicity is hard against it, but Eden encourages him to trust his judgement.
To Justin’s complete surprise, a uniformed Senior Constable Cash Newman arrives, ready for a rescue mission. Cash has changed his mind. They are headed to the compound to save Andrew. It’s a plan far from foolproof, but it’s a risk they’re both willing to take. Marilyn’s stand against Stunning Organics reaches new levels of fame when her interview is published in a national newspaper. It seems the shady company have got the message: don’t mess with Marilyn Chambers. Roo’s been watching the article go viral and has been fielding thousands of dollars in paid interview requests
Irene remains worried for Marilyn’s safety. And she may have been right: Marilyn’s phone buzzes with a threatening message.
THURSDAY
Cash is surrounded. He faces the Vita Nova compound members, including ringleader Margot, who has figured out his and Justin’s façade. Luckily, they are released. No broken bones, but they are deflated and defeated.
Andrew is dragged back by the compound henchmen. It’s a big failure. Leah arrives home early and there’s a lot of catching up to do, and uncertainty as to what to do next. Cash and Justin are agreed they might just have to trust the task force. But a concerned Leah is haunted by Andrew’s absence. How could Justin just give up? Kate comes into Salt to catchup with Xander, searching for support from someone who knew her husband.
A supportive friend, Xander offers for her to stay at his place for the night. But the night becomes sombre when Xander’s stories of Jamie bring up memories and tears. The next morning, Xander’s asked to attend a soccer match with Kate and her son. An inquisitive Mackenzie feels it’s time to point out a hard truth: Kate might be getting a little dependent on him.
FRIDAY
Justin’s got no updates on Andrew, and Leah’s outburst of frustration has only made things worse. Leah apologises, and while she and Justin make amends, they remain worried sick about Andrew. When they stumble across a small note Andrew must have planted in Justin’s pocket, they are resigned to a rescue mission.
News spreads of Kirby and Theo’s complicated breakup. Leah lends a compassionate ear to Theo whilst Marilyn does the same for Kirby. With level heads, Kirby and Theo agree if they keep talking, maybe things between them can improve, and Kirby might be able stomach turning up to rehearsal. Xander pulls back on his involvement with Kate’s family, but she turns up again at Salt wanting to talk. Mackenzie’s good intentions of finding ways to get Kate to give Xander space are poorly received, and Xander is fired up.
It’s none of her business, and Mackenzie needs to stay out of it. Marilyn has been instructed by the police; no more interviews regarding Stunning Organics. They are dangerous people. But Marilyn struggles with staying silent. By speaking out, she was making a difference. She enlists Kirby to record a video exposing the CEO as a bully and a coward, and they proudly post the call to arms online. Soon after, a curious package arrives from Stunning Organics addressed to Marilyn.
HOME AND AWAY, MONDAY TO FRIDAY, 1.45pm CHANNEL 5
Also screened at 6pm on 5Star
