Episode 458

Australian Air Date: 23rd January 1990
UK Air Date: 20th November 1990
Writer: Greg Stevens
Director: Michael Ailwood

Lance becomes suspicious of his best friend. Two strangers come to town.

Extended Summary

Celia sets up some furniture in the front room of the mansion, putting a radio on the mantelpiece and getting out a picnic lunch. Viv sneaks back to where Emma is hiding to tell her what’s going on and Emma radios Steven and Adam. Steven starts rattling a chain in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Celia heads upstairs to investigate. Adam sneaks out of the cupboard, steals most of Celia’s sandwiches, empties her cup of tea into the fireplace and turns her radio on. When Celia comes downstairs, she is puzzled by her meal’s disappearance but sits down to do some knitting.

At the Diner, Martin complains to Bobby and Carly about how Marilyn is messing everything up for him and how Lance will make a mistake marrying her. The girls insist he loves her but Martin isn’t convinced and heads off. Bobby tells Carly she should take her own advice and be happy for Adam and Emma but Carly insists it’s just a rebound relationship and if she waits around Adam will come back for her. At the mobile home, Martin tells Lance about a married couple he knows: They were love’s young dream before they got married but, once they were, the wife started nagging the husband and hitting him with a frying pan if he stayed out too late and after having their first child she became fat and ugly. Lance wonders who he’s talking about but Martin says it’s Lance’s parents: Colleen drove Stan away and the same will happen to Lance and Marilyn.

Viv radios Steven and Adam to let them know Emma’s on her way in. Emma knocks on the door and gives Celia a magazine with an article on axe murderers. She asks who was upstairs, saying she saw someone at the window. Celia protests there’s no-one else there so Emma says she must have imagined it. Celia tries to convince her to stay for a while but Emma says she has to meet Viv. She hurries back to where Viv is waiting and Viv radios Steven, who starts stamping on the floor so Celia hears footsteps. This time Celia can’t bring herself to go upstairs and starts singing Onward Christian Soldiers instead. Adam complains over the radio that it’s giving him a headache but Viv and Emma can’t bring themselves to interrupt her performance.

At the caravan park house, Lance asks Carly what women do when they get married. Carly says it’s because they want to spend their lives with a man they love and have children. He asks if women get fat after having babies but Carly points out Pippa hasn’t. When Lance tells her Martin said Marilyn would end up like Colleen, Carly says he’s jealous, which makes Lance angry. As Lance is leaving, Tom pops in with some new guests: Al and his teenage daughter Sophie, who glares at Carly. Tom shows them to a caravan which Al says is just what they need, paying some of his rent up front. He asks about Bobby, saying he spent some time in town when she was a kid and remembers her. Tom confirms she’s still around and runs the Diner. After Tom has gone, Al seems very interested in the fact Bobby’s doing well. Sophie complains about being there but Al says he knows the town, which is always useful when you’ve got nowhere to go. He notes they only have $43.58 but promises her he won’t let her down. He decides to have a look around town and reacquaint people with Al Simpson.

Celia is showing a husband and wife around the mansion; the wife is pregnant with their second child. Celia is reluctant to accompany them upstairs but accepts they might have questions to ask. Steven hides under the bed when they look at the bedroom he’s in, then gets an old-fashioned hat and coat out of the wardrobe once they’re gone. The couple tell Celia they’re interested but have other properties to see. After they’ve left, Celia hears a groaning sound and sees the shadow of someone carrying an axe on the stairs. She rushes outside and sees Steven, wearing a balaclava and the old-fashioned clothes, at the window. She cycles off in a panic. Viv worries they might have overdone it but Emma is delighted. Later, Celia goes to see Emma at the Stewart house and asks about the person Emma saw at the window. Emma says it was someone who looked old and scary and wonders if they’ve seen the ghost. Celia wants to tell Andrew but Emma points out if they tell people they’ve seen a ghost they’ll laugh at them. Celia agrees and says she’ll tell Morag to put the sale of the house in the hands of an agent and never go there again.

Lance has apparently misunderstood what Carly said since he’s accusing Martin of being after Marilyn and trying to break them up so he can have her for himself. Martin insists it isn’t true. Marilyn arrives back, having been away looking at material for her wedding dress, and Martin heads off to the hot dog stand. Lance asks her if Martin’s said anything funny to her but she can’t think of anything. Lance says there’s some things mates don’t do.

Al and Sophie are buying groceries at the store and Al makes it clear to Celia that he knows her. Celia agrees he looks familiar and Al says it will come to her. Once he’s gone, Celia realises and runs to the phone to tell Betty. At the Diner, Steven, Viv, Adam and Emma celebrate their plan working. Bobby asks if they want anything else but Steven and Viv head off. Al and Sophie sit at a nearby table and, without looking up, Bobby asks for their order. Al asks her if she’s got a kiss for her old man. Bobby looks less than pleased to see him.

Guest Cast

AL SIMPSON (TERENCE DONOVAN)
MARILYN CHAMBERS (EMILY SYMONS)
SOPHIE SIMPSON
 (REBEKAH ELMALOGLOU)
WIFE (NOT CREDITED)
HUSBAND (NOT CREDITED)

Characters

Arrivals and Departures

Sophie Simpson (Rebekah Elmaloglou)
First episode. Al’s daughter, the product of an affair with a girlfriend during his marriage to Doris 15 years ago. Petty thief who accompanied her father to Summer Bay. Later moved in with the Fletchers.

Trivia

Al Simpson has been in jail for 10 years.