Episode 7144

Extended Summary

At the Diner, Leah and Roo chat about the fact that Marilyn is hoping to get John home from the hospital. Ryder comes in and says he submitted his assignment at 11.59 last night. Roo doesn’t think being four days late instead of five is much of an achievement and is frustrated that Ryder doesn’t seem that bothered. At the farm house, Ben is holding a council with Maggie, Ziggy and Dean. He says there’s no point hiring another shaper because there’s no more room to work and he can’t do it inside because of the toxic fumes. He concludes that he needs to speed up the curing process. Ziggy comments to Dean that he hasn’t spoken. Dean says there’s no point interrupting Ben and he has to go to open the shop. Ziggy makes it clear they’ll continue the conversation later.

Mackenzie arrives at the surf club and asks Ryder if he’s seen Dean. Ryder offers her one of the juices he’s created. Mackenzie asks if he has his RSA card. Ryder says they don’t serve alcohol but Mackenzie says she’s offering him a job at Salt. She leaves him to think about it, then intercepts Dean and takes him to Salt. Dean thinks she was buttering him up. Mackenzie says there was a part of that, although she does want to get to know him as well. She says Rick abandoned “us” but Dean says there is no “us”. Mackenzie says Rick is painting himself as a family man but sold Karen’s home from under her. Increasingly uncomfortable, Dean walks out.

Mackenzie finds Colby near the Diner and questions him about Dean, saying he’s not interested in something that could make him money. Colby says Dean only needs food, beer and a roof, and maybe not the last one. When she mentions the house, Colby says that Karen had to move out and wouldn’t have gone back there even if Rick hadn’t sold it. Mackenzie presses him for details and Colby eventually explains that Karen has a mental illness. Back at the farm house, Maggie and Ziggy talk about how quiet Dean was, wondering if he’s worried about his investment. Ben comes in, frustrated that the humidity is slowing down the curing. Maggie suggests he take a surf to clear his head and Ben accuses her of wanting him to give up. Maggie leaves and Ziggy sarcastically congratulates Ben.

Leah tells Roo that John has been discharged. Roo is looking over Ryder’s assignment and says it’s very good, which only makes it all the more frustrating that it came in late. Maggie comes in and comments on frustrating husbands. At the farm house, Ben tells Ziggy that the situation’s a mess. He knows he shouldn’t have been short with Maggie but he’s risking his business and Dean’s investment by not being able to fulfill the order. He’s doing something he loves and he could lose it.

Roo approaches Ryder outside the surf club. Ryder excitedly tells her about the job offer. He thinks it could give him great experience and dreams of going travelling. He assures her it’ll be after his HSC. Roo accompanies him inside and tells him he got 88% on the assignment but will lose 40% of it. Ryder says that’s enough to scrape a pass. Roo is disappointed that’s all he wants. Ryder says he’s not after a big career or uni, he just wants to pass. Roo tries to argue that better marks will give him more options. Mackenzie comes in and approaches Dean, saying she heard about his mum and she’s sorry. Dean realises Colby spoke to her and storms out.

Dean, with Mackenzie trailing him, finds Colby near the beach and has a go at him for talking about Karen. Colby protests that the whole town knows and Mackenzie would have found out from someone else if he hadn’t told her. Ziggy comes along and steers Dean away. Down on the beach, Dean fills Ziggy in on Mackenzie’s plan about Rick. Ziggy agrees that it’s messed up but doesn’t think Dean should give up on her, suggesting he finds a different way of bonding with her.

Colby and Mackenzie go up to Salt. Mackenzie is surprised at Dean getting angry, since he seems so chilled. Ryder comes up and tells Mackenzie he wants the job. Colby asks how Roo feels about it; Ryder explains to Mackenzie that’s his aunt he lives with and claims she’s fine with it. He tells Mackenzie he’s doing his HSC and she says they can work around it. Later, Mackenzie gives Colby his meal on the house. Dean turns up and, after a brief clearing of the air with Colby, asks to speak to Mackenzie on the balcony. They exchange apologies but he tells her he’s not interested in her plan with Rick. Mackenzie accepts it but is determined to make Rick pay anyway. Dean suggests that maybe the best revenge is living a good life without him. Mackenzie says she’s still doing it.

Maggie tells Leah that the board shop is giving Ben a lot of stress. Leah notes that the more you care about something, the more you have to lose. She recalls when she first owned the Diner she used to get up at four in the morning to do the baking and work until ten at night. Eventually, she outsourced the baking. Maggie heads home where Ben apologises to her. She tells him what Leah said. Ben says outsourcing would cut into the profit margin but Maggie suggests it’s worth it to hang onto the dream: There’s a factory in Yabbie Creek that will do it. Ben agrees to think about it.

Colby joins Mackenzie, who comemnts that she’s finally got her brother and he called her out on her tantrums. Colby says hers are nothing compared to Bella’s. Mackenzie says Rick walked out on her eighteen years ago, just giving her and her mother money and now he’s stopped doing that. Colby agrees families can be complicated. He kisses her but Mackenzie pulls back, agreeing that it was great but saying it’s not a good idea while he’s wearing a wedding ring. She walks away.