Episode 8343

Extended Summary

Kirby comes back from taking a class and Mali accidentally splashes her while cleaning boards. Kirby asks if he knows the outcome of the art competition. Mali says he hasn’t looked but a nearby Alf says he keeps looking at his phone. Kirby gets Mali to check again and he says there’s still nothing. Alf comments that a watched pot never boils. Kirby tries to get Mali to look again anyway but he tells her to take the boards inside…then checks his phone once she’s gone.

Tane and Perri arrive back from their camping trip, having a good-natured argument about whether they saw a lizard or a snake. Perri wonders if their housemates missed them. Tane wonders if they should get a place of their own, since they’ll need more space with the baby, and Perri agrees. Tane suggests going to Salt for a feed and decides to see if Harper can join them.

Outside the surf club, John says he hasn’t seen Cash but the meals are disappearing. Alf says John and Marilyn are doing a good thing. Harper approaches and John apologises for overstepping before. Harper says she is going to have a chat with Tane. Tane appears with Perri and suggests they go for a meal up in Salt. Harper is thrown but agrees.

Leah and Justin are walking through a park area. Leah says if Claudia had said one more thing she’d have lost it. Justin points out she’s been talking about it non-stop anyway. Leah says Theo made a genuine mistake, which Justin says left Claudia with a broken arm. He also says it was Bree pushing for things at the hospital, although Leah says Claudia jumped straight to suing him anyway. Justin thinks she’s been fair while Leah can’t wait for the car to be fixed and her to be out of their lives.

Rose runs into Mali at Salt and chats about the competition with Mali noting she’s still following his posts. He sees Tane, Perri and Harper, and Tane invites him to join them, but Mali says he’s busy. Harper says they’re done but Tane and Perri want dessert. Harper asks Perri for a moment alone with Tane. Tane suggests they go out onto the balcony but Perri says he’ll see him at home. Tane asks Harper what that was all about.

Back at the Morgan house, Leah says Theo’s gone to Yabbie Creek with some TAFE mates so they have the house to themselves, suggesting an early night. Justin says he has to go to the garage to make a start on Claudia’s car, saying he’ll just be lying awake all night thinking about it otherwise. Leah agrees.

Harper suggests it isn’t unfair for her to ask Tane for a few minutes. Tane says she could have waited for Perri to finish his food. Harper points out Tane didn’t let her know about the camping trip until he was pitching the tent. Tane says Perri was feeling insecure with the baby on the way and he made a promise to him. Harper reminds him he made a promise to her and their baby too.

Outside, Mali runs into Kirby who tells him that a woman rang the board shop looking for him. Mali realises his phone is dead. Kirby explains that the winner is being announced tomorrow and they want a headshot and biographical details of him. She is convinced this mean he’s won. At the farm house, Perri receives a visit from Rose. She tells him the DPP were going to contact him but she decided to come instead: They’re willing to prosecute his father and have set a tentative court date… but only if Perri will testify against him.

At Salt, Harper explains everyone has been asking her questions about the baby, such as whether they’ll find out the sex, what they’re doing with appointments and whether they’ll live together. To prove her point, John briefly stops by the table and retreats on learning they’re having “the conversation”. Tane says he doesn’t have the answers but thinks they make a good team. Harper says she has a scan next week. Tane says he’ll be at all the appointments from now on, so that’s one decision.

Rose understands it’s a lot to ask Perri but it’s hard to prove coercion: There’s no guarantee he’ll be believed but it will help if the magistrate sees the dynamic between him and Carl. Tane arrives back and Rose asks Perri to let her know. Tane asks what that was about and Perri says he’d know if he’d been there. Meanwhile, Leah is sat up in bed reading when Justin arrives home. She reminds him he only said he’d be a couple of hours and he says he stopped to do some invoices. He heads off to have a shower, looking guilty as he does so.

Next morning, Mali finds that Kirby has posted a message about an announcement on the shop’s socials but thanks her. He gets a call from his mum, who has just seen the post, and tells her he hasn’t won anything yet. At the farm house, Perri apologises for the previous night and Tane says he called Rose and found out what’s going on. Perri says he was hoping he wouldn’t see Carl again and it feels wrong to testify against him. However, he decides he’s going to do it.

Justin is trying to usher Leah out of the house, saying she’s going to be late and Marilyn could be swamped. Leah suggests dropping round at lunchtime with some food but Justin says he’ll just take some leftovers. He kisses her goodbye, then takes off his overalls and replies to a message from Claudia wanting him there at 8.50, saying he’ll be on his way. At the Diner, Marilyn gives John the latest lot of takeaways for Cash. Alf sits with Mali as he gets an e-mail saying congratulations. However, when he opens it he learns the congratulations are for the actual winner, Raymond Lawson.

Cash is on the phone to Mackenzie, saying he needs to ask about a recent invoice, but can’t find it so says he’ll ring back later. He checks the fridge, where what he finds appears to be off. John turns up with the takeaways and Cash lets him in. Cash says Gary has gone home and John recalls he saw him and he said he was worried about him. He advises Cash to go out and get some fresh air.

Tane and Perri approach the surf club. Tane promises to be there for Perri next Thursday. Perri heads off to meet Rose. Harper appears and tells Tane she rang the hospital to book the scan and they could only fit them in on Thursday, so she went ahead and booked it. He follows her inside as she talks about him seeing the baby the first time. Tane says he can’t make it. Harper guesses he has plans with Perri and cuts him off before he can explain, saying she’ll go back to doing it on her own.

Tane chases Harper to a park area, saying he wants to be at the scan. Harper is annoyed when he responds to his phone ringing, saying his focus should be on her and the baby. Tane says if the scan has to be Thursday, he’ll make it work. They hug; Cash sees them and walks off in the opposite direction. Harper goes after him, while Tane looks awkwardly at the missed call from Perri.