Foellfan

Oh Xander get over yourself you should be grateful Dana gave you a second chance in the first place, you two faced twit! Sadly, Irene is doing the classic 'I'm in control' bit, unfortunately addiction by it's very nature the polar opposite; it is hard to always be the 'odd one out' if you like, whether it's addiction or allergy etc. and it can be wearing, even though it's the safest way. Sadly I think falling further is the only way here. I did like Tane's smirk at Perri's evasive techniques, you just know Tane might've been a bit like that too as a youngster and older young person; I'm glad he kind of put Perri through his paces, trying to teach him both work ethic and also the how to's in the working world (often think they hould actually teach basic life/work skills in school, they don't seem to anymore) I think Perri was brave to admit his struggles, it's not easy to admit to those struggles sometimes and hopefully now he'll get the support he needs and give a chance to improve those skills, it opens the world up yet it's so simple.

I agree with Tane about some people don't deserve to be parents to be honest, IRL how many news stories do you hear of kids ending up like Perri or much worse? No-one ever says being a parent is easy, but the fundamentals i.e. warmth, food and love shouldn't be that difficult. I think there's no harm in him researching perhaps as long as he doesn't activate anything as it were. Can understand Bree not wanted to be 'outed' as such, it is still early days and now the pressure is well and truly on!

Well done John, sometimes being a good friend is being kind and tough at the same time. Flick really proving the dumb blonde theory re:Rory, RBs, she really is a dtraining irritant!

Flick being a spoiled brat and throwing a tantrum as per, my advice to Cash would be let her go and wreck herself and then pick up the pieces and see if she learns a lesson. Theo with Bree and Remi was funny, nicely done. The John and Irene scene at the end I thought was quite sad, the silence from John spoke volumes; the horrified disbelief when you realise how far someone's fallen but you didn't see, however addicts of all kinds can be very sneaky, it's part what makes it what it is I think.

H&Alover, I noticed the t-shirt too, talk about rub it in Cash! The cuddling scene with Eden I thought was sweet, it's clear she's in real pain; loving someone and them betraying you and they're both men you're supposed to look up to is tough and then when you're left with the wreckage, it's breaks in seconds, repair is never simple. Both Levi and Jimmy should stay away really, they can choose to feel guilty or not but they don't have a right to her forgiveness. I know everyone's going to hate me for this but...Flick has found her people at last! Grungy, selfish bottom feeders, she always struck me that she'd be the 'grungy gang girl' type, hanging off the guy tipping vodka by the bottle and banshee hollering. I'm glad Cash is sticking to his guns, true he won't win the war but the RBs won't either. The scene with Irene is the car was so well done but so uncomfortable, sh has the mannerisms down perfectly, this will be a masterclass from LynneI think but a tragedy for Irene/the viewers because, as we all know, it never ends with one drink sadly.

Wow, Eden's got a heck of a hook, Cash better watch out! What struck me though was her crying, that's not pure anger that's hurt and disbelief too; she wanted to move on with her life, though circumstances forced her to do in a way that maybe she hadn't planned and that meant leaving them both in the past but now they're back squatting and playing victim, so I can appreciate her reaction. Cash leaving the uniform, they do often have more than one uniform shirt but I wonder if going plain clothes might have been the idea so that he could not necarrily arouse local, both RB and non, suspicion, while putting out feelers as it were.

Thanks, I wasn't entirely sure, thought better to be safe than sorry. Haven't seen today's yet but following my catch-up I just had to mention the scene of Irene ringing the hotline I thought was very well done but also I think would subtly help give people the 'go-ahead' if you like if you're anxious about it yourself, there's nothing wrong in asking for help. Also on the semi-lighter side, Cash's colleague slays me, her dry yet honst sarcasm and what they face and how tied their hands are but in all seriousness the danger everyone faces, not an easy note to hit. I think she we did see her during The Brax Days but, correct me if I'm wrong, I vaguely remember her when Colby and Robbo were around, I know the latter wasn't an RB but same-ish era.

BIG catch up! Sadly we know Dana going to fold re: Xander which is a shame; I think Irene she forgave because sadly kind people are easy targets, Harper because, in spite of it all, she'd still show up when the chips were down as sisters do. Xander is a different matter because, he did basically at one point say she was the one with the problem because she has trust issues, in other words actively blaming her and then condeming her to others (Salt scene, not sure if it was Bronte or Flick but he basically said ignore her she has problems) so if she forgave him any time they have a disagreement he can play the 'Issues' card which isn't nice. Re: Harper/pregnancy/Dana, yes contracptives can most definitely fail or either side, the only foolproof one is not doing it, but Dana's immediate reaction did make me giggle. Harper shouldn't tell Tane if she doesn't want to keep it, best he's out of that but if she does, yes I know she wouldn't have to tell him but, call me crazy, think he'd be smart enough to figure out that that's not a basketball she's hiding up her jumper! Tane and Perri, I've enjoyed the culture scenes, also I can understand Tane's immediate want to keep him safe, a natural reaction to sleeping rough and abuse I think.Yes, Perri's 17 but just because he's classified as an adult doesn't necesarrily mean he has the wherewithall of one, he's still a scared kid really. I don't think he has love or loyalty for his father in the true sense, it's a mixture of fear and the conditioning of subconcious self-loathing, classic abuser's trick. We know Mum isn't around, has it been established yet which kind of 'not around'? His lack of cultral knowledge strikes me that either she was isolated when she married him or, if she is no longer alive, he's barred the whanau. (People do this, it's shocking, just because they want their own way and don't give a care about the child's wants or needs.) Hopefully Tane can help Perri stay safe and also discover his heritage as is his birthright.

You've met Felicity right? Aforethought has never been her strong point, merely instant gratification, hehe! I don't think either Cash or Eden meant quite what she's doing in the first instant anyways! Good ol' Alf to the rescue, he can usually smell a rat at 50 paces and yes, Slade, agreed re: John where money's concerned; sadly don't buy Xander suddenly being worried, guilty maybe but that's cause his tongue sore from licking Bronte's boots. Though Dana's not my fave, I too would've suspicious of Bronte right from the start but that's just me. As I said before, this whole storyline gives me Belle Gibson vibes (I know most Aussies would know that news story) but you want to talk scam queen extrodinaire I think the writers might have based Bronte at least partly on her, especially the constant collapsing/'I feel faint', I believe Gibson used to fake seizures though.

Re: Cash and Mangrove River too true!

His name is Rory, he's a River Boy who came to help Mali last week.

H&Alover, I get what you mean about Mali, I guess what I kind of meant was rather that he was ready to chuck it all in for Iluka and still felt need of the safety net, maybe an element of self doubt on his part and Tane's point about being the youngest but he ultimately stepped up because his brothers were not ever going to be there again, that changes someone's outlook and I guess he was kind of pointing out to Mali to see that lesson in a nicer enviroment as in Iluka still being there at the end of the phone if you catch what I mean. I chuckled at the wolf whistle comment, some women do abhor it however some women do still like it, me I don't mind if that's all they do, but I think Flick was actually pretending to dislike it to play the feminist part, as we saw later he had kind of rattled her in a nice way as in she might well fancy him and she hasn't had any action lately.

Harper isn't blameless and he did not force her, sorry to burst your bubble there but she is being unprofessional; she could've given him another SW to work with. John was wrong to influence everyone really, it's a commitee decsion; I did like Tane's chat with Mali because Mali does need to stand on his own two feet and fly from the family and it's no bad thing, it doesn't mean you're gone forever. Unfortunately, Tane learned that through loss and grief but thankfully Mali doesn't have to. Tane made a good point that he got into trouble but had support to turn things around, young people don't always have that and, I think they'll more likely to relate to someone like him who's been there than a pious person with only academic experience there. Equally John is being hypocritical right now, he was an angery viscious louse when he arrived, it's only in recently years he's become a cuddle comedian with a moral compass.

I have to give full thumbs up to the stunt coordinators for the fight scenes, brilliantly done and did keep the adrenaline pumping; did enjoy the comments from RB boys about 'watching the show'. I think with Mali he isn't naturally like that but because everyone's tried to shield him, now he's realised what true threat is and sometimes that threat to a loved one can make you do things you'd never thought you were capable of. The end of it with Rose I found actually kind of sad, her disbelief even though she knew what she was walking into. I'm glad Elandra was on her side. Bronte may look like Jennifer Grey but this Baby definitely needs putting in the corner; I know Dana is still being wayyy too unsubtle about it but we all know she's onto something and Xander is being a naive, patronising oik. I expected both him and Flick to be suckered in but the latter usually offers resistance and also, in his former job Xander would've often dealt with people who were economical with the truth, admittedly not for money but usually paramedics, a bit like police, can develop a 'nose' for that sort of thing.

Elandra, I think she's scarier than any gangster, loved her trying to pull the boys into line, off topic but loved her earrings too.

I think had Valerie stated longer, her financial desperation as is an addict's nature on occasion could've been noted as an S/L but I think it's a fine line between education and condoneing addiction as a good lifestyle, wich of course, is not the case, for anyone at all. Off topic I know but with the way they've kind of blown Eden's hair out in the big waves (love the style) and the t-shirt/dress style thing it reminds me of Julia Roberts when she was in Steel Magnolias.

Valerie was a selfish hard-bitten liar though, as Bronte seems to be shaping up to be, that was my point rather, both women excel in deceit and managed to con. Oh Harper, instead of acting like an adult you screech and stamp like a teenager, I'm glad she did speak to Tane maturely at the end though; I think he is partly caught on a sticky wicket as she had said no feelings, only friends; yes, they did sleep together but, given when/how it happened it had the air of a bit like her predessessor it's more like a tonic for frustration or something to pass the time. In a sense I can understand him being a tad taken aback by the sudden 'romance novel teenager' about face. It's a shame she couldn't put him in touch with another SW for the project as having someone with the knowledge of the red tape/emotional pitfalls would be handy in project refinement.