Recap
Donna refusing to talk to Ringo.
Donna saying that Schoolies sucked.
Libby suggesting that counselling supposed to help her and Dan's marriage.
Dan yelling that he doesn't want his marriage with Lib pulled apart in front of a stranger.
Half-naked Dan walking into Toadie after sleeping with Lib.
Toadie telling Dan that sleeping with his wife won't fix their marriage.
Donna wishing she could fix things, saying she doesn't deserve Ringo.
Libby ending things with Dan.
Number 30
Libby sits at the dinner table alone, crying. She stares wistfully at pictures of her and Dan on the fridge. She packs away the dinner things and throws the roses in the bin.
Charlie's
Dan sits wistfully at the bar.
Number 30
Steph comes over, wondering how things went. She sees Libby's face and offers her friend a big hug.
Charlie's
Dan hugs his pint of beer. Lucas comes in, and wonders about dinner with Libby, quickly realising it's over.
Number 30
Lib asks Steph what she's going to say to her parents, and Ben. Steph says she doesn't have to say anything until she's ready.
Number 28
Karl is putting his credit card details onto an internet site, but can't read the expiry date. FTR, it's June 2010. Susan smiles.
SUSAN: Repeat after me: I am a middle aged man and I need reading glasses.
KARL: What do you think I'm doing?
Karl's ordering glasses from Milan - terrible ones, no doubt - because they're good value. Suse reaches for the phone but Karl takes it; he knows she was about to call Libby. Susan wants to know how the counselling went, but Karl wants them to give their daughter space. Susan's dead curious, though.
By the way, you can actually read Karl's visa card number on screen, so if anyone wants to purchase anything online in the name of Karl Kennedy, watch this episode.
Number 30
The kids run in with Toadie, and YELLING Ben's psyched because he's done well in their game. Toadie, seeing that things aren't okay with Lib and Steph, takes them back out to get a DVD. Libby wonders again how she's going to tell Ben, and Steph sympathises, offering her help.
Harold's Store
Harry's proud of Sophie for doing well in her report card, but Sophie says her teacher thinks she worries too much. Harry mentions this to Toadie when he comes in, and Toadie had no idea report cards were already out...
He grabs Callum, who denies getting a card. He clearly has one in his pocket, and Toadie takes it, opening it and reading it in front of Ben. Bad Toadie! Still, Callum is described as bright - and easily distracted! Toadie's proud of Cal, but Callum insists he's dumb, and thinks he should repeat the year. He really, really doesn't want to go to High School because he's short. He walks off.
Charlie's
Dan sits morosely with Lucas whilst Paul puts up some in-your-face decorations, whilst on the phone to Rebecca. He tells her they're expensive, and they'll blow Lyn out of the water.
Dan analyses his relationship, wonders where he went wrong. Lucas sympathises with him. Libby calls, and Dan is clearly wanting to make things right, but is unimpressed when he's told he can't talk to Ben until she does. He doesn't want to chuck in his marriage at the first sight of trouble, and when Lucas encourages him to come home to see his new bike, Dan agrees.
Harold's Store
Libby tells Steph she hasn't spoken to her parents, yet, and runs into Dan in the store. She reminds him to stay away from Ben until she's spoken to him. Telling Steph to get her a coffee, Libby walks away to a table. On hearing Dan chat with Steph, she goes back, grabs her friend and pulls her away. Dan is disgusted.
DAN: What, are you gonna make people choose sides, now, are you? Did your dad tell you to do that?
Steph makes her excuses and leaves. Dan lays into Karl, betting he's very pleased that they've broken up. Libby's confused, and when Dan demands to see Ben, Libby suggests he make an appointment. Dan refuses - he's not Ben's dad just when it suits Libby. He strops off.
Dingoes' gym
Dan is punching the bag, hard, with Lucas. Dan tells his brother that he saw Libby, who won't let him talk to Steph or see Ben. Lucas isn't sure that Libby would do that intentionally, and Dan questions his brother's loyalty. Dan walks to the changing rooms, unimpressed.
Harold's Store
Paul sits at the table, reporting Lyn's decorations to Becca on the phone. At another table Toadie is trying to talk to Callum about bullies and how to overcome them. Toadie gives examples of bully victims and how they've coped (like telling jokes). Callum's not buying it at all.
Paul is listening, and butts in to the conversation.
PAUL: Are you buying this?
CAL: No.
TOADIE: Paul? I'm having a father-son chat. Shoo.
PAUL: Fine. If you want the kid to be a victim all his life.
TOADIE: I'm teaching him to ask for help.
PAUL: Then teach him power and he won't need help.
CAL: What's that?
PAUL: Well, you enter a new place, you work out who's in charge. And then get inside their head and you can bend them to your will.
TOADIE: Oh, you just ignore everything he just said.
Toadie's advice clearly had no effect because...
Number 22
...Callum turns up at Paul's house, needing help. He wants to learn about power and survive high school. Callum explains that his dad means well, but the guys in year 10 are scary. He throws himself at Paul's mercy, grabbing his legs, begging.
PAUL: Get up! Rule number one: never touch the leg. Rule number two: never grovel.
Paul says he's got better things to do with his time than help Callum, but Cal says he hasn't - he knows he's just spying on Lyn and her decorations. Paul wonders if Callum has potential after all. He lets him in.
Number 28
Libby comes over, and Karl tells her that Ben's out the back. Libby wants to tell her dad something - she's split up with Dan. Karl's very sympathetic and gives his daughter a big hug. Libby is curious - Dan said Karl would be happy to see the back of him, what did he mean?
Karl thinks that Dan needed to lash out - but then admits that he told Dan to go, as he was causing trouble. Especially as Susan was sick, and Libby was getting hurt. Libby is utterly furious. Susan comes out from the bedroom with her walking stick, seemingly having been asleep. She wants to know what's going on, but Libby keeps yelling. Ben walks in, demanding to know what's going on.
Cut to moments later and Libby is telling Ben to get his things.
BEN: You're not the boss of me.
Er, yes she is, sweetheart. She's your mother. Learn some manners.
Ben throws a wobbly, yelling at his mother and runs off. Libby follows him, with Susan calling after her, distraught.
KARL: I was thinking of you.
SUSAN: I don't need you to protect me! I decide what's good for me, not you! Now go and fix things with Libby before it's too late.
With Susan in tears, Karl walks out.
Ramsay Street
Libby sits outside number 28 on the kerb. Karl walks out, and silently indicates his apology. Libby ignores him. Karl moves to walk back inside, but Libby grabs his arm. She makes some space beside her and he sits down. They hug each other.
Number 22
Paul gives Callum a book on The Art of War. He describes how Callum has to disarm his bullies by being cold. He has to attack his enemy, divide and rule. Paul starts to poke fun at Callum about his height, teasing him about crying. Callum asks him to stop it, and Paul carries on mocking him. Cal gets upset.
PAUL: See? Too hot. Supreme excellence is about breaking down the enemy's resistance without fighting.
CAL: But what else can I do? Tell a teacher?
Paul suggests that Callum has some gossip about one of the bullies, like having one bully talk about the other behind his back. Callum gets it: make the bullies fight each other.
Paul tells his new protégé to read the book, start practising, and next week it's Machiavelli.
Harold's Store
Sophie and Harry are sharing chocolate when Callum comes in and wants some. They have none left to share. So Callum suggests to Sophie that she was right about Harry's hair. Harry becomes paranoid despite Sophie being confused - she's said nothing about her brother. Sophie walks off, leaving Callum alone with her chocolate.
Toadie witnesses this, and then sees Cal's new book, lent to him by Paul. Toadie tells Harry that Callum's worried about high school, so Harry promises to look out for him.
Sophie grabs her chocolate and licks it so Callum can't take it.
At another table Lucas and Steph are talking about Steph and Dan, and Lucas says he doesn't want to take sides, but if he's forced to, he'll have to take Dan's. He tells Steph he's going to pop over and see Libby before Dan bans him from seeing her, and rubs her arm on the way out. Steph is clearly still rather besotted with him.
Number 30
Libby has told Ben that Dan is moving out, but Dan promises he'll see him all the time, and he'll still take him to Scouts. He promises to be there for Christmas. Ben wants his mum to say sorry and make everything okay, but she can't change things. Ben irritatingly begs and runs off when he doesn't get his own way. Dan tells Libby he won't be painted as the bad guy, and as he leaves Libby throws a vase at the door and it smashes.
Cut to later and Libby is clearing the remains of the vase off the floor. Lucas comes over. Lib tells them about their fight, and Lucas thinks it still might sort itself out. Libby wishes she could go with the flow like Lucas does; Lucas says he's just lazy.
Libby tells Lucas that she's scared; she doesn't want to be alone. Lucas gives her a cuddle and promises her she won't be - she has Steph and Lucas, and she's smart and beautiful...
...which, of course, leads to a kiss. Which, of course, Steph just happens to arrive in time to witness...
