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EPISODE 209

Jim is upset when Terry decides to resign. Florence dies during her operation, and Judy meets Lori.

First broadcast ... 1981 (Melbourne)
Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 15 February 1998 04:40
DVD release: volume 14 disc 1 (AUS)
Duration: 00:46:37



Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt
Erica ~ Patsy King
Bea ~ Val Lehman
Jim ~ Gerard Maguire
Doreen ~ Colette Mann
Vera ~ Fiona Spence
Terry ~ Brian Hannan
Lori Young ~ Susannah Fowle
Michelle ~ Nina Landas
Henry ~ John Bowman
James Marne ~ John Frawley
Florence Marne ~ Aileen Britton
Dr Vaughn ~ Graham Dow
Surgeon ~ Arther Pickering
Gate Guard ~ Roy Edmunds

  • Written by David Minter & Margaret McClusky
  • Directed by John McRae
  • Jim finds Vera sobbing in the rec room. She asks to be excused for the afternoon and Jim agrees. The family doctor phones Erica and informs her that her mother has collapsed and is in hospital awaiting an operation. She has had a cerebral thrombosis and Erica must come immediately. Vera catches Terry at home and persuades him not to move out just yet - that they must have one last attempt to get the tape. Jim confronts Bea and says that Terry is about to resign and reminds her that a decent officer is very likely to be replaced by a Jock Stewart. Bea feigns ignorance. Erica and James arrive at the hospital. They visit their mother before she goes into surgery. Florence keeps repeating that she's sorry. "Sorry for what", Erica asks? Florence says to ask the doctor... and with those enigmatic words she is wheeled away. Erica does ask the doctor, and he tells them that Florence had a boy before either of them and that this child died as the result of an accidental fall. But Florence blamed herself and when Erica and James were born she felt she couldn't be trusted with them That's why she had been such a distant mother. Erica wishes she could have had a long talk with her mother. Too late. The surgeon comes in and informs them that their mother did not make it through the operation. Terry makes one last attempt to get the cassette from Bea. When she refuses he says that he's off to the Governor's to resign and that she is welcome to accompany him. Bea stops him and gives in. She'll hand over the duplicate (And there is only one) right after lunch. After lunch, however, Bea finds her cell ransacked and the tape gone. Terry finds Vera in the rec room with stuff taken from Bea's cell (mostly food items) He yells at Vera and says that Smith was going to return the tape of her own accord. Vera starts to cry and Terry quickly apologizes. He asks Vera if she found the tape and she says she hasn't. Terry then notices a container of sugar. He dumps out onto a tray and - sure enough - the tape is concealed therein. He and Vera hug joyously. He then returns the items nice and neatly to Bea's cell, which pleases Bea. All are happy - ah, but will it last? A rather emotionally disoriented Erica comes to work, but Jim convinces her to go home. Michelle Janice Parks is brought in on remand for breaking and entering. She stands accused of stealing $8,000 from her former employer. She is attractive, which does not go unnoticed by Jim. She vehemently proclaims her innocence. Vera smirks. Michelle tells Bea and Judy that she was given the sack by her boss because she refused to work late because it interfered with her athletic training. When the office was robbed a week later, apparently by an insider, she was the natural suspect. Michelle claims she was out running at the time of the robbery, but her only witness was an unknown elderly lady whom the police cannot locate. Michelle is visited later that day by Henry Lawrence, her coach. Miss Parks, it would seem, is a runner with Olympic potential. This piques Jim's interest further. Jim not only agrees to let Michelle run on the grounds, but to pace her as well. Vera sees them running. She asks Jim afterwards if he would help, say, Smith or Bryant to run. Michelle claims the grounds are too small for her to properly run in. Jim allows her to run along the perimeter fence. She leaves him in her dust. Jim becomes nervous when he can't find her, but discovers her waiting for him back at the gate. She has done the mile in five minutes. Jim is properly impressed. Meanwhile, Judy receives a visitor. A pretty young thing named Laura Young. Judy asks the girl what she wants. Laura says simply, "I think you could be my mother."

    This episode summary was written by Matthew Bubb.

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    Storyliners: Dave Worthington, Alastair Sharp, Peter Brennan
    Script Editors: Ian Smith


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