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EPISODE 623

Rita's search for revenge finds Joan struggling for her life on the rooftop.

First broadcast ... 1986 (Melbourne)
Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 17 June 2000 04:40 (Channel 5 postponed the episode scheduled for Sunday 11 June 2000 at 04:40 due to an overrun on the live ice hockey coverage)
DVD release: volume 37 disc 6 (AUS)
Duration: 0:45:11



Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick
Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson
Joyce ~ Joy Westmore
Nancy ~ Julia Blake
Rita ~ Glenda Linscott
Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne
Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor
Alice ~ Lois Collinder
Kath ~ Kate Hood
Lorelei Wilkinson ~ Paula Duncan
Janet ~ Christine Earle
Ida Brown ~ Paddy Burnet
Amy Ryan ~ Penny Ramsay
Roach Waters ~ Linda Hartley
Granny Wilkinson ~ Esme Melville
Andrew Hinton ~ Fredric Abbott
Zoe Wilkinson ~ Ashby Redward
Officer Bailey ~ Maureen Edwards
Tailshaft ~ Ian Shrives
Detective Lee ~ Terry Brittingham
Biker 2 ~ Matt Browne [R?]
Biker 3 ~ Barry Soloman
Keith Moore ~ Peter Hosking
Policewoman ~ Janice Cleland
Barman ~ Dean Nicols

  • Written by Andrew Kennedy & Bevan Lee
  • Directed by Alister Smart
  • Joan doesn't look like the kind of person who never checks her bank statement, but she can't have done if she didn't notice that the quite substantial cheque she wrote for a year's insurance had never been cashed.

    When Joan tells Andrew that Lorelei was a friend of "someone close to me", presumably she means Audrey.

    Joan refuses to help Mrs Ryan, even though she acknowledges that she'd probably do the same in her position. As Joan is leaving, Mrs Ryan repeats her offer, pointing out that it's a lot of money for "doing what come naturally". Nancy tries to argue against what she calls Rita's "mindless revenge" but Rita has no shortage of volunteers to join in with her plot against Joan. Kath tries to find out from Roach about Rita's plans but impresses on her that Roach should her nose out of Kath's business and not report back to Rita anything she happens to hear through sharing a cell with her. Ida cons Joyce into having a meal delivered to her cell by saying she's too exhausted to go to the dining room. Joyce apparently doesn't hear Ida's demented cackling as she accompanies Julie delivering the tray and seems genuinely concerned for Ida's welfare. Julie tells Rita she's worried for her as Joan is sure to work out who's behind the arson attack. Rita replies that she's counting on it and will be ready for Joan when she makes a move against her. The gang prepare to torch Joan's house by siphoning off some petrol into a container. While she is out drinking with Andrew, Joan spots a woman she knows as an ex-prisoner from Queensland. When the man she is with leaves her alone for a moment, Joan goes over to talk to her and calls her by her real name Lolene (?) Snook, asking her if she's still doing the same con routine. The woman asks her to call her Lorelei Wilkinson, as that's the name she's using for her boyfriend. She tells Joan that she's not conning him because "he loves me for what I am" (somewhat spoiling the effect by admitting in the next breath "he doesn't know anything about me"). Julie and Lexie try to fill Roach in on who to avoid, with Kath at the top of the list: Roach points out this is a bit hard to achieve as they are sharing a cell. Joan is interrupted by an anonymous call at the bar to tell her house is to be set on fire . A cheap establishing shot of fireman searching through charred wreckage shows that the threat was carried out. Andrew takes Joan home to his place and insists that she stay with her. Joan nevertheless insists on going in to work the evening shift. Lorelei visits her mother, who is baby-sitting her daughter Zoe. At lockup, Ida realises that Roach is hesitating to return to her own cell because she's afraid of Kath. Joan enters Rita's cell after lockup armed with a baton, but Rita is hiding behind the door and knocks her out. She takes Joan's keys, lets out Lexie and Alice and they all drag Joan through the corridors , ducking into Ida's cell when they hear Joyce approaching. When Joyce looks through the spy-hole, Ida pretends that Joan's groaning is just her burping after the onions in her meal. Rita and Alice take up Joan on the roof. Officer Bailey tells Joyce she's taken a call from Andrew about the fire at Joan's house: Joyce goes to look for Joan. Rita and Alice dangle Joan over the edge of the roof , and threaten to let go, but it is only an attempt to scare her and keep her keys. Joyce finds Joan, but her help is spurned: Joan is only concerned to cover up the loss of her keys. Joan comes to Rita's cell and asks for her keys back: Rita gives the keys back, as she realises that Joan is still under her control. Janet tells Kath that she'll get her sister to visit and bring in cocaine. Ann orders Joan to go home when she finds her still on duty the following morning, but Joan refuses to obey. Joan is appalled to find that her house insurance has lapsed, as Terri didn't post the cheque. Lorelei is arrested for theft and impersonating a police officer. Meg wonders if the women already knew about the fire at Joan's, judging by their reaction when she turned up to take muster. Joan decides to phone Mrs Ryan to take her up on her offer but demands $12,000 instead. Lorelei says goodbye to her daughter, and tells her she's got to stay with the wicked witch for a while. Joan makes an approach to Kath telling her she wants her help fixing Rita and her gang.

    ***


    Story Editor: Bevan Lee
    Script Editor: Quincy McQuade (621); Alister Webb (622); Quincy McQuade (623); Alister Webb (624), (625)
    Storyliners: Bevan Lee, Tony McDonald, John Coulter


    ITV regional broadcast dates:-
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    (624)

    Updated