2026 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

Why would David suspect Mackenzie? Because Tane's the suspect, not Cash, and Mackenzie is a lot closer to Tane than Eden is. Because her brother has criminal connections and it's a matter of record. Because Cash has worked it out and it just demonstrates that David's nowhere near as good a cop as him (he even needed Cash to catch Wendell). His arresting Eden just shows what a joke he is as a police officer: No formal interview, no offer of a solicitor, just him abusing his position to force her to sit in a room so he can try his bully boy tactics on her, and absolutely no idea what to do when it doesn't work (because it can't work). And it just underlines the fact that he expects everyone else to follow the rules but doesn't feel any need to follow them himself.

He may have been on the right side in the other storyline but I found myself wishing the prosecutor had let him resign. Again, procedure seems to be out the window: Lacey's allowed to have Leah with her, but no sign of her solicitor who should surely be the one representing her at a formal interview. Anyway, it shouldn't have gone as far as it did since Lacey was clearly the victim, but at least it's sorted now.

Brax calmly glosses over the fact that he actually did abandon Ricky and Casey, and stuck it out for a lot longer than Tane did. Tane spending years in jail still seems preferable to him spending the rest of his life hiding out in the middle of nowhere.

[Medea Fleecestealer]

Don't you love how 5Star says at the start of the programme first chance to view when in fact it's the only chance on TV now there isn't a repeat on C5.  And then they have the cheek to remind everyone they can watch episodes first using the streaming service.  So even the 5Star one isn't the first.  

Did Dean's friend give Tane a load of cash or did Tane raid his bank account before leaving?  Because otherwise I would have thought it would be easy for the police to trace him via airline/train/bus ticket purchases on his bank/credit cards.  I know the friend gave him a new ID, but that wouldn't work for his bank account; he'd need his own cards for that. 

[James Martin]

A rare view of the "fourth wall" of the Beach House sitting room today.

[Red Ranger 1]

10 hours ago, Medea Fleecestealer said:

Don't you love how 5Star says at the start of the programme first chance to view when in fact it's the only chance on TV now there isn't a repeat on C5.  And then they have the cheek to remind everyone they can watch episodes first using the streaming service.  So even the 5Star one isn't the first.  

Did Dean's friend give Tane a load of cash or did Tane raid his bank account before leaving? 

Well, no, because the episode's repeated on 5Star immediately before the First Look episode.

Tane was given the tickets to get him to WA. Presumably Brax paid for travel to his ranch from there.

[H&Alover]

It seems  we will have to agree to disagree about David Red. Does David know about Mac's connection to Dean?  They don't have the same name and Dean had left the bay long before David came into it.  Tane is Cash's friend not to mention his brother-in-law, so that is why he thought Eden would know where Cash had gone, he put up his bail money too.  Btw now Tane is back would that mean he, Cash,  doesn't have to forfeit it?  They certainly aren't taking any chances by sending Tane off to a remand centre to await his trial though he did expect that.    Does Harper know yet? 

Jo is certainly her dad's daughter  storming into Yabbie Creek nick and  giving  her dad have what for.  Then she made the slip of telling him where they had been hiding out.  Cash has so far stayed tight lipped about it.   That place of Brax's  seemed to be a fair distance from Perth so I'm guessing the police nearest to his place didn't get the warrant  for Tane and as Tane hadn't left the farm  so wouldn't have been seen by anyone else.  David could have suspended Cash for not revealing where he had been or even gone further and fired him. 

It seemed from Tane was saying he could face further charges for removing his bracelet and going on the run even if he did come back willingly added to the ones he's already facing.   

Abby and Mali are at odds again over Lacey though she did admit she got it wrong about going to Coastal News.  Lacey has forgiven  her though. Varying opinions from them about  whether Lacey should give CN an interview, she's pretty savvy and  would ensure they didn't  sensationalise it, just tell them the facts and how she'd felt let down by the courts.  

Brax was  banging on about coming 'home' to the bay, but excuse me for being picky but the bay isn't his home Mango River was.   May be digressing but what about Casey's school, can they just pull him out like that? 

6 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Well, no, because the episode's repeated on 5Star immediately before the First Look episode.

Tane was given the tickets to get him to WA. Presumably Brax paid for travel to his ranch from there.

The first  episode on 5* is a repeat of the  previous evening's  second episode, the second episode is the 'new' one  and so on and so forth. 

That plane ticket must have cost  a bit seeing as he was flying from one side of the country to the other.   Who paid when Cash and Tane came back and did Tane use the same one?

[Medea Fleecestealer]

Yeah, mb.  Forgot about the repeat on 5Star even though I do watch it occasionally.  

[Red Ranger 1]

Given David's general incompetence, it's hard to do any more than snort derisively at his insistence that he'll find everyone that helped Tane. I rolled my eyes at Jo casually mentioning WA to him, but it's hardly the "Gotcha" moment that David made it out to be. Yes, well done, David, you've managed to narrow down where Tane was hiding to a mere 975,000 square miles. I'm sure you'll have the case cracked by supper. I'm glad Jo challenged him to arrest her too and made him blink at any rate. Mackenzie still doesn't get that asking the River Boys for help is a bad idea, but it's hard not to feel like this is basic stuff the police should be doing themselves. Tane being packed off to remand is no surprise, except to Jo it seems.

I'm not quite sure why Lacey summoned Mali and Abigail to her house in order to tell them the charges had been dropped but she was probably glad of their support. Their arguments are a bit less forced here because you can see both sides, although Abby really does need to admit that she made an error of judgement, however well-intentioned. Lacey ultimately decides to make up her own mind, which is for the best.

[H&Alover]

Do the cops, not only David know the old RB's are involved?  Cash does of course but he's not working on the case.   Plus now he's been suspended but that didn't stop him calling in  a favour from an old mate to find out if the charges against Brax were still in force.  We didn't hear what the guy said but it was implied Cash was still doing his usual habit of  doing his own thing. 

The 'old' RB's did have  a code of sorts, no messing with those who weren't one of  them.  I  may be misremembering but I'm sure Brax beat Heath up when he thought he'd raped Bianca as the RB's didn't do that sort of thing. Mind you as said that was the 'old' RB's as  in Brax's time not the lot we have now.  'Uncle' Fred is pretty vague but Mac could hardly ask Harper could she without arousing suspicion. 

No mention still if Harper has been told the latest news. 

Lacey is a lot stronger than most people give her credit for.  She did let both Abby and Mali have their say, even if they were from such extreme views.  The way it was looking to me at least they seemed to forget about what or rather who  it was all, about and just arguing between themselves.   I'm sure she'll take their advice such as it was and decide for herself.  Though what dad will think about it if she does go ahead remains to be seen. 

It seems this argument has broken the camel's back for Abby and Mali, before they have managed to reach a compromise but not this time.  They still love each other but agreed they can't live like this anymore.  Only natural it would be Mali moving out he isn't  a member of the family though Mac feels he is and treats him like one. 

Brax obviously worked his magic by persuading Ricky to move back to the bay, though logically it would help him fight any possible still standing charges if he is there rather than the side of the country.  More money being paid out for flights. Do wonder how  Brax and Ricky explained to Casey's teachers why they have suddenly taken him out  of school. 

Did smile when David accused Cash of 'dragging' Jo along with him has he met his daughter? 

 

 

Edited May 6 by H&Alover

[James Martin]

On 04/05/2026 at 19:39, Medea Fleecestealer said:

Don't you love how 5Star says at the start of the programme first chance to view when in fact it's the only chance on TV now there isn't a repeat on C5.  And then they have the cheek to remind everyone they can watch episodes first using the streaming service.  So even the 5Star one isn't the first.  

I don't get it either as by 6:30pm the episode's been available on streaming for 12½ hours.

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, it was nice to have an episode off from Brax and Ricky but here they are again. I have some sympathy for the show having to deal with the mess that was Brax's exit, but it continues to cast both of them in a very bad light. Ricky's desire to protect Casey from a half-life on the run with Brax has long since gone out the window and neither of them are coming across as particularly good parents as a result: They're loving towards him on the surface but they've made him a part of their world and are constantly shutting him down and snapping at him when he asks awkward questions. (We're also kind of glossing over the fact that Brax pleaded guilty and then broke out anyway.) The promo doing the whole "Look! Brax is back in an oddly deserted part of Summer Bay!" was eye rolling enough but they actually repeat it for the cliffhanger?

Nice to hear from Joanna Devlin again. Cash and David have had their three episodes so are off for an indefinite stay in the city. Mackenzie continues to come across as ridiculous, with no sense of logic to her arguments. She claims has caused all this, but it was breaking the rules that got Cash suspended and arguably landed Tane in jail. I guess the cut to Brax is meant to show us that he's one of the "not bad" River Boys, but none of them are actually good, and in some ways Brax is one of the worst of the lot.

Mali and Abigail's break-up feels rather contrived: They've been getting on mostly fine, then they argue for two weeks and that's it. (Mali didn't do himself any favours with that smug comment when she came home.)

I'm tempted to say that Justin hasn't noticed the garage has been locked for weeks, but to be fair, we did get a reference to him working there last week.