Overall Progress: 6.33%

14 out of 221 episodes watched as of 18 May 2014

(1.10) Talk of the Town

1.10 Talk of the Town by Mary Dagmar Davies

Summary: Tom and Chris, trying to spend some time alone together now that they've decided to try being a couple, struggle to find privacy - even when swimming at Evans' Dam. Tom is invited to speak at a conference in New York City, but decides not to go when he finds out the invitation was orchestrated by Liz (Series 0). Violet is diagnosed with diabetes, but doesn't want to accept it. She's forced to eventually change her mind. Emma tries to sort out the garage's finances by asking people for the money they owe. A bruised Ron returns from Sydney, only to find that Hurtle is leaving to go working at the oil fields and is leaving Emma in charge of the garage.

Recurring characters: Tom, Chris, Gibbo, Violet, Sharon, Hurtle, Ron, Emma, Ingrid, Vic, Nancy, Old Codgers, Joe, Frank, George, Jack.

It's not easy to be the couple everyone talks about - and that everyone has paired up way before you get to the point of realising you like each other in that way ... Even if the townfolk mean well, it's still really annoying (for Chris and Tom) to never be able to be left alone when you want privacy, or that you can't be seen in each others' company without people whispering behind your back. Or, as the case may be with Violet Carnegie, planning a wedding behind your back.

She's such a dear, old Vi, and diabetes really doesn't get a warm welcome from her. I can understand her from the perspective of liking a good cake, and not be willing to give that up, but at the same time, it's like she's in fairyland or something. "If I ignore it, it will go away" seems to be how she's thinking. Diabetes really isn't like that. If you eat properly, you can manage it without needing to take drugs ("like some kind of drug addict!"), and sure, you'll need to ease off the cakes, but it's not the end of the world. Surely your health is more important than your ego?

Funnily enough, I've read that not long after this episode was made, Pat Evison was actually diagnosed with diabetes in real life. Life imitating art imitating life?

Emma discovers boxes of receipts and IOUs and quickly realises why the garage is on the brink of going under. Hurtle doesn't like to ask people for money, but when the electricity is shut off because of the unpaid bill, there really isn't a choice anymore. She starts sorting through the paperwork and creates invoices for people to pay. Even George Baxter, who definitely can afford it, hasn't paid for a good couple of years.

Ron isn't impressed with having to share the garage with "a sheila", even though Emma is probably better qualified than he is. He's burned and on crutches in this episode, as he's not yet fully recovered from the injuries he sustained in 1.08. When Hurtle, having heard from a bloke in the pub how much you get paid for working in the oil fields, decides to leave and leave the garage to Emma, Ron really doesn't have a choice but to accept his new boss.

Tom is very flattered to be asked to speak at a medical conference in the USA, but the other hospital keep talking about whether or not he'll meet up with Liz (the American woman from the miniseries) when he's there and Chris gets jealous. Didn't Tom swear it was all over between those two? Tom doesn't realise that it's an issue at first, not until Chris confronts him about it. It's just a coincidence, that Liz is in New York, and that's where the conference is.

When Liz (never actually seen or heard by us viewers) phones up in the middle of the night, oblivioius of the time difference, Tom realises that it's not a coincidence at all. She wants to get back together with him, it would seem, and has pulled strings to get him to come over. Not wanting to have his strings pulled, especially not since he's finally got together with Chris, Tom cancels the trip. Good on yer, mate!

With regards to Tom, he dances around the hospital ward with Violet. Why can't all doctors be that wonderful?

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