Punting On The River – The episode opens on a boat in the swamps of Australia where Jeremiah (Jeremiah) shares some of his father’s old fishing tales with Stella Heikkinen (Marta Dusseldorp). Stella becomes hysterical when the boat is abruptly jarred and Robin’s (Yael Stone) body comes into contact with her.
8 Hours And 40 Minutes Earlier – Stella rushes home to find Iris Heikkinen (Ava Caryofyllis) and Otis Heikkinen (Imi Mbedla) still awake in the kitchen. Iris follows and bombards with questions as she attempts to secure the house. While reading Iris a bedtime story, Otis discovers Robin’s body outside. Stella plays it off a road kill before ordering him to look after Iris.
Stella phones Airini (Rachel House) to inform her of Robin’s death. Magda (Pamela Rabe) talks her out of going to the police before asking if there is anyone in town she trusts. Later, Stella offers Jeremiah (Toby Leonard Moore) $1,000 to help dispose of Robin’s body. At the swamp, she tries to unload Robin’s body but finds it too difficult. When she has a breakdown, he urges her to go back to the boat while he finishes up.
Arthur (Oscar Redding) and Frankie McLeish (Kerry Fox) question their people about the security footage being switched off when Robin escaped. Brony (Emily Milledge) swears the cage was locked and they were watching Robin in shifts. Arthur suggests going after Robin’s sister but Frankie disagrees. Tarquin (Ben Knight) arrives claiming to have followed Robin’s trail to the forest. Drago (Peter Sammak) warns that no one will survive in the forest. Frankie orders them to resume their search before voicing concerns of the government investigating Robin’s disappearance.
Stella’s House – Iris questions why Stella never returned home. He claims she went for a run and will be home when they return from school.
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory – Rowan Furness’ (Ben Winspear) checks his e-mail when Caley Webster (Lisa Gormley) approaches. Caley says it is unusual for Robin to not call or file her expenses. Rowan claims to only remember that she went to Tasmania.
Swamp – Stella makes it back but doesn’t secure the boat. When it drifts from shore, she berates herself before heading into the forest.
Melbourne – Madeleine (Fiona Stewart) and Airini discuss ProsperAus’ manipulated financial records. Madeleine questions why the experts at her office are not investigating the matter. Airini claims the experts reported the books were in perfect order. Madeleine suggests someone higher-up is involved.
Tasmania – Frankie asks Connor (Bob Franklin) to keep an eye out for outsiders. He believes she is referring to an alien invasion. Playing along, she says a woman wearing a beige outfit may be part of an advanced scouting party.
Post Office – Jack (Mitchem Everett) is short with Charlie (Scott Wells) until he learns Charlie and his father were friends.
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory – Caley tells Rowan that Robin went to Tasmania to investigate an open 2011 file. She says Robin detected payments transferred from their office to a PO Box. The Attorney General’s Office stamp was marked on the file.
Strahan School – Otis sells something and has an awkward conversation with Elysha (Mackenzie Grant). Iris arrives proudly to show off her family tree project.
Trucking Base – Frankie and Arthur reflect on how far they’ve come. He admits to having a drug problem when they arrived. She says it is just the two of them with Johnno gone.
Motel – Frankie, Sammi (Ilai Swindells), and Bong Cha (Kim Ko) track Stella’s movement through CCTV footage. They see Robin’s body in Stella’s truck. Outside, Frankie orders Arthur to find a Dover Height’s neighbor.
Airni orders the arrest of Ruslan (Paul Roukchan) and Yakov (Vanya Essin). They are picked up seconds later.
Cabin In The Swamp – Wrapped in a blanket, Stella arms herself with a fire poke. When Jeremiah approaches, she nearly attacks him. They get into a dispute over the loss of his boat.
Stella’s House – Seeing an approaching vehicle, Otis and Iris seek refuge in a “secret garden.” Arthur and Stretch (Jalen Sutcliffe) search the house.
Cabin In The Swamp – Stella complains about her life being out of control. Jeremiah assures her that no one can control everything. In the morning, he suggests going after the boat. Before leaving, he urges her to stay clear of the left path.
Frankie’s House – Frankie tells Jack that someone calmed the dog and switched off the security camera before getting Robin out of the cage. He denies seeing anything.
Swamp – Finding Frankie’s trucks working nearby, Stella discovers drugs hidden in an organic apple shipment. She is in the back of the truck when the driver pulls away.
Jeremiah’s House – An upset Jodie (Emily Taheny) teases Jeremiah for burying a body for a $200 tiller. He tells her to not forget about the anchor line before asking if she’s jealous. An argument ensues and ends with him reminding her that he’s not Billy. She calls him a common criminal, something he vowed to never be.
Stella’s House – Stella sneaks away when the truck driver stops to open a fence on Stella’s property. She’s met in the driveway by Otis and Iris. Stella accuses Otis of being stoned. Iris informs her of the “secret garden.”
Golden Years Retirement Home, Canberra – Rowan and Caley ask Vance Horsley (Rhys Muldoon) why their office has been making payments to various PO Boxes in Tasmania for the last 30 years. Caley says Vance’s ID that was used to start the payments all those years ago. Vance suggests they speak with their leading security organization before ordering them to leave.
Stella’s Home – Stella burns the marijuana plants. Elsewhere, Joseph (Tony Barry) asks Jeremiah about the smoke. Jeremiah arrives at Stella’s house to discover his plants have been torched. They get into a verbal dispute before parting ways.
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory –Airini tells Rowan that in 1983 anyone who had turned over evidence in court was paid to live out the rest of their lives as someone else. In one town. She says somehow the witness protection program was forgotten until Robin started poking around. Stella is beaten and delivered to Frankie as the episode ends.
Bay Of Fires Review
I would have to give the episode a 5 for the mere fact that it’s all over the place. It’s not incredibly hard to follow along with the story, but all the flashing from one scene to the other can give you whiplash. That along with the oversaturated cast is a huge negative for the series. Some of the acting can’t even be considered subpar. Poor Jack is probably the worst. There is also a grossly failed attempt at humor. The alien bit with Connor and Rowan’s rants about the misuse of the phrase, “reaching out” were all clever but felt off.
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