At the beginning of the episode, Justin (Firass Dirani), Mark and Lewis enjoy a run. They make it back home, before hearing a chainsaw nearby. Lewis (Gary Sweet) discovers his neighbor cutting through his fence. Lewis fights with the man, before we jump back three days. The men play cards, while a stuffed animal is used as a substitute for Kane. They overhear Rachel (Jane Allsop) and her new boyfriend having intercourse. They use a peephole in the fence to watch. Gemma (Julia Morris) eventually catches them and forces them to stop. In the morning, Lewis and Gemma allow Tilda (Madison Torres-Davy) to open a package from Kane. They find a kilt inside.

Seconds later, Lewis watches as Rachel kisses her new boyfriend, Nick (Hugh Sheridan), goodbye. Meanwhile, Abi (Natalie Saleeba) and Mark (Rhys Muldoon) speak about Abi’s maternity leave, which is set to end soon. Mark admits he doesn’t want his wife to return to work. He also confesses he has a meeting with Joshua (Jared Daperis) later that day. Justin is forced to give his daughter a pep talk before school. Next, the guys watch as Miss Looby (Louise Siversen) introduces the new music teacher, Nick. Lewis quickly becomes worried. He talks to speak with Miss Looby, but is unable to change her mind. Lewis takes it upon himself to spy on Nick’s classes. Eventually, Miss Looby puts an end to his antics. Gemma and Abi head to the hospital. Gemma reveals she has her final exam to become a doctor.

Seconds later, Abi runs into Nurse Toni (Denise Scott). Toni announces she is going to be the hospital’s new nursing manager. At work, Mark receives bad news from Rachel. She follows Joshua’s orders and gives Mark his walking papers. Mark tries to convince Joshua to change his mind, but he fails. Lewis expresses his concerns to Justin. Justin tries to Google Nick’s name, but gets nothing. During the exam, Gemma freaks out. She leaves for a break and speaks with Abi. Toni watches the encounter from a distance. Then, Gemma returns and aces the test. Mark returns home and discovers that Abi has made terrible jam.

Abi reveals she extended her maternity leave. Mark says nothing about being fired. Justin sets up an appointment to see Asha. Then, he checks his phone and discovers a potential dating candidate, Demi. He meets with Demi (Ngaire Dawn Fair) at the park and they jog together. They also agree to meet up again the following day. Justin returns to school and discovers that Angie (Allegra Volange) has made a lot of friends. After school, Nick and Rachel speak with Mark. Nick reveals that Rachel was also fired. Nick tries to convince them that they’ve been given a new start. Lewis inserts himself into the situation and asks Nick about his past. He admits he used to be a solicitor. Later that night, Lewis and Gemma prepare to celebrate Gemma passing the exam.

Nick is also invited over. During the party, Nick discovers the spy hole in the fence. Gemma also learns that she has been accused of cheating on the exam. Gemma meets with the board the following day. She learns that a witness reported that Gemma spoke with Abi during the exam. She tries to convince the group that Abi only gave her a pep talk, but they refuse to listen. Mark pays a visit to Joshua. He finds the boss taking selfies of his coffee for his blog. Mark has a change of heart and bashes Joshua, while referring to him as a coward. Justin hangs out with Demi again. After their workout, Justin is given a piece of chocolate. They also agree to meet at Justin’s place later.

Gemma speaks with Abi. She learns that Abi spoke with her patient before the exam. Abi returns home and tells Mark she has been suspended. Mark is finally forced to tell the truth about being fired. Gemma tells Lewis about her situation, while he sets up a basketball goal near the fence. Lewis tries to fix the situation by speaking with the woman in charge. He only makes things even worse. At home, Gemma lets her frustrations get the best of her. She lashes out at Tilda. Then, she learns about Lewis’ visit. At school, Nick speaks with Tilda and tries to figure out what is bothering her. He learns that it is something at home. He confronts Lewis, but only manages to anger him.

Then, we jump forward to the beginning of the episode. Nick destroys the fence. Lewis and Nick roll around on the ground and Mark breaks them up with the water hose. After the fight, Lewis tells her parents that she is writing a song with Nick. Gemma once again tries to fix her work problem. Mark interrupts Justin, while he prepares for his meeting with Demi. This causes Justin to leave the bathroom’s water running. Demi arrives and Mark is forced to leave. Gemma takes another exam and passes with flying colors. Afterwards, Lewis and Gemma are told to visit Nick’s classroom. When they arrive, Tilda sings them a song and tells them about her true feelings.

They quickly realize they have been ignoring her. Lewis notices Nick’s phone. He finds a message from a woman, Mia (Holly Austin), who is asking for money. Lewis returns the phone. Meanwhile, Abi tells Mark her suspension has been dropped. Justin returns home with the kids and finds the house flooded. Nick takes money to Mia. He tries to see his child, but the door is slammed in his face. That night, the guys play poker again. Rachel and Nick start getting loud. Lewis turns on the water hose and shuts them up.

 

House Husbands Review

Initially, I thought House Husbands would take a big hit without Kane. However, the writers did a good job explaining his absence. In fact, the episode was delightful from start to finish. The show is a little cheesy and cringy at times, but it is still entertaining. The addition of Nick should help to keep things interesting. Justin will likely continue to seek out true love throughout the season. And Mark will likely remain unemployed. Not much has changed.

The episode was good. A 7.5 out of 10 is deserved. Catch up with previous recaps of House Husbands now.