As Informer 3838 starts, we’re introduced to Nicola Gobbo (Ella Scott Lynch) who speaks about having wealth, position, and opportunity. She says we’re about to find out why she did what she did. She climbs some stairs before reaching Susan Reichert (Jane Harber) who asks if she is going to do it. Nicola is worried that people will find out she has given evidence against them but Susan says they won’t find out. Gobbo is concerned that crims will go free and someone will put a bullet in her head. Then, Nicola says a lot of people didn’t feel sorry for her and that includes Carl Williams (Gyton Grantley). We watch as Williams is attached and killed in prison. Nicola admits that Carl was the first to suspect she was an informer but she denies having him killed.

We jump back to the time when Nicola was attending school. She gives a speech to a small group of students while her property is raided. The police arrive and she leaves with them. They take Nicola back to her bedroom where drugs are pulled from a pack of cigarettes. Nicola is confronted with the evidence against her and she tells Susan she is studying to be a lawyer. She is told that the law says she owns the house and she will be charged unless she can give them something else. She squeals on her roommate and tells police where they can find his drugs. Emma tells her friend that she is getting a good behavior bond and won’t have a conviction recorded. As for Brian, he will be getting a trafficking charge but Nicola promises she didn’t help them.

By the time Nicola was admitted to the bar, the Melbourne Gangland War was in full flight. We jump to 1999 and learn that Gobbo has been working around the clock. She represented any client who would have her included a Czech bird breeder who smuggled eggs and a man who put cameras in kiddie toilets. She developed a relationship with criminals and cops. Nic’s friend Emma (Olympia Valance) tries to convince her that she is going to get herself into trouble but she won’t listen. We see how Nicola managed to develop a relationship with Tony Mokbel (Robert Mammone). She helped his brother Horty with his tax problem and she helps Tony get bail. Before too long, she is introduced to Carl Williams. Carl believes Nicola distracts people with her looks and they don’t expect what is coming their way.

He says people see him the same way since they don’t believe they have to worry about Carl. He says they’re a lot alike but Nicola doesn’t want to hear that. With Nicola’s help, Williams is released on bail within a week and Roberta (Hollie Andrew) is there waiting to pick him up. Then, we’re introduced to Paul Dale (Stephen Peacocke) and learn how he developed a relationship with Carl. Williams told everyone he was paying Dale to keep trouble away while Dale would say it was all lies. Before long, everything started to go wrong at Harp Road, Kew and it started with a small-time ecstasy dealer. We see Terrence Hodson (Rhys Muldoon) taking drugs at home with his family Christine (Jacqueline Brennan) and Mandy (Hannah Fredericksen). When someone arrives at the door, Andrew (Toby Derrick) gives Terrence a gun.

He checks the door and it turns out to be his mate Rodney. Andy wanted a share of Terry’s pill business so he started selling pills without telling his fathers but ended up getting arrested. Emma tells Nicola that she is going to take a break because Neal wants to have kids. Nicola doesn’t want kids right now because she is focused on her career. She gets a call from Tony who needs her help. This is the arrest that would change everything. Nicola tries to help Andrew while David Miechel (Kevin Hofbauer) tries to convince Terrence to become an informant and help his son Andrew. Terrence is hesitant but he eventually agrees to help. As the murder cases accumulated, police decided to do something new so they created the Piranha Task Force. Simon Overland (Ian Bliss) would try to make his mark by ending Melbourne’s Gangland War.

Nicola tries to represent the Moran family but she was threatened and told to drop them as clients. After that, Paul Dale and David Miechel check out a drug house that the police are going to raid in the future. David becomes a friend of the Hodson family and starts dating Mandy. Andrew accuses his father of talking to the jacks but Terrence denies it. Miechel would introduce Terrence to his boss Paul Dale. During one encounter, Terrence tells David that they should think about raiding the drug house, stealing the drugs, and selling them for money. Meanwhile, Nicola continues hanging out with criminals including Carl Williams and his wife. She learns that Roberta is angry at Carl because he was supposed to get their daughter Dhakota christened last year but didn’t.

Tony apologizes to her for his boy getting rough but he can’t have her helping the Morans. During the party, Nic is introduced to Kevin “Juicy” Jucirovic (Richard Davies) and they hit it off. She tells them about contemplating running for PM and Carl says they would vote for her. Everyone finds that funny. Later that night, Nicola tells Juicy that she wants to get out. Next, Terrence and David Michel break into the house and steal the drugs and money inside. Terrence doesn’t get far before he is arrested. Nicola flushes her drugs down the toilet hoping to start anew. She calls Emma and apologizes because she finally understands what he was going on about. David is attacked by a police dog. Tony learns about the robbery and gets angry. After the pill house burglary, the drug squad detectives were forced to act.

She represents one of the men arrested and finds out that there were a couple hundred thousand pills and 700 G in the house. She also realizes that one of the officers was likely involved in the robbery. Detective Miechel was attacked by a German Shepherd before calling Paul Dale. That kick started everything. After that, Nic meets up with Juicy and admits she isn’t getting out of the business. They head back to her place and have sex. Then, they discuss Juicy’s responsibilities before she gets a call and has to leave. She meets with Terrence and he tells her what happened. Terrence denies knowing anything about the burglary but Nicola isn’t buying it. He learns about David being arrested at the scene. Nicola says there is a rumor that there was a load of cash the police didn’t find.

Nicola encourages Terrence to rat on Miechel because he’ll go for it if he doesn’t. He says Dave is a mate but Nic says he wouldn’t have done it without Dave. Terrence is worried that the cops will come after him if he squeals on them. Terrence tells Nic he would rather be dead than separated from his Chrissy. After he agreed to cooperate, Nic rang Ethical Standards or The Toe Cutters. Terrence sits down with Susan and her partner. He is asked who is involved and he uses three ringers to tell them about a sergeant. Paul is arrested by Susan and Berich moments later. He calls Nic and tries to get her to help him. Juicy tells Nicola that they’re not her friends and they’re only using her to get what they can. Paul is taken in and asked about planning the robbery but he denies it.

Meanwhile, Terrence tells Nic he is anxious because he put two cops in jail. Christine joins them moments later and Nic watches as Terrence dances with his wife. Simon conducts a press conference and says officers who abuse their position will be dealt with in the harshest terms possible. Nicola meets with Paul and gives his advice. She tells him that he shouldn’t apply for bail because he might not get it and it would only delay things. She also tells him that she is advising Terry Hodson. Paul suspects Terry might be pointing the finger at him. Next, Emma finds Nicola taking care of Carl’s daughter and Nic explains she is doing a favor for a friend. She tells Emma about speaking with the cop who her client just rolled on. She admits she doesn’t know if Terrence is telling the truth or not.

She calls Terrence that night and scares him. She asks him if he is telling the truth but says it doesn’t matter before hanging up. She meets with Paul later and learns he didn’t take her advice and got bail. They chat about Terrence and other things. Nicola says it would only be a matter of time before Carl slipped up. We see that he is busy partying with women. Next, we learn that Carl’s phone has been tapped and he is arrested moments later. Nevertheless, Nicola gets the charge thrown out. Someone leaked Terry’s top secret police informer film. Carl and the others have a copy so Terry is in serious danger. Nic goes to Terry and warns him. She tries to convince him to enter witness protection but he doesn’t trust the police either. Nicola pleads with Susan to better protect her witness and she encourages Chikka (Tim Ross) to do the same. Carl and Robert attend their daughter’s christening party while Terry worries with his wife at home. Before long, Rodney Collins (Jasper Bagg) visits Terrence who opens the door. Rodney holds them at gun point and executes them.

Meanwhile, Carl parties all day and night. Nicola gets a call from Andrew learning about the murders. She meets up with them and learns what happened. She also finds out that Andrew is keeping his father’s gun because he said it was his. The episode ends with Nicola walking away from the scene with tears streaming down her face.

 

Informer 3838 Review

The Melbourne Gangland War is really the gift that keeps on giving for viewers. By this point, I think it has become difficult to see the characters as human beings. Nevertheless, I think the opening episode of Informer 3838 did an excellent job of making Terrence and Christine Hodson sympathetic. Also, it is always nice to be able to revisit these characters and see things from different angles. I thought the opener was very good. It is a bit long-winded but we’re talking about an episode that spans an hour and a half. The fact that everything is partly true makes it even more fascinating.

I’ll watch the next episode as quickly as I can because the first one has me hooked. I can’t wait to see where things will go from here and how everything will end. Then again, we should already know that this story really never ends, does it? The opening episode scores a 7.5 out of 10.