The episode begins with what appears to be a fragment of a memory from the night Bart McQuillan (James Munn) supposedly died in a boating accident with Raphael/Raph (Ethan Lwin). The extremely short scene shows Julian Norton (Andrew Buchanan) arriving just as the paramedics declare Bart deceased. Bart’s father doesn’t appear very happy.
Ted Conkaffey (Thomas Jane) is now at home with a back full of rock salt when he calls Amanda Pharrell (Nicole Chamoun). She wastes little time racing over to his house where she walks in on him in the bathroom naked. After an extremely brief standoff, he tells her White Hat was a bust and she tells him that Twist (Simon Lyndon) is back and what he was doing at the morgue. After a brief exchange about what happened with Twist and why he’s returned, Ted makes Amanda spend the night.
Ted wakes the following morning to find Amanda already gone but he doesn’t have to wonder long because she calls him almost immediately. Although he already knows she’s visited the site where she saw Twist commit murder, he asks anyway. He isn’t happy when she openly admits to stopping by there.
Raph isn’t any happier when Detective Sweeney (Zindzi Okenyo) shows up at the Banana Plantation to drag him back in for questioning. Lucky for him, Taylah/Tayla (Milah Madden) is there to stop him from doing something stupid. When Sweeney begins her questioning, it immediately becomes clear that Debbie Chandra retrieved the shirt he was attempting to burn in the bonfire. It’s also revealed that the shirt was stained with blood, which Raph contributes to stress nosebleeds. After also mentioning his argument with Julian, she gives him a warrant for his DNA.
While Twist stops by the PI office to intimidate Amanda, Ted receives a call from Lilly (Chloe Dell-McGregor). She thanks him again for her gift and what was initially embarrassment about his fight with the cops during her party, she now appears proud that he fought off 4 officers. After showing her the geese, there is a brief mention of her coming to spend some time with him.
Ted arrives at the PI office to find Amanda in a panic over Twist’s earlier visit. Despite her frenzied state, it appears she has been productive as she’s recreated a replica of the crime scene with a blackboard and plastic toys. Once she walks him through her theory and the suspects, they realize their next best move is to speak with Julian’s neighbors.
Before questioning the McQuillans, Ted tries to get Amanda to join him in the car for the trip. When she refuses, he theorizes that her car phobia is likely tied to the fact that she was locked up at 16 and never learned to drive. This not only agitates her, but she says she’s been driving since she was 8 and that isn’t the problem.
Ted is already waiting for Amanda by the time she arrives at the McQuillans. Being that no one has greeted, him they assume no one is home and split up to search the place. Amanda finds Stella McQuillan (Di Adams) in the backyard burying the family’s recently deceased dog. Ted’s run-in with Max McQuillan (Robert Mammone) is even more awkward, as he finds him contemplating suicide. Ted learns little more than the fact that Julian is a problematic neighbor. Amanda learns that Julian was a frequent visitor of the gay bar.
Things only get stranger when Ted and Amanda return to the Family Tree Retreat to find Raph face down in the pool. Although Twist ominously tells them they are a few minutes too late, it is soon revealed that Raph just broke his own record for holding his breath underwater. Raph introduces Twist as, Uncle Ezra. Ted and Amanda apply the divide-and-conquer questioning again. Amanda learns from Raph that Ezra is actually Julian’s half-brother but the only member of the family that can when he calls. Raph also claims that Ezra gave Ronnie (Ursula Yovich) the money to get the banana plantation from going under. Ted’s questioning doesn’t go so well, as he and Ezra end up wrestling in the pool after he makes a snide remark about Amanda.
Later that evening, Amanda isn’t happy to learn that Wayne (Cramer Cain) has hired Brooke (Sara West). After storming outside with her drink, her night only gets worse when she finds herself face-to-face with Sweeney. Despite her earlier apprehensions, Sweeney has a newfound respect for Amanda after reading the case notes from the Park Jog Min (Sonny Le) case.
While Ezra joins Raph at the Banana Plantation to tell Ronnie that he needs to collect on his loan, Amanda surprisingly acts Ted to teach her to drive a stick. This doesn’t go so well and a few minutes in, the car is overheated and they are stranded. The ensuing argument only gets worse when Amanda tries to get him to talk about his time in Sydney. Lucky for them, Colin (Brett Tucker) randomly shows up. Colin’s random intervention turns out to be a lesson and leads all three back to the McQuillans to look at the small John boat that sits on the edge of their property. Just after Colin reveals the origins of the boat, Max shows up, firing warning shots into the air. After the heated confrontation, Stella offers to share more with Ted and Amanda about Bart’s death, given that they provide the alcohol.
Later that evening at the Shark Bar, Stella tells them that Raph was driving and under the influence when he wrecked the boat. Despite this, Julian was able to throw his influence around town and get the blood test thrown out.
Ezra ominously wakes Raph the following morning, claiming that they have work to do. Shortly after this, Ezra and Raph hike to what will be Julian’s final resting place. During the trip, Ezra asks Raph if he killed his father. Ezra doesn’t appear to believe his denials because he tells him to come to him before the cops if he decides to have an epiphany.
Ted has an unexpected run-in with Val (Angela Punch McGregor) when he visits Mario’s (Ron Smyck) Salvage Yard about his vehicle. While he learns about the accelerant used to burn Julian, Amanda strikes a deal with Mario for a used Jeep. While walking home later, Julian’s missing Jag speeds by Ted. Amanda returns to the PI office and is almost bitten by what appears to be a planted snake.
The episode ends with Raph burning the McQuillan’s wooden John boat.
Troppo Review
This episode was much better but, once again, I felt it was entirely too long. Don’t get me wrong, a lot is unveiled and there seems to be quite a bit to unearth. That said, I feel it would be far more effective to keep things to a minimum. It’s almost as if they are throwing in as much as possible just to feel time. Despite this, I’d give the episode a 5.4 out of 10 and look forward to the next one.
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