Next week on Home and Away in the UK, Dana struggles to keep Harper’s big secret under wraps, while a new arrival is in trouble and on the run.
Trouble’s brewing at the farmhouse next week, when Mali (Kyle Shilling) receives an unexpected visitor.
Mali and girlfriend Rose (Kirsty Marillier) are hoping to make the most of both having the afternoon off, by heading back to the farmhouse for some ‘alone time’.
Housemates Mackenzie (Emily Weir) and Levi (Tristan Gorey) have gone away for a few days, whilst Tane (Ethan Browne) is currently in the city on a counselling program, as part of his intensive correction order
They’re therefore concerned when they return to find that the door has been forced open, breaking the lock (which is particularly surprising when no-one in Summer Bay tends to lock their doors anyway). As Mali gingerly steps inside, a voice calls out from the living room.
“Don’t freak out little brother,” the intruder says.
Mali laughs, knowing immediately who’s behind it, and the pair enter to see Mali’s brother Iluka (Dion Williams) sitting on the couch with a bottle of beer and a peanut butter sanga.
For those that need a reminder, Mali is the youngest of seven children who were brought up by mum Vicky (Ursula Yovich) in Mantaray Point, their father having passed away when Mali was young.
Mali has four sisters including Elandra (Rarriwuy Hick), who we’ve already met, and Lowanna. Iluka is one of Mali’s two brothers, and being only a year older than Mali the two were best mates growing up.
It was during Vicky and Elandra’s first meeting with Rose last year, which saw some tension when they learned Rose was a cop, where Iluka’s backstory and their past experiences with the police force were explained.
Iluka had been footy mad growing up, and had caught the eye of several talent scouts. But just when it had looked as though he was about to turn pro with a big contract, a knee injury caused him to miss out.
Iluka went off the rails after that, with drinking and violence bringing him under police scrutiny on many an occasion. Elandra had explained that even after Iluka tried to get his life back on track, the police would unfairly target him and anyone who happened to be with him at the time, including herself and Mali on occasion.
Back in the present, Mali’s stoked to see his big brother, whilst Rose light-heartedly points out that a text would have sufficed to announce his arrival instead of breaking in.
Iluka’s pleased to finally meet Rose, who Elandra and their mum apparently never stop talking about, and she soon decides to give the brothers some space to catch up.
Once Rose is gone, Mali digs for the real reason why Iluka is here, not believing that it’s just because he missed him. Iluka avoids the question, leaving Mali to phone Elandra and find out what’s really going on.
It would seem that Iluka isn’t quite as innocent as everyone would like to believe, as Elandra explains to Mali that he has got into a bit of trouble at home and is laying low as a consequence.
Later confronted by Mali, Iluka confirms that Elandra is correct, and tells him that he had been hanging out with some undesirables back home—Nat Allen and her brothers, who live down the street from their old family home.
Mali sighs, knowing that the Allens are bad news and hoping that Iluka isn’t about to tell him that he’s been working with them.
Iluka claims he was simply hanging out with the Allens when the cops turned up, and wasn’t that involved. They were all arrested on suspicion of handling stolen car parts, but Iluka was later released.
With the Allens later facing further charges, Iluka states that the finger was pointed at him for grassing on them, hence his leaving Mantaray Point.
Iluka figures that hiding out is better than trying to approach the cops for help, so naturally Mali keeps quiet about Iluka’s real reason for visiting when Rose later asks.
Meanwhile, Iluka is quick to eye up some of the local talent when he spots Kirby (Angelina Thomson) using the outdoor showers after a surf.
After quizzing Mali and Rose about her, he heads down to the shop and introduces himself to Kirby, laying the flirty banter on thick.
Kirby plays hard to get, commenting that arrogance must run in the family—Iluka corrects her that it’s ‘confidence’.
The two continue flirtations as they share a drink with Mali and Rose, and after they share another chat on the beach the next morning, Mali feels it right to warn Kirby that Iluka isn’t a ‘long-term’ relationship sort of guy.
Kirby had figured that out for herself, but we’re left wondering if she’ll herself falling for him anyway… and whether Iluka is telling the truth about his run-in with the Allen family.
Elsewhere, Dana (Ally Harris) can’t contain her excitement when she learns that sister Harper (Jessica Redmayne) slept with Tane last week.
Tane was spending a quiet evening in the gym, pounding away on his punch bag after a tense day in court, when Harper entered with a bottle of whisky to share between them.
Knowing that Tane could be facing up to 15 years in prison, the pair gave into temptation and spent the night together in Tane’s office.
It’s a far cry from the last encounter between the pair. In the wake of his breakup with Felicity (Jacqui Purvis), Tane had misread the signals from Harper during one of their many PT sessions and he had planted a kiss on her.
Harper pulled back in shock, and was quick to clarify that she didn’t see him in that way.
The pair were woken the next morning by Tane’s phone, his lawyer Marshall (Nic English) telling him that the judge was ready to hand down his sentencing. The pair only managed a few hurried words before slipping out the gym separately to return to court.
Against all the odds, Tane was given a seven year sentence, to be served in the community under an ICO (intensive correction order). With Tane immediately whisked off to the city for a mandatory counselling program, to help identify and control any further damaging behaviour, he and Harper again had no chance to talk about what had happened.
Next week, when Harper makes it back to the Beach House, Dana quizzes her on whether she was up talking with Tane all night.
“Kind of…” Harper replies.
Dana’s intrigued by her sister’s coyness as she heads off for a shower, but swooping in on Harper before she manages to close her bedroom door, Dana asks outright whether she slept with him.
“Yes, yes I did. Happy?” Harper asks as she closes the door.
“Yes!” Dana squeals as she does a little happy dance.
Later, Dana wants to know everything, but Harper is being reserved. It’s clear that the liaison has brought up some deeper feelings that were unexpected.
Harper admits her realisation that she really likes Tane, but is now in the awkward position of having to wait until he returns to town to figure everything out.
The sisters agree not to talk about Tane for now, but as they head into the diner, Marilyn (Emily Symons) brings up his court appearance, and notes to Harper that he was lucky to have her supporting him.
“Ah, he definitely got lucky…” Dana can’t help but quip.
Though the comment goes over Maz’s head, Harper swiftly decides to get their coffees to go as she shoots daggers at Dana.
Outside, Harper points out that when she asked her not to talk about Tane, she didn’t instead want innuendoes bandied around the diner.
Dana promises not to bring up the fact that Harper slept with “the demigod” again, but will she able to keep it zipped for what could be weeks before his return?
