This week on Home and Away in Australia, Xander takes drastic action as Mackenzie and Felicity’s feud continues, while Stevie refuses to head to set as shooting begins on All Our Tomorrows.
She’s the lead actress in All Our Tomorrows, the new rom-com which is about to begin filming in Summer Bay. Yet as the first day of production rolls around, the usually confident Stevie Marlow (Catherine Văn-Davies) is nowhere to be found.
Last week saw Remi (Andrew Rowland) come face to face with ex-girlfriend Bree (Juliet Godwin) kissing her new fling Nelson (Mahesh Jadu), the director of the hotly anticipated new film.
Lead actress Stevie had brought Remi to the fancy house where she and Nelson were staying, but Nelon had the same idea, whisking Bree away from Summer Bay on the back of his motorbike to their luxury pad.
If seeing Bree and Nelson kissing wasn’t enough of a shock, Remi was in for the surprise of his life when he saw his ex happily jump on the back of Nelson’s motorbike.
Remi’s refusal to give up his motorbike was a major contributor in his and Bree’s split, so he can’t understand why she’s willing to jump on the back of someone else’s bike.
Seeing his ex move on with someone else proved surprisingly difficult for Remi, and he came to the realisation that he couldn’t keep dating Stevie, especially as most of their hookups ended with them practising lines together.
At the end of last week, Remi ended his fling with Stevie, coldly telling her, “running lines, giving pep talks, I can’t do this. I’m not your boyfriend. I’m out.”
Later, Stevie tried to reassure Remi that she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, but when she tried to continue with their no-strings-attached fun, Remi shot her down once again.
Stevie then joined Cash and Eden for drinks at Salt, and the pair were shocked to see just how quickly Stevie was downing her cocktails.
As Cash reminded her that she had an early start the following morning, she dismissed him, telling him she could handle a few drinks.
Yet, on the morning that production of All Our Tomorrows was set to begin, Stevie was nowhere to be found.
When Cash finally tracked her down, he found her emotional on his sofa, where she told him that she’s not a real actor, and that she’s not doing the film.
Suffering from imposter syndrome, and still in shock after the recent incident with her stalker and now her breakup, she refuses to leave the house and head for set.
As Stevie pours herself an early morning glass of wine, it’s on Cash to try and talk her around, sober up, and get her to set on time.
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“It’s sad to see Stevie unravel and drink her way through her issue,” Nicholas Cartwright explains in the latest edition of TV Week. “I think Cash really sees the best in Stevie and it’s hard to see her as anything other than a plucky go-getter, but it also humanises her for him.”
As director Nelson waits on set, his patience is running thin. He turns to Alf (Ray Meagher), explaining that the film means everything to him.
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Stevie knows that they’re working to a very tight budget and can’t afford any delays, so why is she throwing their dreams away?
Will Stevie make it to set?
As Nelson awaits the arrival of his star, he has another problem on his hands when an emergency sees another actor rushed off set.
He races to find someone with the same build so that they can reuse the specially-made costume, and soon stumbles upon Justin (James Stewart) – the perfect fit!
With no experience in front of the camera, Justin is apprehensive, but his new wife Leah (Ada Nicodemou) gives him a pep talk and convinces him to make his acting debut!
Is this the start of a glittery new career for garage owner / band manager Justin?
Elsewhere, the reveal of Mackenzie (Emily Weir) and Levi’s (Tristan Gorey) affair has raised a few eyebrows in Summer Bay, though none more so than Levi’s sister Eden (Stephanie Panozzo), and Mac’s business partner Felicity (Jacqui Purvis).
Eden had been heartbroken to discover Levi kissing Mac, after she’d only recently met and bonded with his wife Imogen (Georgia Blizzard), feeling it was a case of history repeating itself after their father’s affair had split up their family.
When their dad moved out, Levi went with him, with Eden feeling that he had taken sides. Subsequently she hadn’t spoken to her brother since she was 15 years old, an estrangement that she’s now made clear she plans on resuming.
Flick on the other hand felt that Mac had been particularly hypocritical, after she’d criticised Flick for how she handled her own marriage to Tane (Ethan Browne).
Seeing the pain it had also caused her bestie Eden, Flick has not held back in voicing her disapproval, causing massive friction at Salt.
When Mac and Levi came into the restaurant as a couple for the first time, Flick gave a slow clap in front of all the patrons, drawing everyone’s attention to them.
“You must be SO proud,” Flick said across the room, as Mac told her to grow up.
Things hadn’t improved last week when Mac and Levi came into the restaurant again only to see Flick glaring at them from behind the bar.
Although she considered avoiding her, a pep talk from Levi saw Mac make an attempt to talk to Flick and work out their issues so they could at least work together.
“I am with Levi now,” Mac explained. “That is something that you’re going to have to get used to, and my personal life should not come between our business partnership.”
Mac attempted to then talk through the rosters with Flick, only for her to shut her down by saying they’d already been done and that she was going on her break.
This week, things don’t get any easier, and it’s on Xander (Luke Van Os) to try and calm the tension. He calls a meeting to encourage the pair to discuss their issues, wanting an end to the toxic workplace he’s suffered for the past few weeks.
TV Week reports that when he’s accused of taking sides, Xander is forced to take drastic action.
“It hurts Xander and makes him more frustrated because he’s not choosing sides – he’s trying to be a friend and support both of them,” Luke explains.
Stuck between the fighting pair, and with work no longer enjoyable, Xander decides the only option is to quit.
Will Xander’s departure be the wake-up call Mackenzie and Felicity need?
