Mackenzie’s association with a mysterious high-rolling poker player, according to Emily Weir of Summer Bay, will start off a chain of destruction.
Emily Weir, who plays Mackenzie Booth on Home and Away, has stated that she is in grave risk as a result of her illicit gambling venture.
After a rejected insurance claim following a dangerous gas leak in the restaurant over Christmas, the Salt owner has been in debt.
Mackenzie was disdainful when Felicity Newman (Jacqui Purvis) suggested holding illicit poker evenings at Salt.
“She laughed! She thought it was hilarious and it was kind of a joke, then she realised that Felicity was serious,” commented Home and Away star Emily.
“As time progressed and her financial stresses became more impactful, she leaned more into the idea of it and Felicity was very convincing.
“She has a lot of shame around the debt itself, as it’s part of her identity being a businesswoman.
“When she’s thrust into part of her identity being taken away she puts on a poker face herself to make others believe that it’s all okay.”
With the nights going strong and the money rolling in, Mackenzie appears to have succumbed to the seductive allure of high-stakes gambling.
“It’s kind of exciting isn’t it? It’s not allowed, it’s underground, it’s secretive and there’s an aspect of that being a thrill as well,” Emily agreed.
Mack is relieved when one of the regular players, Nathan (Ryan Panizza), returns her money after being emotionally bullied into doing so for a debt.
His persistence on bringing his mystery friend PK (Ryan Johnson) to the table, though, makes her feel uneasy.
“She can see he has a bit of an ego,” Emily explained, “but he’s somehow incredibly significant just because of the way Nathan acts around him.”
“But she’s seen the benefits of money coming in, so when PK dangles the carrot and says, ‘Hey I’ll pay this money to be part of the evening’, it’s an offer Mackenzie can’t refuse.
“She informs Felicity to kick some people off the table to make room for PK. She’s wary of him but she also thinks she’s smart enough to get out of him what she needs at that point.
“It’s kind of a business decision with big dollar bill signs over the top of it.”
Mackenzie may see the dollar signs, but she doesn’t see the red flags!
After PK persuades Mack to keep a suspicious Felicity away from the poker nights, things get even shadier.
Emily teased that things would get real after that, and that the poker nights would start off a chain of frightening occurrences…
“They have a disastrous effect on almost everyone, in some way,” she explained.
“It gets vicious, and there’s a lot of drama and passion!” There are many secrets revealed, as well as breakups and near-death situations.
“There’s a lot crammed in, and the ripple effect of these poker nights really takes the bay by storm for a lot of people.”
Could Mack be on the verge of losing Salt for good? Since her arrival in 2019, she’s been in charge of the restaurant, and we can’t imagine her doing anything else!
“The risk of Mack losing Salt only increases more and more as the story progresses and she does get to a point where it’s pretty clear where she very well may lose everything,” hinted Emily.
“As a character, she’s very much tied to her work whereas other characters’ work is the second or third thing about them.
“Mackenzie in the diner or Mackenzie at the bait shop! Can you imagine? Peeling prawns or putting the bait together! Salt is her domain, definitely.
“She still hangs around the Salt balcony but whether or not she retains it, you’ll have to wait and see!”
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