♫ Worlds away from anyone
♫ They were burning themselves out in the sun
♫ Worlds away from anyone
♫ They were burning themselves out in the sun
♫ There was just enough to get them far away
♫ Ooh
(surfer rock music)
(soft, mysterious string music)
- [Lockie] The weather like life
can be totally unpredictable.
One minute everything's fine and calm.
Then, from out of no where you find yourself caught
in the middle of a perfect storm.
Suddenly you're in big trouble
and it's nothing that you could have ever seen coming.
(thunder crashing, wind whistling)
Looking back, it all started with the promise
of a massive swell.
- Hey, I haven't finished that!
- You have now.
- Have you seen the Surf Report?
Predicting a 10 foot swell. You in?
- Well I don't know, 10 foot is seriously serious.
Maybe I'm not ready to surf the big waves yet.
- I think you are. - Really?
- Pity we only have one board between us.
- Don't worry about that.
Hey sir, have you finished with that?
- No! Get that back here girlie,
there was one sip left in that.
You owe me 20 cents.
- I'd be careful if I was you.
- 10 foot swell doesn't phase me.
- I wasn't talking about the waves.
- [Lockie] Even Egg could see the storm brewing.
- And now it's time for the Wacky Weather Report
with Radio Angelus' resident wackster,
Jeffrey "Egg" Eggleston. (beeping, laughing)
- Okay folks, it's time to put on those hats.
We've got one mean cold front coming our way.
I'm talking mad winds, crazy rains,
and bucket loads of emotional turbulence.
- Come on, come on, time is money.
- [Lockie] Meanwhile, dark clouds had been hovering
over the Streetons for a while now.
- Now tomorrow I'll be paying a photographer
by the hour, so you better not dawdle then.
Careful, now Vicki I want you and Josh
on either side of your grandmother.
- You mean Mum.
- For the purposes of the photo shoot,
she's your grandmother.
And you and Josh are her favourite grandchildren.
- Where exactly are you planning
on building this retirement village?
- Kitten, I'm building lifestyle opportunities
for the young at heart, right there.
Of course we'll have to photo shop
an artist's sketch for the brochure.
Come on, come on.
- Right next to the Leonard's house?
- Vicki, in three years time that house
will be the site of the new Lifestyle Recreation Centre
and everybody in Angelus will have access
to its state-of-the-art facilities for a small fee.
- What about Lockie's family?
- You can't stand in the way of progress Vicki,
you only get trampled on. (laughing)
Well smile, for the camera babe, smile, smile.
- Smile, smile Vicki.
Smile Vicki.
Click, perfect.
- Lockie here?
- How did you get in here?
And why are you wearing a raincoat?
It's a sunny day outside.
- Yah, are these tuna?
- What's going on?
- I've got something to show you.
I've been keeping it a secret for a while,
it's time I came clean.
- We can go to my bedroom.
- Bathroom would be better.
- All right.
Ever since Phillip first met Mel
he'd never quite got the idea out of his head
that Mel was in fact a mermaid.
- There's something weird about that girl
and I just can't put my finger on it.
- Yes, thank you.
Finally someone else sees it.
- What am I seeing?
- It all adds up, Mel loves eating fish,
she wears a raincoat because she's terrified
of getting wet.
- Although surely Lockie would have realised
if she were a mermaid by now, they surf together every day.
- Of course, wet suit.
Mel wears a wet suit causing insufficient surface area
of her bare legs to have direct contact with the water.
- Preventing a complete metamorphosis.
- Exactly, so what do you propose she wants
to show Lockie in private?
- Her tail, bathrooms have water.
She'll need it to wet her legs so her tail will grow.
- [Lockie] When you said surprise, I wasn't expecting this.
- [Mel] Do you like it?
- [Lockie] Like it? It's awesome.
It'll help you track through the waves
like no one's business.
- [Mel] That's what it's designed for.
- That is so cool, a real, live mermaid.
Who'd have thought it?
- Hey boys, what are you two up to?
- Nothing.
- We need to keep this to ourselves.
- Word gets out that Mel's a mermaid
and she'll be preserved in embalming fluid
and stuffed in a museum somewhere.
We need to formulate a plan.
- [Lockie] Where'd you get it?
- The second-hand shop, I just bought it.
It needs a bit of a wash, though.
- It's so cool.
Except, no leg rope.
I've got one in my room.
(squeaking groan)
It must have cost a packet.
- 7,000 cans.
I collected 70 cans a day for 100 days.
- 100 days?
- I started the day I first saw you surf.
- [Lockie] Freeze frame for a minute.
That right there was clue number one.
Mel was trying to tell me something
and it wasn't about recycling, surf boards, or mermaids.
But all I could say in return was here it is.
- Oh. - That's okay,
I'll attach it for you.
There you go.
Okay, that was clue number two.
Mel had never gone to such an effort to look like,
well, a girl, not that I noticed.
- Whoa, do you mind, I just ironed that.
- Sorry, whatever his highness wants.
- You all right?
- Just thought you'd be more excited about the board,
that's all.
- It's excellent, I love it.
It's the best, I love you for buying it.
- Really? You're kidding right?
So, did you mean what you said?
About us being ready to surf that wave together?
- Yeah, of course.
Why wouldn't I?
Okay stop.
This here, clue number three.
It would have been pretty obvious to most people,
except me.
You all right?
- See you. - Mel.
- Yeah? - Your board.
- All right, thanks.
- We've got a bolt from the blue for you today folks,
an unseasonable, low pressure crash front.
It's very hard to predict how things are going
to pan out.
It could be blue skies ahead or
it could turn nasty, nasty, nasty, mm.
- The question is, what are you going to do about it?
- I don't know, I mean Mel's great to hang out with.
She likes to surf, she's a mate.
- But Mel comes with unique complications.
- You're telling me, she's cool but crazy.
- You mean, your not sure if you belong in her world,
if that's what you want for yourself.
- That was weird.
My brother's advice actually almost made sense for once.
But who says you can't have a mate as a girlfriend.
It actually makes sense.
It doesn't have to be confusing or weird.
Maybe I do belong in her world.
- You just be sure you think that through.
In full, okay?
- Goodnight Phillip.
- Goodnight Lock.
- 10 foot swell, eh?
- Yeah, the surf should be awesome.
- Young Mel, is she up for the challenge?
- I think so.
- Well, we'll find out, I suppose.
A monster swell like that,
that'll be a baptism by fire.
- Hey Sarge, how do you know when it's time
to ride the big wave with someone?
- Well you know, just as the wave's cresting
and you're paddling like mad and you drop.
Wait a sec, why am I telling you this?
You're the expert.
- No, not that kind of wave.
The other kind of wave.
- Oh, that kind of wave.
Well, you just know.
- Well, say you don't just know,
not 100%, maybe 99.98%.
- Well, if you go into it with an open and truthful heart,
what can go wrong?
- Open heart?
- Yeah, if you don't go into it
with a completely open heart it's like
if you had like the best surfboard in the world
but it had a ding in it.
And no matter how much you tried to patch it,
it never felt quite right.
Joy!
- You gotta hand it to the Sarge,
he always comes up trumps when it comes
to good advice.
And this morning I took him at his word.
I opened up my heart to Mel.
(knocking)
- Lockie?
(soft romantic music)
- (laughing) Are you all right?
- Yeah, I'm more than all right.
So are you, Miss Quiellet.
So, you still want to ride that wave?
Because if you do, then I really want to, too.
- Sure, straight after you change out of your pyjamas.
- I must have had something else on my mind.
I'll see you later.
- Lockie! (kissing, laughing)
(soft romantic music fanfare)
- Stop stressing, Vicki.
The Leonards will find another place to live.
- No, you have to talk to dad, he listens to you.
Get him to end the deal.
- I, I can't do that.
It's the whole reason I'm here in Blubbertown.
- I thought you were here because of me.
- Of course I am.
I'm here to help you and your family.
I mean, it's not as if you're ever gonna meet
anyone remotely useful in this town.
It's just as well your parents send you to Redmont.
- But that's not why they sent me there.
- Why else do you think they did?
The facilities?
Come on Vicki, you know how things work in our world.
The fact that we like each other is an added incentive.
Ice cream?
Uh, I should probably go.
I promised your dad I'd look over the blueprints
one last time.
Of all the girls my parents set me up with,
you're by far the nicest.
(serious, dramatic music)
- Here, I need to know whether I should take this up
before the photo shoot.
- Why did you and dad really send me to boarding school?
Be honest, Mum.
- The facilities of course,
the solar-powered media centre is world-class.
Now, the dress.
Vicki, come back here!
- It seems that not only is Mel a mermaid,
but she intends to turn Lockie into a merman.
- Wow.
- I think I need to have words with Mel.
- Best tread carefully.
It says here that mermaids can be vengeful
and can have powers that can include
controlling the weather.
Get on her bad side and who knows what we're up against.
(slamming, pounding footsteps)
- Ready to go?
- Of course I am.
What could possibly go wrong?
(knocking)
(squeaking) (loud, dramatic music)
- [Lockie] Cyclone alert, cyclone alert!
- Hi.
He's planning on redeveloping it all, the swamp
and then this house, everything,
into a retirement village.
- Really?
Who in their right mind would want to live in a swamp.
- You do.
- Well yes, but who else would be crazy enough to?
- Dad's really serious about this.
You should be worried.
- I am worried, love.
I'm worried about you.
- [Lockie] You'd think I'd care a little more
about my house being levelled, but I'd never seen
Vicki so upset before.
And it knocked the wind right out of me.
- Tissues and tea.
- [Lockie] I figured Mel could wait for five minutes.
(crashing surf)
- Sometimes it's just too, too.
- Too. - And I can't.
I can't. - You can't,
you just can't.
- [Lockie] Time was ticking away, I had to get to the beach.
Surely they'd had enough tea and tissues by now.
- Joy, I got your message.
Victoria, we'd best be off.
I'm sure Mrs. Leonard has housework to do.
Lots of housework.
- I'm staying here.
- No, you are not young lady.
- So, who's for a cup of tea, then?
Lockie, would you do the honours.
- Need a hand?
- No I'm, I'm fine thanks.
I couldn't look at her.
Vicki was like the Medusa,
one look in her eyes and I would be gone.
- What are you looking for?
- [Lockie] The, the tea.
- It's on the bench, near the kettle,
with the sugar and the milk.
- Oh, right, thanks.
- I'm sorry for storming over like this.
I just didn't really know where else to go.
You shouldn't have to listen to this.
You were going for a surf.
Don't let me stop you.
- No, it's okay, you're not stopping me.
The surf can wait.
(crashing surf, blowing wind)
- All Vicki really needs is to know
that you're there for her.
- Well of course I'm there for her.
We sleep under the same roof don't we?
- Yes but, I've always found a hug goes a long way.
- Victoria. - Mum.
- Victoria. - Mum?
- Well, we best be off then.
- It'll take a while for things to settle down a bit.
They just need to ride it out.
- Right.
The wave, Mel!
I can explain.
- You know, you're the reason I bought this surfboard
in the first place.
- What happened?
- What you mean after my surfing buddy didn't show?
- Well, I went in didn't I?
I tried to surf the big wave all by myself.
Don't worry, I didn't even make it out past the break.
So, you're still the champion surfer in Angelus.
And here's your trophy.
- I really am sorry.
Vicki needed me.
- You know what?
I was right the first time I met you.
You really are an octopus.
- She has stuff going on, major stuff.
And so here I am, back at the beginning
in major trouble with Mel.
Luckily I had a brilliant plan to get me out of it.
I mean, how could she not laugh at my octopus suit?
Mel wasn't the only one in a bad mood.
The weather had thrown a major hissy fit
and Joey had a feeling it was no coincidence.
- I estimate 500 revolutions per minute.
- Wow, that's over 50 kilometres per hour!
That's gale force conditions!
- The perfect storm.
- And it's all Lockie's fault.
- We need to do something to make it up to Mel,
cheer her up, mermaid-style.
- The good people of Angelus are depending on us.
(thunder crashing) (dramatic music)
(thunder crashing)
- Vicki.
- Have you got any tissues?
- I'm all out.
- What's with the suit?
- This is no suit, I'm an octopus,
arms and legs going everywhere,
and no spine.
- I guess that makes two spineless people
walking around Angelus.
I started going out with a new boyfriend,
before I properly broke-up with the old one.
That's something an octopus would do.
- What then, all because of that you think
you can take my crown?
Huh, get out.
They can make enough calamari out of me
to feed all of China and they are hungry people.
- Lockie, I think calamari rings are made of squid.
- Does squid have spines?
- I don't think so.
- You can be a squid then.
- (laughing) Deal, and I didn't want to break-up
with you, Lockie.
But, I didn't want to stay with you either.
It's like together we're, we're just.
- Yeah.
- With Josh it was just smooth sailing.
I thought that's what I wanted.
But apparently.
- You broke-up with him?
- I had this dream the other night.
I was on a beach, except the sand was made
of Brazil nuts and Macadamias,
and I was made entirely of marshmallow.
And you were there, surfing
on this giant tidal wave of melted chocolate.
And as I was standing there, I could see you
in the wave coming straight for me
and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
- So, together we're like.
- Rocky road.
(laughing)
- [Lockie] Phillip and Joe decided that maybe
a peace offering was the best way to ride out the storm.
- [Phillip] You think this will work?
- We've established that she loves tuna,
it can't fail.
(knocking)
(odd, mysterious music)
- Change of venue folks, because of the storm.
We're gonna do the photo shoot in here,
photo shop the background in later.
- Oh.
- Where's Vicki?
The photographer's gonna be here any minute.
Victoria!
- Barry, I need to speak with you.
Vicky's broken-up with Josh.
- Tell her, I forbid it!
- It's okay, the deal's still on.
- See, see it's fine, all fine.
Now I want Victoria in that dress ASAP!
- I'm not wearing that dress.
- (laughing) Of course you are, kitten.
- I know why you and Mum sent me off to boarding school.
So that I'd meet boys like Josh
and you could do deals with their parents.
You've totally used me, but it ends now,
no more.
- You listen to me young girl.
- [Lockie] And then Mrs. Streeton did something
that Vicki didn't see coming.
- No Barry, no more.
We can't continue forcing her to do something
she objects to.
She's our daughter.
- Put on that dress, Victoria, now!
- If you want me in that brochure,
you're gonna have to photo shop me in.
- Me too.
- What the blazes is going on with you two?
- [Lockie] It looked like the storm clouds had
finally parted from the Streeton house.
In fact, it was happening all over town.
- Woo, we did it!
- Angelus is safe!
But we can't get too ahead of ourselves,
Lockie might stuff it up again at any moment.
- Good news folks, that low pressure trough
has moved on as quickly as it came.
And we're expecting more settled weather ahead.
But, it is still too early to make any firm predictions.
So, don't tuck those raincoats away too soon.
- [Lockie] And for once, the weather forecast was
actually right, and Mel and I had
some stormy days ahead of us.
(rowdy surfer rock music)
♫ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
♫ Boy, is breaking underneath the weight of strain
♫ Ah, ha-hea, Ah, ha-hea
♫ Worlds away from anyone
♫ They were burning themselves out in the sun
♫ Worlds away from anyone
♫ They were burning themselves out in the sun
♫ There was just enough to get them far away