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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 191964" data-attributes="member: 23">Episodes 51-55The subject of homosexuality has come up for the first time in the Bay, with a couple of quite different nods. Lance got in first, with an observation about Donald Fisher’s gorgeous little Abyssian who answers to Papageno:Then Fisher himself challenged Bobby to back up her written exam comment that David Malouf’s book Johnno - which is part of the curriculum - is all bull.According to Wikipedia, Johnno is a semi-autobiographical novel by Australian author David Malouf - his first novel - and first published in 1975. The book is written in first person past tense and the narrator is only ever known by the nickname “Dante”. Johnno is heavily autobiographical. The novel is centred upon the friendship between Dante and a schoolmate known as “Johnno” in their adolescence and early adulthood in the 1950s and 1950s in Brisbane.It’s a great scene in its own right. Bobby enthused by the topic having knuckled down to study and giving a perfect rebuttal that leaves Fisher speechless. But the inclusive, supportive picture Bobby paints of 1980s Australian schools makes it doubly fascinating. I think of the Eighties as a particularly homophobic time, but this was as a teenager in the UK at the time, with Thatcher’s Section 28 meaning schools were anything but inclusive.Meanwhile, Bobby and Fisher’s conversation has led him to take a personal interest in her exam entries from that point on, something that doesn’t escape her attention:He reflects on the situation while Ailsa listens:In an ironic twist, Bobby has tipped the scales away from Fisher handing in his notice, something he’d gone as far as writing. This thaw in their relationship is mildly exhilarating to watch and, with the benefit of hindsight, truly fascinating.More ground has been broken when Kerry started preparing some iced tea for her husband:While it’s hardly Deadwood proportions, I remember this raised my eyebrows thirty years ago. It’s probably not as shocking today, but delivered by Jeff Truman it sounds it.Pippa, meanwhile, pokes fun at soapy cliches. First of all by mocking them when preparing an onion causes her eyes to water:And then by recapping a current storyline for Frank’s benefit when an unexpected visitor knocks on the door:And worse it was. Having been asked to stay out of Ben’s life, they had a touch of the Stella Dallas and pushed Ben away with cruel to be kind words. But not before Neville worked out something important about his son and reflected on his own past:In light relief, there’s been a wacky customer at Ailsa’s who is very susceptible to advertising:It was a nice bit of business. I’m not sure if the woman was meant to be a recurring customer. Nor even if she actually became one. Time will tell.Meanwhile, Celia found herself confused on finding Ailsa and Alf up to their elbows in spilt bags of flour on the shop floor, making up after a recent argument:Lynn’s got her faith back. And just in time for Easter.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?