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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 444383" data-attributes="member: 23">A Pit To Hiss In / Sore Throat / Beating Around The BushThe first story takes the prize for the punniest title (except the DVD bizarrely uses the title A Pit To Hide In, making it simply a word salad rather than an amusing play on words).It’s particularly apt for an episode involving Wandin Valley’s first snake bite, which is just part of a broader story involving a young girl who is clumsy and cannot see when the light is low (which turns out to be an hereditary eye condition), her teacher who is the snake bite victim who later shows symptoms of poisoning (which is initially thought to be a delayed reaction from the snake bite, but which turns out to be from a toxic disinfectant sprayed everywhere by the cat-hating cleaning lady, and not - as I’d surmised - from a leaky gas fire or lamp).The eye condition story brings out Angry Simon, incensed that a specialist has terrified the girl by telling her she’ll be blind within five years when there’s a good chance it won’t be the case. As we’ve seen before, Simon threatens this senior consultant with his powerful family, and it’s kind of cathartic, even as we sense he feels dirty from leaning on his background.There’s a lot for Simon to be angry about in the latter two stories where he suffers from encephalitis, including a couple of frightening-looking seizures. Hearing the word “encephalitis” spoken so many times, and always with a hard “K” sound on the “c”, I’d concluded that the Aussies simply pronounce this differently to the Brits (like they use the hard “g” - as in “girl”  - for “gist”). But it turns out that the “K” (encephalitis) is also traditionally British which is being grey squirrelled out by the Americans in a case of linguistic drift. Seems wherever I’ve heard it before was from people using the American pronunciation.Simon’s illness doesn't stop him playing anaesthetist during an emergency (which I'm sure has to be illegal, but this is Wandin Valley, so who else is going to do it). It also brings him and Vicky closer, which is one of several examples of relationship shifts during these six episodes.For a start, there’s Terence and Marta, who have begun spending cosy time together building on the intimacy that blossomed in the wake of The General’s death. Then, right on cue, Terence’s ex-wife shows up, being friendly to everyone only to then play her card to Marta that she wants Terence back. Terence “chooses” Marta… or at least that’s what he tells Marta. He omits the fact that he and ex-wife, Rowena, ended up in bed together, only for Rowena to decide to return to Sydney. He’s a sleazy git sometimes.The story also gives us some insight into what makes Terence tick, including questions I had about his apparent pro-life bias. Here we learn that Terence and Rowena drifted apart after the death of a child. Here we are twenty hours into Season Two and seeds which have been planted since the beginning of Season One are just yielding fruit. I love that this series has taken its time with this.Incidentally, Rowena is played by an actress named Carmen Duncan. I didn't recognise her but given her looks are similar I found myself wondering if she's related to Paula. Meanwhile, Brendan has done well from Molly’s time away from Wandin Valley when everyone believes she has left him for good, and supplies him with sympathy cakes and meals. He quickly stops protesting.There’s been some friction in Frank and Lorraine’s sparring relationship when he comes into some money (it’s initially widely believed he is on the take, only for him to reveal he has cashed in an insurance policy), and another woman - Laurel Davies, played by Number 96’s Elaine Lee - gets her claws into him. Only for Frank to rebel, and show up drunk at Shirley’s door telling her he can’t sleep without her. “You certainly can’t sleep with me” comes the retort, before she relents and makes up a place on the sofa for him, both secretly thrilled that the status quo has been resumed.Certain stories are already being recycled. Here it’s the politician’s wife who has to hide her condition for fear of letting him down. This time round, the wife has a relapse of breast cancer, but doesn’t want to tell hubby. Terence takes it upon himself to tell hubby himself, as Terence would (and ethics be blowed) but hubby simply ignores it and happily lets his wife carry on the pretence of being fine while he forces her to carry on. It’s not as immediately tragic as Season One’s politician’s wife who died alone in a hospital bed, but it’s clear it will be a more prolonged kind of tragedy, which makes it quite depressing to think about.The politician has been in town to push for a smelter plant planned for the town, which gives us “Business Molly” who dresses smartly to be taken seriously in her battle to stop it. It’s ultimately cancelled anyway, but not before Vicky takes pleasure in castrating the dog of an egotistical pushy journalist. It’s the best-behaved pit bull I’ve seen. Full of love for any screen mates, and it doesn’t even react in a goof where said journo lifts the dog onto the bed at the vets, but smashes the dog’s face into the side, which makes a horrible clanging sound. Man, dog and Vicky all simply pretend it hasn’t happened and carry on calmly. What pros.At the bar, Cookie has vanished, temporarily replaced with a lookalike relative (cousin?) who dresses the same, has the moustache and serves the same function. I think he’s called Perc and played by Henri Szeps, but I may have it wrong. Dare I say, the temporary replacement is far more watchable than Cookie himself.</blockquote>

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