Next week on the UK version of Home and Away, John receives a bombshell from Maz and Irene, and Felicity’s resentment of Mackenzie causes her to break in a shocking way.
Next week, the day that John (Shane Withington) has been waiting for finally arrives when his cherished card for a free cup of coffee at the Pier Diner runs out.
Since winning the card in Summer Bay’s first (and perhaps last) golf tournament, John has made the most of his free coffee fix for the past year. Palmer’s Putters had come dangerously close to winning the grand prise, but their team was disqualified when it was discovered that Justin (James Stewart) had tampered with John’s golf buggy.
Irene (Lynne McGranger) quickly regretted giving away the prise when John spent the next several days trying every coffee on the menu. He then discovered a way to give Justin free coffee as well.
Since then, John has become accustomed to getting multiple cups of coffee every day and has turned the diner/coffee cart into his second home. However, the following week, when he returns to the cart as normal, Marilyn (Emily Symons) has a surprise in store for him.
Prior to Marilyn pointing out that she’s waiting for him to pay her, John notices that the service is a little slower than normal.
Marilyn pulls out a stack of cue cards, and the diner ladies are ready for John’s brief reminder of his coffee card.
The first one says, “Your coffee card has expired.”
John starts to object, but it appears like they’ve anticipated every action because Marilyn shows the following card: “No arguments.”
John knows that his best friend and co-owner of the diner, Irene (Lynne McGranger), will defend him, but before he can get in touch with her, Marilyn plays the next trick. “She had the idea for these cards.”
John instantly feels guilty about his recent movie night with Irene, while Alf (Ray Meagher) and Roo (Georgie Parker) are laughing too loudly to contain their laughter.
There’s no getting around it, and Roo notes that it will become an expensive habit moving forward as John acknowledges that he’s been drinking three to four cups a day.
But it appears like John is going to give smoking cold turkey as Marilyn demands that he cough up $4.70. “I would much sooner give up coffee than pay that much money!” he shouts. The following morning, when his intention to ask any server besides Marilyn or Irene is foiled, he reiterates his pledge, much to the amusement of Roo and Harper (Jessica Redmayne).
When John meets his most recent intake of Bronze Medallion students on the beach, woe betide anyone who gets on his bad side that morning. Michael Cameron’s character Banjo and Dana (Ally Harris) are two of the newcomers.
When Banjo arrives a few seconds late, John calls him out right away, and he starts calling him “Man Bun.”
Although Dana had been cautioned against learning from John, she didn’t anticipate that he would be such a severe taskmaster, as she notes to Harper a little later. As soon as John notices Harper interfering with one of his kids, he promptly ushers her out of the classroom.
As John wraps up the session at the club, several of the students lose trust in him since he is so blunt about how much harder it will be going forward. Harper pays for and delivers John a much-needed cup of coffee, which John accepts right away and waves the group away.
John is unaware of what he has managed to initiate, though. Later, when Alf tells him that Banjo has not only stopped attending, but has also officially complained about him, citing bullying, rudeness, and microaggressions, he is confused.
Alf then tells John that he has no option in the matter, but John quickly brushes off the complaint and declines to apologise. John needs to apologise to Banjo, or else Alf needs to forward the grievance to the committee.
Is it possible for John to swallow his pride?
Felicity (Jacqui Purvis), who lives in Summer Bay, is still angry with Mackenzie (Emily Weir) for what she perceives to be a major betrayal—letting Tane (Ethan Browne), Flick’s estranged husband, move in with her.
Flick, who is pleading with Tane to return her, interprets Mac’s offer as her pledging her support to Tane, which will make it simpler for him to dissolve their union.
Mac tries her best to defuse the situation when their fight escalates into Flick offering all patrons their meals on the house out of spite. She suggests that Flick take a break. Taking offence, Flick informs Mac that she will indeed do so, removing some cash from the register so she can go and check into a hotel.
Later on in the evening, a remorseful Flick shows up at the farmhouse and asks to speak with Tane. After Mac informs her that he is not present, Flick requests that she give him the wedding band he left behind.
On his return, Tane quickly brushes off the gesture and apologises to Mac for getting caught in the middle. Tane is getting frustrated with the constant stream of messages from Flick, and he snaps at Harper when she lends her ear for a conversation. Yes, he tells everyone in the gym, his marriage is finished.
Later in the week, Flick tries to talk to Tane again late at night, but she rejects her and Mac has to stand in as gatekeeper once more. She was, in reality, shielding Flick from the reality that Tane wasn’t even in his bed, as she eventually admits to Cash (Nicholas Cartwright). He has been having affairs with other ladies while out on the town.
Flick returns home at the wrong time and overhears them through the door when Cash subsequently confides in Eden about Tane. She accuses Mac of allowing Tane to act like this again, so she goes after Salt and gets into a heated argument with her in front of the whole restaurant.
Xander phones Cash right away, forcing him to postpone his suspension review with his employer so he may attend to Flick’s apparent breakdown.
But Flick’s arrival just makes her angrier, and as she lashes out at Mac, Mac starts to grip her chest painfully.
Mac collapses unexpectedly as she laments not being able to breathe, and Xander and Cash jump in to stop her fall.
Flick watches in dismay as Mac passes out in Xander’s arms while Cash dials for an ambulance.
Will Mac be alright?
