In this week’s episode of Home and Away in Australia, Nikau discloses that he wants to leave Summer Bay after Ari’s arrest, so Tane uses traditional tactics to get him…
Since patriarch Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams) confessed to the murder of Matthew Montgomery, the Parata family has been on a knife’s edge (James Sweeny).
Although it was Chloe (Sam Barrett) who delivered the fatal blow when Matthew seized Mia (Anna Samson) outside the home after an argument, it was Mia who was arrested first after Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) was spotted speeding with Matthew’s body in the boot of his car.
Ari rushed to the police station and took responsibility for the crime, hoping to spare Mia and Chloe any jail time.
Knowing that Ari is likely to spend the rest of his life in jail due to his criminal record, both Chloe and Ari’s nephew Nik (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) have grappled with the concept of remaining silent about what truly happened.
Despite the fact that Mia or Chloe may claim self-defense and receive a considerably shorter sentence, Ari has forbidden it, and Tane (Ethan Browne) wants to make sure they all follow his orders.
Nik still wants the truth to come out this week, after the family visits Ari on remand.
“Nikau is suffering,” Kawakawa said in an interview with TV Week. “Seeing someone you care about in a situation like that isn’t a pleasant sight.”
Nik’s father, Mikaere, died in a botched armed robbery just over 18 months ago, and the circumstance has brought up sad memories for him.
Nik’s painful memories of Ari being carried away to prison when he was a child are becoming too much for him, and he reveals his intention to leave Summer Bay.
“The trauma of already having gone through this is a much to handle,” Kawakawa said.
Tane recognises that the family must keep together if they are to survive their ordeal, so he informs Nik that he is bringing him camping.
Tane’s goal, however, is to take Nik into the forest and teach him how to be a warrior, much to Nik’s astonishment. Tane hands Nik Mikaere’s taiaha, a traditional Mori weapon, and instructs him in the proper tactics for mastering it.
Nik resists at first, but eventually relaxes into it and discovers the inner power he requires.
“The taiaha sequence has a major impact on Nikau because it is such an important element of who he is as a person,” Kawakawa continued.
“Grounding him and reminding him of the ideals that come with it is tremendously empowering and grounds him in a way that he really needs.”
Will Tane’s priceless present serve as a reminder to Nik of the value of family?
Dean Thompson (Patrick O’Connor) sets off on a journey to find his mother Karen in Summer Bay (Georgia Adamson).
Things had been looking up for Dean and his girlfriend Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) in recent weeks, as he took tentative efforts to resume surfing after his rehab, and Dean’s good attitude even extended to inviting Bella (Courtney Miller) to live with them at the farmhouse.
However, as last week’s programmes came to a conclusion, Dean received a call from Karen’s next-door neighbour informing him that she had gone missing.
Karen has a lengthy history of mental health concerns, which were discovered to be the result of schizoaffective disorder, so Dean is naturally concerned.
Karen last appeared on the show in 2019, when she showed up at the RV park unexpectedly after being released from a psychiatric clinic. Not only did she discover from Dean that he had found down his father Rick Booth (Mark Lee), but she also learned that Dean was dating Ziggy and that he had a half-sister named Mackenzie (Emily Weir)!
Mackenzie offered Karen a job at Salt while she was looking for one, and Karen warmed up to her as they talked about their disdain of Rick. Her first shift ended with her pouring a jug of water over long-time foe John Palmer’s (Shane Withington) head.
Karen left town after realising she was causing Dean problems, but not before giving Ziggy her blessing to be the mother of her grandchildren. Karen claimed she was going to Reefton Lakes for a job, but Dean later discovered she had checked herself back into the psychiatric institution.
Karen has since become a source of contention between Dean and Amber (Maddy Jevic). Amber recalled Karen from their Mangrove River days and prohibited Dean from informing her of his newfound son, Jai (River Jarvis).
Will Dean be able to locate Karen, and is she in good health…?
