Next week, the tension for the Summer Bay locals will intensify as we approach the UK season finale of Home and Away and the final episodes of 2023.
In recent episodes, Justin (James Stewart) thrilledly told Leah (Ada Nicodemou) that he had won a five-star vacation for two people, all expenses paid, from a local radio station.
Although neither of the paid had entered the giveaway, Justin clarified that it was ostensibly a community effort to honour nearby companies (that’s Summer Bay Auto, for those who are having trouble remembering, the company he’s failed to play band management for much of this year!).
The only negative aspect (so far) is that they’ll have to depart the very next day. When we revisit the scene the following week, Leah is unsure of her ability to leave at any time, especially because her pals Roo (Georgie Parker) and Marilyn (Emily Symons) are still at odds.
After being persuaded by their pals to embark on their opulent journey, Justin and Leah are ecstatic as they are waved off from the coffee cart.
TRIVIA BITE: As Marilyn bids Leah goodnight, keep an eye out for a brief appearance by Ada Nicodemou’s mother Jenny and aunt Thea, who are seated at one of the tables.
However, there’s a startling turn of events when we reunite with Justin and Leah later in the week. Instead of sulking at an opulent retreat, we discover that they’ve been abducted and imprisoned in an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere!
It turns out that the entire incident was staged, and mechanic Justin got caught in the trap when he couldn’t ignore the broken-down automobile that the two were approaching.
The ones who did it? Why, it is none other than Vita Nova, the sect that spreads doomsday prophecy, against whom Justin battled earlier this year to free Andrew Lawrence (Joshua Hewson) from their hold.
While many members of the organisation were released without facing charges, the authorities (naively) claimed that the gang had disbanded following the arrest of leader Margot Dafoe (Mandy McElhinney). Those who were left behind, however, are now taking retribution.
After going for several days without food or drink, Justin and Leah finally discover they’ve been abandoned to perish there.
Justin is frantically attempting to break the padlock on the door that is holding them captive, but Leah, who is getting agitated, yells at him to stop, telling him that he is just wasting energy.
Later, Justin notices a pipe gantry above and speculates that it must lead somewhere. How to climb up to it is the sole obstacle.
Justin begins building a tower out of all the leftover materials. Leah has already given up and believes it is a waste of time because nobody will be looking for them because everyone believes they are on vacation. It would be too late by the time they realise it. However, Justin makes the point that if they didn’t attempt at least, they would be handing the cult the upper hand.
Leah watches in terror as Justin carefully makes his way up the precarious structure to where he can access the pipes. But calamity befalls him when everything collapses and he shuffles along while hanging from a gantry.
When Justin falls to the manufacturing floor, a tonne of metal falls on top of him.
As Justin turns back, a shocked Leah attempts furiously to remove the debris from his chest. It is evident that he is having difficulty breathing and has broken ribs.
Upon realising the seriousness of the situation, Leah devises a plan of escape and constructs an additional tower with the aim of reaching the remaining portion of the pipe.
However, she has no choice but to go back to Justin when he starts coughing up blood, and things are becoming worse quickly.
Leah is upset as Justin tries to keep his eyes open and apologises profusely for putting them in this situation.
Leah cries as she tells Justin that she wants to live out her days with him, pleading with him not to pass away. She then poses a crucial question to him.
“May I ask Justin Morgan to marry me?”
Justin manages to gather the strength to nod his head and smile. He responds, “Of course I will,” before eventually passing out.
As Leah falls down next to Justin, she starts to lose hope, but then she notices some prongs sticking out from one of the metal columns close to the industrial wall—a ladder!
Determined to get them out of there, a determined Leah begs Justin to hold on while she figures out a path to take.
Is it now too late, or will Leah be able to get away and save her fiancé?
