If anything can be certain, it’s that Don’s not about to win any popularity prizes among either the teachers or the students of Summer Bay High. Not taking into account the fact that he’s already proved to be something of a nuisance to Brad, who’s finding himself having to set an extra place around the family dinner table rather a few too many more times than he’d like, his professional judgment is also falling a little off the mark. After lashing out at Aden, Annie’s first to come into the new Deputy’s line of fire – and, having been unable to break the fight up without help (which has to make you wonder how strong a fourteen-year-old can actually be), he’s keen to re-assert his authority. “You need to learn some respect for the rules of this school, young lady,” Don warns, before issuing Annie with two weeks’ detention. With Don being characteristically dismissive of the fact that the punishment’s not really something appropriate to the granddaughter of unremitting workaholic Bruce Campbell, Sally and Brad step in to suggest a more lenient solution and provoke a temper that only gets worse as the day progresses. Confrontations with Aden, who somehow masters the art of amateur film-making on his laptop to produce a non-too-complimentary about Flathead himself, and Cassie, who misses a compulsory Year 12 meeting so that she can take care of a sick friend, are enough for Don to reluctantly admit to sparring partner Brad that he’s not adjusting quite as well as he’d anticipated. You can say that again.It's a heartache...Meanwhile, the attack on Bruce’s farm has left him facing financial ruin, and he’s determined to get his hands on the perpetrator – except nobody’s really all that sure who it can be. Residents of the neighbouring farms have their alibis, as does prime suspect Aden – even if he does still manages sustain a good old-fashioned clipped ear Bruce’s hands. Even if nobody else in the Bay has noticed, could it be that the angelic Geoff has something to hide? Still, that’s clearly the last thing on Bruce’s mind when, the police saying or doing little to curb his uncontrollable lust for revenge, he waits until Annie and Geoff are out of the way at the diner before gathering his weapon of choice – the now infamous shotgun – and getting ready to go on the rampage. But it never gets that far.

Overcome by pain in his chest, Bruce collapses before he can get to his medication; which is no wonder, given the fact that Geoff and Annie have been rifling through his cabinet. It’s Sally who makes the gruesome discovery when she heads over to the farm to see Bruce about Annie. Is it too late, or will Bruce live to fight another day?


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