Original Nine Airdate: 10/05/11
While on some well earned R&R at a resort island, Dutchy and 2Dads try their hand at a favourite hobby – picking up girls. Today it’s not going so well. Dutchy reckons he’d do better without the 2Dads monkey on his back and tries his luck solo with an attractive girl, Laurel. But he cops another knock back. To burn off some of the excess testosterone Dutchy and 2Dads go for a run.
On the run Dutchy comes across Laurel with a twisted ankle. She apologises for her earlier rudeness and accepts his help. Dutchy carries her back to her boat. He’s the acid to her bicarbonate – there’s chemistry, they make love.
So starts a torrid and passionate romance. By day two Laurel says she’s falling for Dutchy and decides, with his blessing, to follow him to Cairns.
Meanwhile, Kate and Mike are still coming to terms with her rejection by the Promotions Board. Kate says she’s over it but she isn’t. They distract themselves with talk of their upcoming holiday.
Dutchy and Laurel continue their affair at the expense of Dutchy’s relationship with his shipmates. From his perspective it’s all going great, until he bumps into Laurel in the pub
with her possessive husband – the shark doco maker Don Andrews.
Later Laurel tries to explain that she doesn’t love Don and she’s falling in love with Dutchy. She refuses to let their affair end. Dutchy falls for her persuasive spiel.
Kate goes to see Maxine White who tells her she was passed over because of a perceived lack of experience. During this meeting Maxine reveals that Mike will be continuing as CO of Hammersley for another year. She’s gutted. Mike is likewise stunned and promises her he will fix it. Nothing is going to stand in the way of their happiness.
On patrol Hammersley receives a mayday call from the Andrews’ boat. Don is trapped below in the diving cage. When the RHIB party get there and get the cage topside Don is dead. It looks like a tragic accident.
What at first looked like an accident is quickly becoming more suspicious and when Laurel Andrews accuses Dutchy of being a stalker, the police come questioning. A DVD is found in Dutchy’s cabin supporting this allegation. Dutchy goes to clear his name but when he is discovered missing it looks like he’s done a runner. As Dutchy searches Laurel’s boat for the evidence he is knocked unconscious.
Meanwhile, Kate is called to Maxine’s office. Maxine asks her if she knew Mike went to the Fleet Commander to try and get off Hammersley. Kate tells her she didn’t. Maxine tells her that Mike issued an ultimatum – he get his way or he’ll resign. Kate is stunned to hear this and is further floored when Maxine says she suspects Mike and Kate are romantically linked. Kate denies they are breaking any Navy regulations. Maxine says this, and his threat to resign, could spell the end of Mike Flynn’s career.
Dutchy comes to in a dive cage suspended over the ocean. Laurel reveals that she and her girlfriend and accomplice, Dawn, framed him for murder in order to get Don’s insurance money.
Meanwhile, 2Dads has come forward and Hammersley is now looking for Laurel’s boat. It’s a process of elimination.
Laurel releases the cage and it sinks like a stone.
Kate leads a boarding party onto Laurel’s boat and take Laurel and Dawn into custody. They desperately try to retrieve the cage. The cable breaks and the cage sinks to depths unknown. When all looks lost Dutchy breaks the surface – he’s alive.
At home port Laurel and Dawn are taken away by the police.
Kate tells Mike she’s cancelled their holiday. Mike is stunned but more so when Kate tells him she’s got serious doubts and is breaking off their relationship. Mike doesn’t see the tears in Kate’s eyes as she walks away. He is left devastated.
