It seemed that Jo (Maddison Brown) had finally settled on a partner this week, after putting her burgeoning romance with Tane (Ethan Browne) on hold following the surprise arrival of ex-boyfriend Eddie (Stephen Madsen).
Jo had called things off with Eddie nearly three years ago, as she struggled in the wake of the accident that claimed her mother Kristina’s (Fiona Noonan) life.
It was only once Eddie resurfaced in Summer Bay that her dad David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) revealed the full picture—before the accident, Eddie had already asked both him and Kristina for their blessing to propose to Jo.
In the end, the decision was taken out of Jo’s hands. As she asked a fed-up Tane out for a coffee, he suggested that remaining friends would be for the best.
Yet when Jo told Lacey that she was now with Eddie, Lacey couldn’t help but feel that her sister was settling for second-best.
Next week, excited by the news that Eddie will be performing at the Off the Rails festival—and with Sonny (Ryan Bown) able to provide complimentary tickets—Jo invites Lacey to join them in Broken Hill. To her surprise, Lacey declines, claiming it’s not really her thing, before saying she wouldn’t be able to get the time off work.
Back at the Beach House, Lacey is reflective as she asks David about the circumstances surrounding Jo and Eddie’s original break-up. She’s taken aback to learn that Eddie, whilst devastated, seemingly just accepted Jo’s decision to end things and walked away.
The conversation also gives David pause, prompting him to question whether his own encouragement may have nudged Jo back towards Eddie before she was certain it was what she truly wanted.
Drawing on his own marriage to Kristina, he explains that when he was certain, he had no doubts—and admits he may have been too eager in pushing her to get back with Eddie.
Ultimately, he tells Jo the only thing that matters is whether she feels sure.
Tane is visibly caught off guard—he was the one who suggested they remain friends, believing that was what she wanted. But before Jo can fully explain why she’s come to him, Eddie calls, cutting the conversation short and forcing her to leave.
After he invites Jo to join him on the party train, Jo’s eyes wander up to meet Tane’s.
She tells Tane they need to keep their distance, reaffirming that staying friends is for the best.
It’s not his decision to make, he states—the circumstances are different now, and so is Jo. Ultimately, he tells Eddie, the only thing that matters is whether Jo wants the same future he does.
When Justin learned of the accusation, he was blind-sided. He confronted Leah, pointing out how much he had supported Theo over the years, but she shut him down.
Accepting he was getting nowhere, Justin decided to give her the space she kept asking for and threw himself back into work with Back on Track Records.
After several days away, Justin pops into the diner, explaining to Alf (Ray Meagher) that they’ll now be heading to the city. When Leah asks who “they” means, Justin replies that he’s going with Remi and Sonny.
It’s only then that she realises where he’s actually been spending his time—and she’s visibly annoyed.
It’s not long before Leah comes across one of the flyers, realising that Justin lied to her. She confronts Justin and, predictably enough, announces that she’ll be coming with him too. She wants to be there for Sonny.
Still determined, Leah later seeks out Sonny, and asks outright whether Justin’s claim is true.
Put on the spot, Sonny feels unable to confirm it, and ultimately agrees that there’s no reason she couldn’t come to the festival to support her husband.
A quiet word from Alf does nothing to break Leah’s resolve, but when she later runs into Lacey, the conversation begins to shift her thinking.
Lacey, who has now decided to accompany Jo on the train after all, gently suggests that honouring Theo’s memory doesn’t mean holding everything in place—that sometimes moving forward is part of that process.
Instead of heading to Yabbie Creek to board the train, Leah makes a last-minute decision not to go after all.
Among the other revellers are Isaac (Jordan Dulieu) and his mate Holden (Lach Millar), who quickly make their presence known.
When she finally calls from the train, the conversation quickly descends into an argument, with Abby defending her decision to have fun—while Mali is left hurt that she’s forgotten the significance of the day.
She’s caught off guard and unable to give him an answer, asking for some time to think. Eddie assures her he’s prepared to wait.
Meanwhile, Justin sees Leah’s name flash up on his phone and, still hurt by everything that’s been said, chooses not to answer—unaware she’s calling to try and make amends.
As the engine slams into the tunnel wall, it tips over onto its side, dragging the rest of the train with it!
Glass shatters and debris flies, and the passengers are violently thrown against the side of the carriages as they fall.
As the train comes to a stop, the glow of the emergency lights reveal the carnage inside, as several residents including Abby, Remi, Dana and Mac lie unconscious.
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