Phoenix: series one

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Out of the Cold

Episode 1.06
Australia: March 12, 1992
Written by Denise Morgan
Directed by Julian McSwiney
Guest Cast:
  • Brian McDermott as Roy Gamble
  • Nick Waters as Clive Wilson
  • Robyn Gibbs as Sandra
  • Jay Jay Bailey as Francine
  • David Bradshaw as Fluff
  • Peter Crossley as Jim Martin
  • Terry Brittingham as Flash
  • David Cotter as Thomas Norton
  • George Fairfax as Dep Commissioner
  • Anthony Horton as Uniform Const #1
  • Grant Mouldey as Uniform Const #2
  • Nicholas Polites as Nick
  • Lawrence Mah as Mr Sen
  • Paul Tiewes as IID Offsider
  • David Zerafa as Dealer
  • Jacqueline Smythe as Baby Suzie

The episode begins with Ian Cochrane's recreation of the Town Hall bombing, measuring high velocity fragmentation of shrapnel from the explosion.

Ian, Peter, Megan and Laz (now sporting a suit) visit Martin's Mine, from which 200 sticks of AN60 explosive, the type used in the bombing, were stolen some months previously. Foresic conclude that the explosive used in the bombing originally came from Martin's Mine, but with 40 sticks used in the bomb, a further 160 sticks remain unaccounted for.

At the instigation of Brennan, Lochie and Peter take Laz out for a night on the town. Lochie, pissed to the eyeballs, confronts Francine, a transsexual. To protect his senior-sergeant, Laz clobbers Francine, prompting an internal investigation by IID. The investigation demonstrates to Laz the trust and mateship which truly exists in the major crime team.

After intervention by Brennan and Wallace, Laz is treated as a "welfare case" and undergoes counselling. The whole debacle results in mutual trust and acceptance between Laz and the team. Symbolically, Laz's ponytail disappears while Megan moves out of her office to be among the investigating team.