australian television information archive

Series 2

Just how do you get that all-elusive fulfilling job, impress old friends, mend a fight and a broken heart, and survive a kiss with an old flame?

The friends and housemates are back for a brand new chapter in their lives and now things are very different for them all. New loyalties can cause new tensions and bring with it new problems, while new opinions on newly acquired jobs are sometimes uncomfortable and unwelcome, but love can be found in the most surprising of places and often when you least expect it.

With Evan still away travelling, Alex's attention is drawn to a dashing doctor who has just arrived at her busy hospital, but will love overcome the petty jealousies?

An unfulfilled Kelly is desperate to broaden her horizons, but will her relationship with Nathan survive such an upheaval?

Gab has a brand new job and new responsibilities but her feelings for her new boss continue to grow and now they are due to spend their first night out of town alone...

Will's secret is gnawing away at him, casting a menacing shadow and holding him back, but will telling his father really help ease the situation or simply bring about more problems? And how will his father take the news? After all we only want to be ourselves, to be someone people want to love.

Jason and Caitlin are nervously preparing for their new arrival but how will they cope with the demands of parenthood? Is their relationship strong enough to survive the pressures?

A New World Order

Episode 2.01 (23)
Australia: Mon, Feb 18, 2002 (Ten)
UK: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 (E4)
USA: October 23, 2002 (Trio)
Written by Judi McCrossin
Directed by Cate Shortland

Things are different now, there's a new world order. New loyalties, new jobs, new opinions, new friends, new housemates, and just when it's least expected, new love.

Three months later...

Alex is working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the Accident and Emergency unit and loving it, but there's something missing and and she decides to do something about it.

Evan's still overseas, he's finished his writer's stint in New York and is now travelling in Cuba. Gabrielle returns from overseas with a video Evan made for Alex, just as she is hooking up with a spunky doctor, Rex. What's Alex to do?

Richie is living with Simon, struggling to come to terms with life as a gay man and soapie star. The producers of The River want him to do a magazine spread on the subject of his "perfect girl" but Richie refuses. He's feeling out of step with his old friends Will and Miranda, too. Shared grief has made the two remaining Apartment 9 residents a tight duo.

Caitlin and Jason are very pregnant and life is good for them. They're preparing for the baby, sex is great and Jason is optimistic and enthusiastic about his future with Caitlin. He is going to try his best to make this work. Even if they're already arguing about when Caitlin might go back to work.

Starring: Claudia Karvan, Deborah Mailman, Samuel Johnson, Abi Tucker, Joel Edgerton, Spencer McLaren, Sibylla Budd, Damian de Montemas, David Tredinnick

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Debra Byrne as Pia, Amanda Douge as Jennifer, Alice Garner as Caitlin, Anna Lise Phillips as Julie, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Peter Tankey as Artist, Wilf Sweetland as Cool Guy, Warwick Yuen as Shop Assistant, Spike McKenzie as Mosh Boy, Yvonne Gardner as Nurse, Brian Lipson as Hamish, Paul Torok as Doug, Xavier Jablonski as Levi, Romi Trower as Sophie

Free Will

Episode 2.02 (24)
Australia: February 25, 2002
UK: Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Written by Andrew Kelly
Directed by Cate Shortland

Freedom is standing on the edge being able to choose whether to jump.

A falling concrete pipe almost kills Will at work. In his mind fate, Sam's death, and a pintful of adrenalin are all mixed up, and Will feels he's invincible. A new girl, Julie, certainly thinks so. Everyone's worried, especially Miranda, but Will feels, for the first time, free.

Alex is worried that Rex is too anal. He has breakfast conversations about the perfect muesli ratio as determined by ancient Italian mathematical theory. And he gets hard-ons at precisely 2:45 each afternoon.

Kelly wants to learn. Working at Fu Bar is easy, and she wants to stretch herself. She tries to quit, but Simon seems to always head her off at the pass.

Miranda's 'Pores Afresh' ad debuts with a party but she's disappointed to see Will leaving midway to see Julie.

Richie has to have his chest waxed for the TV soap. They end up doing the whole lot. Back. Sack. Crack. Ouch.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Anna Lise Phillips as Julie, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Warwick Sadler as Davo, Syd Brisbane as Foreman, Rick Tonna as Worker #1, Chris Kemp as Worker #2, Anton Berezin as Clown, James Re as Fight Boy, Nathan Bird as 2nd Fight Boy, Paul Moore as 3rd Fight Boy, Julie Quartermaine as Erica Baritone, Matt Edwards as Courier

The Dance

Episode 2.03 (25)
Australia: March 04, 2002
UK: Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Written by Christopher Lee
Directed by Ian Watson

Life doesn't come in a straight line — it's more of a dance. You gotta know the moves.

Evan's back, jetlagged and pissed off. He's found himself suddenly at the bottom of the pecking order. He immediately sets to rectifying that, by attempting to sabotage Alex and Rex's relationship. It's a tactical campaign, fought to the death. But Evan is outflanked.

Will and Miranda fall into bed. It's fun and they both know it's not serious. Sort of. They're doing it on the bed, the floor and the couch, which makes it difficult when Richie turns up and sits down on a wet patch. Richie is very much the odd one out.

Facing a credit card debt, Gabrielle has to get a job. She goes for an interview for a union position, but the interview feels like a nice date.

There's a house-cooling party as Nathan moves out of Evan's room. Kel misses the trashy but golden moments you can only have when your partner lives with you.

Caitlin is swinging from bliss to pure fear as the baby's arrival draws near. Jason has to learn how to roll with it.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Alice Garner as Caitlin, Jacek Koman as Dominic, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Anna McCrossin-Owen as Siobhan, Matthew Molony as Craig, Tania Lentini as Emma

An Ill Wind

Episode 2.04 (26)
Australia: March 11, 2002
UK: Tuesday, August 06, 2002
Written by Liz Doran
Directed by Ian Watson

Sometimes it takes an ill wind for us to tell our secrets, what good does it do once they're out there?

Richie is having a great, boozy night out with Will and his dad Gordon when he decides to come out. It's like one of those things you dread saying so much that you don't even look beyond saying it — to the unknown territory beyond. Gordon doesn't know how to deal with this revelation, and Richie doesn't know how to help him.

Meanwhile, Rex is also confessing his secrets to Alex. Big secrets. He loves her. Alex feels a sudden pressure to respond in kind, when the truth is she just isn't sure.

Caitlin's due to deliver any day now, and Gabrielle feels like she's in the middle of an emotional whirlpool. She knows it's irrational but it hurts — deep, in the body. And is she imagining the sexual charge between her and her new boss Dominic?

With Alex unavailable, Evan tries to get his mojo working with sexy publicist Lauren. Only to find it's barely a sputter.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Jacek Koman as Dominic, Robert Morgan as Gordon Blake, Alice Garner as Caitlin, Vivienne Walshe as Lauren Sanderson, Todd MacDonald as Nathan

The Grand Delusion

Episode 2.05 (27)
Australia: March 18, 2002
UK: Tuesday, August 13, 2002
Written by Tony McNamara
Directed by Cate Shortland

It seems self delusion is the only sure response to getting through life...

Miranda and Julie have ended up in a play together. Odd things are happening to Miranda on-stage. Missing phones. Chairs squeaking through her big speeches. Will doesn't believe Julie would lower herself to those depths, but Miranda isn't so sure. She decides to get even.

Gabrielle is reading romantic intent into every one of Dominic's actions. Evan offers a male perspective which leads Gabrielle stumbling into an embarrassing gaffe.

Will warns Nathan that his six month anniversary with Kelly is fast approaching. Nathan makes such a dutiful effort to mark the occasion that Kelly works out he had to be reminded. She wonders whether he's doing it out of duty rather than passion.

Evan remains deeply unsettled by the success of Rex and Alex relationship. He bravely decides to reenter the world of dating. Even though he's already been turned down he resorts to begging Lauren.They go out to a swirl of events and Evan discovers he's forgotten how to have fun. It feels like the return of the old Evan, party guy. But when he takes Lauren back home, there's an attack of conscience.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Alice Garner as Caitlin, Jacek Koman as Dominic, Anna Lise Phillips as Julie, Vivienne Walshe as Lauren Sanderson, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Zoe Bottari & Henry Evans as Baby Angus, Frank Costa as Old Lawyer, Michel Cadilhac as Stagehand

It's Not Easy

Episode 2.06 (28)
Australia: April 08, 2002
UK: Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Written by Jacquelin Perske
Directed by Cate Shortland

How do you cook a delicious dinner, get a job, impress old friends, mend a fight, kiss an old flame, and win fifty bucks? It's not easy...

Nathan is totally bored when Kelly puts him on show at a school reunion. She's desperate to impress all her old friends and is embarrassed when he leaves without telling her. It's their first big fight, and Kelly is determined to avoid the path of the dreaded non-talking relationship. Alex reminds her it's not how you fight, but how you make up.

Miranda urges Will to close the widening gap between he and Richie. But a quick catch up won't solve this problem. Jason is seeing the world in a different way now baby Gus is around. It's like everything has a little more weight. But Caitlin is taking the long term view. She needs the protection and support of a family around her right now, and that's in Sydney.

Evan is driven crazy by a bird that won't stop singing outside his window. He can't write, can't think. He tries driving it away with a slingshot. Then it disappears, and he misses it so much. When the bird turns up again, grating cheese in the kitchen, Evan kisses her. And Alex kisses him back.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Mary Coustas as Peace, Alice Garner as Caitlin, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Zoe Bottari & Henry Evans as Baby Angus, Elise Dickinson as Shona, Max Grarock as Tom

A Fine Line

Episode 2.07 (29)
Australia: April 15, 2002
UK: Tuesday, August 27, 2002
Written by Judi McCrossin
Directed by Kate Dennis

Love is a balancing act. Most of the time it's walking along a very thin wire.

Rex breaks up with Alex. It's an ugly, upsetting shock that she didn't see coming. In the fallout she discovers that Rex slept with fellow doctor Jennifer, years ago. Alex lashes out at Rex and Jennifer at work and just makes it worse.

Gabrielle investigates a case of workplace bullying at a garage. It's her first on-site work as a Research Officer, and she's determined to do a good job. But even with the best of intentions, Gabrielle's actions end up hurting everybody. Herself most of all.

It's Evan's moment of truth. His book, Fitzroy Street Kisses, is being launched. It's something he wants to share with all his friends — Alex most of all. However Alex is too distracted to notice his disappointment when she leaves his launch early.

Miranda tells Will — she's joining him on his trip around Australia! He's delighted, even if Richie isn't so pleased.

Jason misses Angus even though he's getting his first proper sleep at night in months.

Kelly makes a mental note not to ask life-defining questions during games of Scruples when Nathan declares a position on religious conversions.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Jacek Koman as Dominic, Robert Menzies as Vedder, Amanda Douge as Jennifer, Vivienne Walshe as Lauren Sanderson, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; David Hughes as Himself, Tom Wright as Ilko, Ben Stivala as Jack, Andrea Swift as Michele, Michelle Pitcher as Angelina

Make Up Your Mind

Episode 2.08 (30)
Australia: April 22, 2002
UK: Tuesday, September 03, 2002
Written by Christopher Lee
Directed by Kate Dennis

Decisions in life are easy when the arguments are one-sided. You just go with them. But if it's fifty-fifty; if it's a line ball; if it's the high road or the low road — that's when it gets hard to decide.

The moment of departure is drawing close for Miranda and Will. They're planning itinaries, debating the perfect routes, and bonking their brains out — deliriously happy — or at least Will thinks so. Miranda's decided she can't go and is wondering how she can possibly let him down gently. Also unresolved is the antipathy between Will and Richie. It's too deep to be erased by a few parting words.

Kelly is shocked to discover that Will and Miranda are together. Not that she's unhappy with Nathan, but there's always been... something in her heart for Will. Evan feels secretly responsible for Alex's heartbreak. He decides to shelve his immature behaviour and have a mano-a-mano chat with Rex. It backfires when Rex also decides to take matters into his own hands.

Gabrielle and Dominic have been getting on great. Work is fun, chatty, and sexy until one day Dominic turns into Mr Hyde. It's part of a development Gabrielle never saw coming.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Jacek Koman as Dominic, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Andrea Swift as Michele, Brian Lipson as Dr Hamish McManus, Andrew Gillard as Fuzzy Duck Guy

Note: Joel Edgerton's departure is covered in the article Joel's becoming a big wheel

Controlling The Universe

Episode 2.09 (31)
Australia: April 29, 2002
UK: Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Written by Debra Oswald
Directed by Roger Hodgman

Everyone has their own methods for trying to control the universe. But if the universe is in a bad mood, it will slug you out of the blue.

Miranda's struggling to adapt to life alone when Evan meets Christian, and makes a unilateral decision that he should move into Will's old room. Miranda finds her flat invaded by a pack of boisterous boys showing off in front of their newfound buddy. After Christian promises that he is (a) gainfully employed and (b) not an axe murderer, Miranda agrees to let him move in.

The sexual tension between Gab and Dominic is building. It's exquisite torture, and as they plan an overnight work trip to Canberra, all roads are pointing in one direction. Late at night in the hotel corridor, they discuss their feelings for the first time, and make a mutual decision not to have sex. If only they could make themselves believe that was really the end of the story.

Jason's a confused mess since Caitlin took his baby son interstate. He misses Angus desperately but doesn't know how he feels about Caitlin. After some none-too-subtle prompting from Simon, he flies to Sydney to sort it all out.

Meanwhile, Alex is still struggling to deal with Rex's rejection when she's blindsided by unexpected news: she's pregnant. Gab and Kelly rally around their shell-shocked friend and Evan is left out in the cold.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Alice Garner as Caitlin, Jacek Koman as Dominic, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Andrea Swifte as Michele, Nick Barkla as Tom, Kate Jason-Omodel as Mrs Enright, Darren Gregor as Ambulance Officer #1, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Surgeon, Liz Crockett-Zappa as Theatre Nurse, Zoe Bottari & Henry Evans as Baby Angus

Note: Michael Dorman (Christian) joins the main cast replacing Joel Edgerton

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Episode 2.10 (32)
Australia: May 06, 2002
UK: Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Written by Judi McCrossin
Directed by Roger Hodgman

When we make a major life decision, we weigh up the good against the bad. But what do we do when the pros and cons seem to cancel each other out? We're caught between a rock and a hard place.

Alex agonises over her pregnancy, then decides to have a termination. Her friends rally round. When Gab brings her home Alex finds a pile of magazines and a beautiful meal, courtesy of Evan. Later, she wakes to find Rex in her room. He's warm and caring, but he has to leave. Alex knows she's made the right decision, but she can't help feeling great sadness.

Caitlin and Angus come back to Melbourne and move in with Jason. He's thrilled to have his son at home, but things aren't working out with Caitlin. Sex is strained and awkward. Caitlin decides to move again, and Jason is devastated to lose his son for a second time.

Meanwhile, Miranda is mortified beyond belief when video of she and Richie having sex mysteriously appears on the internet. Within a day it's on the email trail. With her profile raised thanks to "Pores Afresh", this is a disaster. Miranda denies that it's her, but secretly lets Richie have it for showing the tape to his former lover, Brad. She demands that Richie ring her agent and say it was another woman. A sharp slap across his cheek convinces Richie to make the call.

Special Guest Star: Vince Colosimo as Rex

With: Alice Garner as Caitlin, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Fiona Todd as Counsellor, Kristina Bidenko as Cassandra, Christine Cato as Receptionist, Angela Campbell as Maria Friantas, Julie O'Reilly as Debbie, Zoe Bottari & Henry Evans as Baby Angus

The Funny Side

Episode 2.11 (33)
Australia: Australia: May 13, 2002
UK: Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Australia: Written by Andrew Kelly
Directed by Stuart McDonald

Nobody knows why we laugh. We just do.

Christian joins a Laughing Club. He stands in the park with strangers each morning and laughs his head off, for no particular reason.

Jason is miserable without Angus. His home feels empty. Work seems pointless. When he confides to Christian that his secretary found him shedding silent tears in his office, Christian takes him to the Laughing Club.

Meanwhile, "heart throb" Josh Rixon is leaving "The River", and Pia decides to promote Richie as the show's new star. Richie appears on "Rove Live", and when he's mobbed by a group of middle-aged women and pre-pubescent girls, his ego grows exponentially. But Pia soon cuts him down to size. She tells him he appeals to the wrong age groups, so she'll be finding a different star. Richie takes the news badly at first, even beating up a couple of mates. But eventually he comes around and finds himself at the Laughing Club. Miranda, Kelly and Nathan have joined as well.

Gab and Dominic continue their complicated dance, and after a few false starts, desire wins over their resolve. Their first night together is magical. They admit that they're in love.

Meanwhile, Alex is still struggling with the aftermath of her abortion. Evan spends quiet time with her, telling her stories, making her smile, and kissing her on the cheek when she's sleeping. After a hormone-driven fight about coffee, he drags her along to the Laughing Club. At first she's dubious but she soon joins in.

Everyone is laughing.

With: Debra Byrne as Pia, Jacek Koman as Dominic, Todd MacDonald as Nathan; Bree Anna Obst as Sally, Simon Gowling as Josh, Rove McManus as Himself, Frank Bite as Security Guard #1