| The
Tribal Gathering - Ep.28-29 |
| When Trudy came back to the Mall (without Dal) she brought
news of an upcoming Tribal Gathering being organized by Ebony. Bray
and Amber immediately saw the possibilities and potential, and a real
chance to make peace among the tribes. Most of the Mallrats will be
going, including Jack, together with the wind turbine. They hope to
establish a trading position by demonstrating their ability to generate
unlimited power, useful for charging batteries. There's also to be
a dance competition, and Tai-San is the obvious contestant for the
Mallrats. |
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Everything imaginable goes wrong. Having promised the
tribe leaders a demonstration of the wind turbine, Bray learns that
it isn't working. KC wanders off, and when Lex goes to look for him,
he gets beaten up by a bunch of Locos led by Glen. KC returns to report
that he has spotted Dal, now a slave, bought by Ebony. Amber makes
a wager with Ebony, that if Tai-San wins the dance competition, Ebony
will hand Dal over. The flip side is that Amber will become Ebony's
slave also if the Loco dancer wins.
Tai-San is the clear favorite, going by applause, but Loco henchmen
ensure that the Loco break dancer is announced the winner. |
Jack and KC discover why the alternator doesn't
work: sabotage. The copper wire has been cut, and this could
only have happened back at the Mall. Jack makes another discovery:
Zandra is wearing his copper wire on her finger. When he explains
they are all in danger of their lives if he can't make the machine
work, Zandra cooperates. But there's a problem, it's too tight!
Eventually it comes loose, but it's already too late.
Glen arrives in belligerent mood, demanding the long-promised
demonstration. Jack can stall no longer, and as Glen begins
to smash the turbine, Jack, Cloe and Zandra run for their lives
to find Amber. |
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With nothing to lose, Lex comes up with his own plan
to get the Mallrats out of trouble. So while Ryan heads off to free
Amber and Dal from slavery, Lex seeks out Glen and takes him on, together
with the three Locos with him. Ryan also brings down his share of
anyone who gets in his way. It's like a trigger. Fighting breaks out
all over the place - tribes who hate the Locos attacking the nearest
Loco.
Amid the fighting, the Mallrats sneak out and head for home. Sasha,
another of Ebony's slaves and chained to Dal, has little choice but
to accompany the Mallrats back to the Mall.
Everyone loves Sasha, he is easy going, charismatic, and injects a much-needed
spirit of optimism. Bray takes an instant dislike to him, largely
because Amber falls for him. Zandra's wedding is still on track, but
more in the background, because Sasha seems to be the focus of most
that's going on, including the wedding preparations. It's Sasha's
idea to turn the Phoenix into a working fountain, to shower the happy
couple with water. He also works with the kids, and their part in
the festivities. |
With KC and Dal now helping Jack, the wind turbine
MK11 becomes operational in record time. Soon every battery
in the area is brought back to the Mall and charged. Then it's
Sasha's idea (again) to trade batteries at a local farm for
fresh food. This is how the Mallrats meets Alice and the Farm
Girls, and how Zandra gets a pig and fresh vegetables for her
special meal with the girls the night before.
Tai-San is the only absentee, and it turns out that Zandra made
a point of not inviting her. Amber persuades her to change her
mind and sends Cloe to fetch her. But Tai-San is meditating
and fasting, and declines the invitation. |
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Zandra gets ready for her big day. Finally it's time
to put on her grandmother's necklace that she wore at her wedding,
and her mother at hers. It's gone. This is a terrible omen, and the
wedding cannot possibly take place unless she finds it.
Salene has in fact stolen it, to trade for food to satisfy another
attack of Bulimia. Only Trudy knows Salene's secret, that she has
been stealing food, and doesn't make the connection with the missing
necklace. |
Fortunately, Roanne at the trading post deems
Zandra's "diamond necklace" to be worthless and cannot
accept it in trade. Salene returns to the Mall without food.
Seeing the misery she has caused, Salene races upstairs and
places the necklace in the furniture store where Dal soon finds
it. |
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There are no more hitches. KC performs a drumroll,
followed by a short piece on the flute by Sasha. Lex's vows
are extremely short because he can't remember them, and Zandra
reciprocates with "And I vow the same to you."
Lex gives her a proper ring this time, and as planned they kiss
under a shower of water by the Phoenix. |
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| The day after the wedding, a foreboding atmosphere descends
on the Mall. Amber and Sasha are taking time out on the beach. Bray
is in a mega-sulk. Salene has gone to beg Roanne for food. Ryan has
left for pastures new. Jack is incapacitated by a broken leg. Patsy
and Cloe are in tears as Lex barks orders to an absent Ryan for room
service. Trudy alone makes a solo effort to clean the mess in the
Café, only to have it trashed again by Lex and KC. |
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The following day, Lex promises Zandra he will
provide something special for her to cook.
Trudy smells something really wonderful coming from the Café.
Zandra won't say what it is, except it's something special for
Lex.
Amber returns to the Mall with Sasha, but only to say "Good-bye".
Cloe is terribly upset because all she could find of her favorite
hen, Henrietta, was a handful of feathers.
Patsy and Cloe burst in on Lex and Zandra, hoping Lex will persuade
Amber not to leave the Mallrats. They scream in horror when
Lex offers them a slice of roast Henrietta. |
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| In the event, Amber cannot bring herself to go with
Sasha, because people like Cloe and Patsy need her so much. She turns
back without him, but her heart goes with him, and for the next week
or two spends most of her time alone. Ten days after Sasha has gone,
it's Patsy's birthday. Lex and KC plot to have both Amber and Bray
thrown out. |
Lex's chance comes when Bray organizes a makeover
for the Mall, handing out paint and brushes. Lex starts a paint
fight, and it's great fun!
But this is simply a diversion. Meanwhile KC is planting bottles
of water in Bray's room, which he then arranges for Cloe to
"find". Lex's case against Bray is a strong one.
Lex smugly lets on to Zandra that Bray didn't steal the water
- it's his plan to get rid of him. Zandra isn't at all happy,
but won't go against Lex. Ryan bursts in to say he isn't going
let Bray be ousted for something he didn't do. |
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Lex must get Ryan on-side. He sends Zandra to
play on Ryan's feelings for her. She reasons that if Lex is
thrown out for framing Bray, she too will be out on the street
as his wife.
Meanwhile, Patsy is out with Bob tracking down the Old Man that
Jack believes he saw on the surveillance tape.
In the lead up to the trial, Zandra keeps up the pressure on
Ryan, "Don't let me down, I couldn't bear it if I never
saw you again." |
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In the trial, Amber pays special attention to
Zandra, asking if she knows who planted the water. It's a question
Amber hasn't asked anyone else, and it throws her a little.
Eventually, persuaded by Lex, Zandra denies all knowledge.
Bray decides to leave before the inevitable 'guilty' verdict,
when Jack comes forward. He knows the whole story. KC steps
in, admitting full responsibility before Jack names Lex.
But before KC can be put on trial instead of Bray, Patsy walks
in with her "Adult". He's Glen, and infected by the
virus. |
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Glen collapses to the floor in Lex's arms. He
is very ill and hasn't long to live. Patsy and Lex are both
placed in isolation to prevent spreading the infection. Zandra
is distraught.
The quarantine doesn't last long. Cloe breaks the rules first
by bringing out Patsy. Then Zandra follows with Lex, kissing
him to emphasize the message - that kill or cure, the problem
of the virus must be faced by the tribe as a whole.
Amber assembles everyone into a circle. The Mallrats are now
united in a common purpose, to beat the Virus. |
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| Zandra pretty much takes it upon herself to look after
Glen, now in bed in what was the Antiques store. She takes him a drink,
and another pillow, then they get into conversation about her marriage
to Lex. |
| Zandra |
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You alright? |
| Glen |
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[laughs] |
| Zandra |
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What's so funny? |
| Glen |
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Do I look as if I'm alright? |
| Zandra |
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I'm married now.....................To
Lex |
| Glen |
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[ponders] You happy? |
| Zandra |
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......Yeah........Mostly |
| Glen |
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Cool.....You know, me and
Lex, we had our problems, but you know I always cared about
you. |
| Zandra |
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Are you scared, Glen? |
| Glen |
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Yeah....Yeah, I am.....Do
you know what?....Right now I'm just really happy to see you......And,
I'm very thirsty. |
| Zandra |
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I'll go and get you a drink |
| |
| Zandra Brings back a glass of water |
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| Zandra |
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I've brought you another
pillow - one of mine |
| Glen |
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Thanks!.....You know I never
had you down as Florence Nightingale |
| Zandra |
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Neither did I really |
| Glen |
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Tell me - you really happy
with Lex? |
| Zandra |
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Yeah, I told you......He's
not perfect |
| Glen |
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No, he's not! |
| Zandra |
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No one is, Glen. Lex has
good in him, like anyone else |
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| Glen |
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Just takes a little while
to find it, ay? |
| Zandra |
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That's not fair |
| Glen |
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Life's not fair, Zandra
- you have to take the best you can get. And you can do better
than Lex - a lot better |
| Zandra |
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I should go |
| Glen |
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No, No, No - listen to me:
I'm going to get better; I'm going to make a fresh start |
| Zandra |
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Of course you are |
| Glen |
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You don't believe me, but
I will. Then it will be you and me like it always should have
been |
| Zandra |
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You need your rest |
| Glen |
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No, no, you have to promise
me |
| Zandra |
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.....What? |
| Glen |
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You're too good for Lex;
I can see how you really feel about him. But you have to promise
me - give me something to get better for - a reason |
| Zandra |
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What reason - promise you
what? |
| Glen |
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If I get better....No...When
I get better, you have to promise you'll come with me........Don't
tell me you never had any feelings for me.....Please Zandra... |
| Zandra |
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Alright Glen...... I promise |
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Glen feels a lot better, maybe as a result of
the herbs Tai-San has given him. Zandra dreads the consequences
if he really does recover. Trudy persuades Zandra to tell Glen
the truth, that she would be unable to keep her promise to dump
Lex.
Zandra paces round the Phoenix, thinking how to tell Glen she
is sorry. When she's ready, she goes in, and discovers that
Glen is already dead. Zandra breaks down in tears.
The Mallrats cremate Glen's body on some open ground. Tai-San
conducts a short ceremony. |
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Piecing together the scant information they have found
so far, the Mallrats plan an expedition to Hope Island, where it is
believed there was a research project on anti-aging.
Zandra fears the place is haunted - much to the amusement of KC. It
is decided that Bray, Lex, Amber and Dal should go, plus Bob.
They've been gone barely half an hour, and already Zandra is fretting
about Lex. Tai-San forms a circle - to send them some "positive
energy". |
| The expedition returns, with a small quantity
of what they hope is the so-called "Antidote." Within
the hour Lex falls sick, and all the symptoms indicate the Virus.
Zandra tends to him, but he refuses to play "guinea-pig"
to test the samples. |
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| Lex has consulted Tai-San about a possible spiritual
cure. This entails 'destroying' the old Lex, to launch him on
a new path of honesty. Much to Zandra's disgust and horror,
she finds him burning all his old clothes. |
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| Zandra |
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Lex, what are you doing?
Are you crazy?.....They're your clothes, moron, what are you
going to wear? |
| Lex |
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This isn't a fashion statement....
I'm trying to save my life. I'm destroying the old Lex, the
bad Lex |
| Zandra |
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What - by destroying your
clothes? |
| Lex |
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They were part of who I
was. If I'm going to survive, that has to change |
| Zandra |
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You've been talking to Tai-San
again haven't you? |
| Lex |
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So? |
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| Zandra |
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I knew it. I knew she was
behind this. What's that witch done to you this time? |
| Lex |
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She's just shown me the
light, that's all........ Zandra, I believe this is my best
chance |
| Zandra |
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To do what? Make a fool
of yourself? |
| Lex |
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No. I need you if this is
going to work. I need your support |
| Zandra |
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Not this time. |
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| Sick as he is, Zandra
walks out on him |
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Zandra promises Tai-San that if her marriage is
destroyed, she will destroy Tai-San.
Lex continues his new path by apologizing to everyone he has
ever hurt or mistreated. That's just about everyone, including
Zandra. He admits he only married her for sex. |
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Lex puts himself on trial, for such crimes as
plotting to have Bray and Amber thrown out. His self-imposed
punishment is exile, to walk the streets.
Tai-San sees him off. She has provided him with some special
herbs. Zandra is pleased to see him go. |
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