AUS Television: Offspring, Episodes 1.12 & 1.13

Offspring
Series One, Episodes Twelve & Thirteen, Season Finale
Original Air Date:  November 21, 2010

In this two-part season finale, the entire Proudman family, Cherie, Mick, and Chris Havel are all dealing with the fall-out of Mick and Nina having spent one night together and revealing that secret to Billie.  That one secret has torn everyone apart.  Nina has a chance at a new life in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.  It will be a fresh start for a whole new Nina.  Will she take the job and say goodbye to everyone and everything she's ever known and loved?

Part I:
Nina has been leaving messages for Billie but they have all gone unanswered.  At work, Dr. Clegg is critiquing Kim for the way she answers the phone.  Apparently, her voice isn't as friendly and sing-songy as Zara's.  Nina is given a case of a woman carrying a child for her sister and is 33 weeks along into her pregnancy.  She has presented with acute bleeding.  Her sister is there with her.  The woman will have to have an emergency Cesarean because the baby is in distress.  As Nina watches the two sisters comforting one another, she imagines her and Billie in a similar situation:  Nina carrying a baby for Billie.

Cherie tells Darcy she has a man coming over that night and she wants Sam to meet Darcy and Ray.  Nina talks with Mick about Billie.  He has been staking out Geraldine's place as Billie is avoiding him as well.  When Mick arrives home, Jimmy questions him about what is wrong.  Mick wants to drop the issue but Jimmy persists and Mick eventually tells him about his night with Nina.  Jimmy goes to Geraldine's to see Billie and ends up letting things slip to Geraldine about Mick and Nina, something she didn't know about.

Jimmy calls Nina at the hospital and tells her to come to their mum's and wear something bulletproof.  Nina arrives at her mum's and finds broken dishes and her mother standing there waiting for her.  Nina explains that her night with Mick was a terrible accident and even asks if that was her way of telling Billie she was worthless and could take anything that belonged to her or that she just had contempt for her.  Geraldine calls Nina "pure Darcy Proudman" because she feels what Nina did is exactly the same shallow thing her father would have done.  When Nina tries to make a joke to lighten the moment, her mother calls her on that as well that that behaviour was her father too. 

Nina and Mick once again talk on the phone about Billie.  He has temporarily lost her in his never-ending campaign of following her.  He's trying Proudman Realty to see if she has gone to work.  Both Mick and Nina, who are now going under the code names "Captain Shapiro" and "Big Sally", feel horrible about what has happened and Mick has decided to wander the streets until he finds Billie.  At the hospital, Nina and Chris are preparing for the emergency Cesarean and Nina cannot stop thinking about Billie. 

Geraldine goes to see Darcy at the realty office and accuses him of stealing her youth from her then tells her that Nina and Mick have been carrying on behind Billie's back.  She accuses him further of setting a bad example for their children.  When Cherie and Ray arrive, Geraldine sets in on her and asks if it ever crossed her mind when she slept with Darcy on the cruise ship that he might have been married.  After Cherie stands up to Geraldine and sets her straight about how things were, Geraldine leaves. 

Jimmy finds Billie and talks to her.  Billie has been trying to figure out what to say to both Nina and Mick.  Jimmy encourages her to listen to what they have to say.  She accuses him of always being partial to Nina and he brings up the fact that Nina was always there when Billie was usually off sniffing glue.  She ends up slapping him and leaving. 

Cherie goes to the hospital to see Nina and tells her about Geraldine's behavior at the realty office.  While they are talking, Cherie looks over Nina's shoulder and announces that Billie is there.  Nina's fantasizing goes into overdrive and she imagines the coming confrontation with Billie mixed in with Fireman Sam and two other men from "Man Up" dancing in the halls of the hospital.  Billie tells Cherie to get out of her face as fast as she can and snaps at her further when Cherie asks what is wrong.  Billie questions Nina about what vodka she drank with Mick in front of Dr. Clegg, Kim, Zara and Cherie.  Nina wants to talk about it elsewhere but Billie presses the matter.  She wants the details.  Nina tells her the brand of the vodka and what kind of ice cream and that both of them were drunk.  She wants to know who touched who first and where.  She wants to know every single detail including who the condoms belonged to.  Nina tells Billie she's happy to give her any detail she wants but she doesn't want to talk about it at work.  Billie warns everyone there not to leave Nina alone with their husbands and storms out.  Nina knows there will be further confrontation with Billie.

Billie goes to work and Darcy tries talking to her.  He tells her sometimes sex can mean nothing at all and doesn't have to be that big of a deal.  Billie angrily questions him about different sexual situations and asks if that is when it means nothing.  Mick and Nina speak again.  Billie finally took one of his calls.  She answered and called him a "prick".  Mick sees it as a good sign because Billie finally spoke to him.  After Mick and Nina are off the phone, Jimmy says something to him about what happened.  Mick asks if they are OK.  Jimmy tells him that as soon as he can figure out the destination, he's getting on a plane out of there. 

Chris heard about Billie's visit and asks Nina if she is alright.  Nina lashes out at Chris further making matters worse.  He tells her she loves it when her life is a mess because she's so terrified of happiness.  After he leaves, tries rallying herself so she can right everything that is going wrong.  She calls Jimmy and even he is angry with her making her feel even worse.

Chris meets Alice and Lucy for lunch while Nina pays a visit to the woman who had had the Cesarean.  They talk about their sisters.  Nina tries calling Billie again and begs her to see her again in private.  She wants to talk everything through. 

Sam arrives at Cherie and Darcy's and meets Darcy and Ray.  Sam seems to take to Ray right off.  Nina tries working even though she's got a mountain of problems.  Alice visits Chris at his new home to thank him for everything he's done for her.  She kisses him then leaves.  Darcy heads out and leaves the place to Cherie and Sam.  She doesn't want Sam to be disappointed with their first night together.

Nina struggles with how she can mend the damage that has been done to her family.  Darcy goes to Cherie's room the next morning and hears her and Sam.  He knocks and tells her it's time for Ray's feed.  Cherie asks Darcy if things are getting weird between them and if it might be time for her to move out like they planned when she first moved in. 

Dr. Clegg awakens Nina who fell asleep at her desk.  When he asks for a word with her she apologizes that her private life has disrupted the professionalism of the hospital.  He asks if she's ever heard of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.  One of the obstetricians has taken a leave and he has recommended Nina to fill the position.  She wants to stay in Australia and fix things with her family but Clegg tells her she needs the change.  She starts to think that going far away where she can't hurt anyone she loves and giving them time to heal is exactly what she should do.  Nina's divorce papers are delivered to her at the hospital.  She awakens with Kim and Zara standing over her.  She had passed out with a high temperature.

She arrives home to find Billie there.  Nina tells her that she is going away to the States.  Billie reminds Nina of some presents and cards Nina had given her or made for her, pictures and letters throughout their lives.  Billie had them all in a box, torn and broken.  She leaves Nina's apartment taking her owls.  Billie goes to see Mick and takes him to the house she wanted to buy with him.  She has Nina's owls placed all over the house where everything of theirs would have been placed in the house.  They argue over the night he spent with Nina.  She tells him the worst part is the poisonous little voice that wonders what secret attraction the two have for one another and if he's thinking of Nina when he's with her.  He tells her he loves her and will never lie and that's why he wanted her to know about he and Nina.

Jimmy goes in search of where he will be going in future, Darcy stands outside drinking coffee while Cherie and Sam are upstairs in her room with Ray bouncing on Cherie's lap.  Billie wheels Nina's owls to the curb in a rubbish bin.  Chris tries calling Nina but she doesn't answer.

Part II:
Nina starts packing everything up for her move to Balitmore.  She's looking at it being a new start for "New Nina".  While throwing bags of some of her belongings into a bin for the Australian Red Cross, she accidentally drops her purse in as well.  Dr. Clegg walks up behind her while she's crawling into the bin for her purse.  He wants her to remember that what she does, the job, is a very sacred thing. 

Nina goes into work, taking her cat with her in a carrier, and when she meets Chris, tells him she needs to talk to him about a decision she's made.  Clegg interrupts them and, before Nina can tell Chris about her moving to Baltimore, Clegg drops the news on him.  Chris is stunned.  Clegg mentions it's only a six month program.  Chris wishes her good luck and tells her it is good news but it's clear he's upset.

Billie arrives home to find Mick planting flowers, what he calls "an unconditional horticultural love offering" and part of the 12-step program for cheating scumbags.  She doesn't want him to help her move her stuff in and she refuses to let him play a song he wrote for her. 

Nina is still trying to find a new home for her cat.  She asks Jimmy if he'll look after it while she's overseas and he tells her he can't because he's hunting for a cheap plane ticket to anywhere because too much family can stunt your growth--including Nina.  The cat gets lose and Nina ends up elbowing Jimmy in the face while trying to recover the kitty.  Of course, the cat walks right back into the carrier on its own after that. 

Billie pays a visit to the owner of Pinnacle Realty about moving to a new agency.  He has been wanting to lure her to Pinnacle for a while because he likes her style.  He wants her consider her moving to his office as a chance to graduate from the family business.  He invites her upstairs to show her the new computers they've had put in. 

Alice, Chris and Lucy enjoy a family meal at a restaurant when Alice suggests the three of them live under one roof as a family.  Chris agrees to the suggestion feeling it is worth a try.  Jimmy goes to see Cherie to say goodbye and she wants to have a get-together, a barbecue, to say goodbye to everyone.  It might help heal the family wounds.  Jimmy doesn't think it's that good of an idea.  Billie tells Darcy she is seriously thinking of saying "yes" to the offer from Pinnacle.  She thinks it might be best to keep work and family separate with the way things are at the moment.  After Billie has gone, Nina drops in to Darcy's office looking for her.  She asks him to take the cat and he turns her down as well.  Darcy and Geraldine talk about what has gone wrong with the family and the mistakes they've both made.

Nina, still looking for a new home for the cat, runs into Chris, Alice and Lucy.  Nina vows that she won't start crying in front of them once she realizes they are looking for a house together.  As she's sitting and thinking about Chris, Clegg calls her to the hospital.  He, Kim and Zara are waiting on her with a cake and balloons.  He wants her going to Baltimore with the knowledge she's an excellent doctor and admirable person.  He asks about Billie and if she mentioned him (the confrontation and Billie's actions with Clegg really stuck in his mind!)

Billie arrives home to find Mick sitting on her porch playing a song.  She unplugs his keyboard telling him "A song can't fix this" and goes inside.  Darcy and Geraldine look through old family photo albums and reminisce.  Nina talks to Chris about her leaving and him moving in with Alice.  She tells him she thinks she's in love with him.  He feels the same way.  None of the family would come to the barbecue for Cherie but Jimmy assures her he can get everyone there.  He calls everyone with excuses tailored to each of them to get them to the barbecue. 

Still with the cat in tow, Nina arrives at the barbecue.  When Billie arrives, she and Nina talk.  Nina is trying to apologize but Billie keeps turning things around and nothing goes right.  When Darcy tries starting the barbecue, he trips over the tank and cuts his leg.  He prefers that Geraldine play nurse instead of Nina.  Everyone realizes that Darcy and Geraldine have had sex.  They finally get the barbecue going about the time a massive rain storm hits drenching them all and ending the party.

Everyone gets out of the rain hoping it will stop.  When it doesn't, some decide it's time they go.  Cherie bursts into tears about how she loves the family so much and how everything is wrecked.  Jimmy suggests they all go to the pub for a drink to wrap things up.  They all go to the pub and Nina wonders if things could be any worse.  A call from Chris comes in and Cherie tells him where the family is and that he should come down to the pub. 

Mick is at the pub and Billie tells him that maybe now is his chance to play the song he wrote as a love offering.  That was just for her and not for public performance as he meant it as a jokey thing.  Nina tells him to play the song.  When Mick sings the song, it is hilarious!  The song is all about having sex with Nina and it even states that sex with her was "a six, at most and maybe even less".  The best line:  "it's difficult to stay aroused when you're surrounded by a thousand owls".  Billie smiles and everyone else laughs and snickers while Nina stands there listening to the song humiliating her.  Jimmy puts his arms around her and tells her everyone still loves her, trying to make her feel better.  Billie goes through the bag Nina gave her and sees the blouse, her earring and the watch.  The sisters end up hugging each other while Mick continues his oddly awesome love song to Billie.  Jimmy pours a pitcher of beer over Mick's head to avenge his sisters honor.

Kim goes to Nina and tells her that her water has broken and the baby's head has actually crowned.  They put Kim on the pool table to deliver the baby.  Mick and Billie make up to the sounds of Kim screaming in labor in the background.  Chris arrives and helps Nina with the delivery of Kim's baby.  The baby is a little girl.

Nina and Chris stand and wait for the lift to arrive.  The doors open and they don't step onto the lift.  Nina is thinking how much she wants him.  Chris is thinking that he wishes he knew what was going on inside her head.  She tells him she wants him so badly and can't help it.  They go into a room there at the hospital that is full of balloons where they finally have the moment together they've been waiting for all season.  BUT, that was all in Nina's head.  In reality, the lift doors open and Nina and Chris look at one another.

What an awesome end to the first season!    Sneaky, Cherie!  She went to such lengths to get everyone back together.  Things were pretty tense for Nina and Billie there for a good part of the show.  Things were tense between Nina and everyone for a nice part of the show.  I'm glad that Nina and Billie finally made up.  It was almost painful to see the animosity between the two of them.  Same with Billie and Mick.  And speaking of Mick, could his love song to Billie have been any funnier?  It's no surprise that did the trick and softened up Billie's anger.  Mick just has a way about him, doesn't he?

The bad news is that this was the final show of the first season.  The good news is that Offspring will be back for a brand new season in 2011.  I can't wait!  How about you?

Offspring airs on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. on Ten Network.
Official Site:  http://ten.com.au/offspring.htm
The Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1530541/
TV Rage:  http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-25992