australian television information archive

Blue Hawaii

Episode 1.05
Thu, February 02, 2006 (SBS)
Written by Sue Smith
Directed by David Caesar

After the long-awaited tombstone opening for Paul and Bernadette's infant son, relationships on the island are under real strain. While the traditional ceremony is meant to con- clude the grieving period, new tensions emerge for the boy's parents — both severely stressed by the financial load of the event. And at the all-night feasting and dancing following the ceremony it all gets worse. Helen watches, helpless, as Paul loses the plot and possibly his lover and his job.

Later in the night, a crisis engulfs Helen — she has to perform emergency surgery on a man who is choking. Although she saves the man's life, he later dies of an unrelated condition.

Helen is shunned by the community, with only Nancy rallying to her support. And when Ina leaves Russ and goes to stay with relatives on another island, rumours begin to spread that in addition to her incompetence, Helen is "the other woman". Russ, desperate not to make a political mistake this close to the election, is even tougher than necessary on her in an attempt to prove his lack of bias. Hurt and confused, Helen doesn't know where to turn. Instead, she crashes headfirst into Robbo. And, in the midst of crises of varying sizes, needing non-judgmental comfort, Helen takes Robbo as her lover.

Meanwhile, things go from bad to worse for Paul and Bernadette as Paul begins to have real difficulty controlling his stress levels. He turns to drinking and the inevitable happens. An argument ends with a shockingly violent row — one that results in Bernadette being flown out to the mainland hospital. The shock waves reverberate around the island, impacting most especially on Helen and Nancy, who saw it coming, but did not act fast enough to prevent it.

The tensions underpinning Helen's relationship with Russ explode when Helen attacks him for looking the other way during this and every other domestic violence crisis, accusing him of allowing — perhaps even fostering — the systemic use of alcohol and violence on the island. And, alone with Robbo, she wonders about the nature of love: about the knife sharp divide between passion and pain in this fierce culture of warriors… and for the first time she wonders just how much longer she can stay here.

Cast:

• Susie Porter as Helen Tremain
• Charles Passi as Russ Gaibui
• Billy Mitchell as Robbi
•  
• Bruce Spence as Vince
• Felix Williamson as Dr John Bourke
•  
• Luke Carroll as Paul Gaibui
• Merwez Whaleboat as Bernadette
• Margaret Harvey as Nancy Gaibui
• Peta Brady as Lindy Gaibui
• Jimi Gela as Solomon Gaibui
• Serai Zaro as Ina Gaibui
• Belford Luis as Mick Gaibui
• Norah Bagiri as Lucy
• Dan Mosby as Mr Ted
• Elsie Passi as Mrs Ted
• Santa Marina Rodgers as Mrs. Augustus
• Moses Kaddy as Doug Augustus
• Gabriel Ingui as Tuuks
• Ned Mosby as Rob Gaibui
• Fred Kebisue as Amos
• John Binawell as Cluster Manager
• Nicole Taylor as Interviewing RAN
• Thomas Mabo as Councillor
• Savanna Taylor as Faith Gaibui
• Nazir Manai as Grace Gaibui
• Melora Mosby as Rhianna Gaibui
• Tarnee Fauid as Esther Gaibui
• Charles Asai as Moses
• Warren Mene as Charles
• Cynthia Nai as Mother with Baby
• Phoebe Odo as Maria David
• Matilda Billy as Mary
• Elizabeth Warria as Amos' Mother