Episode Three - Dex

# Season One, Episode Three - Dex

## Plot

As the episode starts we see Nigel Kulumaru heading to a rendezvous point in the farmland of Chardyle at night as he insisted. It's a dark drive at midnight and he leaves his farm undetected by his family, rather secretively. He parks beside a tree and shortly after is joined by Alex Cane who comes to talk business along with Frankie Freda. They reinstate the offer to buy the farm from Nigel and he proclaims that the deal sounds tempting but The Farmer's Council disapprove of the Dex business. Alex begins to explain the rivalry between farmers and corporate companies and how it has lasted years but that he wants to diffuse the tension between the two groups and unite them to provide better crops and earn better money. Nigel seems consumed by the idea but backs away feeling guilty for not talking to his wife about it beforehand. Then we see Harley waking up through the night in an empty bed, curious of her husbands surroundings. Then the intro plays.

Afterwards we see Ryan getting on the school bus as part of routine on his school morning. His parents seem distressed with another before he leaves and Richard leaves the house to do his chores while Martha stays inside contemplating what to do. Ryan gets on the school bus and Rowan begins to vent to him again about his parents. Rowan explains that his mother noticed his fathers disappearance last night. Rowan doesn't know what to think of it. Ryan explains that his mother and father seem more distressed than before and that they didn't speak at all in the morning. The two are dealing with the same trouble but in separate ways. Upon their arrival in school, Cleo awaits her new friends and together they walk to their first lesson. They are seen by Joshua, Jerry and Jasmine who are truanting their lesson. Jasmine insists on going to lesson rather than skipping which is not met with honor from Josh. While truanting Josh describes his fight with Ryan yesterday as a release of rage to Jerry, he says that his father is financially struggling and being able to taunt Rowan made him feel better about himself. Jerry listens but doesn't open up as he shows signs of irritation around Joshua, instead he switches the conversation to Cleo Smith and how Josh backed down to her. He passes it off as realization of what he was doing rather than a hidden meaning and then Jerry also attends his lesson, still suspicious of Josh and his intentions. The scene then transitions to Billy Boyle working in his garage on a car when he is attended by Lex Cane. Upon his arrival, Lex asks questions of Billy and whether he has seen Alex, and Billy refuses to answer him, obeying the Farmer's Council's opinion. Lex explains that he means no harm and is aware that Billy is the only member of the council who doesn't own a farm and therefore isn't there for business but rather for a chat. Billy considers his stance but is reluctant to talk to him still and orders him to leave as he does so.

After, we see the Bankle couple sitting down for lunch. They exchange glances and then Martha begins to talk about money and Richard seems instantly put off. She explains that if the rates continue for the next harvest they may have to sell some of their assets to retain profit. Richard charges outside saying that harder work must be due and then Martha says that she should try to look for a job. Richard becomes heartfelt and becomes protective of his wife, explaining that he wants to work hard so she doesn't have to. He goes to the cow field to begin his work after they kiss but then Alex Cane pulls up. He speaks to Martha assessing the financial situation of the farm as he did to Nigel, proposing a great offer for the farm. Martha suggests speaking to her husband about it first but instead Alex says an even better offer can be made if she attends a rendezvous point with another client for a joint extensive price. Martha cannot resist the offer and agrees to turn up even if she refuses the bid. In the same scene we see Ryan and Cleo leaving school after their last lesson where Josh chimes in. He questions Ryan about Rowan joining the football team to which Ryan doesn't speak to him, and is unsure anyway. This instigates another conflict between the two as Josh asks about his ignorance. The two begin to push and shove but Cleo stops the fight again to which Josh questions her situation with Ryan and if the two are dating which makes him like inferior. He steps away after not receiving an answer but Ryan speaks up again, saying "Backing off so soon?" and this angers Josh. He enters a frenzy where he disses Ryan and professes his love for Cleo as he can't seem to refuse her. Unknowingly Jasmine hears all of this and storms off crying and Josh and the two part ways.

Late at night, Billy orders a Council meeting to talk about the altercation he had with Lex Cane at his garage. Dwight, Richard and Greg attend the meeting but Nigel has gone AWOL. Billy starts the meeting anyway talking about Lex and his presence in Chardyle and how he doesn't seem a threat like his father is and actually seems motivated against him like the council are. Dwight asks for an update on Alex Cane however to which nobody reports a bid of any kind, whilst Richard becomes stressed as he can't seem to get hold of his wife. The scene switches again to Nigel waking up out of bed to the rendezvous point attempting to not disturb his wife, he sneaks out the front door but is followed by his wife who takes a gun with her on the way out just in case of bad circumstances. Upon her exit of the house however, she is intercepted by Lex Cane who also intends to follow Nigel. The circumstance becomes very muddled but Lex supposes that his late night retreats have correlation with his father's late night business meetings and so Harley and Lex trace Nigel and stalk him to the rendezvous point. We see Martha, Alex and Frankie stood around the tree, Nigel arrives and they start off strong on their negotiations. Whilst in the car, Harley talks to Lex about the offer they received and initially refused from Alex and he tells her about his father's elaborate plan to hoax farmers into false promises while stealing their land and selling their produce to wealthy investors rather than small local businesses. The whole supposed scheme is unveiled to Harley who is told to not report it to her police department and rather privately study the case with Lex. Before she can give an answer they arrive at the point where they see the negotiations. Alex talks about the fact that Martha and Nigel are both here behind their partner's back and they suddenly look guilty, but then they are reassured by the briefcase held by Frankie Freda. The scheme is told to be set out in loans earned once the farms have produced a considerable harvest the money would be dispatched in return for farmland which can help the business by advancing the land for cropping. The briefcase is opened and the sight of money arouses Nigel into the deal to which he accepts. Martha on the other hand becomes reluctant to sign the papers as she feels she is betraying her husband. Lex leaves the car at this halt in the interaction to intervene leaving Harley alone with her thoughts. She realizes that maybe Lex is also not to be trusted and may coerce Nigel into a scam offer. Upon walking up the hill Lex is yet to intercept the deal but Harley races past him with her gun and stops Alex in the name of the law which causes a dramatic stand-off between her and Alex Cane as the episode fades to black.

## Appearances

* Ryan Bankle
* Martha Bankle
* Richard Bankle
* Billy Boyle
* Joshua Boyle
* Dwight Hankley
* Jerry Hankley
* Kelly Hankley [Briefly]
* Rowan Kulumaru
* Harley Kulumaru
* Nigel Kulumaru
* Greg Brenner [Briefly]
* Alex Cane
* Lex Cane
* Frankie Freda
* Jasmine King
* Jack Corbel [Briefly]

## Synopsis

**As the financial struggles of every member of The Farmer's Council intensifies, Harley catches on to her husband's disappearances and with the help of Lex they trace Nigel to a stand off, Martha suggests getting a job and Billy professes his feelings.**