Packed To The Rafters

Julie receives a surprise invitation from the charming editor of a local paper Adam Goodman - an offer that will ultimately send her into uncharted waters but is she ready to say yes? Meanwhile, Dave hires an attractive woman, Ted continues to bond with Cooper and Coby arrives home from oversea. Emma is relieved that Ben finally removes his wedding ring but how much has he really moved on?

With an expanding business, new premises and a new employee, Dave has high hopes indeed. But it seems what Dave considers chivalry, Frankie considers sexism. Coby too is having trouble adjusting to his new workmate. Despite his increasingly close relationship with Emma, Ben still hasn't invited her to stay the night - another bridge to cross in his grieving process for Mel.

Its Valentines Day, and matters of the heart are front and centre. Ben and Emma try to dodge the pressure by doing a shift at the Boat Club. Donna is still carrying a candle for Ted and Julie is unimpressed when Ben encourages Donna to invite Ted to a romantic dinner. Meanwhile, Matt decides to play a joke on his flatmates by surprising them both with anonymous Valentines Day cards.

Coby stubbornly denies having a crush on Frankie, even tries to avoid her by missing out on a drinking night. Yet Coby ends up joining and volunteers during his remaining holiday to drive her around, as her license is suspended, supposedly to benefit from her experience. Ted has had enough of Julie's 'subtle' sneers at his affair with Donna.

Dave has landed another major contract, so he ends the boys to keep in shape, yet they insist on some partying. Jake is baffled when his father turns up and announces he needs to get to know him, being diagnoses with terminal cancer. Meanwhile, Ben works out that Retta is pregnant and editor Adam Goodman publishes Julie's restaurant assessments but edits nearly every word.

Frankie appreciates Coby's birds couple tattoo design, only to specify later she has no romantic interest in him. Everybody fears Jake's verbal outburst wrecked his close report with Dave. Ben finally uses the L-word. Meanwhile, Dave must face nightmares about Julie engaging in adultery with Adam Goodman, who makes her an irresistible offer to fill in as his magazine's 'content coordinator'.

Ben and Emma really need a break together, with all the hassle from her mother-boss and CarboRetta's baby and nursery obsession, so they rent her professor's country house. After an awkward 'non-date', Coby and Frankie agree to be just colleagues and friends rather then avoid each-other. Adam is delighted with Julie's performance at her first day, dealing with an incorrigible procrastinator.

Dave and his team go to an electrician convention. After drinking and karaoke, Dave ends up in Frankie's room, from where Coby sees him leave. Adam Goodman convinced Julie to accompany him to a movie premiere gala, but she cancels last minute on account of Ruby's cold, in fact feeling unfaithful to Dave, yet spends a suspiciously cozy evening with him afterward.

Dave and Frankie feel terrible about their kiss, so she offers to resign. Coby agonizes whether to tell anyone what he saw. Dave feels compelled to owe up, but Julie acts as if it wasn't innocent at all. Retta's morning sick mood undermines Carbo's confidence, until Ben helps them realize it's just hormones. Donna tells Dave about Adam and Julie, so he scolds her sanctimonious double standard.

Coby's hasty resignation leaves his CV scarily sparse, so he ends up in a terrible job in suited car-wash publicity. Dave and Julie won't listen to everyone agreeing they just belong together, so Ben drags them along for a weekend in the cottage he and Emma want to buy to start a new country-life, which does the trick. Ted's memory problems become worrisome, even for Cooper.

Ben is confident he'll get a bank loan to buy the cottage but misses his first appointment due to Carbo's indoor game. After Julie insisted to give Frankie her job back, the 'sparkies' are reunited, but tiptoeing insecurity. The whole gang joins a picnic organized by Carbo. Retta has a stillbirth. Ben wants a new life with Emma, but she backs out, claiming he's not ready to commit fully again.

The Rafter clan is delighted that Nathan suddenly returns, but his surprise not was poorly timed, it's surpassed by his news: he has a new life in London, which includes a much older wife, widow Saskia, who is expecting his baby. Ben surprises them by announcing he's leaving on his own world tour. Ted informs Donna that a first medical examination suggests he may be suffering from Alzheimer.

Jake is surprised when his brother Alex turns up, fired 'due to the economy' but actually becoming a junkie. To vacate Alex's old room 'so long', Julie invites sleazy Matt regardless of Dave's doubts. CarboRetta's stillbirth-mourning is abruptly interrupted when Nick's pushy niece Voula practically invites herself to their house. Frankie's ex Bryn Parry discovers Alex as easy drug trade prey.

Jake is worried sick when he finds Alex's drug uses extends from parties to daytime. Dave bets Julie that she can't refrain from giving advice. For "mother-to-all" Julie, that's of course impossible. Coby enjoys Heather's attention but lets Frankie convince him not to 'lead her on'. Emma's parents enjoy lunch together and considers a permanent reconciliation.

Jake has dragged Alex back home so their mother can keep an eye on the junkie, but he begs to come back. Coby is single again and Frankie realizes she's interested in him. Matt is confused by Voula's mixed signals. Ted's faulty memory leads to a serious fire in Dave's shed HQ. Emma's father Mark Mackey hides his financial peril and ends up losing Donna again when she finds out.

Jake is rightly worried about Alex, who successfully demands 'his cut' from their dying father and instantly runs to party buddy and drug dealer Bryn Parry. CarboRetta feel lonely in the villa after the miscarriage and cousin Voula's announcement that she's moving on to another relative's home. After the fire, Ted considers moving to a home, but the Rafters won't hear of it.

Coby finally makes another move on Frankie, which ends up in her bed. Carbo's boss is selling the florist shop and Retta and Emma insist he must buy it and cancel their jobs to become his partners. Ted is determined to take no more risks such as babysitting Ruby. Donna entered a singles dance but her date proves unfit, so Dave is kept to his jocular offer to be her partner, to Julie's amusement.

Coby and Frankie are over the moon in young love. Carbo and his girls confidently present the bank their plans for the flower shop but credit is denied. Emma is deeply embarrassed by explicit evidence of Donna's physical affair with Duncan Galloway, who turns out to be a major developer and hands Dave a big contract. Ted makes Julie accept his self-defined senior limitations.

Coby cracks under the teasing from his mates, mixed signals from Frankie and Donna's lover Duncan Galloway's improper flirtation, which also worries Dave, leading to a true assault charge. The whole affair sours Dave's fishing friendship with leisurely client Duncan. Carbo gets a bank loan to buy the florist shop after putting up his beloved car as collateral.

Coby becomes a guilt-crushed wreck as developer Duncan Galloway insists on formal abuse charges. Donna discovers that Duncan has an affair. Carbo's team's balcony gardening center concept has a slow start, but an accidental customer gives them hope. Ted's sudden failure to recognise Cooper at all proves his feared dementia must be kicking in cruelly.

Shortly before his trial, Coby jumps bail. Looking for him with the gang makes Jake miss his father's fatal surgery. Carbo's balcony florist team's first client Colleen Bourke proves a Tantric sex therapist and insists they should experience her course. After being unable to recognize Cooper, Ted leaves the Great Mates program and, despite opposition from Julie, visits a suitable rest home.

Coby is awaiting his trial in jail. For Dave and Julie's pearl anniversary, they get surprise visits from Ben, Nathan, his wife Saskia and their baby. Carbo's girls nearly drive him mad by stressing even about easy clients. Donna hires impressive escort Logan, who even stays for free after the paid duration. Julie finds out about Ted's only affair after marrying her mother.