TV Week
10th September 2011
Will the conflicted single mum follow her head or her heart?
Mary has a difficult decision to make this week in Wild Boys when she wrestles with an unexpected marriage proposal from good-hearted and dependable trooper Mick Scanlon.
While the Hopetoun pub owner is romantically involved with bushranger Jack (Daniel MacPherson) she’s beginning to doubt the longevity of their relationship.
“They have chemistry and love each other and they have a really long history, but Jack’s an outlaw.
He can barely show his face in town. He can disappear for a month and she won’t hear from him,” says Zoe Ventoura, who plays Mary.
When Jack is named as a murder suspect after a family is killed and their house set alight, he again has to keep a low profile.
“You think he’s a good man, but I think you’d change your tune if you saw what he did out at the Ryan farm – a while family butchered!” Superintendent Fuller (Jeremy Sims) announces at Mary’s pub during a search for the wanted bushranger.
“Jack wouldn’t have done that!” Mary retorts. But Fuller isn’t so sure. “Why risk everything for him?” He demands. “If I can prove you’re a sympathiser for bushrangers, I’ll drag you out of here by your hair – in front of your son – and throw you in the lock-up with the rest of the criminals.”
With Jack firmly in the sights of the constabulary, his relationship with Mary appears to be in jeopardy – especially when he suggest they run away together.
“I have three businesses to run. What does he expected me to do – sell up and walk away? The arrogance of the man. Typical bloody Jack!” Mary snaps.
It’s then that Jack’s former best mate, Scanlon (Nathaniel Dean) decides to make his move and open up to Mary about his feelings for her.
“Mary is a very strong-willed businesswoman and she’s got responsibilities to her business and her son, and there becomes this kind of triangle between Mary and Scanlon and Jack,” Dan explains. “Scanlon is the logical, safe choice, while Jack is the wild choice.”
Telling Mary he could offer her a safe future, Scanlon makes a surprise proposal to the stunned publican.
“I make a decent living, Mary – an honest one,” Scanlon reasons. “I’d make a good father for Tommy (Kai Lewins) and a loyal husband to you. I just wanted to put that on the table… You deserve better, Mary.”
Nathaniel confirms that “Scanlon definitely has affection towards Mary”.
Meanwhile, Zoe tells TV Week it’s a tough choice for the single mother to make.
“She’s really struggling with it,” she explains. “She’s in a lot of turmoil because her heart is with Jack. She’s really looking for a father-figure for her son, but Scanlon comes in and he’s vying for her affection.
“He’s just a dependable, stable, reliable, good man, which is hard to find in this time. Playing that struggle – which is really relatable in this day and age as well – but putting it into that time period where women really did need a protector, it’s an interesting dilemma to play out.”
Also adding spice to this messy love triangle is the fact that Jack and Scanlon used to be the best of friends – that is, before Scanlon spent time in jail, while Jack got off scot-free.
“They have a lot of history,” Dan says. “They were best mates and used to ride together, but there was an altercation and Mick ended up going to jail for years – and when he came out, he went straight.
“So there’s a chequered history there and they’re vying for the affection of the same woman. It’s a tense relationship that has some respect between them, but there’s also a lot of ill feeling.”
Dan’s luck runs out
Bushranger Dan’s life is on the line this week when he’s busted cheating during a poker match.
After taking the prize money and a pair of boots as his winnings, Dan (Michael Dorman) is accused of cheating by the other poker players. And their efforts to seek justice are swift – with Dan dragged outside and a noose placed around his neck!
“More than happy to divvy up my winnings,” a desperate Dan tries to negotiate. “I don’t cheat at cards. I’m really a great guy once you get to know me…”
But will anyone rescue the rascal in time?
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