Seachange - Season 1

Laura wishes her first days in Pearl Bay could be as idyllic as the scenery. As the kids struggle to survive with no television and Laura's cooking, a lunch invitation to the Jelly house seems like a welcome distraction. But Bob Jelly's motive is soon evident, as Laura's first case ends up being a botched revenge plot against the man.

Carmen, Meredith's free-spirited niece, breezes into town and quickly confides in her aunt that she is both pregnant and on the run from the law. Three chefs storm into town to testify against Carmen, who posed as a restaurant critic in order to obtain free meals. Feeling a little insecure in the kitchen herself, Laura approaches Diver Dan for a few cooking lessons.

Sergeant Grey is suspicious of local "saint" Matthew Reily, who founded and mysteriously funds a youth training farm for the longtime unemployed. Bob, in his new quest to become a senator for the Here and Now party, decides to visit Matthew's farm with a small camera crew. In the presence of the cameras, Matthew is extremely cagey, and when he stands before Laura, he risks more than a fine.

In times gone by, Diver Dan, Angus, and other local men formed a syndicate to share the cost of an Armani suit they could call upon for formal occasions. The arrangement had gone without incident until Laura's sister, Trudi, arrives in town, and the men battle to impress her. Trudi herself is focused on trying to patch things up with her sister, but Laura's hostility runs deep.

A big night out on the town results in a car flying off Pearl Bay's condemned bridge. Several of the locals are under suspicion until Grey points the finger at Reg, the local garbage collector with a drinking problem. If Laura sentences such a popular local, she risks alienation, and when she isn't invited to a Jelly bash, she decides it is time she conformed with the local women.

Just as Laura decides it's time to move things forward with Diver Dan, his ex-wife pounces into town. Dorothy is sassy, sexy, and suing Bob Jelly. Bob's indiscretion ruined her employment prospects in Port Deakin. During the case, Laura finds it hard to repress her competitiveness. As the trial progresses, it becomes clear that Dorothy may be forced to reveal compromising information.

An invitation to the annual magistrate's dinner dance confirms Laura's suspicion that she is single in a world designed for couples. At least it encourages her to invite Dan, but her ego is battered when he surrenders himself with a pile of unpaid fines, choosing a jail sentence over a date with her. Karen questions how well she knows her parents when they return to town as born-again hippies.

Pearl Bay is rocked by the death of one its teenagers. Laura presides over her first coronial inquest as football hero Jerome Hall's last hours are relived. After Jerome's accident, Rupert withdraws, so Dan takes the boy under his wing, deciding he should teach Rupert how to be a man. Laura is furious to discover Dan's somewhat violent interpretation of masculinity.

When an old crony of Bob's proposes a housing development at a legendary local "parking" spot for couples, a protest ensues. By pure coincidence, Craig emerges as hero activist, impressing Miranda immensely. The attention and thrill of standing up to his father causes Craig to reevaluate his surroundings for the first time.

Instead of the usual musical extravaganza, this year's Pearl Bay Thespians production is a play penned by Harold, with Meredith at the helm. After years in the wings, Heather is cast as the leading lady opposite visiting professional and old flame Barry Boston. Bob immediately presumes an affair is taking place. Wanting to get out of performing, Laura calls upon Dan for lessons in acting badly.

Jack's fraud trial is finally being heard, and the kids convince Laura to support him in person. Back in the city, unexpected sparks fly between the exes, just as Laura is offered a spanking new job. Laura must decide if she wants to return to the "real world" or stay by the sea.

The locals brace themselves to be reconnected with the outside world as Bob proudly awaits the opening of the repaired bridge. Carmen's due date has arrived, but with the baby failing to make an appearance, she worries something has gone wrong. Laura and Dan decide to consummate their mutual attraction, come hell or high water-which may literally be the case.

When Laura Gibson's (Sigrid Thornton, Wentworth) life suddenly falls apart, she decides to make a fresh start with her two children in a small coastal town. But Pearl Bay isn't exactly the seaside idyll she remembers from a vacation years before, nor are the locals quite so charming-except perhaps for handsome Diver Dan (David Wenham, The Lords of the Rings films, Top of the Lake).