Coming up on
Rhythm City December 2008:
Monday 1 December 2008Episode 366 Kop and Mamokete miss Tshidi. Tshidi also misses home, but she is too proud to beg. With no money and friends left, Bernard turns to the devil himself - Speshil. Gail's loyalty to S'bu finally pays off when she is generously rewarded.
Zondi makes Siya an offer he can't refuse. He shares this information with Tshidi who is clearly tempted. It is clear Thula and Stone have unresolved feelings for each other despite Stone's insistence he's no longer attracted to men.
Tuesday 2 December 2008Episode 367 There is growing tension between Stone and Thula, as Stone tries to insist he's been cured of his gayness, but Thula remains sceptical. Tshidi wrestles with the offer from Zondi to exploit her bad-girl image, and Siya makes a very shocking and unexpected proposition.
At Redemption, Rachel's duets album is almost ready for release, and this gives Bernard a very risky idea. S'bu is being given advice by everyone about the necessity of bringing Bongani into line, but it's easier said than done.
Wednesday 3 December 2008Episode 368 Thula continues to probe Stone about his sexual orientation. A conflicted Stone seeks out Swazi, but cannot bring himself to confide in him. A desperate Bernard steals the music file of the new album due to be released by Redemption.
Bongani is getting impatient about the money owed to him. S'bu invites Miles to join Hustle records. Zondi urges Siya to immerse himself in his relationship with Tshidi - for exploitation's sake. Nonti shares some ideas about
getting Lu's music career back on track.
Thursday 4 December 2008Episode 369 Tshidi learns she has not been notified about a party tomorrow at The Kilowatt to celebrate the end of matric exams. When Stone defends Swazi, Thula tells him that although he'd hoped to be able to renew their old relationship, in the fullest sense, he wants nothing to do with Stone now.
Gail learns to her disgust that S'bu has made Miles a partner in Hustle - but has not thought to offer her any shares. Bernard hands the contraband CD copy to Speshil, and in turn, takes half of the agreed upon sum.
Friday 5 December 2008Episode 370 Suffocate offers Thula a place upstairs to crash. Tshidi is reluctant to move in with Siya and tensions boil over at the matric party as a result of the tension between Thula and Stone. Gail is over the moon about her shares in Hustle, but the celebrations are cut short with news about Bongani.
Bernard is a bit edgy as a result of his stealing the music files from Redemption and Nonti starts to impress Lu with her ideas for launching her as a star.
Monday 8 December 2008Episode 371 After the scene at the matric party, Charlotte and Mpumi try and persuade Tshidi to move back home. She eventually plucks up the courage to visit her family, but overhears a conversation that gives her the false impression that her mother doesn't want her to return.
Fats and Suffocate nurse hangovers and ponder whether Stone is jealous of Thula's friendship with Charlotte. Kop reluctantly brings up the issue of his salary with Miles. Bongani gets a demo of a brand-new, very fast car.
Tuesday 9 December 2008Episode 372 Siya expects Tshidi to be the "wife", now that she's moved into his flat. Stone is determined to tie the knot with Charlotte ASAP.
Nonti successfully sets about raising Lu's public profile and gets good feedback from the Redemption staff to the first play of Rachel Phakati's "Messages from Heaven" duets album. However, David is spitting mad when he hears a song from Rachel's album on the radio.
It looks like Bongani has seen the error of his ways when he commits to cleaning up his act.
Wednesday 10 December 2008Episode 373 Kop approaches Miles about taking time off for the wedding - to which Miles agrees, as well as insisting he accept a monetary contribution. Thula's curiosity is aroused when he learns Stone wasn't in a hurry to pay the Magadi.
Diphuka lies to David in order to get the day off to participate in Bongani's music video shoot. David issues an ultimatum to the staff: whoever is responsible for pirating their new album has until the end of the day to come forward and confess - or else.
Thursday 11 December 2008Episode 374 Tshidi finds out, by-the-by, about her brother's imminent marriage. David severely reprimands Diphuka for betraying Redemption. She seeks moral support from S'bu - and Bongani, who invites her to share a line or two of cocaine with him in the Kilowatt toilets. Something bad, we are convinced, is sure to come of this experiment.
David lays it on the line for Bernard: either he confesses to the pirating caper, or David will ensure he goes to jail.
Friday 12 December 2008Episode 375 Tshidi is upset about her growing alienation from her family - so Siya does something about it - making things far worse. David is still on the warpath against Bongani. Stone is concerned with the progress of the lobola negotiations.
Bernard, in desperation about the upcoming lie-detector test, goes to Gail for help and comfort. Diphuka is behaving strangely the morning after her liaison with Bongani, and Lu, after pushing and probing, makes a shocking discovery.
Monday 15 December 2008Episode 376 David tries to convince Diphuka to press rape charges against Bongani. Wedding negotiations continue, with Kop getting caught in the crossfire. David has called a lie detector expert to set up at Redemption. To his surprise, Bernard passes the test and Gabbi, the receptionist, fails the test badly.
Suffocate tells S'bu that Diphuka went into the club's toilets with Bongani and when she came out she looked a lot less happy than when she went in.
Tuesday 16 December 2008 (Day of Reconciliation)Episode 377 Tshidi accepts Charlotte's request to be her bridesmaid. They celebrate with cocktails at the Kilowatt, where Tshidi meets up with Thula and they talk for the first time in a while. Siya flirts with Nana.
Kop and Mamokete visit Charlotte's parents to discuss the wedding arrangements, but find it difficult to bring up the financing of the festivities. Bongani has made front-page news with the headlines of an alleged rape. Lu takes Diphuka to the doctor for blood tests and professional advice.
Wednesday 17 December 2008Episode 378 Charlotte is pressured to choose one of the girls as her maid of honour. Kop is concerned that Charlotte's family wouldn't say anything specific about their financial contribution to the wedding.
David openly acknowledges to Lu and Diphuka that he was the source of the newspaper leak, claiming to have done so for all the right reasons. Miles and S'bu seek legal advice. No one can find Bongani. Bernard decides to come clean. David delivers the coup de grace.
Thursday 18 December 2008Episode 379 Stone realizes that choosing a best man for his wedding is going to be harder than he thought. Bongani finally resurfaces to tell S'bu his version of the story. Fats is worried that Suffocate is involved in something illegal.
Nana confronts Thula about his involvement with Tshidi, but he charms her, and they decide to take their relationship to the next level. Kop is not making headway with Charlotte's family about the wedding expenses.
Friday 19 December 2008Episode 380 Bernard says goodbye to S'bu and Gail with an ominous warning about David. Kop and Mamokete break the news to Stone that the wedding has to be postponed. Suffocate confides in Fats about his newfound wealth.
The lawyer tells S'bu and Miles they have to release an official statement: Bongani's sex with Diphuka was consensual. David tries to fan the flames of the anti-Bongani propaganda in the media.
Monday 22 December 2008Episode 381 The after effects of Bongani's statements to the media are still felt. On her arrival, Connie lets Lu and David have it for letting her child get into such a situation. Stone tries to make amends with Thula for Charlotte's sake.
Miles explains to Bongani why his talking to the media without advice has only aggravated the situation. Stubborn Bongani decides to speak directly to Diphuka. He finds himself in a face-off with David Genaro.
Tuesday 23 December 2008Episode 382Tshidi decides, after talking to Thula, that she wants to leave Siya. Siya decides, in conversation with Nana, that he wants to leave Tshidi. Stone asks Thula to be his best man. The smear campaign against Diphuka begins.
Bongani is still freaking out and demands that S'bu offer Diphuka money to go away. S'bu is finding himself caught in the middle between Bongani and Diphuka.
Wednesday 24 December 2008 (Christmas Eve)Episode 383 David finds out that Connie let Diphuka see S'bu last night, and blows his top. Diphuka is coming around to the idea of letting everything go. Bongani is reluctant to apologize. His pride won't let him. Mamokete's pride is taking a big knock, due to lack of finances.
Charlotte and Stone both announce to their respective friends whom they've elected best man and maid of honour - to their friends' horror. No one is feeling the Christmas spirit - especially not Tshidi who is homesick and stuck with a boyfriend with whom she'd like to break up...but Thula has other plans in store for her.
Thursday 25 December 2008 (Christmas Day)Episode 384 Diphuka is in crisis and David exploits her emotional vulnerability to increase the pressure on her to press charges against Bongani. Tshidi accepts Thula's invitation to join her family for Christmas lunch at the Vilakazi household, after his persuading her that her parents had her in mind as his partner.
The wheels come off when Nana arrives in response to Mamokete's invitation of the previous day. Later, Thula and Nana ambush Siya and Tshidi with an intervention. That evening, matters between Siya and Tshidi come to a head.
When Suffocate announces he has decided to go to Egypt on holiday, Fats tries to get in on the act.
Friday 26 December 2008 (Day of Goodwill)Episode 385 Bongani is issued with a restraining order. S'bu's tough decision: blacken Diphuka's name or close shop permanently. David urges Lu to talk to Diphuka about laying a rape charge.
Tshidi is worried about her parents finding out she never wrote her matric. While Siya contemplates breaking up with Tshidi, Thula moves in for the kill when he kisses Tshidi. Nana, on the other hand, encourages Siya to dump Tshidi.
Suffocate learns from Mpumi that Fats already had plans for the New Year. Unimpressed, Suffocate confronts Fats about his lies to the people he loves. Charlotte's father proves to be a tough nut to crack even for the mighty Miles Vilakazi.
Monday 29 December 2008Episode 386 Diphuka finally decides to press rape charges against Bongani. Tshidi moves out of Siya's home, preoccupied with Thula's stolen kiss. Kop and Mamokete are puzzled that their daughter's name isn't listed within the newspaper's matric results.
Charlotte is forced to tell Stone about Tshidi's secret, and it is only a matter of time before the truth is forced out into the open. Suffocate tells Fats he's decided against taking the holiday to Egypt, and Thula begins to suspect that Suffo's Christmas depression is due to one particular person.
Tuesday 30 December 2008Episode 387 The lawyer spells out to Hustle what the next step must be: to trash Diphuka's reputation. David gives Diphuka an expensive bracelet as a token, he says, of his appreciation of her bravery under fire. The Khuses are still trying to come to terms with the fact that Tshidi never wrote matric.
Thula tells Stone that he believes their friendship, shorn of sexual content, is finally on the right track. Later he breaks things off with Nana in amicable fashion, then tracks Tshidi down to tell her that he's free, free at last. Thula persuades Suffocate to throw a party for the street kids in the area on New Year's Day.
Wednesday 31 December 2008 (New Year's Eve)Episode 388 Lu is disappointed that David wants to stay at home for the evening. Bongani creates a scene when he tries to speak to Diphuka at the Kilowatt Club party and S'bu has to intervene.
Stone confronts Tshidi about the fact she's dropped out of matric. She is left shaken by the encounter. Thula tries to cheer her up, and Stone makes it clear to his friend he's not happy at all with him pursuing Tshidi romantically.
Nana and Siya decide to rekindle their relationship, now that they are both free agents.