On
Rhythm City in January, 2009:
Thursday 1 January 2009 (New Year's Day)Episode 389 At the Vilakazi household, Bongani is nursing a hangover when the police arrive to question him. Diphuka is in a complete state when she reads a damning article about herself in the paper.
Stone has had enough of the deadlock between Tshidi and his parents. There is an emotional reconciliation between his sister and their parents. Suffocate is forced to make an impromptu appearance as Father Christmas at the kids' party. He receives a surprise - and most welcome - gift.
Friday 2 January 2009Episode 390Connie is devastated when Diphuka refuses to go home with her. Diphuka is secretly miserable that the entire situation has got so far out of control. She confides in Lu, who confronts David about using her niece to satisfy his own agenda.
Tshidi is finally back home, but is devastated at how easily Charlotte has usurped her position in the house. Miles and Kop find out why Charlotte's parents have been so reluctant to contribute to the wedding.
Monday 5 January 2009Episode 391 S'bu is surprised by the increase of Bongani's album sales. Zondi proposes he milks the Diphuka case for more publicity for the sake of selling even more units. Lu and David are in a deadlock over how the Diphuka case should be handled.
Desperate, Lu meets with Miles behind David's back to try to broker a peace deal. Tshidi is still struggling to fit back into the Khuse household. She still sees Charlotte as a threat to her position and confronts her about it.
Thula, Stone, and Charlotte decide to party. At the club, when Stone and Thula are alone, things heat up...
Tuesday 6 January 2009Episode 392 S'bu accompanies his artist to an interview with a journalist, who assumes Bongani is going to be arrested - then the cops arrive and take Bongani away. A panicked S'bu, and a calm Miles, bail out Bongani.
Stone, avoiding contact with Thula, starts drinking in the afternoon at the club, and by the time Charlotte finds him, is seriously drunk. He pleads with her to indulge him and elope. She refuses. While putting him to bed, she hears him mutter Thula's name.
Suffocate is chuffed to have Pule back, and spoils him rotten.
Wednesday 7 January 2009Episode 393 Ronald manages to convince a young woman to come forward claiming she was also assaulted by Bongani. David makes sure the story is leaked straight to the press.
The boys begin planning Stone's stag night and find, to their surprise, that he is quite keen on the idea of strippers and booze for his final night of freedom.
Suffocate, encouraged by Thula, buys educational books for Pule, only to discover the child can't read.
Thursday 8 January 2009Episode 394 Tshidi is having a really hard time dealing with the consequences of her actions. News of Stone's possible employment only seems to rub this in.
David and Lu, in their own ways, try to support Diphuka during her ordeal.
She responds by stating she'd like to withdraw the charges, to which David obviously objects.
Thula and Suffocate are still busy fathering Pule.
Friday 9 January 2009Episode 395 Miles makes an unscrupulous decision to pay off a prosecutor to make Bongani's case disappear. Bongani is over the moon, David is livid, and S'bu blows his top.
Lu and Miles both have feelings for each other, but the only thing keeping them in communication are the discussions over their divorce. The blow of not getting the bursary is heavy for Tshidi.
Suffocate is having trouble making parental decisions for Pule. Stone opens up to his father about his crisis of faith.
Monday 12 January 2009Episode 396 More than ever, David is bent on destroying Hustle, whereas Diphuka is relieved. S'bu is still furious with Miles and Bongani has vanished off the radar since he heard the news.
David is suspicious when he hears about Lu's meeting with Miles, but when he asks her if she's having second thoughts, Lu assures David that he is her future.
Stone is thrown when Swazi admits that, although he's married, he still has feelings for men. Tshidi and Charlotte bury their differences, and Suffocate tells Pule he is sending him to boarding school in KZN.
Tuesday 13 January 2009Episode 397 David doesn't notice Nonti's growing impatience with his obsession over Bongani. It's the moment of departure for Pule. Kop, accompanied by Mannie and Miles, arrives at Charlotte's parents' home to pay compensation.
Bongani has been missing since the rape charges were dropped, so when S 'bu eventually finds him with another girl, all hell breaks loose.
Wednesday 14 January 2009Episode 398 Bongani and S'bu continue to clash. David, still preoccupied with Bongani's success at Hustle, decides to step up the war with the Vilakazis. Swazi confesses to Stone that he still occasionally sleeps with men, and Thula is of the opinion that Swazi is falling for Stone.
The preparations for the wedding are gathering pace, and the girls are determined to outdo the boys' bachelor bash. Suffocate meets a woman who is the direct opposite to what usually attracts him. Nonti seems to be building an unusually close relationship with Lu.
Thursday 15 January 2009Episode 399 Diphuka has an interesting proposition for David. Miles encourages S'bu to make peace with Bongani, and Hustle decides to celebrate the album going double platinum with a press party.
The wedding is finally back on track, much to Stone's relief, but when Thula plants a seed in Charlotte's head that they might be rushing things, Stone is not impressed at all.
When Suffocate goes on about how he would never consider getting involved with a rich girl, the boys play a trick on him to prove the contrary.
Friday 16 January 2009Episode 400 David toys with the idea of unleashing the Miles and Sunay sex tape into the world. A major argument ensues when the guys and the girls realise they plan to have their respective stag/hen parties on the same night at The Kilowatt.
Nonti and Lu agree to start recording her album ASAP. Khanyi plans to hold a major business function at The Kilowatt - and Suffocate is smitten. Diphuka is prepared to do anything to impress David and get a job at Redemption.
Instead of lending Kop the money for Stone's wedding, Miles gives it to him as an acknowledgement of his loyalty.
Monday 19 January 2009Episode 401 Miles and Lu agree, that although they still have strong feelings for each other, they can't afford to complicate their lives unnecessarily. David approaches Sunay with a proposition that she rejects.
Ronald bribes the audio/visual technician at Hustle's double platinum album celebratory party to play the rogue DVD. Mannie and Miles agree to help Kop out at Stone's wedding. Stone tells Swazi he no longer wants to see him. Desperate Stone makes love to Charlotte.
Suffocate rudely tells Khanyi he can provide none of the extras she demanded.
Tuesday 20 January 2009Episode 402 The sex DVD has the outcome David hoped for: S'bu will have nothing to do with his father. Sunay tells Miles they are both going to be in danger when Ivan Tshinawa gets back.
Lu warns David that if she ever finds out he was behind the incident, she will leave him. Stone leaves it up to his father to tell Fats that Miles is going to be the MC at the wedding.
When planning Stone's stag night, Fats suggests inviting Swazi. Thula can't muster a convincing reason why he shouldn't. The girls have permission to hold Charlotte's hen party in the Khuses' kitchen. Khanyi finds Suffocate with a bimbo on his lap.
Wednesday 21 January 2009Episode 403 S'bu, still reeling from his father's betrayal, searches for answers: he meets up with Sunay who insists nothing ever happened between her and Miles. Miles finds an expert who is able to tell him how the incriminating tape could have been doctored.
Armed with this technical knowledge, Miles tries to make amends with his son. Suffocate and Khanyi reach out tentatively to each other in an effort to make peace and see each other again. Stone loses control at his stag party and has a drunken hook-up with Swazi.
Thursday 22 January 2009Episode 404 S'bu is still wrestling with whether to believe Miles and Sunay's denials that they were having an affair. Miles is scrambling to build a case for his defence and approaches Lu for help.
To Kop's dismay, his brothers arrive - having been invited by Mamokete to the wedding - and immediately start throwing their weight around. The tension builds between Suffocate and Khanyi.
Stone refuses to come to terms with the fact that he ended up with Swazi at his bachelor's party the night before. David is encountering a whole new temptation.
Friday 23 January 2009Episode 405 As a last-ditch attempt to salvage his relationship with S'bu, Miles plans to call a press conference at which he will present a technical report proving the video was a fake. Gail warns S'bu.
David tells Lu he's taking Diphuka to a meeting of the Record Producers' Association that evening but, spurred on by Diphuka's provocative flirting, he clearly has something else in mind.
Kop's brothers expect to be waited on hand and foot. Stone is disconcerted when he sees Swazi arrive during the traditional wedding ceremony.
Monday 26 January 2009Episode 406 The wedding reception at The Kilowatt is in full swing. Kop's brothers are on their way to being totally smashed and ruining the whole party. Stone is shocked to see Swazi there. Charlotte is drinking heavily.
In a private meeting Lu assures S'bu that the DVD of Miles and Sunay is a total fake. David and Diphuka are out on a rather dangerous evening together.
Stone takes Charlotte home for some marital night bliss, but she falls fast asleep. Stone returns to the club where Swazi is waiting for him.
Tuesday 27 January 2009Episode 407 Miles' press conference takes place at which he presents the media with "evidence" that the offending video was faked by enemies unknown. Father and son are reconciled. Two thugs beat David up in his own sitting room, leaving him unconscious on the floor.
Thula attacks Stone for having betrayed Charlotte. The church ceremony takes place. Thula is late - but arrives in time to play his role in this sham of a wedding. When the priest asks Stone to commit himself to his bride, he can't.
Wednesday 28 January 2009Episode 408 Speculation is rife after Stone's wedding walkout. Stone wants to tell Charlotte the truth about why he jilted her at the altar, but Thula advises against this. Stone tells Charlotte he did it because he loves her and does not want to ruin her life.
David learns Ivan Tshinawa was behind the attack on him. Unbeknown to Miles, Lu and S'bu strike up a friendship. S'bu wants Bongani to go, but Miles is reluctant. The atmosphere is sexually charged when Diphuka tells David she could be a stand-in for Lu.
Thursday 29 January 2009Episode 409 DJ Rusty at 9-Nine fm responds with contempt to Nonti's request that he play Lu's new track. Lucilla toys idly with the thought of a possible romantic relationship with her about-to-be-ex-husband's son.
Stone fears telling Charlotte the real reason for his having walked out of their church wedding. Khanyi's boss takes a liking to Suffocate and agrees that The Kilowatt is the ideal location for their corporate function. Khanyi and Suffocate arrange a working dinner for next week.
Friday 30 January 2009Episode 410 The pressure is on Stone to explain why he didn't marry Charlotte, and Thula tells him that maybe he owes Charlotte the truth. Stone has a difficult decision to make.
David tells Nonti to back off Lu's album, which leads to a heated blow-up. Suffocate is showing signs of nerves ahead of his date with Khanyi. While Lu is working late, David takes his relationship with Diphuka to a new level.