Yay! I was so happy last week while watching our first episode! After waiting so long, it really warmed my heart to see our hard work finally reach our viewers. Thank you so much for tuning in.
I really enjoyed seeing the script come to life – because of how shooting works, we don’t often get to see each other's ‘work’ until the episodes are aired. We do the read-throughs and, if there are several different scenes happening at the same location/set on a particular day e.g. the Khula Cultural Centre, we catch a sneak-peek of what the other actors are doing. So I was pleasantly surprised to see new characters introduced in the first episode – I’d completely forgot about Lwazi/ Spark’s ganghouse experience (more on that later)!
So, re-cap of last week and what to expect in the next episode:
• Vatiswa returned home from the casino with a steely determination and silence the audience hasn’t seen before and this obviously freaked Richard out! She just quietly made a sandwich (that big knife looked very eager...) and asked for a divorce. Richard changed tack after getting upset about it, attempted to sway her decision and spoke about adopting a baby, knowing full well that Vatiswa’s inability to have children is her weakness. He even went as far as suggesting that, if it’s a girl, she should have Vatiswa’s mother’s name. Talk about emotional blackmail!
In episode two Vatiswa makes a decision that will have far reaching consequences for Richard. Heaven knows the idea of adopting a baby is tempting for Vatiswa, will it be enough to keep her at home and Richard off the streets and away from Dalene?
*behind-the-scenes* The Duze house interior this season is completely set built i.e. it’s not the actual house filmed at last season but rather a set built in the studio. I think it’s the best set reconstruction in studio of an existing location for this season, the detail that went into it was amazing!
• Dalene and Winston (how you like her ‘new’ husband played by Ruben Engel?) reconciled after a teary Dalene confirmed her affair with Richard and Winston forgave her. Somehow Winston... is he just the good guy who is completely oblivious to what everyone else sees? Dalene managed to explain away her and Charles’ involvement in the perlemoen scheme by blaming it all on the dead Bruce, including the attempt to drive Winston off the road.
In episode two Charles calls Dalene to his office after the investigation into Bruce’s death gets underway and Dalene expects the worst. She might’ve talked her way out of trouble with her husband but will Charles, ever her nemesis, be as forgiving of the mess Dalene’s future sister-in-law got them into?
• Lwazi/’Sparks’ was kidnapped by sidekicks to the former prison warden Meintjies (who he got kicked out of power in the first season) and ended up at the ganghouse – where he was ‘offered’ beer and even got spat on! One accomplice is Wheels, a character introduced in the first season (if memory serves me) who’s still doing Meintjies’ dirty work. He’s played by Mbulelo Grootboom (left below) who also served as our language and content supervisor on set. The other is Jerome, a nasty piece of work played by Christian Bennett (right below). The question is, will Sparks survive his ganghouse ordeal when Meintjies and his minions have some gruesome plans for him?
*behind-the-scenes* Rumour has it Christian Bennett – Jerome – actually arrived at his audition fully and completely in character. I’m talking chains, fake tattoos everywhere, gangster attitude, everything. Probably gave a few people a fright, it’s really no surprise he got the role! Funny thing is that people on his facebook page were already quoting his lines after the episode aired – “Is djy dors? Djy lyk nogals dors!”
• In the aftermath of Bruce’s death, Noli was grilled and questioned by officers Skillie and Yvonne. Noli managed to get herself tangled in a web of deceit, lying about who Lwazi was or wasn’t and how she killed Bruce Hall supposedly with her own hands. But her story was a little too suspicious and Noli was subsequently arrested and detained as a murder suspect.
In episode two we see Noli getting to grips with the prison cell, a very lonely and scary space. Will her name be cleared, will bail be paid and at what greater cost? Or will police uncover the real reasons and motives for her lies...
• Zola, bless his heart, didn’t go through with the drug sale with Simphiwe. After discovering his father’s carpentry tools in the hands of the potential client, he redeemed himself by taking them and heading back home.
Unfortunately, drugs hardly ever have a happy ending and this will become blatantly apparent in a future episode. But in the meantime, Simphiwe's dealings might be the key to finding the kidnapped Sparks...
I trust we'll keep up the dramatic pace of the first episode and keep you entertained every week. On Tuesday 24 - the night of the second episode - the SABC will be hosting the official launch party in Cape Town. So we'll probably miss it!
Chantal
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