A close-up look at the soapiedom going down in Scandal! for the rest of July, with a hint of things to come in August:
• The normally snooty-snotty businesswoman, Abigail Rodriquez-Martins (Michele Maxwell), returns home after her hostage hell of the past three weeks. She returns a nervous, emotionally raw and broken woman, with no appetite for life.
• Property entrepreneur, Tino (Clint Brink) cruelly rejects and publicly snubs mother Abbey, now that he knows about her secret life as Laqhasha, Queen of the Criminal Underworld … and that she killed his father. It doesn’t matter that his dad physically abused her.
• Half-sister to Tino, Scandal Entertainment Editor, Shakira (Dawn Matthews), still craves Nyathi-Zwane Holdings (NZH) Sales Manager and former NIA, Alex (Shona Ferguson). However, their burning sexual attraction for each other will have to simmer on the back plate (just for a while) because his wife, company manager, Mo (Nthati Moshesh), returns from her Dubai business trip. Their troubled marriage is No 1 on the agenda.
• Ex NIA Mo, Abbey’s unofficial troubleshooter (for a price) and steaming sex pot Shakira (who acts as her surrogate mother’s second-in-command in all things immoral) still dislike each other, but will put aside their differences (for now), while they try and piece irrational, paranoid Abbey all together again.
They also have to frantically launder illegal matters after her incriminating video statement that was sent to the cops. It was coerced at gunpoint while she was held hostage.
• Unsavoury Cedric (Coco Merckel), who was hired by NZH CEO, Daniel (Sello Maake ka Ncube) to kidnap business rival Abbey and destroy her professional reputation, will escape capture.
Detective-Inspector Conradie (Morne Visser) and Eddie (Sandy Mokwena), crime reporter and Acting Editor for The Voice, are fast on the trail of the crocodile hunter, who had personal motives for harming Abbey - her former husband was his brother.
Also on a hectic search for Cedric (but to cover up tracks) is Alex – who, when not selling ad space, is Daniel’s private henchman. Abbey is obviously closely questioned and investigated by the police.
• A cradle snatching case of “Older women are nice, hey?” in the newsroom…Does Dika (Masechaba Moshoeshoe), Features Editor for The Voice, secretly hunger for young Mangi (Kagiso Modupe), the former junior reporter whom she was mentoring until he became PA to his dad, Daniel?
• The affair between NZH receptionist, Palesa (Refilwe Madumo) and pastor-in-training, Lefa (Aubrey Poo) comes to the boil. Problem is, of course, that Palesa has a boyfriend, private PI Fana (Welile Nzuza), and that Lefa has officially vowed love and commitment to Lolo, with whom he is having a long distance relationship since she moved to Durban to take up a new job.
In the thick of the action in August ....• Visiting junkie and informant Honey - who's cleaned herself up.
• Scandal!’s just-hired Art Director - who appears to be very together.
• The community centre, owned by Ever Shine Ministries.
• Lefa’s spartan flat - in which a Dirty Deed will happen.
-----