Coming up on
Rhythm City In October, 2008:
Wednesday 1 October 2008Episode 323S'bu is having a hard time with Miles' paranoia which is interfering with his recording of Bongani. Miles and Kop continue their daily trips to Ponto D'Oro, where the former finds some comfort.
Lucilla and Bernard put their heads together to devise a strategy for re-launching her singing career - Diphuka's looking for any position she can fill in order to remain involved. Siya sets the Khuse family's hearts and minds at ease about Tshidi continuing with Star Struck!
Thursday 2 October 2008Episode 324It's the first night of the Star Struck! live broadcasts and everyone is nervous and excited. Tshidi is afraid of getting stage fright, but Siya is a big comfort to her - until he says he can't take her to the matric dance after all.
Bernard runs into a problem trying to pitch his new strategy to Lucilla. A timely intervention from Kop sees Miles on the path to recovery. The negotiations for Charlotte's lobola are about to get underway, and Kop is anxious about the money involved. Stone is secretly pleased about any possible delay.
Friday 3 October 2008Episode 325Although Gail and S'bu believe he did the right thing in releasing Bongani from the blackmail threat, S'bu worries the rapper might not return to finish the album.
Tshidi finds her TV appearance in Star Struck! has given her instant celeb status. At her matric dance afterparty, she discovers a welcome gatecrasher. Bernard tries to enlist Diphuka's help in persuading Lucilla to become a gospel singer.
Monday 6 October 2008Episode 326When Tshidi sees Siya at the Kilowatt Club, he gives her the cold shoulder, and later, tells her it would be best for both of them if they just pretended Friday never happened.
Stone moves into the spare room. Charlotte finds it rather sterile. Bongani plays hardball with Bernard. S'bu is devastated when he hears Bongani has signed with Redemption. The girls suggest to Fats that kickboxing to music would attract a female clientele to his gym.
Tuesday 7 October 2008Episode 327Tshidi is depressed after Siya breaks it off, and makes her anger clear to him during the Star Struck! photo shoot. Mamokete challenges Kop to start the lobola negotiations. He is reluctant to invite his two brothers, whom he dislikes, to represent the Khuse family, so instead, he appeals to Fats and Suffocate to help him.
S'bu and Gail have a big fight when he accuses her of giving him bogus advice. Mpumi is furious when Fats, without her knowledge, holds interviews with prospective instructors for the kickboxing classes she suggested he introduce, and then hires Petunia, based solely on her obvious physical attributes.
Wednesday 8 October 2008Episode 328Lucilla continues to prepare for her big comeback. Mpumi spills the beans to the girls about her covert relationship with Fats. Bernard decides to arrange an internal launch for Bongani, but he gets way more than he bargained for.
Kop chooses to keep mum to Mamokete about his decision regarding Stone's lobola. Later, he reluctantly accepts Tshidi's substantial weekly Star Struck! stipend. Tshidi, after persuading Stone and Charlotte to sort out their differences, goes on a secret date with Siya, and implies she's not a virgin.
Thursday 9 October 2008Episode 329It's the first elimination round of Star Struck! Bernard allows himself to be drawn back into taking responsibility for Bongani, but the cracks are beginning to show in their creative collaboration and differing aesthetic visions.
S'bu finally confronts Suffocate with the news that he has lost Bongani. Tshidi confesses to Charlotte that, despite what she's lead Siya to believe, she's still a virgin. Mpumi is becoming increasingly jealous. Kop briefs Fats and Suffocate on the lobolo negotiations.
Friday 10 October 2008Episode 330As a result of their growing paranoia about their relationship being discovered, Siya and Tshidi decide to look for a cover relationship for one of them. Siya spots a gap when he bumps into Petunia. S'bu and Gail make up, rededicating themselves to building Hustle and finding new talent.
Things turn south when Charlotte's family prey on Fats' inexperience during the lobola negotiations. Bernard, after successfully pitching the idea of launching Lucilla on Star Struck! makes a play to take on the management of Bongani, as well. Fats discovers he and Mpumi are not exactly on the same page about their relationship.
Monday 13 October 2008Episode 331Mpumi wants to attend the graduation of Fats' cousin. Lucilla gets the jitters about her guest slot on Star Struck! Bernard has organised a top producer to meet Bongani. The meeting does not go well at all.
Miles meets a xenophobic waiter called Elvis who badmouths Mannie. Siya and Tshidi are making out in Stone's room. He's really pushing her to have sex with him, with Tshidi resisting his attempts…when Charlotte walks in.
Tuesday 14 October 2008Episode 332Kop, realising he's allowed Charlotte's family to push him into a lobola price neither he nor Stone can afford, tells Mamokete that they now have scale down their ambitions for the wedding.
Stone is secretly relieved. He tells Charlotte they may have to postpone the ceremony to allow him time to earn the money, both for the first lobola payment, and for the wedding itself. Charlotte is upset, but not as upset as she is by the fact that she and Stone have not had sex for some time.
David tells Lucilla, practicing for her Star Struck! debut, to cut out all the mannered gestures she's been using, and to focus on the song.
Wednesday 15 October 2008Episode 333Siya confronts Tshidi about kissing Bobo. She admits she did it because she was jealous of Petunia. He raises the issue of sex and applies subtle emotional pressure on Tshidi. While Tshidi is wrestling with this dilemma, Siya is spending time with Petunia, and later that night, they end up having sex together.
Bernard is completely thrown when he discovers Lucilla has changed her performance style. Diphuka finds an agency willing to use Bongani and his music to launch a new cooler. Fats suggests he and Mpumi make their relationship official.
Thursday 16 October 2008Episode 334It's the night of Lucilla's big music career launch on Star Struck! She is suffering badly with stage fright. Will she go on? And, if she does, will she pull it off? Bernard is almost as nervous as she is, but has other concerns…like trying to persuade Bongani to license his music for a yuppie commercial. Tshidi gathers the courage to tell Siya she's still a virgin, but he is still continuing his secret steamy liaison with Petunia. Stone reaffirms his love for Charlotte.
Friday 17 October 2008Episode 335Tshidi is feted by just about everyone in the wake of her fabulous performance on Star Struck! She decides she would like to lose her virginity to Siya.
Mamokete tells Kop she is unhappy with Charlotte and Stone cohabiting. She insists on a family meeting, at which Kop tells Charlotte that she must return home - at least until Stone has raised the money to pay the lobola/magadi.
Maria introduces her fiancée, Pedro, to Miles. David reprimands Bernard for his poor job of launching Lucilla. No mention is made of David having backed every one of Bernard's marketing decisions.
Monday 20 October 2008Episode 336Bernard thinks he's done a good job of covering up his publicity blunder with Lucilla, when another slip-up trips him up again.
Tshidi suggests that her weekly Star Struck! stipend go towards helping Stone pay Charlotte's lobola/magadi - not once thinking of how her earnings are affecting the males in her family.
Gail has to make some grave decisions about her financial situation, much to S'bu's regret.
Tuesday 21 October 2008Episode 337Lucilla tells David her singing career is over. It looks like S'bu and Gail have reached the end of the road with Hustle. Charlotte is over the moon as the two families meet to accept the lobola payment.
Stone is now officially on the road to being a happily married man. He tries not to show his alienation. Tshidi is horrified to find out that Petunia thinks she and Siya are a couple.
Wednesday 22 October 2008Episode 338Stone is in denial about his impending marital status, even with Charlotte back at the Khuse household, as an official Makoti. Tshidi ends up confiding in Portia.
Lucilla is still in a funk about her launch and there is nothing David can do to get her out of it. He is putting pressure on Bernard, who is having a hard time getting Bongani to accept the ad deal.
S'bu is feeling the pinch of not having secured Bongani and takes it out on Miles. They argue and jab at each other's insecurities - starting a business is not child's play.
Thursday 23 October 2008Episode 339It's the next Star Struck! night and Portia and Tshidi will be performing their duet. Acting on information from Diphuka, S'bu makes his move on Bongani. Lucilla is still depressed after her humiliation last week and is refusing to restart her career. She blames Bernard for her troubles and David is strongly inclined to agree.
Kop and Mamokete are becoming concerned over how much money Tshidi's spending and Stone confesses to his sister that he's had some doubts about getting married. At Ponto d' Oro, Mannie confronts Elvis about his scams. The latter makes a veiled threat to Maria.
Friday 24 October 2008Episode 340Bongani explodes and walks out on both the ad and Redemption. David's mind is on finding a way to get Lucilla out of her depression. He turns to Inyanga Ziyanda who is reluctant to get involved with David on any level.
Tshidi, as a result of her Star Struck! fame, is blossoming into a strong and confident woman, much to the frustration of Siya, who has lost his power hold on their relationship.
Stone, increasingly overwhelmed by the unwanted changes in his life, and conflicting emotions, goes in search of the one thing he has been trying to deny himself for so long.
Monday 27 October 2008Episode 341Petunia refuses to settle for less when Siya tells her he wants time out. Lucilla still refuses to leave home, despite Diphuka's efforts. Charlotte smells a rat when Stone disappears in the middle of the night. Stone's mystery gay guy offers to help him out with his problem.
Bernard might lose his job, plus he is responsible for all the costs that have been incurred while promoting Bongani's career. Being the bread winner, is starting to take its strain on Tshidi and the rest of the Khuse household. Elvis sexually harasses Maria, and when she rejects him, insults her as well as her father and fiancée in the process.
Tuesday 28 October 2008Episode 342Tshidi is beginning to take her role as potential super star very seriously, and even starts hogging her stipend for herself, leaving very little for her parents. Her relationship with Siya seems to be back on track.
After Elvis' indiscretion comes to light, Mannie has to make a decision about whether to keep him in his employ, despite the disrespect he's shown his daughter.
S'bu struggles to find some extra cash to see him and Gail through for the last time. Stone's dishonesty and confusion continues to disrupt his relationship with Charlotte.
Wednesday 29 October 2008Episode 343David wants Bernard to follow Bongani's every move. Suffocate alerts S'bu to the fact that Bongani is drunk at the Kilowatt. After much more whisky and a lot of ego massaging, Bongani finally agrees to resume their recording collaboration.
Jealous Petunia hints to Tshidi that she and Siya are sleeping together. Tshidi confronts Siya. Stone meets up with the guy with whom he's been flirting. He's now prepared to go further than he ever has before.
Thursday 30 October 2008Episode 344Gail is anti Bongani's return. Bernie begins to set up a poker night through Suffocate's connections, the plan being to have David as guest of honour. Siya ends it with Petunia after her heavy hinting to Tshidi, and pressures Fats to fire her from the gym.
Elvis, officially fired by Mannie, threatens legal recourse. In Star Struck! Tshidi, Bobo, and Portia have made it to the final five contestants. S'bu, celebrating the return of Bongani, realises he can exploit Diphuka. Stone snaps and hits Charlotte, after her questioning of his secret, sneaky behaviour.
Friday 31 October 2008Episode 345The girls want to know how Charlotte got her black eye. She lies to her sceptical friends. Stone apologises to Charlotte, and both in a state of shock, weep in each other's arms. Siya insists Fats fire Petunia. Miles advises a reluctant Mannie that he should hire Pedro as a replacement for Elvis.
S'bu and Bongani work hard and fast to finish recording the album before David finds out about the rapper's return to Redemption. Bernard invites David to join his specially arranged poker night.