Season 8

E1. The Blame Game - Part 1

Feb 21, 2001 · 46m

Nothing is what it seems when a woman rushes into the Mt. Thomas police station claiming a man has kidnapped her children. As a custody battle unfolds between the feuding parents, Ben's work eerily starts to mirror his private life. Shattered by the news that his ex-wife plans on taking his kids to Perth, he is determined to go to any lengths to keep them in Victoria.

E2. The Blame Game - Part 2

Feb 28, 2001 · 46m

The custody battle gets out of hand when the father of the two children reappears in court with a time bomb strapped to his body and threatens to blow himself and everyone else in the courtroom. He abducts Ben and flees into the bush. Will the Heelers find them in time and can they set the children free from their irrational father?

E3. Deadly Fascination

Mar 7, 2001 · 45m

A famous crime-fiction writer is asking a lot of questions about the death of a baby 25 years ago. When he discovers the body of a missing child, Tess wonders if he is capable of committing the very acts of violence he writes about. Tom confronts the author, who reveals his intimate connection to the long-closed case of the baby's death. How can Tess and Tom separate fact from fiction?

E4. Letter of the Law

Mar 14, 2001 · 45m

Tess and Tom must choose a new policeman for nearby Widgeree. Tom thinks old fashion policing is the way to go and suggests Senior Constable Ian ""Gossie"" Goss but Tess disagrees. She picks a different candidate—a modern by-the-book policeman Simon Barclay. Inspector Falcon-Price backs up Tess, driving a wedge between Tom and Tess, and Senior Constable Barclay gets the job. But Tom is soon proven right as Barclay gets the locals offside from day one.

E5. A Bit on the Side

Mar 21, 2001 · 45m

When a brash pair of city detectives arrive in Mount Thomas, PJ is faced with the opportunity to move back to homicide in the big smoke and have an affair. But a limbless corpse leads to another dilemma—has a spurned lover gone mad with a chain saw or could it be a brilliant set-up by a criminal mind?

E6. Tough Nut

Mar 28, 2001 · 45m

Sgt Tess Gallagher takes on more than her job demands when she tries to help the three children of a local woman whom she believes are being abused by the latest de facto. Even when Sen Sgt Tom Croydon tells her there are no grounds for suspecting abuse, a stubborn Tess refuses to drop it. Something from her past, perhaps personal experience, tells her to persevere. When she discovers the three children; Hayley, 10, Darien, 8, and Frasier, six, have broken into her car and slept there overnight, Tess knows her instincts were right. But she is at a loss with what to do with them. She takes the kids back inside her house, feeds them breakfast and plans to take them to DHS to be placed in a safe house. But the kids get wind of her plans and flee in fear to the nearby mines. Things go from bad to worse as Tess has to confess to Tom what has occurred—the children have disappeared while they were in her careÅ  and their mother Tina doesn¹t know they are missing. At the old mines, Tess a

E7. The Fine Print

Apr 4, 2001 · 45m

PJ's mother comes to stay and trouble follows. Forcing him to go to a ""get rich quick"" seminar. A car smashes into the venue with the driver claiming the financial adviser is a con man who preys on the elderly. Can PJ keep his professional distance, while allowing his mother to play a vital role in solving a case?

E8. Family Reserve

Apr 11, 2001 · 45m

Jo is under pressure when her parents arrive in Mt Thomas with one aim—to find their ""princess"" another career. Meanwhile Jo and Jack are on the case when a valuable vat of red wine is mysteriously unplugged and drained into a creek. Things get worse when Mr Parrish takes on one of the suspects and is consequently charged with assault. Emotions run high between Jo and Tess as Jo's loyalty to family clashes with professional duty.

E9. Chop Chop

Apr 18, 2001 · 45m

PJ's long held plans for a raid on an illegal tobacco dealer is blown when a bushwalker goes missing. An emergency search must take precedence. Meanwhile, the tobacco dealer has got wind of the cancelled raid, and is determined to make someone pay. Jack and Tess follow a hunch on the whereabouts of the illegal tobacco and find themselves in a high-risk situation, leading Tess to admit to her true feelings for Jack—an action she later regrets.

E10. Blood

Apr 25, 2001 · 45m

A rough-looking man loitering around the local high school turns out to be a convicted cop killer—Mick Boyce—who's just finished doing time. But he just isn't the perving type. So what is he up to? And why is he in Mount Thomas? The situation becomes volatile when Jack decides to make him feel unwelcome. Tess tires of Jack's apologies and begins to doubt him as an objective member of the team. Meanwhile Ben and Jo are looking into several car thefts which appear to be youths joy riding. The investigation leads them to the home of Heath Flemming, a wild and confused teenager who believes his parents are dead and lives with his grandmother. But when the grandmother meets up with Mick Boyce in the Mt Thomas police station, the truth about Heath's lineage is revealed. In a heated exchange with Heath, Jack tells the boy the truth about his father—with tragic results. Tess witnesses a side of Jack she'd rather not have to deal with, and runs out of patience with his headstrong behaviour.

E11. They Don't Make Them Like They Used To

May 2, 2001 · 45m

Tom's nostalgic support for Mt Thomas's only cinema, ""The Bughouse"", cannot stop it being demolished, but an unsolved mystery from the past can—at least temporarily. Jo takes on the case, delving back over thirty years, and discovers that old style heroes and villains are alive and well in Mt Thomas

E12. On the Run

May 9, 2001 · 45m

Notorious armed robber Arnie Briggs is a local boy and, having just escaped from prison, the last place the Heelers expect him to be is back on his old turf. But Jack suspects otherwise, going maverick in his search for Briggs, and in the process drags Tess into a highly volatile situation.

E13. Fowl Play

May 16, 2001 · 45m

When Tom attends a scene of vandalism at a Vietnam War Memorial garden, he discovers the culprit is an escaped prize-winning bantam pullet called Hannah. When the hen is later found with a broken neck, her frantic owner suspects the neighbour, who is a rival poultry breeder. With several other likely suspects to choose from, Jo seizes the opportunity to escape pressing paperwork, and takes up the case with all the enthusiasm of a comical amateur sleuth. But the situation intensifies when a young homeless boy is rushed to hospital suffering from a deadly virus directly linked to free roaming birds. With the population of Mt Thomas under threat, the disposal of all local chickens is urgent

E14. Fooling Around

May 23, 2001 · 45m

Still reeling from being separated from his family, Ben is on a downhill spiral—hell bent on living for the moment. In the process he becomes entangled with a woman on a similar path—and inadvertently makes a discovery that leads directly to a murder suspect with tragic results

E15. Death by Flight

May 30, 2001 · 45m

A plane crashes into a farmhouse, killing three people. Ben takes the a case too personally and oversteps the mark in his investigation efforts, causing havoc for the victims' families in the process, and giving Tom more cause to doubt Ben's attitude to the job.

E16. A Friend Indeed

Jun 6, 2001 · 45m

Constables Jo Parrish and Jack Lawson answer a call to attend a gang of youths drinking in a park. When the duo arrives, they find two girls involved in an altercation. Jo decides it would be best to let the kids go, but when one of the girls is reported missing the next day, Jo's leniency is called into question.

E17. The Manly Art

Jun 13, 2001 · 45m

PJ plays cupid in helping Jack form a bond with Tess. Jack is determined something is on the nose when Tess accidentally hits a young man, knocking him unconscious. While Tess puts herself up for scrutiny by the ESD, Jack sets about proving her innocence, and discovers the real blame might lie with the victim's connections to illegal bare knuckle boxing.

E18. Falling: Part 1

Jun 20, 2001 · 45m

Brad Eckhardt killed a high school student with a bad batch of ecstasy. Having served his time, Brad is back in town to nurse his sick mother.

E19. Falling: Part 2

Jun 20, 2001 · 45m

Urged on in his vengeful mission by the death of a schoolgirl from a bad dose of ecstacy, Jack becomes desperate to prove Brad is guilty. Tess can only watch in horror as he oversteps the line. Jack finally wears down a student found dealing, and gets the statement he's been waiting for—one that puts the blame firmly on Brad. But his maverick actions lead Jack to a decision that will change his life forever - he kills Brad and is arrested for murder, to Tess' dismay

E20. Winners and Losers

Jun 27, 2001 · 45m

Tess' preoccupation with Jack's murder charge has to take a back seat when a young boy goes missing. His parents recently won the lottery and kidnapping is suspected. PJ and Tess question the boy's uncle and the uncle's mate to no avail. PJ becomes suspicious when a video tape is delivered with a recording of the boy reciting the ransom demand. The amount demanded is exactly half of what was won by the boy's parents. PJ believes the boy knows his kidnappers. On the trail of the missing boy, Tess is held captive in an airless trucking container. Will the Heelers find Tess in time?

E21. No Place Like Home

Jul 11, 2001 · 45m

PJ and Jo stumble upon a young naked man wandering the highway. Through their investigations they discover he is a Kosovo refugee desperately trying to avoid deportation. He is accused of fleeing his country wanted for black marketeering and murder. PJ and Jo are divided over how to handle the issue and PJ finds him self at odds with public sentiment as he investigates the young man. PJ's suspicions are challenged as he learns more about the escaped refugee's life. He faces a tough choice: does he follow the letter of the law or the voice in his heart?

E22. Dragged

Jul 18, 2001 · 45m

Tess narrowly escapes being knocked down by a speeding car the same day the new Constable, Evan ""Jonesy"" Jones, arrives in town. Jonesy is rebellious and charismatic and under Tess' skin from the moment he arrives. They couldn't be more different, but together they investigate a young drag racing gang. Tess is determined to put a stop to it before someone gets hurt. Tess and Jonesy discover a link between members of the gang and a separate case involving stolen car engines. Jonesy is concerned when a lead suspect threatens to get revenge on Tess, but Tess is dismissive. Jonesy fights to rescue Tess when her life is endangered. Will he get there in time and will Tess be able to accept his help?

E23. Baby Love

Jul 25, 2001 · 45m

Jonesy's preconceptions about the sanctity of parenthood are challenged when he befriends a young mother in trouble. When Jonesy and Tess discover an abandoned new born baby their investigations lead to a local schoolgirl who is in denial and swears there is no baby. Jonesy earns her trust and she confides in him that she was raped. When questioning reveals one suspect's violent tendencies, Jonesy convinces the young girl to make a statement and also urges her to reconsider giving up the baby.

E24. An Inspector Calls

Aug 1, 2001 · 45m

What do an alleged Peeping Tom, a trip wire in the National Park, a break and enter and a bashed truck driver have in common? When Inspector Falcon-Price joins the team for the day in a publicity stunt, he sets out partnering Jo for the day. After a series of incidents, he goes missing and it is Jo's responsibility to lead the others into combat...

E25. Dinosaurs

Aug 8, 2001

Tom is caught between a rock and a hard place when two old friends and colleague are suspected of stealing a large marijuana crop. One is a rule breaker, the other has always played by the book. Tom disobeys orders when he is told to step back from the case. Determined to uncover the truth, Tom embarks on an investigation of his own. The truth, discovered, is not easy to take. Clearing one friend will ruin the other. Can Tom prove what he knows? and is he prepared to?

E26. Charming

Aug 15, 2001 · 45m

Ben is shocked when he discovers a group of young girls practicing witchcraft under the guidance of an older man. Are they in danger? Ben battles to keep his protective instincts in check as his investigations reveal more than he was prepared for. Can he save the girls, or are they already deep under the man's spell?

E27. Sins of the Father

Aug 22, 2001 · 45m

A well respected local politician is found dead and the autopsy reveals that he was moved after death and had ecstasy in his system.

E28. Poisoned Fruit - Part 1

Aug 29, 2001 · 44m

After the death of his father, Jonesy will risk everything to avenge him. An investigation into a poisoning leads to a man who Jonesy believes killed his father.Commander Jones, Evan's adoptive father, stops the investigation much to the Heelers' dismay. While they are torn as what to do next, none of them are going to let the issue go.

E29. Poisoned Fruit - Part 2

Sep 5, 2001 · 45m

After the death of his father, Jonesy will risk everything to avenge him. An investigation leads to a man who Jonesy believes killed his father.Commander Jones, Evan's adoptive father, stops the investigation and Evan is torn as to what to do next. Jonesy discovers a cover up as he fights to reveal Les Anderson as the murderer of his natural father. His adoptive father, the Commander Reg Jones, withheld information from the inquest into the death. Why? Was he trying to protect Jonesy or did he conspire with Les Anderson to cover up a murder? As Jonesy fights to discover the truth, the Commander's reputation is placed against the wall. Have his protective instincts allowed a murderer to walk free? Can Jonesy stop another man's life from being ruined at the hands of Les Anderson?

E30. Fifteen Minutes

Sep 19, 2001 · 45m

After Inspector Falcon-Price's new PR Campaign luanches Jo into a favourable position with the media, her view of a recent challenging case is altered. Now Jo and PJ must each prove they are right, despite how Jo's celebrity status has gone to her head.