The essential episodes of Rake
Watch these 10 in order and you've got Rake — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Barrister Cleaver Greene's life continues to spiral out of control - the latest blow being the beating he's just received from Mick Corella's stand-over man Col for unpaid gambling debts. As usual, Cleaver retreats to the arms of his lover/friend/confidant Missy, a high class call girl who works at a brothel also frequented by Cleaver's friend, Attorney General, Joe Sandilands. While trying to secure a room in chambers and fend off an on-going unpaid tax case against him, Cleaver is presented by best friend and solicitor Barney with a case he can't resist - the defence of Professor Graham Murray, a world renowned economist accused of cannibalism. Meanwhile, Barney's wife Scarlet - who herself has had dalliances with Cleaver - confronts him with the news that she has fallen out of love with her husband. On his next visit to the brothel, Cleaver is devastated to discover that Missy has quit her job and left no contact details, so he turns to his psychologist ex-wife Wendy for solace. Wendy commiserates, but reminds Cleaver of their son Fuzz's unpaid school fees. Fuzz, meanwhile, draws his indulgent father into a conspiracy to cover up his activities with his new girlfriend. After an accidental meeting in the city, Missy sternly rejects Cleaver, tells him that their relationship was strictly professional and she's now studying law. He is heartbroken. Meanwhile, Cleaver and Barney discover that cannibalism is not considered a crime in New South Wales, so Attorney General Sandilands has engineered a charge of murder against Professor Murray. Cleaver sees his chance - Murray might be a cannibal, but he's not a murderer! As the prosecution paints a picture of clever predator, Cleaver uses the professor's wife to elicit sympathy from the jury and to highlight her husband's insanity. Cleaver is surprised and overjoyed when Missy makes an unexpected visit to his flat and admits that she does owe him an explanation...and, she tells him her real name...Melissa.
- 02
Consumed by remorse after sleeping with his best friend's wife Scarlet (Danielle Cormack), and facing his ninth appearance before the Professional Conduct Committee of the Bar Association, Cleaver's (Richard Roxburgh) day only gets worse when he's confronted with a front-page story declaring his nemesis David Potter (Matt Day) a hero. When a dispirited Barney (Russell Dykstra) arrives at Cleaver's rooms ready to employ a private detective to find out if Scarlet's having an affair, a panicked and guilt-ridden Cleaver tries to reassure him that his marriage is safe. But he finds a welcome distraction in the brief Barney delivers involving a famous chef charged with bigamy. The chef, George Dana (Lech Mackiewicz), has two restaurants - one in the city, and one in the Blue Mountains - and a wife and family to go with both. Meanwhile, David Potter leaves hospital in a blaze of glory and asks Missy (Adrienne Pickering) to move in with him. She promises to stay at least until he's well, still avoiding his questions about her past. However, Cleaver is still dealing with his own woes - begging Scarlet not to leave Barney, and confessing his misdeed to ex-wife Wendy, who is not as understanding as he'd hoped. When Scarlet decides to tell Barney that there's someone else, it's his best friend Cleaver he turns to and they go out to drown their sorrows. Cleaver can't believe his day could get any worse when Missy and David arrive at the same restaurant to have dinner with friends. Meanwhile, back in the courtroom, Cleaver's bigamy case is going well...that is until word reaches the court that along with George Dana's most recent restaurant in Newcastle, there is another...Mrs Dana. As Cleaver receives another late night phone call from Missy, they're both left wondering what it is they can't let go of.
- 03
Cleaver takes on a case defending Denny Lorton - known as Pica - a once famous but now homeless artist who is accused of murdering a 15-year-old male prostitute in a city back lane. Still struggling with his Scarlet-related demons, and nervous about working with Barney on the case, Cleaver arrives drunk to an art gallery event, making a spectacle of himself in front of Missy and David. But Missy has her own problems as she continues the charade about her past in her new life with David. When David introduces her to Attorney General Joe Sandilands - a client from her Club Jules days - her heart skips a beat. But Joe keeps schtum. With Joe encouraging David to run for office, Missy finds herself at a parliamentary garden party and out of her depth, and once again turns to Cleaver for support. Meanwhile, the atmosphere between Scarlet and Cleaver is less sexual and more combative, while at home Barney gives Scarlet the cold shoulder. At a school visit to discuss their son's lack of progress, Cleaver and Wendy find one ray of hope when Fuzz's English teacher sings his praises. But they are soon to discover the attractive Fiona is teaching Fuzz much more than English. Meanwhile, Cleaver, believing in his client Lorton's innocence, manages to win the court case by shifting suspicion to the prosecution's key witness Stanley Shrimpton. Soon after however, he is given information about Lorton's past, and shaken to the core, decides to exact his own punishment on Lorton. But his day gets even worse and he loses his temper as Fuzz arrives with Fiona, expecting his father to be his usual indulgent self. Meanwhile at Barney's insistence, Scarlet relents and gives him the name of the man she slept with...except it's a name that implicates his best friend Cleaver.
- 04
The seemingly perfect life of obstetrician Dr. Bruce Chandler (Sam Neill) is turned upside down when his briefcase is stolen, and a very incriminating DVD finds its way to the local police. Meanwhile, Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) is miserable when Barney (Russell Dykstra) won't talk to him after his lapse of judgement with Scarlet, and he runs once again to ex- wife Wendy (Caroline Brazier) for solace. But the reception is cool - not only from Wendy, who thinks it's his fault that Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) started an affair with his English teacher, Fiona - but from Fuzz himself, who thinks it's Cleaver's fault that the affair is over. So Cleaver finds a distraction at a boxing match where he takes cocaine and recklessly doubles his bet. And once again Mick Corella's standover man Col (Steve Le Marquand) is there to remind him of his growing debt. Cleaver wakes up battered and bloodied to find Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) on the doorstep declaring that she's homeless. Later that day the Chandler case lands on Cleaver's desk. He can't believe his eyes - the man who delivered his son and godchildren, accused of a "three way with the family dog". With Scarlet's presence compounding his guilt, he tries to get her to leave, but then Melissa (Missy) (Adrienne Pickering) turns up, railing at the realities of partner David's (Matt Day) new political life. As Scarlet advises Melissa to stick with him because a good man is hard to find - it slowly dawns on her that Melissa is Cleaver's 'Missy'. When Wendy arrives looking for Fuzz, Cleaver can't quite believe the circumstances that have all his women under his roof at once. Meanwhile Cleaver is using more and more cocaine. Taking advantage of Missy being close by, he enlists her help on the Chandler case and she comes up with a smart strategy that serves them well. But a call from Joe Sandilands (Geoff Morrell) has Missy scurrying back to dependable David, while Cleaver seeks solace in another line of coke.
- 05
Radio shock jock Eddie Langhorn (Rachel Griffiths) is charged with inciting racial hatred, and turns to old flame Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) to defend her. Meanwhile, Cleaver needs some defending himself when his tax case goes off the rails and he's placed on remand. Feeling lost without good mate and colleague Barney (Russell Dykstra) by his side, a visit from Missy (Adrienne Pickering), in prison brings him to the realisation that he has hit rock bottom. As he tries recover his position with Missy, she is experiencing the 'joys' of political life with David (Matt Day) as they sit through a session of Ukrainian folk dancing at a local council hall. Cleaver arrives at work to find Eddie Langhorn waiting for him, and knows immediately that he's in for trouble as he's never been able to resist her charms. As they share a caustic but predictably sexually charged lunch, Cleaver discovers he has a willing participant in his revisited coke habit. Cleaver then learns his father has had a stroke, and hoping to repair their relationship, takes Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) to the country to visit his ailing father. It doesn't go well. There is a family fight, Fuzz will not forgive him, and the car he borrowed from ex-wife Wendy is side-swiped. As prosecutor on the Langhorn case, Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) is relishing the thought of seeing Eddie - a woman she dislikes intensely - locked up, but her confidence is shattered when she is surrounded by a gang of hoods in a park. As Scarlet flounders in court, Barney gives her some information that could change the nature of the case, and he also confesses that the woman Scarlet saw at their home was a nanny. While David, enjoying his embryonic political career and ever more intimate relationship with Missy, proposes. Cleaver manages to win the case but is disheartened to learn that Eddie Langhorn has conned him once again. And then Missy arrives to tell him that she and David are getting married. Alone, and flicking though an old photo album, Cleaver ponders whether his fractious relationship with his family is probably all his fault.
- 06
A man walks through Hyde Park and without warning explodes.Never out of the headlines for long, Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) is caught in an affair with Claudia Marshall (Toni Collette), the Premier of New South Wales, making himself a sworn enemy of her husband, Attorney-General and Police Minister, Cal McGregor (Damien Garvey).David Potter (Matt Day), now Shadow Attorney General, sees this as his chance to bury Cleaver Greene once and for all, calling him "a dishonest low-life who spends his time defending society's scum, and spends his nights carousing with them". When Cleaver uses the media to retaliate, it's a race to see who will sue for defamation first.In Parliament, David savages the fact that Cleaver is defending Zuharah (Sapidah Kian), a beautiful Muslim woman who's been charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act after her husband accidentally blew himself up in a botched suicide-bombing. The case is circumstantial but the hounds of the media and Macquarie St are convinced that any woman in a head scarf must be a terrorist. Cleaver and Barney (Russell Dykstra) are determined to save her.Cleaver's ex Wendy (Caroline Brazier) is having troubles of her own, having just discovered that her recently acquired husband has been cheating. Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) and Barney are playing happy families, and are preparing for Max's 7th birthday party. At Scarlet's behest, Cleaver has been banned from all family gatherings.Battling to save her own skin, the Premier alleges that Cleaver has been blackmailing her – threatening to destroy her career. And although Cleaver has text messages that could bring her undone, will he be able to use them with the Attorney-General, the Shadow Attorney-General and the full weight of police and judiciary lined up against him?
- 07
Cleaver outsmarts the appeals judges, but life outside is not good. He is a legal pariah, jobless, homeless and phoneless, and while he has been inside, his world has been sliding towards chaos.
- 08
Wendy reluctantly takes Cleaver in when he's evicted, while Barney is reeling from the costs of his rescue. David and Scarlet's romance is slowly being scuttled by her children; and Missy is desperate for drugs.
- 09
Cleaver defends David but Barney sees it as a betrayal; Fuzz gets Missy drugs and then she seduces him. Wendy has a date with an old flame; and a free David announces he's standing for the Senate.
- 10
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