Ten Pound Poms season 2 episode 2 recap: an unexpected death sends shockwaves around the hostel
Ten Pound Poms season 2 episode 2 sees Kate making a heartbreaking decision while one family loses a loved one.

The first season of Ten Pound Poms followed the fortunes of a group of Brits who traveled Down Under in search of new lives as part of an assisted migration scheme during the 1950s. However, once they reached Australia they soon realised they'd been mis-sold their new adventure and life wasn't always easier in the sunshine.
Now, we are back in Australia for a second time as the series starring Michelle Keegan, Faye Marsay and Warren Brown returns.
Here is everything that happened in Ten Pound Poms season 2 episode 2...
The second episode opens with Kate being led to a police cell as she has flashbacks of her time with Michael.
Back at the camp, Terry is showing off his new car to his kids, and Peter complains about how much he hates summer school. Pattie says she wishes she could be at summer camp, and Stevie says that when school starts again he will look after Mary while she studies.
Meanwhile, Annie is at home, still thinking about her time back in the UK with the baker called Harry, who she now knows doesn't have long left to live.
Kate calls JJ from the police station and desperately asks to speak to Annie, but he is drunk after his run-in with Shelia's husband Billy and has no urgency in helping Kate. He eventually gets Annie just before the police officer hangs up the phone and Kate's awash with relief.
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At the rental properties that Benny owns, Terry is still fixing the dry rot when he befriends Christine, a single mum who lives there. She asks if he misses home and he says he misses his family and having a house, but she comments that even his hostel must be better than the house she is living in. She explains that this is all she can afford since her husband died, and he promises to speak to Benny Bates and see if they can get it fixed up for her.
Annie goes to see Marline at home and is shocked to see she is on crutches after falling down the stairs. She asks Marline for a telephone directory as she needs it to help Kate. In return, Marline tells her that she needs help with her ex-husband, who is sending auditors into the shop as he still owns 50 percent of it. Annie is confused about why this is bad, until Marline admits the books are in a bad way and she has no money to buy his half of the shop, and once he sees how had the finances are, he will want to sell up.
Annie is shocked to realise that Marline threw herself down the stairs and knowing that she must have been desperate, she promises to help when Marline says Annie is now in charge in her absence. As Annie goes to get the phone directory Marline comments that it is a shame that Kate isn't married and it gives Annie food for thought.
At the police station, Kate is arguing her case, trying to explain that she was struggling after Michael's birth and that the charity that was meant to help her sent her baby thousands of miles away and sold him to another family. The officer is sympathetic but says that if she is convicted of kidnapping then she will be immediately deported back to the UK, and Kate is horrified.
As they are talking a note arrives telling them that Kate's fiance is here and that he wants to see her. She thinks it is her fiance from England and is adamant that she won't see him. But when the fiance is revealed, it is Robbie, Kate's friend, and he is pretending to be Kate's future husband to get her out of jail. As they meet, Kate is shocked to see it is Robbie, and he secretly hands her an engagement ring as they talk. The police tell Kate that she can stay in Australia as she is marrying an Australian, however, he asks her to sign a restraining order meaning she can't go near Michael and she refuses.
At work, Benny asks Terry to pick up Valerie Vine from her house and take her to a fancy place where he is holding an Australia Day party. Benny is there and tells Terry to fix up the house so it is party-ready, and when Terry asks about the job with the mold, worried about Christine's son who has asthma, Benny brushes him off.
At Marline's store, Annie leads the staff in a huge stocktake, and they are shocked to find she has over-ordered on pretty much everything, including bikinis which are a new concept for them all - and someone even points out a woman got fined for wearing one on the beach in Adelaide recently!
Annie has the idea to invite the local press to the shop to get coverage for the bikinis, hoping they might sell them, and soon she finds herself caught up in the moment and comes up with an idea that will shock everyone.
Ray Skinner and his mum Maggie and sister Birdie are waiting for the other two of their family to arrive, but their joy turns to despair when the eldest brother gets off the bus alone and it turns out the father of the family died on the boat on the way to Australia. The family is devastated as his coffin is unloaded from a car and they put it in their hut.
At summer school Peter does his presentation on Australia Day and he is bullied by Australian kids for being from the UK - leaving him upset. But at home, he is soon cheered up when Birdie invites him to her dad's wake, which isn't the nicest of events, but as he has a crush on her, he will take whatever time with her he can get.
At Benny's party, Terry tells Annie this is a big deal for him and so when one of the politicians belittles the ten pound poms scheme she has to stop herself from laying into him about his narrow-minded views.
Benny tells Terry his job for the evening is to make sure he keeps an eye on politician Charles Mill who is running for mayor against Benny's friend Samuel, and he agrees. There is a presentation at the party about plans for a new opera house and concert hall that will be built and everyone claps, but while the talk is going on, Terry notices that Charles has slipped off with Valerie and he follows them.
Benny calls him into the room next door where he is recording Charles and Valerie together, telling Terry that Charles has a family at home and is a hypocrite and a liar. Benny continues that Charles has a housing reform policy that would see his business going south, and people like Christine, Terry's new friend, and her son out on the streets. Benny asks Terry to help him blackmail Charles but he is uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, Annie bumps into the journalist from the shop the day before and she asks him not to tell Terry about what she did (which turns out to be modeling the bikinis) because she hasn't had a chance to tell him yet. He says she might need to get a move on, as the news segment will be aired to the nation tomorrow. He introduces Annie to his wife, Elaine, who is impressed by Annie's bravery and tells her they need feather-rufflers at a women's group she runs as that is the only way things are going to change and invites her along to their next meeting.
At the hostel, Peter and Pattie go to the wake, leaving Stevie at home looking after Mary. The evening goes well until they are welcomed into the family's hut to pay their respects to Maggie's husband and as they do, Pattie's top gets wet patches on the front as her milk comes through. She races home, embarrassed and needing to feed Mary, but when she gets there, she finds Stevie rubbing white cream into her baby's face. She is confused at first and then when he eventually admits it is pine tar, she is shocked when he tells her it is meant to lighten skin and will make Mary look more like them. Fuming that Stevie would do something like this, she throws him out, devastated.
Billy bumps into Ray Skinner again and tells him he is sorry about his father passing away. He tells him that his own dad died when he was young and that is what made him determined to succeed in life and come to Australia. As they are talking, Ray puts a hand on Billy's and their eyes meet, which spooks Billy and he races off to find his daughters. Meanwhile, inside the family hut, Maggie is spending time with her late husband, telling him that she knew about his cheating ways but was hoping that being in Australia would be a fresh start for them all. She goes to get himself another beer, but as she looks for the bottle opener she finds a letter stuck to the bottom of a drawer and it is a certificate of title.
At the police station, Kate is still in her cell and the officer comes to talk to her, telling her that Robbie seems like a nice man, would make a nice husband, and that they could get married, have children, and have a happy life together in Australia - clearly trying to persuade her to sign the restraining order.
Terry and Annie come home after the party and he is worrying about the fact Benny wants him to blackmail a politician. But Annie knows she needs to tell him about the bikini segment on the news and puts one on for him to see. He tells her she looks amazing and she is about to reveal the truth about being on the news when baby Mary starts crying and the moment is lost.
The next day, Terry goes to see Charles and is nervous about what he has to do. He is welcomed into the house by Charles's wife and once inside Charles's office, he gives him the recording from the Australia Day party. Charles knows instantly what it is and tries to make Terry see this will break his wife's heart and his children's.
He tells Terry that he knows the vulnerable need housing, but that they need better housing than Benny is providing and he is trying to do a good thing. Terry is uncomfortable and hates every minute of being in the house with Charles but doesn't have a choice if he has to keep loyal to Benny.
He pushes Charles, telling him he has to go back to his boss with an answer, and Charles says he will change his housing policy, but that one day Terry and Benny will have blood on their hands.
At Marline's, the shop staff have all gathered to watch the news segment from the beach and it shows Annie, along with the rest of the women, all wearing their bikinis on the beach. Annie is clearly worried about being so rebellious and has another cocktail to calm her nerves.
In her cell, Kate is thinking about Michael and what she has to do to get out of jail. She learns that the restraining order means she can't come within 3 miles of Michael, his school, or his adoptive family, and that will remain the case until he turns 21. If she breaks her order then Kate would be arrested and immediately deported back to the UK. She doesn't want to sign, but knows there is no other way to get out of jail and cries as she signs the papers.
Benny is pleased with the work Terry did with Charles and gives him a wad of cash to say thank you. He also tells him that he saw Annie on the news, but Terry doesn't know what he is talking about. He gets home and confronts Annie about being half naked on the TV and she says she tried to tell him but he fell asleep. He tells her that she doesn't need to work now he has more money coming in from Benny, but Annie says she likes the job and the person it makes her, and he realises the error of his ways and says he just wishes that she had told him. After he walks off, she has more flashbacks of her working alongside Harry the baker.
Meanwhile, over at the other side of the camp, Stevie finds his dad putting their belongings into the back of his truck and is shocked when he announces that they are going to Brisbane. Stevie doesn't want to leave Pattie and Mary, but his dad tells him if he doesn't get in the van he will never see him again.
Pattie sees the commotion and tells Stevie to leave, and although she doesn't seem to be sure, she convinces him to go with his dad and the pair drive off, leaving her all alone.
Maggie shows her family the deeds and approvals for the boat house to be turned into a business that she found in Arty's cabin and tells them it is finder's keepers. But as they go to see the building they see people leaving and Ron Mahoney (Rob Collins) locking it up.
Ten Pound Poms season 2 airs on BBC One at 8pm on Sundays. All episodes are now available on BBC iPlayer as a box set.
Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia.
After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off.
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As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.
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