Number 96

The film opens with Vera Collins being attacked by a group of bikers who rape her, an event that leaves her deeply scarred. The trauma unsettles her personal life and complicates future relationships, especially with Nick Brent. The assault sets the emotional stakes for much of the plot.

In the aftermath of the assault, Vera's relationship with Nick Brent becomes strained and complicated. Public life and private trauma intersect as Vera negotiates trust and power. Their romance evolves against a backdrop of political ambition and personal hurt.

Vera teams up with Maggie Cameron and Simon Carr to launch a new business venture. Rivalries and ambitions simmer as they navigate partnership dynamics. The enterprise ties Vera to other key residents and broadens the network of intersecting plots.

Aldo Godolfus schemes to hide cash takings from his deli to dodge income tax. The fraud creates financial pressure and moral complications for him. The scheme backfires when the money is lost in a fire, forcing him to seek alternatives to recoup losses.

To recover from the loss, Aldo takes a night job at the Connaught Rooms function hall. The new job draws him into the building's social whirl and intertwines with other residents' schemes. His presence at the venue foreshadows upcoming tensions.

Les Whittaker recruits Herb Evans and Alf Sutcliffe to help launch a sauna in the building's cellar. The project embeds an ambitious plan into the community’s everyday life. The cellar becomes a hub where several plots converge.

Former Number 96 resident Sonia Freeman returns after release from a mental asylum. Her forgetful episodes and hallucinations become increasingly erratic, worrying Duncan Hunter and their friends. Her condition prompts concerns about manipulation and care within the group.

Diana Moore and Duncan Hunter covertly scheme to drive Sonia insane, creating a dangerous hostage of her mental state. Jack Sellars and the police become aware of the plot and move to intervene. The scheming underscores the season's themes of manipulation and control.

Jack Sellars and the police arrive in time to halt Diana and Duncan's plan to induce Sonia to kill herself. The intervention prevents a tragedy and reveals the extent of the couple's schemes. The event leaves Sonia's safety precarious and heightens tensions in the community.

Vera ends up in bed with Simon Carr, who cannot perform and is later revealed to be gay with an affair with lawyer Don Finlayson. The revelation adds another layer of secrecy and complicates Vera's relationships. The dynamic links Vera to other characters through shared betrayals.

Residents plan Dorrie and Herb Evans' ruby wedding, but Dorrie discovers that the best man Horace Deerman signed where the groom should have. This sparks the belief she might be married to Horace, creating complications and comedic tension. Herb and Flo Patterson join the search to resolve the confusion.

Horace Deerman is revealed as a derelict alcoholic with a fixation on Dorrie. His unstable presence adds danger and unease to the wedding saga. The revelations heighten the sense that even petty ceremonies are tangled with crime and desperation.

Vera develops feelings for Nick Brent and encounters his son Tony Brent, who leads the bikie gang connected to Vera's assault. The personal and criminal worlds collide as past trauma resurfaces through Tony's presence. Vera's loyalties become increasingly tested.

At Dorrie and Herb's fancy dress party, Tony Brent attempts to run Vera over, but instead strikes Simon. The car crashes into a brick wall and explodes, though Simon survives. The violent confrontation marks a climactic turn that links personal vendettas with political power.

In the end Vera marries Nick Brent, who rises to become Prime Minister. The marriage provides Vera with a new status amid the surrounding chaos and violence. The film closes on a note of political ascent intersecting personal survival.