Vows & vengeance
Scandal!’ s 2018 dress code included everything from wedding gowns to straitjackets and funeral hats.
The year was off to a tragic start. Viewers had only just got over the shock of seeing Yvonne (Kgomotso Christopher) take a non-fatal bullet on Tuesday 16 January to protect her sister-wife Boniswa (Lusanda Mbane) from the assassin that Yvonne had accidentally hired during a poker game, when 68-year-old actor Sandy Mokwena (Bra Eddie) died unexpectedly on 25 January. He was greatly missed throughout the year but there were plenty more shocks to come…
LOCO ROMEO
Romeo (Hungani Ndlovu) reached out to mental patient Jennifer (Charmaine Weir-Smith) to help him get Quinton’s (Brighton Ngoma) mom Layla (Natasha Sutherland) locked in her asylum during February. But double- crossing Jen turned the tables on Tuesday 20 February by forging commitment papers with Romeo’s name on them, escaping and forcing Quinton to fake-marry her! All that Romeo’s struggles did from that point was convince the asylum professionals that he belonged in a padded room. While he was locked up for almost a month though, Romeo started therapy with Dr Jameson (Karin van der Laag), giving us all kinds of insights into his twisted mind.
THE PUSHOVER
Friday 13 April was unlucky for Mangi Nyathi (Kagiso Modupe), who was beaten almost to death by his cousin Quinton before being dumped off a rooftop by his ex-wife Dintle (Mapaseka Koetle) after he threatened to jump off the building holding baby Jewel (Mckenzie Myburgh). But when they went looking for his body, it was gone – thanks to Neo (Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makhetha), who smuggled Mangi off to recover in a private clinic. Mangi turned up with amnesia on Thursday 3 May and said goodbye for good on Monday 14 May.
DEATH TO SISEKO!
Siseko Langa (Hlomla Dandala) was meant to be working out the country in June. Instead, he was kidnapped on Wednesday 17 June by a man with an axe to grind. Resentful Mthunzi (Bongile Mantsai), son of the Langas’ loyal housekeeper Dambisa (Khanyisa Bunu), felt belittled by the Langas as a child and believed that his mother abandoned him to take care of their family. He kept Siseko tied up in an abandoned house and arrived at the Langas on Friday 15 June claiming to have been sent by Siseko to guide them in his absence. Mthunzi’s partner Chichi (Mbonisi Mahonondo) accidentally killed Siseko on Thursday 16 August and the family mourned on Thursday 23 August. And when Chichi made a surprise appearance at the funeral, Mthunzi tried to murder her too.
“I DO” TO DADDY’S KILLER
Xolile (Sivenathi Mabuya) unwittingly married the man trying to destroy her family when she said “I do” to Mthunzi on Monday 19 November. While she was all a-flutter, Mthunzi’s heart was also racing when his new lover Yvonne crashed the wedding in the spirit of mischief after having a quickie with the groom in an elevator earlier in the day! Romeo also set a cat among the pigeons when he introduced himself to the gathered family as the lover of Xolile’s brother Chumani (Ayanda Daweti), and Mthunzi’s mom Dambisa had an actual heart attack as Mthunzi introduced his fake parents to guests at the wedding ceremony.
WHAT WE WANT IN 2019
We want Yvonne to marry a billionaire and fight to keep him from someone even richer and cattier than herself. And it would be fun if she hired Dintle as her personal shopper so that she’s able to mentor Didi in the fine art of being a golddigger. Scandal!’s fabulous single ladies Grace (Bathabile Mashigo), Layla and Boniswa need some heartracing romances to gossip about. And Hlengiwe (Nqobile Khumalo) needs to write an exposé on how the music industry exploits girls like Lindiwe (Nomvelo Makhanya) while she battles an attraction to the hot music executive who’s secretly enabling the abuse.
NB! See more on p5.