Home and Away Review: New romance met with backlash and more details about Evan’s illusive music career

For all those outraged by Ben and Gemma’s budding romance, your wishes have been answered because it doesn’t go any further than the kiss.

Speaking of outrage, our usual 1.5 hours of Home and Away viewing pleasure on Thursday nights has been reduced to a mere 30 minutes in favour of more talking about football.

Gem pulls away from Ben’s embrace and says she’s not ready.

After a few weeks of not saying or doing much, Ben actually redeems himself and proves he’s quite good in this particular scenario. All be it, quite particular, but if there’s any place where a recently widowed woman with a protective family and a newly separated man get together, Summer Bay is it.

Gemma confides in Ben and they fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Nikau is very worried when his mum doesn’t come home and assumes (rightly so) that she was with Ben.

Ziggy and Justin have a conversation at the top of their voices discussing the whereabouts of Ben as the board shop is closed which Nikau and Tane conveniently hear and thus confirm their suspicions.

Nikau is furious and feels betrayed and Gem absolutely gets a yelling from her son for disrespecting the memory of his dad, which breaks her.

Nikau apologises after Uncle Ari takes him aside of a bit of father figure guidance time but is still pretty bitter about it. He’s not satisfied yet and gets the final word in by telling Ziggy he has message for her dad.

"Tell him to stay the hell away from my mum," Nikau says.

Ziggy has no idea what’s going on because she’s inundated with work and not friend zoning Dean, but no doubt she will be giving her dad a stern talking to about not giving up on her mum.

Gemma is upfront with her family and admits that she’s not really sure how to go about the mother/son dynamic when it comes to dating.

Ari and Tane are surprisingly understanding and take a break from constantly riling each other up for the sake of Gem’s happiness.

Gem goes back to Ben’s to figure out "what did last night mean?"

Rockstar and globe touring extraordinaire Evan confesses that he hasn’t done a live gig in a long time. So much for being a famed muso, they show really talked him up.

Alf and Roo worry that he’s not well enough to sing, but Ryder is hell bent on "making memories" with his new Daddo before it’s too late.

Evan, not one to disappoint after 19 years of being absent, has a jam sesh while perched on the side of his van. The singing isn’t pretty. He gives it his best shot but "these lungs can’t take it" and he succumbs to a coughing fit.

It’s the first time we’ve seen Evan’s typically annoyingly pessimistic character show signs that the end is nigh. Evan could simply admit the truth to Ryder, but he’s adamant he must not know (even though he knows) and will keep his word and obliges with a short set.

The “details” are going to be worked out later which will give Evan time to miraculously sing when he physically can’t.