Desert Rose (2022)

The story begins on the day that Eben refuses to go fishing with his benefactor, Van As. Eben's rejection breaks the shackles of a decade long agreement between Van As and the Greyling family. But the debt will not disappear. Someone will have to pay. Van As searches for Freddy, beats up his daughter, Ishara, and steals her cat. Meanwhile, Jana and Piet set in motion a plan to "scare" Van As, but it goes awry and they end up kidnapping his wife, Suzanne, instead. Rosie realizes she needs to find Freddy in order to resolve the Van As situation. But she is distracted by a marriage proposal from Mack, and the revelation that her daughter, Lucy, has a major crush on her netball teacher. Rosie gets a lead on Freddy's whereabouts and leaves to go and find him. On the road to Port Nolloth Rosie dies in a car accident and her loss is the catalyst that forces the Greyling siblings to return to the family home and face their past.

Lucy wakes the next morning to discover that Rosie has not come home. Captain Williams arrives at the farmhouse to break the news of the car accident. Gus prepares to resign from his job because of what Rosie has on him but he is let off the hook when news of Rosie's death filters through the school. Gus gives Lucy a lift home from school and she kisses him. Later, Patti is suspicious when she finds ice cream on her husband's collar. Ishara returns to the family home to find her siblings making plans after Rosie's loss. Jana partners with Thorne, a scam artist, to sell the farmhouse and escape. Meanwhile, Van As sends a thug called Bertus to force Freddy out of hiding. Bertus arrives at the house to kidnap Lucy but he is confronted by Ishara and a bloody Nama spear.

The family bury Bertus in a quiver tree forest, hide his car and burn his belongings. Thorne invites them to breakfast so he can announce an offer on the house. Ishara and Eben contest this decision and Thorne insults Eben and refuses to pay for the meal. Lucy persuades Gus to cover the bill, and this opens up Patti's awareness of their "relationship." Ishara tries to find her father and discovers a link to a woman he was once with called Ella. This takes Ishara into the traditional Nama world to track her down. Van As sends Hugo to find out what happened to Bertus and he ends up in a violent showdown with Eben in his trailer.

Eben's trailer burns to the ground. Ishara chases Van As away and accuses him of stealing her cat. Van As recalls Hugo from the Greyling situation but Hugo has unfinished business. Rosie's funeral brings the community together but everyone is shocked that Freddy hasn't pitched up. Heartbroken, Mack travels to Springbok to confront Freddy and eventually he finds him working as a busboy in a desert dive. Johnny and Ishara's budding relationship face a test because of her fear of driving and his need to connect with her. Hugo threatens Jana and Eben, so Lucy sabotages his truck with her pet Cape Cobra. Hugo is bitten and ends up crawling through the desert to his inevitable death. Hugo is saved by a traditional healer who amputates his little finger. Hugo swears revenge on the Greyling family.

Ishara and her young love, Johnny, track down Freddy and force him to return to Desert Rose. His exile ten years earlier is a mystery and has left behind many secrets. Williams follows a hot lead on Hugo's abandoned truck back to Van As in Springbok. His wife, Layla, is caught shop lifting. For the first time in his career Williams pays a bribe to rescue his pregnant wife from arrest. Eben gambles at a casino and is caught counting cards. He is beaten up by a pit boss. Eben reunites with his father and confronts him about abandoning them. Throne appears with good news - he's got a sale offer. Freddy kicks him out the house, but he takes his anger out on Jana and attacks her in his hotel room.

Thorne falls off the bed and breaks his neck. Jana escapes the hotel room without being seen. Williams investigates Thorne's accidental death and finds a link back to Jana. Meanwhile, the clues of the diver helmet lead Williams to Hugo's fishing shack. Lucy has a secret rendezvous with Gus and Freddy realizes that his granddaughter needs his help. Eben finds Ella at a strip club and tells her the family needs her. At a braai (barbeque), Gus unravels and his affection for Lucy is exposed much to Patti's humiliation. Hugo stakes out the house and ambushes Lucy with a dagger.

Layla hears about Williams' shooting and goes into labor. Van As and Hugo return to Desert Rose to 'take care' of Freddy. Ella returns to an icy reception from the family. Lucy discovers that Jana has been having a long-standing affair with Gus. Johnny helps Ishara face her demons and find catharsis over her mother's death. At school Lucy confronts Gus on her horse and he is publicly shamed. Freddy performs with the Shangri-La band and the community celebrates. After the gig Freddy is stabbed by Hugo and taken to a Nama doctor to save his life. Williams finds Hugo on a road and arrests him. Van As chases Lucy into the desert and finds out that he is her father. The children arrive at the Nama hut to be with their father as he fights for his life. Eben reveals to Armand the burial site of his father, Bertus.

Layla hears about Williams' shooting and goes into labor. Van As and Hugo return to Desert Rose to 'take care' of Freddy. Ella returns to an icy reception from the family. Lucy discovers that Jana has been having a long-standing affair with Gus. Johnny helps Ishara face her demons and find catharsis over her mother's death. At school Lucy confronts Gus on her horse and he is publicly shamed. Freddy performs with the Shangri-La band and the community celebrates. After the gig Freddy is stabbed by Hugo and taken to a Nama doctor to save his life. Williams finds Hugo on a road and arrests him. Van As chases Lucy into the desert and finds out that he is her father. The children arrive at the Nama hut to be with their father as he fights for his life. Eben reveals to Armand the burial site of his father, Bertus.