Carole worries about what will happen if the foal comes earlier than that, and Judy explains that mares deliver healthy foals all the time, often so quickly that it happens before the vet arrives. In typical tween fashion, Carole says she'll just die if she misses the foal being born. Stevie suggests they sleep over at the stables. She then talks to Delilah's foal and offers to bribe it with apples if it'll be born while her friend Tina is visiting. Tina was Stevie's old friend who moved away a couple of years ago, and apparently the two were just like twins - but apparently not so close that Stevie hasn't mentioned her until now. Tina then arrives, only she's not at all like Stevie remembers. She's wearing a cropped top and showing off her new belly button piercing, so obviously she's all grown-up and 'mature' now. Naturally, Veronica and Kristi are super impressed with the new Tina.
Lisa is rehearsing for her upcoming audition - her school is doing The Importance of Being Earnest. I have to say, what kind of primary school is doing Oscar Wilde? My grade six musical was about kids using a time travelling machine (I was a 1920s flapper dancer and an alien from the future.) I also remember (because this is Australia) one year my school performing a musical entirely based on the poem Waltzing Matilda. I'm being completely serious here. Guess Lisa's school's tastes are more highbrow than my school's were! Anyway, Veronica overhears Lisa practising and tells her she shouldn't bother auditioning for a main role, because she's going to get it. Lisa gets all huffy, and tells Melanie to help her keep rehearsing.
Veronica assumes Kristi will help her practise auditioning, but Kristi declines to go and hang out with Tina. Veronica is mad that she wasn't Kristi's first choice, and pelts her soft drink can into the wall. An ominous hint of the future anger issues to come ...
Max is showing Delilah to Deborah, explaining how she's going to be giving birth. Deborah feels sorry for Delilah, and Max explains it's nature. Deborah points out that it's easy for him to say, because he's not the one giving birth to it. You tell him, Debs! Stevie and Tina come over to say hello. Max tells Stevie that it's okay if the girls want to sleep over at the stables, as long as it's okay with their parents.
Tina calls Max a 'mega babe' and Stevie calls him old. Hah! Carole's super excited, bringing sleeping bags up to the loft to get ready. Tina thinks this is all deeply uncool. Stevie and Tina hang out at Stevie's house, and Tina remarks that Stevie's bedroom, which is covered in horse posters and ribbons, hasn't changed at all. Stevie begins suggesting horsey-related activities for the rest of the day, but Tina announces she's already invited Kristi over. Stevie says they were meant to go to the stables, but Tina says they can go after they're done hanging out with Kristi. Carole rings to discuss potential foal names, but Stevie gets distracted by Tina being Tina. Stevie says that she and Tina have plans, but they'll come to Pine Hollow as soon as they can. Carole sighs and looks disappointed.
Tina is giving Stevie a makeover. Stevie's wearing make-up and one of Tina's sparkly tops, so obviously she's at risk of losing her interest in horses forever. Kristi arrives, and she and Tina immediately begin gushing about this boy named Brad. Tina calls him a 'robo babe,' which I do not believe was slang that anyone ever used. What's it even supposed to mean? Kristi shares that robotically handsome Brad is at the mall and he wants to see Tina. Tina immediately begins planning her outfit change. Stevie points out that they're supposed to be at the stables, and Tina pulls the, 'You go and I'll hang out with Kristi instead!' card. Man, what a bitch move. Stevie decides to stay with Tina and Kristi, and rings Pine Hollow.
Carole's filming Delilah for foal watch. She's also stuck a photo of Cobalt on Delilah's stall, which I unironically find pretty cute. It's very much something an eleven-year-old would do. Stevie rings Lisa, who hands her mobile over to Carole. Stevie provides an incredibly flaky 'Something's come up' as her excuse, Carole is understandably pissed. Stevie says that Tina's only around for one day, and Delilah probably won't even have the foal tonight, anyway. 'What's the big deal?' Carole says that if it's no big deal, Stevie shouldn't bother coming at all. Lisa tries to cheer Carole up - but then she announces she's leaving to go to her audition. Carole pats Delilah and sighs about how her two best friends don't care about Delilah, the foal, or Carole herself. Yes, it's a tad dramatic but, in fairness, all eleven-year-olds are overly dramatic. I know I was. And it does make sense for Carole to be feeling abandoned in this moment. Carole pats Delilah's stomach and feels the foal moving - she rushes out into the stables, excited, only to find it empty. She has nobody to celebrate with. (This feels pretty unrealistic. Surely one of the many other Pine Hollow students would be around?)
Lisa's waiting for her audition when Veronica arrives. Veronica tells Lisa she should be interviewing to be an usher instead, Lisa argues that she has just as much chance as getting the role as Veronica. I'd say, given that the last time we saw them audition for a role neither of them got it, both of their chances are pretty low, actually.
Back at Pine Hollow, Carole wraps Delilah's tail. She bumps into Deborah, who says that she and Max are going out tonight. They're going to a restaurant which is a long drive away, but it's their favourite because it's where they had their first date. Max asks about where the other members of the foal watch team are, Carole morosely says they had better things to do. Max tells her that they'll show up, which is a nice sentiment - one that, in the real world, would definitely be setting Carole up for disappointment. Max says that, if Carole needs to ring him, Deborah's number is on the board in the office. Doesn't he have his own phone?
Stevie has returned from Kristi and Tina's Brad expedition to the mall. The latter two are fawning over how totally handsome he is. Stevie wants to head over to the stables, but Kristi and Tina are in no hurry: Kristi doesn't see the point because Red's not there, and Tina needs to choose her outfit for later. (It's the evening at this point. How many social engagements does this one kid have?) Stevie, still dressed up in sparkly makeup and Tina's outfit, grabs one of her horse plushies and hugs it, looking forlorn. I can't explain why but there's something about this particular moment that strikes me as genuinely sad. I'm momentarily regretting letting my mum donate all my childhood horse plushies to the local op shop.
At the stables, Delilah is pacing and neighing in her stall. Carole goes to check on her, and when she pats Delilah's stomach she realises the foal is turning. She tries to ring Deborah, but can't get through to her. She then rings Lisa, who still hasn't auditioned yet - only she and Veronica are left. (How many primary school students are seriously interested in The Importance of Being Earnest?) Lisa tells Veronica the news, and asks if she wants to come. Veronica assumes that Lisa is trying to convince her to leave so she doesn't audition, and says she'll see the foal once it's born and clean. Lisa is finally asked to do her audition, but she says she has to go.
Kristi and Tina are doing face masks, and Stevie is straight-up miserable. She asks Tina about going to Pine Hollow again, but Tina shrugs it off and says Carole will ring if something happens anyway. Stevie asks if Tina actually wants to see the foal being born, and Tina admits she's stopped riding, and she's not as into horses as she used to be. She says it was no big deal because horses are 'just a phase' that kids go through, and that Stevie will grow out of it, too. Stevie says she has to leave, and walks out of the room.
Carole is filming Delilah, explaining that her water broke ten minutes ago. Stevie and Lisa run into the stables, wanting to know what's happening, but Carole is pretty unhappy with both of them. They end up fighting, but are interrupted by Delilah neighing. I'm assuming she's telling the girls to shut the fuck up because she's busy giving birth. Lisa and Stevie ring Dr. Judy, who explains she's an hour away, and by the time she arrives the foal will be born already. She reassures the girls that nothing will go wrong.
I honestly don't know how to describe what happens next, so I'll just say it simply: What then follows is real-life footage of a foal being born. You see EVERYTHING. I mean EVERY. THING. Seriously, if you've got a weak stomach, I'd give the scene a skip. Listen, yes, life is a miracle and nature is beautiful and foals are very cute ... but I'm honestly baffled as to why the studio thought CHILDREN'S TELEVISION SHOW The Saddle Club needed incredibly graphic horse birth footage. A fade-to-black would've worked perfectly fine!
We then cut to the next day. Max and Deborah are watching the footage of the foal being born. Given Deborah's well-established fear of horses, I'm not sure why Max would choose this as a fun couple's activity. Deborah is squeamish (fair enough!), but when she sees the little foal standing on his wobbly legs, even she thinks it's cute. The Saddle Club are fawning over the new foal when Tina shows up with a gift for him - a little plushie foal to put in his stall. It's a nice gesture. Stevie and Tina hug and reconcile, and Tina leaves.
Veronica and Kristi bump into each other in the lounge. They make uncomfortable small talk like they're awkward exes. Veronica didn't get the role in the play. It went to Cindy, whose father is on the board, so Veronica rants about the injustice of nepotism hires. She and Kristi bond over their mutual disinterest in the foal, and make up.
Meanwhile, The Saddle Club are still trying to think of a name for the foal. Stevie says that it should be Carole's decision, because she's the one who stuck it out with Delilah. Not to be a stick in the mud, but I would argue it's technically Max's decision, given he's the one who owns Delilah and the foal. Carole explains that she originally planned on naming the foal after something to do with Cobalt, but she now wants to choose something related to Delilah - she wants to choose Samson. As in, the Biblical Samson and Delilah. The girls all gaze lovingly at the fuzzy, little foal, and Lisa welcomes him to Pine Hollow. This is completely unrelated to my review, but the little foal playing Samson clearly keeps walking up to the camera. It's very cute. Little fella had only just started acting, so he didn't understand how blocking worked!
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