Over water

Has-been TV celebrity John Beckers leaves rehab clinic and convinces a friendly paparazzo to keep that out of the press for once. He starts a new career in the Antwerp port company of his father in law, Michielsen. After a scary bluff (?) story initiation by colleague Carl Dockx, John is taken along to a networking party at the notorious banana boat nightclub

When John appears on a talk show, he later receives an offer to host a new TV quiz show. An idea that Barry, in particular, finds very appealing. It is, however, also John’s first ‘day at the office’ for De Pelsmaecker. Soon enough, John realizes that he is now operating at an altogether different level and that the risks and expectations are commensurate with his position.

John is running a lucrative business on the De Beco company grounds and he makes money by the truckload. Everything is going according to plan, until Ella discovers a bank statement and confronts John with his lies: he promised her never to get involved with anything illegal again.

De Pelsmaecker intends to tackle the Van Cauwenberghe issue. Because she has to look after her sick father, she puts the matter into The Driver’s hands, soon regretting her decision when the port alderman winds up in the hospital and on the news. Van Cauwenberghe himself is pretty pleased when he manages to score a date with Marjan Michielsen.

De Pelsmaecker visits Van Cauwenberghe with an attractive proposition that could win him the elections, but he has some qualms about striking up an alliance with her. Indeed, in exchange for her offer, she wants his assurance that her port companies will be exempt from his rigorous screening. Ella loses her father and lets Carl back into her life again.

When the commissioner is found in a state of confusion and without any clothes, both John and Van Cauwenberghe realize that this is De Pelsmaecker’s doing. Alarmed by how she apparently treats the people she does business with, Van Cauwenberghe is starting to get cold feet. Buelens tries to calm him down.