H2O: Just Add Water: Season 3: Episode 01: The Awakening

The Awakening is the Season 3 premiere of H₂O: Just Add Water.

Synopsis[]

Cleo and Rikki face their final year of high school without Emma who is traveling the world with family. They make a new friend in Bella and meet new boy Will – and encounter a strange new force on Mako Island that turns water against them.

Plot[]

Colorful lens flares drag over the sun we pan down to the beach. Lots of people play over the waters of the beach. Cleo and Rikki are about to face their final year at school together without Emma, who's gone overseas. They're confident they've overcome the effect of the Full Moon and know everything about Mako Island and its magic. Zane surprises Rikki with an offer for her to join him as a partner in a new upmarket café, while Lewis is taking his relationship with Cleo a little too comfortably. Will, a boy with remarkable skills underwater, suddenly stumbles upon the Moon Pool, where he encounters a strange water force and is knocked unconscious. That night, at the opening of the new cafe, Rikki and Cleo meet Bella, a new girl who helps Rikki out of a tricky situation by stepping in to sing in Nate's band. In a break outside, Rikki is attacked by water and dragged out to sea. Bella sees this and joins Cleo to rescue Rikki. Cleo is shocked to find Bella is a mermaid too! Rikki was saved from the encounter, but they find the new boy Will in the Moon Pool. The girls realize something has changed on Mako Island, and it appears Will is now on the trail of their magic and secret.

Trivia[]

JuiceNet Café is now replaced with Rikki's Café.
The colors of their tails changed from bronze, to orange gold.
New version of "No Ordinary Girl" sung by Indiana Evans and new opening intro and closing credits sequences.
Claire Holt (Emma Gilbert) is no longer credited.
This episode is the last mention of Emma in the series as she is travelling the world with her family, as Cleo mentions to Rikki.
Its shown Cleo and Rikki still enjoy sunbathing at the beach.
Cleo now wears a towel as a makeshift sarung while at the beach; rather than carrying it.
As Rikki and Zane hand out leaflets advertising the opening of Rikki's Cafe, the guitar instrumental that plays is the same one featured in 2 episodes of Season 1, "Metamorphosis" and "Catch of the Day".
This is the first episode to air in 2009.
The events of this episode happen on 7/8th February.
First episode directed by Jeffrey Walker.
The first appearance of Bella Hartley, Will Benjamin, Water Tentacle and Rikki’s Cafe.

Notes[]

Claire Holt left the show to film Messengers 2: The Scarecrow. Emma's absence has been explained away as traveling the world with her family and was never seen or mentioned again. First appearances of Indiana Evans as Bella Hartley and Luke Mitchell as Will Benjamin.
When the water tentacle gets Rikki it gets her head first but when you see her in the water it's the opposite.
Featured Songs: "Everything Is Fine", "Now or Never" and "Who Am I"