Rake — Season 2

A man walks through Hyde Park and without warning explodes.Never out of the headlines for long, Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) is caught in an affair with Claudia Marshall (Toni Collette), the Premier of New South Wales, making himself a sworn enemy of her husband, Attorney-General and Police Minister, Cal McGregor (Damien Garvey).David Potter (Matt Day), now Shadow Attorney General, sees this as his chance to bury Cleaver Greene once and for all, calling him "a dishonest low-life who spends his time defending society's scum, and spends his nights carousing with them". When Cleaver uses the media to retaliate, it's a race to see who will sue for defamation first.In Parliament, David savages the fact that Cleaver is defending Zuharah (Sapidah Kian), a beautiful Muslim woman who's been charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act after her husband accidentally blew himself up in a botched suicide-bombing. The case is circumstantial but the hounds of the media and Macquarie St are convinced that any woman in a head scarf must be a terrorist. Cleaver and Barney (Russell Dykstra) are determined to save her.Cleaver's ex Wendy (Caroline Brazier) is having troubles of her own, having just discovered that her recently acquired husband has been cheating. Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) and Barney are playing happy families, and are preparing for Max's 7th birthday party. At Scarlet's behest, Cleaver has been banned from all family gatherings.Battling to save her own skin, the Premier alleges that Cleaver has been blackmailing her – threatening to destroy her career. And although Cleaver has text messages that could bring her undone, will he be able to use them with the Attorney-General, the Shadow Attorney-General and the full weight of police and judiciary lined up against him?

Cleaver's (Richard Roxburgh) affair with the Premier proves to be costly when her husband, Attorney-General Cal McGregor (Damien Garvey) begins a campaign of harassment against him. And not only is David Potter (Matt Day) suing him for defamation, but, after the clown punch-up at seven-year-old Max's birthday party, he's lost Barney (Russell Dykstra) as a friend and colleague as well.Meanwhile, Barney and Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) are seeing a counsellor, but Scarlet's efforts at being the perfect wife are falling flat, with Barney hoping she will just go back to work. He's busy defending Lawrence Fenton (Garry McDonald), who's charged with fraud for posing as a board member at various meetings around town in a campaign aimed against the corporate debasement of the English language.Cleaver, meanwhile, has been asked to defend Damien Trengrove (Don Hany), who's been accused of stealing two million dollars from a children's leukemia foundation run by his glamorous wife Clover.Cleaver, looking to Wendy (Caroline Brazier) for solace, arrives just as her book group is winding up their chat about A Thousand Lies I Have Told by a new author, J. M. Doolan. Cleaver's in his element, taking special notice of newly-divorced neighbour Sally (Katrina Hobbs), while Wendy can't wait to tell him how Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) is applying himself to his studies and even jogging every day.Cleaver is yet to discover that both neighbour Sally and author J.M. Doolan have surprises in store for him.Cal McGregor's campaign of police harassment continues. Cleaver is hauled in for questioning again, and runs into Barney and his client Lawrence Fenton, who wants Cleaver to join them on his case. Barney won't have a bar of it, but when Lawrence gatecrashes a conference on global security being held by Cal with the British Home Secretary in attendance, Barney can't resist Cleaver's entreaties. David Potter uses the breach of security to embarrass the A-G, who pulls out all the stops – charging Lawrence with terrorism.Cleaver is now defending an innocent ex-school teacher whom Cal is determined to persecute, and a slimy corporate thief who for some unknown reason, Cal wants to set free. Is there any chance that he will see justice done?

Missy's (Adrienne Pickering) book about her life as a prostitute has caused a sensation, and she's engaged to the infamous founder of an on-line leaks site, Joshua Floyd (Martin Henderson). Meanwhile, Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) sleeps with the niece of an ex-girlfriend, who has a budding film career and loves Alfred Hitchcock movies. When he discovers she's not yet 16, he's horrified but it's too late. She's been charged with accidentally killing a fellow actor while filming a scene, and blackmails Cleaver into defending her. Cleaver's debt to the Corellas has prison-widow Kirsty (Robyn Malcolm) making amorous plans for his repayments schedule, while he's fighting David Potter (Matt Day) over the defamation case. Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) applies for a job with Attorney- General Cal McGregor (Damien Garvey), and her disdain for Cleaver gets her the job. Meanwhile, Cleaver's woes escalate when Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) reveals that he's been having an affair with Wendy's flirty neighbour Sally (Katrina Hobbs). An Alfred Hitchcock thriller on late night TV opens Cleaver's eyes to the fact that his 16-year-old client may well be a blossoming psychopath. Just when he thinks things could not be more complicated, Missy walks back into his life.

Missy (Adrienne Pickering) and Joshua Floyd (Martin Henderson) are Australia's most newsworthy couple: the bestselling author of a controversial memoir, and the founder of an on-line leaks site currently facing treason charges. A bitter Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh), having been ditched by Barney (Russell Dykstra), represents a 'mammophile' peeping tom for the incompetent solicitor Lincoln Lincoln (Rhys Muldoon). Wendy (Caroline Brazier) needs his help with Fuzz (Keegan Joyce), in anguish after Sally's abortion, but Cleaver is under pressure to meet the emotional and physical needs of his sugar mummy, Kirsty (Robyn Malcolm) and is being cleverly outplayed by Harry-Sorry-David (Matt Day) in his defamation case. His only joy comes from setting Kirsty and Col (Steve le Marquand) loose on a Joshua Floyd soiree where Joshua shocks Cleaver and the Sydney bar by inviting Cleaver to represent him in the case of the decade. Cleaver has a lucrative brief, his own chambers and is in America Today as 'leading human rights lawyer, Cleaver Greene'. Are things about to go right?

Missy (Adrienne Pickering) is on trial for murdering her fiancé. The only way Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) can save her is to expose the conspiracy by the security apparatus Joshua (Martin Henderson) humiliated. Assisted by a mysterious smoking man, he follows the money trail to ASIO, the CIA, and towards information that may bring down the international banking system and several governments. Kirsty (Robyn Malcolm) is furious that Cleaver is spending so much time with Missy, but when Col (Steve le Marquand) threatens to express that disapproval in the usual manner, Cleaver recognises that Col has a secret. Delirious after a mosquito-induced broken arm, Barney (Russell Dykstra) confesses to Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) that he has met someone else. Hurt and confused, Scarlet allows an innocent lunch with Harry-Sorry-David (Matt Day) to progress down a primrose path that, with some help from Cal McGregor (Damien Garvey), will lead to perdition. Can Cleaver maintain professional standards long enough to have Missy acquitted? Will ASIO and the CIA allow him to win?

A piercing scream splits the dawn silence of a leafy, suburban arcadia and Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) and Barney (Russell Dykstra) are soon defending an IT lecturer accused of severing his neighbour's penis with garden shears after an escalating dispute over a child's birthday party. The conservative judge is determined that this trial will not be allowed to lower the tone of his courtroom. Barney and Nicole (Kate Box) are failing to end their affair, despite Nicole's approaching wedding. Wendy (Caroline Brazier) is falling for Roger (Martin Sacks), the husband of Fuzz's (Keegan Joyce) ex-girlfriend, while Fuzz has an age-appropriate girlfriend with a surprise of her own. Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) and David (Matt Day) are firmly on Cal McGregor's (Damien Garvey) hook, but David's colleagues push him to sacrifice Scarlet to save himself. Can Scarlet bring herself to ask for help from the only lawyer devious and unethical enough to get her out from under it?

Scarlet (Danielle Cormack) and David's (Matt Day) affair is front page news, and Scarlet faces the disapproval of the private school mothers. Barney (Russell Dykstra) and Nicole (Kate Box) agree to be 'just friends' but their definitions of friendship differ somewhat. Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) and Missy (Adrienne Pickering) set out to attend his father's funeral, but end up at the service for a retired travel agent. Keith Nankervis's funeral convinces Missy that life's meaning is to be found in marriage and children. However Cleaver is seeking redemption elsewhere. He attempts to recover his father's estate from swindler Lane Hole (Phil Lloyd), using the talents of tabloid TV reporter Polly Nesbitt (Maeve Dermody) – promiscuous, unethical and a chaotic force of nature. Has Cleaver met the female version of himself? And what dark paths will he be prepared to go down to get revenge?

Cleaver (Richard Roxburgh) is in prison, charged with the manslaughter of Lane Hole's (Phil Lloyd) sweet, elderly neighbour. He is bailed out by Missy (Adrienne Pickering), flush with funds since optioning the rights to her story to Hollywood. Polly Nesbitt (Maeve Dermody) moves on him, but has her own agenda. Kirsty (Robyn Malcolm) will allow Cleaver to retain his extremities, if she and Col (Steve le Marquand) are not implicated in his trial and he pays every last cent he owes, now. Barney (Russell Dykstra) warns Cleaver that he will go down for manslaughter but advises he is likely to beat a murder charge. Cleaver goads Cal McGregor (Damien Garvey) into having the charge upgraded, but Cal didn't get to be Attorney-General without a few devious tricks of his own. Cleaver will need the help of all his friends and several enemies if he is to escape a hefty stretch behind bars.