The Newsreader Episode Rating Graph

In 1989, and Helen and Dale are reaching new peaks of success. Helen has been given her very own current affairs program, and Dale has become the biggest name in news with a Gold Logie nomination.

The News At Six is approached by Geoff and Evelyn's daughter Kay Walters, who offers her story of addiction for a price, plunging Helen and Dale into an ethical dilemma.

While Helen is still reeling after Dale's revelation, reports emerge of a nuclear accident in Chernobyl. In the face of great fear and uncertainty, the pair must confront who they really are to each other, and to themselves.

Helen is deeply apprehensive about meeting Dale's mother, while Dale gets lumbered with Royal Wedding puff pieces. But their everyday concerns are thrown aside when a bomb goes off on Russell Street.

Helen and Dale's new alliance has become the talk of the office as they cover the much-hyped return of Halley's Comet. The closer Dale draws to Helen, the more he finds himself thrust into the spotlight.

With international stock markets in freefall, Helen is plunged into crisis when a gossip columnist threatens to expose her troubled past. Feeling hunted, she turns to embattled CEO Charlie Tate for help.

It's one year on and Helen and Dale are now established as 'The Golden Couple of News'. It's Election Night 1987 - Hawke vs Howard. Competitor Geoff Walters is also making a well-publicised comeback on a rival network.

The country is rocked by a shock mass shooting in the heart of Melbourne. When Helen races to air with confronting footage of the aftermath, she is seen as exploiting the tragedy, and public sentiment shifts against her.