Home and Away’s return sees Ari make a huge sacrifice
Home and Away returned to Australian screens today, after a nine-week break. The explosive return episode saw Mia get caught with Matthew’s body in the back of her car, while Ryder realised that there’s a serious risk he won’t survive.
When we left things over two months ago, Mia (Anna Sampson) had bundled recent arrival Matthew’s (James Sweeny) lifeless body into the back of his car and driven out of town.
The newcomer was Chloe’s father, and Chloe (Sam Barrett) had hit him over the head with a rock after he got aggressive, killing him instantly. Mia bundled him into the back of Matthew’s car, ordered Chloe to go inside, and drove off with the intention of finding somewhere to hide the body.
Picking up the drama in the moments after, the return episode saw Ari (Rob Kipa Williams) trying to calling Mia as she sped through the country roads away from Summer Bay, with Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) in hot pursuit.
She ignored his calls as she tried to lose Cash. Sadly, it soon became clear there was no chance of escape – Cash quickly called for backup, and suddenly Mia faced cop cars speeding towards her from the other direction.
She was forced to come to a halt, and Cash was stunned to find a Summer Bay local in the driving seat.
Noticing the blood on her jacket, he started conducting a search of her vehicle, and it took just a matter of seconds before he found Matthew’s body hidden in the boot.
The forensic officers recovered the body from the boot, wrapped it up and moved it into a black minivan.
At the side of the road, Cash tried to talk Mia into giving him an explanation, asking her how she knew the victim and why she was in his car, but she gave him nothing.
He was forced to arrest her on suspicion of murder, handcuff her, and take her back to Yabbie Creek Police Station.
Back in Summer Bay, Ari knew exactly what had happened, after an emotional Chloe confessed everything in the season finale. As he was rushing around town searching for his fiancée, he got the call he’s been dreading – it was Cash, informing him that Mia had been arrested.
He soon turned up at the station, where Cash told him that he can’t see his fiancée – she still needed to be formally interviewed for the “suspicious death of Matthew Montgomery”.
When she was interviewed, she gave “no comment” to Cash’s questions on how she knows Matthew and where his injuries came from. She refused to say anything until she’s got a lawyer, but begged Cash to let her speak to Ari for just a few moments.
Although he initially refused, and knew that he shouldn’t, Cash relented and let the pair have a moment together.
They embraced, as Mia went into panic mode. She told Ari that she hasn’t told the cops anything, and explained that Chloe was trying to protect her – the cops don’t even need to know that Chloe was there.
“I’ve got you,” Ari reassured her, knowing that she’s in serious trouble. Heading back out, he asked Cash for a word in private, and it’s then that he made a big decision that could change his life forever.
He’ll do anything to protect his fiancée and daughter, and is about to make the ultimate sacrifice.
“She didn’t do it. She’s covering for someone else,” Ari told Senior Constable Newman. “If you can clear her of all charges, I will tell you who really murdered Matthew.”
In the final scene of the episode, Cash released Mia from her holding cell, as it was revealed that Ari has taken the hit. Ari had explained to Cash that Matthew was Chloe’s dad, that the two had a falling out, and that he lost his temper and accidentally killed him.
Is Ari really about to go to jail for Matthew’s death?
Ryder, meanwhile, was still trapped underground as part of his and Theo’s (Matt Evans) latest challenge.
He initially celebrated having completed four hours underground, meaning he had just one more hour to go before Theo would release him – but had no idea that his co-star, Theo, was trapped by barbed wire above ground, with no way to let him out.
He began to worry when a viewer messaged into the live stream to tell him he would likely run out of oxygen in 90 minutes – but, with only 60 minutes left of the challenge, he should be fine. Right?
On the ground, Theo finally regained consciousness after the fall which knocked him out. He woke to find his leg wrapped in barbed wire, with his phone just out of reach. With no way to save his co-prankster, he too began to panic.
Ryder celebrated when the final hour passed, and, assuming his friend was still watching the live stream, he shouted for Theo to let him out. Of course, with Theo writhing in agony on the ground above, there’s no chance of that happening any time soon.
Theo called out in desperation, but they’re in the middle of nowhere, and nobody is around to hear his screams.
“Alright, I’m done,” Ryder said. “I can’t rely on him any more, i’m just going to have to do this myself.”
He pushed on the top of the wooden coffin, but it just caused earth to crash down on him. He still suspected that Theo was waiting until the last moment to get a rise out of him – but, as he wasn’t 100% sure, he decides that he needed some help.
He called Justin (James Stewart), but Summer Bay’s remaining Morgan sibling only stayed on the phone long enough to tell him that he hasn’t seen Theo, before he hung up to enjoy his pint in Salt.
It was at that moment that Ryder’s phone ran out of battery – he’s just missed his one chance for freedom.
With very little oxygen left, he began to get dizzy. Is it time to say goodbye to Ryder?
Also in the return episode, Roo (Georgie Parker) struggled to cope with Martha’s (Belinda Giblin) decision not to go ahead with the kidney transplant.
Neither she nor Alf (Ray Meagher) can understand why Martha decided not to take Roo’s offer of a kidney donation, as the life-saving transplant would have prevented her from spending the rest of her life on dialysis.
Later, after her next dialysis session, Martha assured Alf that the dialysis isn’t even that bad, and that it’s just an hour out of her week, twice a week.
He knows she’s just trying to make him feel better, but it doesn’t – he and Roo are still both deeply upset that she didn’t go ahead with the transplant.
Where will this leave the Stewart family dynamic? Is Martha really ready to accept spending the rest of her life in and out of hospital?
How Ari and Ryder will get out of their sticky situations remains to be seen, but there’s plenty more drama to come in Home and Away’s unmissable return week, this week on Seven.
Here’s the full spoilers for the final week of Home and Away in Australia:
Monday 31st January (7716) – 2022 Season Opener
Will Mia’s escape end in cuffs? Ari puts his life on the line. Will Ryder be buried alive? Alf asks Martha for answers.
Tuesday 1st February (7717)
Have Theo and Ryder dug their own graves? The Paratas are splintered by Ari’s actions. Roo and Martha reach breaking point.
Wednesday 2nd February (7718)
Ryder says his final goodbye. Alf seeks justice for Ryder. Guilt-ridden Chloe goes to the police.
Thursday 3rd February (7719-7721)
Logan and Mackenzie rekindle their romance. Felicity gets shut out. A mysterious woman arrives for Logan.
Logan’s secret kiss is exposed. Mackenzie faces Logan’s past. Bella discovers Chloe’s crime.
Mia tries to hold her family together. Logan faces his ex. Mackenzie has an unlikely plan.