This year saw a huge number of main characters leaving, one of them being Kate Ritchie who left the show after twenty years. Her departure co-incided with the 20th anniversary and we were promised a return to Home and Away's roots with a more character driven show that paid tribute to the past twenty years. With so many key characters leaving and an influx of new faces, did the 2008 season really live up to expectations? We take a look at our forum members views on the key events of the year that was 2008.
The year opened with Sally finding the word 'Milco' in the sand, left there by the 'derro' Miles at the end of the previous year. He revealed to Sally that he was 'Milco' her real life twin brother in a storyline that has been described as a 'work of genius,' (ter06) a masterstroke (john2003au) and 'very well written' (sexyluc). The actual episode where Miles revealed the truth has been described as 'edge of your seat stuff' (Ter06) and 'very well acted by Kate and Josh'. (sexyluc) His connection to Sally, in being the spirit of her after she left has also come in for praise; 'It's been especially great - and important - to see [Miles] taking on the traditions of Summer Bay House.' (JamesMartin) 'Hopefully we wont see the last of any of the Fletcher/Ross family since they officially made him apart of their family the way they know how around Sally's departure episodes.' (Alexx) Miles himself has become an instant hit with a lot of people. 'I've loved Miles,' (Lise) 'he's a refreshing character, and I think one of the most popular newcomers of the year with a lot of fans'. (Alexx) 'I love his character, he seems very much like a male version of Sally!' (Deborah) 'I felt as close to Miles as I did Sally in the short few weeks I have known him, which is very unusual for me as it takes months or even years to grow close to a character and end up really caring for them.' (sexyluc) For some he is 'a more than capable replacement' for Sally (Lise) but for others he 'seems to be a confused character who doesn't have the instinctive rapport that Sally had with young people. He seems caught between the role of a friend and foster parent. I still don't see him as the foster parent replacement. Perhaps as time goes on he will grow into that role. I still can't understand why they don't use Irene.' (John2003au)
The revelation of Milco, plus her stabbing at the the hands of Johnny Cooper, her near death experience with Tom and her losing her job paved the way for Sally's departure from the show. 'The whole focus on her leading up the the departure was superbly written, by writers who really knew Sally inside out and so we believed in her decision to venture out of Summer Bay and were truly happy to see her reunited with a twin brother we all thought was her imaginary friend.' (Alexx) 'The storyline had some wonderful sub plots. Sally's departure with Cassie confirmed for me that caring part of her character which had marked her career as a teacher and a foster parent. Her decision not to go immediately into another teaching position showed a return to her first love of interaction with young people. I also loved the "leap into the unknown" aspect of her departure from the show because it must have mirrored exactly how Kate was feeling in real life.' (John2003au)
Her actual exit has been criticised as 'I would have liked to have seen a goodbye between [Sally] and Ric, Leah, Irene, Colleen and Cassie [and] 'I think it was a mistake to filter Sally's last episode in with the Sam and Jack storyline'. (jimmy1310) Despite the criticisms most people seemed to think that 'Sally's exit was done superbly' (Ter06) and the 'saddest TV exit I have ever witnessed' (sexyluc). 'Her farewell to Alf was beautiful, and I loved the final shot, Alf standing on the beach by himself, symbolising him becoming the sole original character.' (Luc) 'That marvellous "passing the baton" scene with Alf on the beach must certainly become a part of the show's all time highlight reel.' (John2003au) 'Kate and Ray's final scene was heartbreaking and it was obvious they werent acting'.
In terms of the twentieth anniversary we saw a number of old faces reappearing. It was great to see the 'original caravan park family back together and a solution to Milco'. (Ryan) 'Pippa's return was brilliant, and played a huge part in providing that warmth and dependability the show lacks at times, and I feel we could do with more of that currently'. (Alexx) 'Debra Lawrance was also great during her comeback. The past few years I felt Pippa didnt really fit in as well as she used to but this time she really did and had her warmth back'. (ter06) For many 'the "Birthday Celebration" era with Bevan Lee at the helm was fantastic, and it was a perfectly-fitting ten-week tribute to the programme' (JamesMartin) but for others it fell 'short of what I had hoped for in lots of ways. If there was one year I was going to be OK and not mind people pointlessly rolling into town, this was going to be it. Even more frustration, was the missed opportunities. Colleen became a Stewart. We have two 20-year old families there, and later Morag got married. Two great opportunities to celebrate 20 years of the families.' (Ryan)
For a lot of people Sally's departure marked a turning point for the show. 'Kate was a real loss to the show and I think the show lost its way for a few months after her departure.' (Ter06) 'the show really went rocky and it had me totally lost and frustrated. I really couldn't be bothered, we had a load of new characters introduced at one stage with very little depth to their introductions at all' (Alexx)
Collen turning out to be a Stewart bought a lot of hilarity into a period of multiple departures and dark storylines. It was though, a storyline with a huge amount of depth. 'I thought the whole Colleen finding out she was a Stewart was very sad because she desperately wanted to be accepted into the family and the part that stood out for me was the night in the diner with Colleen and Roman and he was asking her about Ms Groper and she told him all about how she hated being a Hickey and how jealous of the Stewarts she was.' (sexyluc) The storyline was also praised for bringing 'back out that warmth the character had pre 05 - she wasn't just seen as this crazy pointless woman anymore..she had a point.' (Alexx)
One storyline that seems only to have attracted praise was Cassie's HIV diagnosis and exit storyline. The 'episode with Cassie and the HIVv is one that'll remain with me for a long time'. (jimmi1310) Sharni Vinson has come in for a lot of praise, being described as 'amazing and a really good actress' (homeandawayxoxo) and for many 'it was a shame that it took her last story for her to really shine. If she had been given a story as big as this two years ago I'm sure the character would have been much more popular than she was'. (Ter06) 'She really did the story justice,its just a pity she didnt hang around'. (sexyluc) 'Sharni did amazing in all her scenes, from finding out her diagnosis, to her final scene when she felt her baby kick. Her performance at the collapsing diner was brilliantly acted as well. (Luc)
The storyline has also been praised for showing 'the depth of the teen group relationship development between Cassie, Ric and Mattie. Ric's devotion to Cassie outside a romantic relationship was particularly powerful. It was well portrayed by the three. It also brought a sense that behaviour of the kind that Cassie indulged in does have risks attached; something that the show sometimes doesn't always seem to do. (John2003au)
The other key character departures in the first half of the year didn't always go down as well as that of Sally and Cassie. 'I was disappointed by the lack of effort put into Lucas's final episode, I mean, he had farewell drinks, and then left town quietly. Rhys Wakefield deserved a better exit than that.' (Luc) 'He just left and went to uni, never to be seen again. there was no real goodbye, he's hardly ever mentioned.'(jimmi1310) Drew's departure on the other hand 'was probably the most impressive exit for me, particularly coming after the Lisa stuff'. (emmasi) 'The scene where they both had the huge argument at Leah's was brilliant and was very heated. Then she told him to go and dont come back.' (sexyluc)
Ric and Matilda's departure was met with a mixed reaction. 'Ric and Maddie's departure was boring and so tiresome, by the time they were gone I was cheering - they were the last lot with a strong connection to such a forgettable era of the show in terms of characters and focus on continuity'. (Alexx) 'I really didnt like the Ric and fight club storyline because it was just ridiculous and Ric really didnt deserve to end up with Mattie in the end after all the things he put her through to be honest.'. (sexyluc) 'Mattie and Ric's final episode was a lot better, imho. It tied up all previous storylines for the pair and they got the send off they deserved.' (Luc)
News of Kirsty and Kane's return was filtered through at the end of last year and their return was met wth similar mixed reactions. 'I dreaded this and the actual on the run bit was pretty naff.' (Ryan) 'Kirsty and Kane are one of my favourite couples throughout the history of the show. When I heard they were returning I was so excited'.(homeandawayxoxo) 'Kane and Kirsty's return was horrible! I myself am a big fan of K/K and I hated how they sent Kane to jail and then paired Kirsty up with Miles almost two weeks after she told Ric she wasn't ready for a relationship.' (Luc)
Though a lot of KK fans were disappointed at them being split up there has been a lot of positive comments about Kirsty's character without Kane. 'Kirsty is a pretty interesting character without all this Kane/Dani baggage,' (Ryan) 'Christie Hayes' return has been very refreshing to watch,' (James Martin) 'I was surprised by how happy I am with Kirsty's return, she alone, is a much more enjoyable character to watch,' (Alexx) 'I hope she becomes a permanent character next year'. (jimmy1310) 'The reintroduction of Christie Hayes has been great. With all the new characters being thrown at us it was good to see a familiar face among them, and a great actress at that.' (ter06) Not everyone was convinced though, 'Kirsty annoys me, she never seems to learn from her mistakes so continues to make them, again and again. I would have been so much happier if they left her and Kane on the run. Ollie on the other hand... '(Lise) 'Placing Kirsty in such a central role as the mother figure of Summer Bay House, a role occupied by iconic figures like Sally and Pippa. She didn't even stand a chance of winning over viewers.' (DinerLandlord)
A recurring theme amongst our forum members has been the lack of storylines for Irene with a number of forum members crying out for such a good actress to be given a decent storyline. Another character who attracts similar sort of comments is Leah. 'Leah lost yet another husband with the off screen death of Dan. She must be proving something of a challenge for the writers. She has already had multiple marriages and her character with it's Greek background is "the marrying kind" not really prone to serial casual relationships.' (John2003au) 'Leah had some real strong material during Dan's death storyline...other than that she's remained on the back seat again.' (Alexx) 'Dan's death was another good storyline with Leah coming to the fore of the show but even then she only stayed in the spotlight for 5 minutes and she faded away again which was a bit disapointing.' (sexyluc)
Most of our forum members complained at the time about Dan's offscreen death but his memorial service was a nice tribute. For many though the highlight of that particular storyline was an unexpected one; 'the return of Amanda and J Jazz. The scene where they both slapped each other was hilarious. It was a huge pity that Amanda only stayed for a very short space of time.'
Another hard hitting storyline was formed in the exploration into the family of resident bad boy Aden Jeffries. The show took a bold step when it was revealed that Aden had been sexually abused by his grandfather as a young boy. Most of the members agree that 'it was done with sensitivity and really had that Home and Away feel consistently.' (alexx) loved watching him turn from an unlikeable bully into an extremely intriguing and fascinating character. Also the fact that this story arc is on going has appealed to our members. 'So refreshing that this is the case' The transformation of the seemingly one-dimensional bully to a deep character was also noted. 'Aden's complexity as a character, and the bravery of the writers in focusing on a male sexual abuse storyline in the timeslot kept me going.' (emmasi)
Aden's onscreen partner Belle has also been praised as being very consistent. She still makes the worst decisions and ends up hurting people, but she's still a lovely person. (Jody) Jessica Tovey has really improved as an actress, (homeandawayxoxo) her performance in the development site storyline got better every episode, and her emotional breakdown after being bashed was amazing, it wasn't over the top like most other soap breakdowns it was realistic. (Luc) The year began for Belle with her ethical dilemmas in her newspaper job which lead indirectly to a really superbly written and acted break up with Drew. Although she is of a similar age she is the sole "survivor" of a previous teen group. Having regard to Jessica Tovey's obvious acting ability they have involved her in a major storyline which showcases her idealism. They have made little obvious attempt to integrate her into the new teen group. (John003au) To watch her become more grown up throughout the year has been a pleasure. I also loved that Jess Tovey was finally given the kind of scenes to show of what an amazing actress she is. (Jody) The development storyline has been praised for its impact, particularly how it impacts widely on current characters in the show but also connects with the show's history. (John003au)
Once again Home and Away took a two week holiday to make way for the Olympics. Now after the memorable events of 2004, expectations were high. Mixed opinions were running around, although there is agreement that 'it has had some long-term knock-on effects right up until the finale by throwing Geoff and Nicole together, and pissing off Melody in the process.' (James Martin). 'There was a marked change for the better, they re-focused on the characters again. (alexx) Although the involvement of the mainly newer characters was a disappointment for some - 'How was I supposed to feel sorry for a bunch of characters who had barely been in the show for five minutes?' (alexx) The two main cliffhangers were left in the hands of (relatively) old hands of Martha, who flatlined after her wedding and Rachel, who mysteriously disappeared on the eve of hers.
Returning to the action after the Olympics saw the heavily religious Geoff fall into a sexual relationship with Nicole after washing up on an island. Now for most teenagers these days that wouldn't have been a problem but for the conservative Geoff and the polar opposite Nicole, this was 'exploration of the pressures faced by two young people with very different upbringings and attitudes to relationships.' (John003au) This was followed by the very common suspected pregnancy which was turned almost comical with Geoff's religious values incensing him to propose to Nicole and her subsequent refusal. The relationship has had a lasting impact on the bay with it being one of the catalysts for Melody to rebel and experiment.
This year saw the existing teen group except Belle depart for pastures new and they were replaced by a number of new arrivals and essentially a whole new teen group. For many we had a load of new characters introduced at one stage with very little depth to their introductions at. (Alexx) For others though the current group all have some sort of emotional baggage which ultimately affects the way the young actors and actresses have played their parts. Having lots of different layers to the teen group really has made this side of the show so much more engaging. (JamesMartin) I actually care for this lot and what happens to them, I agree they have layers and a certain depth, which shapes the way the writers go about them. (Deborah) Individually the characters divide our members as much as ever, Charlie seems to have a consistent personality which keeps me interested (Alexx) but for others she is utterly annoying, and irritating to watch. (Jody) Likewise her sister Ruby is for some a great addition. (Lise) She's different to the other teens, mature and down to Earth. (Luc) Love her mature outlook on life. Not enjoying the personality transplant shes had since Xavier as arrived but I still love her. (Jody) For others though I have yet to care for Ruby and Jai and feel they are the worse in terms of depth and consistency and seem very cliched at times I cringe. (Alexx)
Of the other new arrivals the two that probably spark the most debate are Nicole and Melody. Nicole provoked an instant dislike, I hated her at first (Diner Landlord) but now she is one of my faves in the show, with brilliant one liners! (Deborah) Nicole is so funny and I love how much she's matured. (Cicerid) I think Tessa James is exceptional. (jimmy1310) For others though, she's the most unnecessary character ever. There's nothing unique about her, apart from her 101 witty lines, but even that, anyone could do. Her growth from self absorbed brat to expert on her life was done so terribly and happened literally overnight. (Jody)
Melody on the other hand was, in the beginning a good addition character wise. (Symphony) I've liked her from the moment she arrived. She's complex, and not like your average teen, in looks and personality. It was refreshing to have someone so different. (Jody) Her mental health storyline has been interesting and there have been many different opinions as to how this should develop. (John003au) This storyline has broken some ground and hopefully provided an insight into all aspects of Mental Health, giving insight into the relationship with her Mother, Christine, gave it the meat it needed. (JackWilkins) Celeste Dodwell is a good a actress, (homeandawayxoxo) and this is the only acting out storyline I've enjoyed on this show. (Jody) For many though her recent rebellion has made her just another boring rebellious teenager. (Symphony)
In the days before Adelle, Jack and Martha laid claim to being the most debated couple on the history of the forum. At the beginning of the year Jack was with Sam and Martha was with Roman but this year Bevan really delved into her past and brought about the real Sam (sexyluc) and by the time she was murdered I was a tiny bit annoyed that they killed her off just as I started to like her. (Valli) I loved that she wasn't just some kind of psychopath but just a woman who was desperate to hold on to the good life she finally made for herself and made one too many bad choices in life. (Jody) The actual murder mystery storyline received a divided response for some it was probably my favourite because of the way that they set it out so it would look like murder. The storyline didn't drag on too long, and it wasn't too short, which is also a plus. (Luc) Not everyone agreed though, I wasn't too happy with the whole "who killed Sam?" storyline mainly because it turned out to not be a murder but a suicide and her death then paved the way for Martha and Jack to be together which I wasn't happy about at the time. (sexyluc)
In the aftermath of Sam's death Jack and Martha reunited and Martha's breast cancer storyline and particularly her battle with what she saw as her "changed body" have been sensitively written. The scenes where Martha finally accepts that Jack will still accept and love her as sexual being were particularly well done. (John) Martha's cancer story, very realistically portrayed (Deborah) and after she was diagnosed with cancer I really started to like J&M together and thought they worked so much better when they weren't fighting and breaking up so frequently. They were so much more likeable when their storylines were different and not only storylines revolving around their love life together. (sexyluc) And of course not everyone a completely won over by them; there's no chemistry between them anymore. They're like a couple who are together because they have to be, not because they want to be. (Symphony)
Now to that certain time of the year where if anything could go wrong, it will. Season finale time has taken us to the local school formal and the local development site, 'but perhaps it was this multi-finale thing, there was just too much going on' (Ryan) with 4 questions leaving members on the edge of their seats but also with a lot to ponder over the summer. 'Home and Away's two favourite stunts rolled into one, plus a shooting.' (Ryan) Most members agree that it 'was exciting'(homeandawayxoxo)' and 'one of the better finales of the "naughties" era. A few were disappointed with the rather well kept secret of Jack's shooting, 'The Noah Syndrome strikes again with Jack going down in the final ep. Sigh.' (emmasi)