charmed60

Oh no I wasn't referring to you in my post, just a general observation I think she saw a baby as a way of saving her marriage when that clearly wasn't going to work. It did always make me laugh how Kim used the whole "I'm in my 20's, I want my life back; I don't want to worry about children, I want to be able to go surfing" argument to not have kids with his wife and then left her for another woman to live with their child where he's undoubtedly not going to get that. It's a bit late for that Kim! You shouldn't have gotten married and got another woman pregnant!

I never got that impression at all; it's funny how people see things so differently! All of his 'doubts' that he spoke about were about the operation because he was worried about it and worried that it wouldn't work because of his previous complication, he never once showed any doubts about physically having another baby. And seeing as Tony was in the centre of all the Kim/Kit fiasco I think he'd have known Rachel wanted children way before they got together so must have known it would be in their future. I would love to see Harry turn up one day! Although it won't quite be the same And we'd have to wait a good few years! I'm always actually surprised when people say how they saw Rachel as this baby hungry woman because I never saw her like that at all She wanted a baby with Kim who was her husband and in the end I think the desperation came from the fact that she thought a baby would make him love her more; when she saw how besotted he was by a pregnant Kit and then Archie. Once Kim left, Rachel never once mentioned a baby at all until she got pregnant with Lewis. Then after that, again she wanted to try with her fiance which is totally normal. Plus I think if she really was just desperate for a baby and just going into a relationship for a baby she chose the wrong man in Tony She stayed with him knowing she might never be able to have children so it kinnda showed it wasn't the be all and end all for her.

If I'm remembering the same scene as you...and I *think* that I am...it was Jack that said "I guess you didn't think you'd be going through it all again" when Tony tells him he wishes he never had the vasectomy done in the first place. And Tony says he just hopes he has enough energy for night feeds and teething. And it's very sad that I know that

I have to admit in a couple of scenes I thought we were looking at Miles from behind when it was actually Rachel I don't think she could put up with his gross eating habits though! I'm intrigued as to what makes you think this? Tony stated loads of times that he wanted more children, we saw him have empty nest syndrome when Lucas left for Uni and he was the one who wanted to go ahead with the reversal even though Rachel changed her mind when she considered the dangers of it. He even bought booties for the baby he was so excited. He revealed to Jack his hesitance to have the reversal was because he was afraid of the surgery. Tony also knew the difficulties she had with Kim over children so I doubt he'd have gotten himself into a relationship with her knowing that if he didn't want children. I'll admit though that I wish we'd have actually seen them have the conversation about where they stood in terms of children. We never saw them agree to it, just had Rachel say "well we both agreed we wanted children" which is a bit of a waste in my opinion.

Brilliant chapter I loved it! Well done callyha

Aww were they really? I might watch today's one then I wondered if they would get mentioned at any point so it's good that they have. I miss them to so much I haven't watched a single episode since their departure. I wish I could make avatars - post in the avatar request thread and I'm sure someone will make you one - they're all lovely over there

When did you first become a fan of Rachel? (Which episode/storyline/year) I can't really remember to be honest. I have a feeling it was around the time of the helicopter crash; when I saw Kim getting it on with Kit and Rachel at home having a breakdown I was just so horrified that he could do that to her she became an instant favourite. What qualities do you like/dislike about Rachel? I like that she's one of the most realistic characters on the show in that she has her flaws and she admits to them. Leah for example, I do like, but it drives me mad how she's always portrayed as this character who does no wrong and is nice to everyone whereas with Rachel she's got this heart of gold but if anyone hurts someone else she loves she makes it her personal mission to bring them down! I like that she's so driven in her career; I think she's a really positive role model and deals with the more realistic issues on the show; wanting a family, balancing it with career. I guess if I had to say something I didn't like it would be her stubborness; sometimes she drives me mad and it would have been nice to see her step away from her 'doctor role' a bit more but I guess it's an integral part of a doctor's personality so it's realistic. What outfits did/didn’t you like seeing Rachel wear? (Feel free to add screen caps to your description) My favourite outfits were the maxi dresses they had Rachel wear in 2010 - particularly that green one she left in, it was beautiful. I also liked a lot of her work clothes; the dresses and the long skirts and heels. The outfits I detested were the ones she wore after having Harry - namely that white shirt. It was dreadful and ruined a lot of nice tops! Also the fact that they only bought a couple of maternity tops when she was pregnant yet the majority of the time had her wearing her normal tops stretched over the bump. It looked ridiculous and made the bump look so fake. I did love her maternity clothes though; the pink and black top she wore on the pier when Tony showed her the boat and the greeny/bluey one with the black bow she wore when Tony stroked her bump and told her their little bubba doesn't need a bitter old man. What was/were your favourite Rachel storyline(s) and could you relate to them in any way? There are so many it's hard to choose! Ones that stick out in my mind are the helicopter crash and Rachel's subsequent breakdown. I can't really say that I can relate to it but the acting was phenomenal and you got so tangled up in the storyline with all it's complexities. There's also the Dr Helpman storyline which was really difficult to watch and also the revelation about her past with her Dad - I think it was the first time we'd seen that more vulnerable side to her character and realised how much she'd coped with as a younger person. Rachel's Mum dying was also heartbreakingly sad; especially that she never got to see her Mum regain her memory again like Kim did. I think I can relate to Rachel in that storyline in the way that she shut Kim out and tried to engross herself in work to distract herself from the pain. I'm very much like that; I hate people fussing over me when something bad happens; I usually shut it all out then have a dramatic cry later. Rachel's part in the quadrangle was also something I loved watching; I felt so so sorry for her and wanted to thump Kim for what he was doing to her; I think that was some of her best acting to and the way she eventually lowered herself as well in that she slept with Hugh (I don't condone affairs but I have to say I was cheering her on when she did this - Hugh ) Also that final scene on the beach when she broke down tearing up the letter to Hugh and just cried while the waves washed over her was so powerful. The Reverand Hall storyline was also brilliant; Rachel was all alone and having all these frightening messages sent to her, it was sad to see her coping with it by herself. A lot of her good character came out to in the way that she forgave him instantly and tried to help him - one of the scenes that will always stand out in my mind is when she went to forgive him and started crying when she pointed to her wrists and said you hurt me. So sad. Plus it was when we first saw Tony looking out for her, that scene in the diner where he offers to walk her to her car and Sally says chivalry isn't dead! The Aden/Larry taking Rachel hostage storyline was amazing! I won't speak about the aftermath or the way the Tony/Rachel storyline was handled but in terms of just Rachel it showed a different side to her character in that it was the first time she'd been in this situation when someone she loved was hurt. The way she just snapped when she found out Tony had gone thinking she didn't want to marry him was heartbreaking and the scenes afterwards of her hitting the booze was a good reflection of her character. The Henk storyline - just the way it came out so unexpectedly and watching Rachel completely tense up whenever he came into the room was difficult. I loved that she never fully forgave him either. Finally the whole postnatal depression storyline was done really really well. Although it brought out an uglier side to Rachel's character and it was frustrating to watch her be so distant from Tony, snapping at him, unreasonable; it was also one of the most realistic portrayals of the illness that I've seen; the way it gradually increased in intensity and became worse; that it was subtle and not completely obvious she had it. That all the other factors such as Harry's kidnapping and Rachel being a first time Mum could all have been blamed for it. And the acting was incredible right from Harry's birth till the end of the storyline. That one scene when she's screaming at Tony that she's Harry's mother and she did this to him was haunting. Tell us a few of your favourite quotes from Rachel. "Oh I could take both of you but that's not the point...." Right in the middle of a disagreement. "I think it's time to take my little boy home - Harry's probably ready to go to" - a classic Rachel quote! "My husband the tough guy" "I wish I could take his pain away" (Talking about Tony's grief for Jack) "Harry look at the big fish Mummy bought and the little fish that Daddy caught" "Are you a wiggly worm hey? A wiggly worm?" (With Harry - it was so cute!) "Tony you never let me down. Everything I'm throwing at you and you just keep coming back for more." "You nearly pashed your Auntie" "I'm still hot aren't I?" Who do you think was Rachel’s ultimate soul mate and why – Kim, Hugh, Lewis, Henk, Roman or Tony? Definetely not Henk! I'm surprised he's even in the list! I'm going to have to say Tony - I just thought he was perfect for her; they both had the same aims in life, a similar position within the community in that people always went to them for advice and they were always looking out for the other members of the Bay. Plus just the whole way in which the relationship was developed; for the first time two characters weren't brought into the show just to be paired up together; they were friends for years before anything happened and there were also hints of it long before anything happened such as their movie nights (I so wish we'd seen them) and Julie suspecting Tony liked Rachel. It was a lot more of a mature relationship; not dependent on O.T.T drama or sensational storylines to gain them a fanbase but the more realistic issues that all people in life struggle with. They were both just so loving with each other and romantic and even their arguments were passionate Although despite this; I will always have a soft spot for Hugh. Who would you have liked to have seen Rachel paired up with from all the male regulars and guests from the show? It sounds a bit weird considering Rachel ended up with Tony but I did at one point wonder if Rachel & Jack could have had a relationship. They were always so close, lived together for ages, looked out for each other. They were kind of sweet but I think Rachel had enough romance in her time in the show! What type of storyline did you enjoy Rachel in – a work related storyline, a personal related storyline or a storyline with another Summer Bay character (apart from a relationship one)? I liked watched the storylines that were more personal related; we got to see a lot more of her true character and her battles to cope with things without anyone else seeing she was struggling. At work she was this confident, professional but at home she found things more difficult, if she was suffering she would only ever let someone like Tony see her vulnerable side and her battle to keep things in and cope with them on her own. They were always more interesting I think. The other storylines I loved watched were Rachel & Leah. They had the best friendship I think the show has ever portrayed and all the little hints to their past as childhood friends and the way they would always lean on other in difficult times was really sweet to watch. Plus they were so fun together; always giggling and just being girlie. Do you feel that we should have had more/less focus storyline wise on Rachel during the years and do you feel that she was/wasn’t a background character towards the end of her time on the show? I think Rachel definetely had her fair share of storyline when she first came to the show; perhaps too much at once which meant that later on the writers struggled to think of original ideas for her. However I do think there was a lot further her character could have been developed and the latter half of 2009 and all of 2010 was just shocking in the way they utilised Rachel. She didn't have one storyline of her own; instead just disagreeing with all of Tony's life choices and it was such a shame and a real waste to watch. What was/were your favourite storyline/s that featured Rachel that stood out in your mind? Her involvement in Martha's cancer storyline was one that stands out in my mind; how she was always there when she needed help despite what was going on with her personally. The way she defended Brad when he was stood up at the altar by Sally also stands out because she acted defensive as any sister would and I loved that she stood up for him and shouted at Sally - despite her being the 'golden girl' of H&A. What type of storylines would you have liked to have seen Rachel tackle – both professionally and personally? I think one which I always wanted to see was where Rachel lost her confidence in her abilities as a doctor. Perhaps she made a mistake at work causing a patient to be seriously affected by it and we see how she copes with knowing she caused that; perhaps she's forced to take leave and then hasn't got the confidence in herself to go back. That mixes professional with personal and they're always my favourite ones. I would also have liked to see a storyline where Rachel is hurt/kidnapped (again) and Tony actually cares this time I'd also have liked to see her story with her Dad be brought to full circle and have that resolved; perhaps more focus on the fact that her Mum wasn't around when she was pregnant and had Harry, a mention would have been nice. What song (by title and artist) best describes or best depicts Rachel? Erm I dunno; I've never really thought about a song, "Miss Independent" by Kelly Clarkson Someone did a video on youtube once about Rachel's position during the Kim/Kit drama to Unfaithful by Rihanna and it always reminds me of how Kim treated her. What storylines do you think Amy Mathews did a tremendous job in portraying her character’s strengths? It would be quicker to say when she didn't! I think even through the times when her storylines were written dreadfully or Rachel acted out of character for the sake of a storyline her acting never faltered; she was without a doubt one of the best actresses the show ever had. I guess the Reverend Hall one is a time when Rachel's strengths were really evident in that she tried to help him instantly despite what he'd done to her. Also the way she forgave him and wasn't judgmental at all despite how much it frightened her and she tried to keep everything in and not show how much it had effected her. Also during the Tara storyline; despite all that she'd done to Kim and how much it nearly affected their relationship; she still reached out to help her. Finally like Kirsty said; during Jack's death storyline, particularly in the second episode of the year when despite her own pain at losing Jack (he'd been her close friend and flat mate for years) she held it all in in an attempt to support Tony through it. And all throughout no matter how cruel he was to her, no matter how much he pushed her away she was still always there for him and never made it about her own pain. Which direction would you like to see Amy venture into next – stage (theatre), television (tv dramas/soaps or a mini-series) or film (short films or movies)? I guess more television or film because I'd never get to see her performance if she did it on stage What message would you like to convey to the writers of the show in regards to the character of Dr Rachel Armstrong? What on earth happened in 2010? Would be my first question to! She was completely wasted and there were so many opportunities for her. But overall they've done a really good job with her; she was a realistic character and a really positive role model for younger girls and older really. I loved that she was so confident in her role as a doctor, compassionate with everyone and went out of her way to help people but it was in her personal life that she struggled and showed her weaker side. It's a shame they had to end her character the way they did but she's definetely a unique character to H&A and will definetely be missed! Ultimately they used Amy's talents as a brilliant emotional actress to incorporate it into Rachel's character and give her the really gritty emotional characterisation. What message would you like to send to Amy in regards to her on-screen character and for her future in the world of acting? Thanks I guess! You've played Rachel brilliantly and never faltered in your performance; standing out in the scenes a lot of the time even when Rachel wasn't the focus. You deserve to do really well in the future so I hope you're finally recognised for your talents.

I appreciate you attempting to compromise but I really don't see what a Picspam has to do with what we wanted to do for Tachel's departure? And finally, I never expected you to do one for Tachel at all; you don't have time, I understand that. I just wish there was some way we could do something ourselves for them that you would allow us to include on this site.

I'm not interested in creating a 'Tachel website' just so we can make a departing tribute for them. The idea was for it to be on this site as it's where all of the fans have spent our time discussing them, writing fan fics on them and posting their artwork. We weren't asking for a lot; just a chance for one page to put everything together. And when I said backlash about other characters I was talking about the ones which weren't given departure features before you decided to stop making them based on a fear of bias. Perhaps the Jai, Annie and Aden fans weren't bothered either way by the absence of a departure feature hence why they didn't comment. And finally in no way did I blame you for the way Tachel have been treated by the show; hence why I said 'the show.'

I'm not talented enough to even know where to begin with making a website. I find it really unfair actually and I don't think anything that's been suggested comes anywhere close to what we were wanting from it. The character profiles as good as they are; don't have links to all the artwork and fan fics in one place and don't act as a tribute to them as it has no fan contribution; it's just a story of their time on the show. There's never been a backlash before when characters haven't been included in the departures so I really don't understand it.I'm sorry that you wont let us do something on behalf of them, I'm really, really disappointed. It's something I and I know a lot of other Tachel fans have been looking forward to doing since we found out they were leaving. I won't go on about it anymore as it's pretty clear there's not going to be any compromise. Just after the way the show's treated the Tachel fans it feels like the final stab in the back really.

But John in all respect to you; we're not asking you to do a departure feature. We're asking if we can have the opportunity to make one ourselves...we've accepted you guys don't want to make one and understand it. I don't see how you will be accused of favouritism? It's never happened before when you've made the features; Ollie's one was smaller than Jack's and Belle's but no-one complained. We've been told you don't want to make a Tachel one at all and we haven't complained, we haven't accused you of favouritism because you made one for Jack, Lucas, Belle etc. We've just asked if we can make one ourselves? All because of one silly comment from jodelbirger, all the Tachel fans aren't allowed to make something to remember their favourite characters by? The point is the character discussion threads are that; discussions. We wanted a place where collectively we could have a selection of artwork, links to Tachel fan fics etc. Eventually the Tachel character thread will disappear onto the back pages. All we're asking for is something easily accessible that holds all the Tony/Rachel/Tachel history of the show together.

It's not favouritism if the fans are the ones making it....plus I assume that seeing as no-one queried it when characters such as Jai, Annie and Aden left why there wasn't to be a departure feature; it's probably because they weren't fussed either way. If we as Tachel fans are happy to put something together to remember two characters who were a huge part of the show then I don't understand why we can't.

That was a beautiful chapter! The whole conversation with Nicole and Aden was written perfectly and I'm pleased Nicole has been able to cope with the fact he can't say those words to her; hopefully one day he can. Look forward to the next update

Jodlebirger; why are you suddenly annoyed everytime something is suggested or done for Tachel aka the departure feature and now John posting pictures? Thank you John for those; the flying pig moment I still don't think it's properly sunk in that Tachel are gone. I'm happy with the way their departure was done (as in literally the departure; the goodbye) but I do think it's sad that we only had about 2 minutes of happy Tachel before they left. I would have liked to see at least one episode where they're just happy and tying things up in the Bay, reflecting on their time etc. But still we got a happy ending ultimately and that's something I'm VERY thankful for. I wonder if we'll get any mentions of how they're doing in America from time to time; from Leah or Gina perhaps?

Thank you Ryan I really appreciate that Enjoy FBI Files

I'm really sorry if I came across as being one of those who made it look like I thought it was terrible that you weren't doing one. I didn't mean to come across like that at all. I guess in the same way that those who aren't particular interested in a character enough to do a departure feature, I was never much of a Belle fan so didn't appreciate your efforts as much as I perhaps should have. And I think because I was never a Martha fan either or Aden I never even noticed there wasn't a departure feature for them and when I saw Belle's one I just assumed Tony & Rachel would get one - I'm sorry if I've come across as ungrateful Like Kirsty said I'll be happy to help out to do a Tony & Rachel one; again though I understand why you wouldn't want to if you don't get the feedback which matches the work you put in. I think like with the Belle feature, people forget the amount of work that goes into it and just expect one to appear like a feature on the OS for example. Perhaps that explains the few comments; people forget you aren't being paid for your work!

Oh no that's a real shame I was really looking forward to a Tony/Rachel one. I can understand why though. I wouldn't want to spend a lot of my own time making something about a character I didn't even like, especially when you don't get a lot of feedback to; makes you feel like you've wasted your time. If any of the staff do feel like they'd want to do a Tony/Rachel one in the future though I'd be happy to help out and try to contribute to a site I've got a lot from in the past few years Thank you for all your hard work though, I noticed you'd updated Tony and Rachel's profile yesterday which I'm particularly grateful for

What made you first notice Tony? Also, what is it about Tony’s character that appeals/doesn’t appeal to you? As ashamed as I am to admit it; I don't think I even acknowledged Tony until he supported Rachel through the aftermath of Reverend Hall. I think he was so seriously underused up until that point that he was never involved in anything noticeable (apart from Beth's death but I wasn't an avid viewer then) so when I saw how amazing he was with Rachel that's when I started to notice him more. I think Tony's one of those pretty perfect characters; he's an amazingly supportive partner, compassionate, loving, gentlemanly, amazing with his and other children so there's a lot that appeals to me! If I had to pick one think I don't like it's probably the way he sleeps around when he gets hurt. And I hated his stubbornness during 2010 - actually I disliked a lot of Tony in 2010 but I refuse to believe that is his character and just put in down to poor writing. Do you think Jon Sivewright was the right actor to play Tony and why? What do you think he brought to the role? Absolutely - it's because of Jon's portrayal that I love Tony so much. He gives such warmth to the character and vulnerability; you can tell he's been hurt a lot in his life and he just had the ability to have these sad eyes when the script asked for it that broke your heart. And I loved the way he always tilted his head when he was being romantic. Tony was mainly a background character for his first year or so on the show? What storylines would you have liked him to be involved in during this time? I never watched Tony's first scenes but I do think they made a mistake pairing him up with Beth so quickly. They never really gave him a chance to develop in his own character and instead he just became Beth's handbag - doing her washing. I think maybe they should have used this time to explore his past; not with Kate because they did that but for example we don't even know if his parents are still alive. Plus I think they should have had him more involved in helping other kids out - I loved seeing him looking after Geoff and Annie that it would have been nice to see a bit more. What were your favourite Tony storylines? I couldn't possibly choose a favourite! (1)I think Jack's death was when Jon really excelled himself as an actor and we truly saw the extent of Tony's role as a father and how much of a broken man he is; how much he's been through. (2) Harry's kidnapping again was just performed incredibly and my heart just broke for Tony when he waited up for news that he was okay - you just couldn't believe he'd have to go through losing a son again. (3) I loved him at the reunion when we saw him drunk, it was nice to see Tony having some fun and also how he stayed loyal to Rachel and put Jazz in her place. (4) Seeing Tony become a father again; the tiny little glimpses of excitement even though he was grieving for Jack and then just how at ease and adoring he was towards Harry. What was Tony’s worst storyline? The boxing storyline springs to mind immediately! It was so awfully done, painted Tony as a stubborn idiot who had no concern for his wife's unease with what he was doing (I'm not saying he should have given it up because of her but I would have liked to have seen him compromise) Plus his ridiculous hissy fits with John just made Tony look incredible immature when his maturity has always been something that's evident in Tony. (Although the fight scene with John was hilarious so that was one good thing that came out of it - and the smooch with Rachel back home after ) What other storylines would you liked to have seen Tony involved in? I'd have liked to have seen Tony involved in a storyline where Rachel was kidnapped and he was actually concerned this time! We never got to see much of hero Tony after he was put with Rachel so more of him rescuing people would have been nice! I'd have loved to have seen a storyline where we meet his parents if they are still alive; I'd love to know what they were like. And maybe more of his role as a teacher; perhaps a student has a crush on him and we see how he deals with it! What were your favourite Tony scenes? (1) With a love interest? (2) With a family member? (3) With a friend? (1) Being the big Tachel fan I am (and it would have to be Rachel) I honestly couldn't pick. The wedding would have to be one - I just wanted to marry Tony to when he wiped a tear away during the vows, told Rachel she looked beautiful and rubbed her bump. I thought he was incredible in the episode where Harry was in hospital - he was amazingly supportive to Rachel when he begged her to seek help because he didn't want to lose anyone else he loved; even though he had a right to be angry with her. The spanner episode also springs to mind! I loved seeing the protective side of him and also the more saucy side when he smacked Rachel's bum haha! Oh oh and when he first felt the baby kick; seeing him smile after being so sad over Jack was lovely and he was so amazed by it. Loved it! (2) I loved all of his scenes with his children particularly - especially Harry just because I have a thing for men with babies and he had such natural ease with him. Some of my favourites were when Tony held Jack when he was crying over Martha's cancer. When he read Lucas's script and realised the character was him and told Lucas he was amazing and he said no you are. And with Harry I loved when he'd just been given back to them after being kidnapped and Tony was poking out his tongue at him when Harry was doing it back. I also loved the scene where Tony was teasing Gina over John; I loved seeing him be the cheeky little brother. (3) Poor HotDad didn't really have any friends did he? Once scene I'll always remember is when he tried explaining to Alf why Bridget couldn't work at the Bar and he's like well..we...*hands motion* and Alf's like Strewth! Haha! Also I loved the scene with Aden on his stag night when he says how amazing it feels to know you're going to spend the rest of your life with someone who makes you that happy. Oh and also when Aden quizzed him when he first told Rachel he loved her. What do you feel was the best written Tony scene during his time on the show? Hmm so hard to pick just one and seperate best written from best acted. I think the one I'll have to go with is the monologue Tony had when Jack died where he explained to Roman about finding his body and praying that he would be okay even though deep down knowing it wouldn't be. It was so heart-wrenching and painful to hear. Do you think Tony made a good partner? Why/why not? Put it this way - he's raised my expectations so high I don't think any real man would be able to live up to it He was always incredibly supportive even if he didn't agree, would always give up his time to help the person he loved, he's very good looking! He's charming, always caring and looking after the person he was with; worrying about them. Just perfect! What do you think about Tony’s relationship with Beth? Also, if Beth hadn’t died would her and Tony have still been together now? Do you want my honest opinion? I hated Tony with Beth. I think the only reason they were put together was because they were around the same age and I hate when a character's brought in just to be paired up with an existing character. He never had a chance to shine when he was with Beth and I found her really controlling and thought he never stuck up for himself; was always really timid around her. There was never any passion or chemistry with them they were just like an old married couple. Sorry any Bony fans I just thought Tony could do better than her. I'd hope they wouldn't still be together if she was alive because I think her death was the best thing that ever happened to him - he became a character in his own right. Plus the fact that he admitted he would never have proposed to Beth if she wasn't leaving combined with the fact that he didn't want to accompany her travelling whereas we saw him make those sacrifices with Rachel makes me think deep down he was just comfortable in the relationship - not really in love as such. I'm sure he loved her don't get me wrong but I never saw him look like he was in love. During Tony’s time on the show he has been portrayed as a good family man – Do you think HotDad was a good dad and why? Also, was he a good father figure to and other characters such as Mattie and Geoff? He was an amazing Dad. You could always tell his whole life revolved around his children; he'd dedicated his entire life to bringing up Lucas and Jack after their Mum died and not a lot of men would do that. I loved seeing him not just with his own children but helping other kids to. I thought he had a really sweet relationship with Mattie and then Annie and the fact that he held off setting a wedding date with Rachel because he was worried about what Matilda would think showed how much he cared about their feelings. And when he was with Harry he just knew all the little tricks and was so comfortable and at ease with him. I loved seeing his role as a Dad. In your opinion, what is HotDad’s best look? And his worst?! His wedding suit was a definite favourite. And I thought he looked sexy when he went to see Rachel at the hospital after the wedding when he just had his shirt and trousers on. I also loved what he wore to his first date with Rachel and at the reunion - purple suits him! I loved the new jeans he started wearing after Harry was born to - plain coloured t-shirts always looked really good on him (like the one John ripped in the fight!) and finally the navy shirt and black trousers he wore when he went to ask Gina about the teaching job. Worst look - the long hair. Enough said. Oh and that horrible yellow rugby shirt - did nothing for him! What are some of your favourite Tony quotes? They'd mostly have to be his romantic quotes I'm afraid: "I can't bear to imagine my life without you but I can't bear to make you miserable either Leah saying Harry was gorgeous and Tony saying "err hello" and pointing to himself. "I've lost too many people in my life and I do not want to lose you," "so you've seen my wife naked?" "hey there peanut, how's it going?" "Harry mate...never get married," "More than anything, I want us to be parents, to raise a child together and to see you become a Mother" "I just wanna help Rach, I don't want to let you down again." "Pretty soon we'll get outselves into a nice little routine and everything will fall into place" (something like that." "You are going to make a beautiful mother" "Rachel: where did you get these? Tony: I sheared that sheep myself! What would you like to see Jon go onto do now? What kind of TV shows/films would he be suited to? Either really, I think I'd like to see him on something like Rush so we could see him in the uniform haha! A sad part of me as a Tachel fan would love to see him and Amy on another show together as a couple so I could pretend Tachel are still around! It would be nice to see him play something different but he does lovely so well, maybe he should stick to family man characters

Fantastic chapter. I loved how concerned everyone was for Charlie, I hope the operation goes well.

I just need to compose myself and try to get over the fact that Tachel are gone Then I'll be right on it! Thank you QA and Karen for composing this; really looking forward to seeing what people put.

I am definetely in agreement that Tony's been changed through this and I think as a huge Tony fan, I'm one of the people who would know that the writing of him has been poor because I pay more attention to him than someone who wasn't a fan. I agree that Rachel hasn't acted perfectly in this. She's made the wrong decision in accepting the job on the hope Tony would come, it was a huge risk and she's now left with the possibility that Tony won't come with her. What I love about Rachel's character is she actually admitted she was wrong in doing this. She's not being selfish in the slightest and there is no point looking for other jobs in the area because there will be none that offer the type of work she is looking for. She doesn't just want to treat people in the hospital, she wants to be involved in creating drugs and wants a better work/life balance so she can spend more time with her son; which Daniel can offer. So that suggestion of changing jobs to elsewhere in Australia is invalid. Rachel is so desperate for Tony to come she's gone to the extremes of inviting his son over; so that proves she's not putting her job before her marriage. She's never once actually said she will go without Tony and even when she considered the possibility of him not coming; Rachel asked how they could adapt things to make their marriage work in different countries. So she's not actually even considering for one moment a divorce. I don't agree that it's always made out that Rachel's right and it's what she wants. Take the boxing issue for example. A storyline I absolutely hated but what it did show is that Tony would go ahead with his own decisions if he believed them to be the best. He never once considered changing the plan, involving less hitting for example because he knew his wife didn't like it and was worried someone would get hurt. Instead he practically said "screw what the wife thinks, I'm doing it anyway." So how is what he did here, any different to what Rachel's doing now? Except Rachel's actually trying to find a way to make it work with Tony; finding him jobs and opportunities over there that are better for him and making him realise his living son will be there to!!!!! Another example is when Tony got bored of his job. Did he discuss it with Rachel? No he decided to sell it, despite the financial difficulty and strain it would put on his family and it even resulted in Rachel having to work more hours that she didn't really want to in order to make up for the loss. Rachel sacrificed that for her husband and her family because she knew there was no other option; she knew Tony wasn't happy in his job and she knew he was struggling to keep it going. Rachel's not the demon's mistress that people can make her out to be; she actually does a lot of good to. No she's not perfect, she does a hell of a lot of things wrong but she's probably one of the most realistic characters. And I think she's allowed to be a little selfish sometimes; goodness knows how many house calls she has to make in her own time on top of her working hours The whole reason this arrangement isn't working is because Tony's not talking to Rachel; he's not being honest about why he really doesn't want to go, he's giving her mixed messages about what she can and can't feel and he's refusing to have any sort of a conversation with her at all; therefore how are things meant to be compromised and an arrangement set? Everytime Rachel asks to talk he says no, he wont listen to why it's so important to her and this is so so unlike the Tony we know who would always consider Rachel's feelings and be proud of her. If he's afraid of losing his wife like he's been through before with Kate then surely he'd be more eager to go with Rachel? I don't think his 'broken man' attitude is relevant here at all. And that is exactly what Rachel's doing. They're both being stubborn here and it's making them go round in circles.

^^ What's even more funny is the way he told Leah it's not even about his teaching job....it's the boxing Well Tony, if you're happy to lose your wife and son for a boxing class then more fool you!! I guess deep down his real reason is Jack but for some insane reason he doesn't want to tell her that.

Having watched Thursday's and Friday's episodes, I'm pleased that there is a reason Tony has been acting this way although if he'd have just been honest with Rachel from the start about Jack then things might not have gotten so bad. I was worried that they were going to portray Rachel as putting her career before her family but again I'm pleased to see that's not the case and seeing her finally cracking in front of Leah when she realised Tony might not actually come frightened her a lot I think. I guess she accepted the job thinking ultimately Tony would come with her and the fact that he's refusing to AND refusing to let her take Harry means the situation is just a huge mess. I'm pleased she didn't get him a plane ticket as like she said it would have looked as though she was bullying him and forcing him to come when ultimately she wants him to come happily to or at least discuss it with her. I can understand why Tony thinks that it meant she was happy to go without him though; it doesn't look too good but if he just sat down and allowed her to explain things and spoke to her, this whole thing need not have happened. I can understand why Rachel's not wanting to admit her fears to Tony; I think she originally didn't believe she was good enough for the job; Daniel and Tony's encouragement allowed her to think she was and then Tony's remarks have brought her back down again and given her a confidence crisis; especially when her marriage is in such a state to. I've loved Leah and Miles's involvement in the whole thing; I think it's a real shame they haven't utilised Tony and Miles' friendship before though. It's good that Leah's seeing things from both sides and pointing out to Rachel how it looks from Tony's point of view as the way this storyline has been promoted with the promos and the sneek peeks subtitled "Rachel tells Tony she's taking Harry to America" makes it appear as if Rachel's putting her career first but actually when you watch it you realise it's all a bluff to make Tony see how much it means to her. I love Miles as well, his continuous "stop moping and go home" and "talk to Rachel" amuses me as it's so obvious it's what Tony needs to do but he's being stubborn about it. I guess with Miles losing a wife and daughter to he's struggling to see how Tony could let them go but at the same time how Rachel could go without them; then again he's only had Tony's side of the story. The scene of Miles and Leah discussing it was nice as well; both putting their heads together to see how they can help them. As much as it's sad and frustrating to see them not communicating properly together I have enjoyed this week's episodes. Just seeing them step back and consider how much they really do mean to each other is intriguing to watch and the difficulty of the situation is being really well portrayed in my opinion. I think they've had one the whole one of the most realistic portrayals of what marriage actually is; the mundane and the fighting and the balancing things so that both sides are happy. I just really, really hope that Tony is honest with Rachel about why he really doesn't want to go - hopefully Lucas can help that. And Harry babbling throughout the episode was very cute Although he changed his face about 3 or 4 times over Friday's episode

I do wonder. Do you think the producers stopped giving them storylines I think it's pretty obvious that they either couldn't be bothered or couldn't think of any storylines to give Tony & Rachel The last storyline before the one happening now that Rachel had was her post natal depression/going back to work storyline all the way back in late 2009. The writers seemingly gave up with them (or TPTB should I say...i can't exclusively blame the writers I do find Tony's reluctance to talk to her about her wanting to leave really strange and his sudden turn around from going "no Rachel, you really should consider this, they'd be lucky to have you; at least sleep on it" to "how dare you consider leaving, do you realise how selfish that is?" And I find it quite sad that he's being so accusatory about Rachel 'taking Harry away from him' when all he has to do is go with them and he doesn't have to lose Harry. Rachel wants him to go, it's not like she's asking for a divorce and moving away so that he can't see him. I hope there's another explanation for Tony's behaviour because if there isn't then I think it's really poor writing from a character point of view. Tony has never been this moody.