Characters leaving quickly

[Lunar]

Does it bother anyone else how characters just leave so quickly?

Fair enough if they die suddenly, or have an illness, but what bothers me is when there's no build up to them choosing to leave. Like when you get a character who just comes out one day and says 'I'm leaving', and then come the afternoon, there's a rush to throw them a get together and drive them to the airport.

I feel like it'd make more sense to drag it out for a few episodes at least, instead of trying to shove it all into one episode.

I remember Hunter's departure felt especially weird to me. He suddenly just decided to leave Uni (although I get he'd dealt with a lot of stress), but his leaving get-together was literally a handful of people showing up, and then cut to a scene of them leaving after not showing them doing anything, then him off to the airport. 

[baywatcher]

2 minutes ago, Lunar said:

Does it bother anyone else how characters just leave so quickly?

Yes.  This has always seemed odd to me, particularly when the writers must know months in advance that an actor is leaving.

[j.laur5]

Matt and Evie. 

[Lunar]

24 minutes ago, baywatcher said:

Yes.  This has always seemed odd to me, particularly when the writers must know months in advance that an actor is leaving.

Yeah this is what I don't get - they must know a while in advance if an actor decides not to renew their contract, plus I figured they'd assume most of the younger ones would leave around the 3 year mark anyway. Even guest characters who maybe have 6 months, they know exactly how long they've got and could plan their exit a bit better.

[adam436]

I guess the problem is that TPTB worry fans won't invest if they know the character is leaving? For example, if a character is planning a big move for 2 months, then anything that happens to them in that time either won't be a surprise or fans won't care because they are leaving anyway.

 

There are occasional curveballs/twists, such as Charlotte Adams dying just days before her move to Vietnam, but ultimately, if we know in the story that a character is leaving, it becomes very predictable. 

 

I don't enjoy the exits that are wrapped up in one episode, but also the ones that drag on for months are quite tiresome too. I think a week or so is sufficient, with perhaps the seeds being planted a few weeks prior to that. 

[Lunar]

On 12/05/2019 at 09:43, j.laur5 said:

Matt and Evie. 

I hated how rushed that was! Especially with the wedding as well.

On 12/05/2019 at 22:16, adam436 said:

I guess the problem is that TPTB worry fans won't invest if they know the character is leaving? For example, if a character is planning a big move for 2 months, then anything that happens to them in that time either won't be a surprise or fans won't care because they are leaving anyway.

 

There are occasional curveballs/twists, such as Charlotte Adams dying just days before her move to Vietnam, but ultimately, if we know in the story that a character is leaving, it becomes very predictable. 

 

I don't enjoy the exits that are wrapped up in one episode, but also the ones that drag on for months are quite tiresome too. I think a week or so is sufficient, with perhaps the seeds being planted a few weeks prior to that. 

Yeah thats true, I know there's been a few cases before where its been reported (as a 'rumour') that an actor is leaving, although I don't know what impact its had on the ratings.

I think at least a week would be good, especially if its a week where they're doing a triple episode.

[baywatcher]

It's almost impossible to keep cast departures secret in these days of social media etc.

If cast have social media accounts, it doesn't take long for fans to spot when their routine changes, which can often lead to speculation that someone may have left.  (Maybe this doesn't happen so much with H&A but it certainly does with N).

Also, with the high percentage of public location filming that takes place on H&A, fans would soon notice if they hadn't seen a cast member for a while.

'Evidence' mounts up that someone has left and TPTB often have to admit it is true before their exit scenes are screened.

I don't personally have a problem knowing that someone is leaving and I can choose to ignore spoilers if I don't want to know the manner of their departure.

I would much rather see a long-standing popular character be given a decent send off instead of two episodes notice and then being waved off in the back of a taxi.

[j.laur5]

Ricky and Brax too as they left completely unnoticed.

Brax was presumed dead and the whole town seemed mourn his death, and yet a year later he revealed to be alive and no one other then Braxtons circle found out he was alive.

Phoebe's departure really came out of the blue, but I can't stay I didn't think Phoebe would leave at the first opportunity . 

[voyager50]

On 12/05/2019 at 09:23, Lunar said:

Does it bother anyone else how characters just leave so quickly?

Fair enough if they die suddenly, or have an illness, but what bothers me is when there's no build up to them choosing to leave. Like when you get a character who just comes out one day and says 'I'm leaving', and then come the afternoon, there's a rush to throw them a get together and drive them to the airport.

I feel like it'd make more sense to drag it out for a few episodes at least, instead of trying to shove it all into one episode.

I remember Hunter's departure felt especially weird to me. He suddenly just decided to leave Uni (although I get he'd dealt with a lot of stress), but his leaving get-together was literally a handful of people showing up, and then cut to a scene of them leaving after not showing them doing anything, then him off to the airport. 

In reality it would take them a lot longer and on many ocassions they would have had to have vaccinations  and/or apply for visas weeks in advance - I've certainly had to for trips to places like Thailand and Vietnam where some of the characters have gone.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Does leaving quickly equate to characters not getting a proper exit storyline, or ones who did get a proper exit but it was out of the blue?

 

Rob Storey was there one day then just was never seen again yet still lived in the Bay.

Narelle Smart left quite suddenly. She just decided to head for the city.