Oz Preview – Under the Knife
Episodes 6609-6614
Monday 6th to Thursday 9th March 2017 on Seven
UPDATE: Please note that late schedule changes means that the episodes referred to in this article instead aired as part of a triple episode on 2nd March.
It’s been a rollercoaster few months for the Palmer household, but the drama isn’t about to end any time soon as John (Shane Withington) prepares to undergo brain surgery.
Things haven’t been right with John since he fell and hit his head last year—which resulted in a bleed on the brain. Whilst assured by the doctors that it was nothing serious at the time, in the months since we’ve seen John suffer dizziness, physical and mental blackouts, and display some very out of character behaviour.
In recent weeks, both Marilyn (Emily Symons) and Alf (Ray Meagher) became concerned about John’s moodswings, and John himself started to worry about his frequent memory lapses and headaches. During another mental blackout, he attempted to set fire to the bait shop, but was interrupted by Alf and dropped his lighter as he made his escape.
When Kat (Pia Miller) heard from forensics that the lighter contained only John’s fingerprints, the pieces of the puzzle finally come together and confirmed that he was the one responsible for the fires. However at the same time, John had a seizure and he collapsed at home in front of a shocked Marilyn.
Rushed to hospital, Nate (Kyle Pryor) revealed that John had a brain tumour, and that surgery to remove it would be the most viable option. He also confirmed to Kat that a tumour of this type could well cause significant behavioural change.
Whilst Kat chose not to confront John with the truth of what he’d done just yet, the Summer Bay grapevine didn’t take long to reach Ash (George Mason), who stormed into a bewildered John’s hospital room to attack him for causing Billie’s death.
As Kat explained further and John and Marilyn struggled to face up to the shock news that he was responsible for both Billie’s demise and Marilyn’s burns, John grew increasingly despondent and decided against having the surgery—even if he did make it through, he’d still have a possible prison sentence awaiting him.
“It was horrifying for John when the realisation of what he’d done hit him” said Shane to TV WEEK. “He descends into the blackest of times. John’s thinking, ‘What’s the point? I don’t remember what happened but I did this. I don’t want surgery—I want out!’”
After a heartfelt plea from Marilyn, John agrees to undergo the surgery, but she voices her fears to Alf as to whether the man she loves will ever be the same again.
Whilst John makes it through the surgery, a further complication ensues when an administered painkiller causes him to go into anaphylactic shock, leaving him on the brink of death unless action is taken immediately. “He reacts badly, leaving him unconscious” Shane continued. “Marilyn is broken. She’s severely burnt, the whole town is burnt, and her husband has admitted he’s responsible. Now she might lose him.”
For other storylines and a full rundown of what’s to come over in the next couple of weeks, as synopses become available, visit our Australian Spoilers page.
Visit Summer Bay!
With Sydney in its summer months, there’s no better time to see ‘Summer Bay’ in all its glory – you may even be lucky enough to spot some cast members!
The Official Home and Away Tour departs from central Sydney four days a week, and costs just $99 per person. For more information, and to book tickets directly through the official tour provider, click here or on the button below.
