Grace kidnapped, Ben hit by a car in exciting new Home and Away promo
Seven have released a new Home and Away promo this week, teasing some of the storylines coming up over the next few weeks.
If you’re squeamish for spoilers, look away now as we dissect everything that happens in the dramatic new trailer, as they tease a romantic moment for Dean and Ziggy, another potential medical catastrophe for Ben as Maggie nearly runs him down with her car, and has someone kidnapped Grace?
You can view the full promo below:
(If the video above isn’t loading, you may be visiting the AMP version of this page, a special thinned down version of the page designed for phones. Click here to load the full version.)What’s next for Dean and Ziggy?
Having recently had a little blip, Dean (Patrick O’Connor) and Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) are currently in a good place with their relationship. Ziggy was excited to be recently given more reponsibility in her job at Justin’s garage, and has been working hard in order to prove her worth.
Feeling like they weren’t getting enough quality time together, Dean approached Ziggy with the idea of heading away for a surfing competition, but Ziggy explained she couldn’t take the time off at this early stage. When Dean went behind Ziggy’s back to clear it with Justin, she was fuming.
But in the end, Ziggy agreed that they would definitely head away somewhere when the timing was better. Not only has she only just stepped up at work, Ziggy also has the breakdown of her parents marriage to deal with.
After broaching the subject again in the latest Australian episode, the promo suggests that Dean and Ziggy do manage to get away together for at least some amount of time in the coming weeks, with Dean’s car seen winding through the roads of the national park.
As the couple relax together in a secluded spot, Dean presents Ziggy with a small pearl jewellery box.
Whilst we imagine the box would be too big to start getting excited about a possible engagement, it’s clear that Dean is keen to express his commitment to Ziggy with the thoughtful gift.
Though as we’ve previously speculated, there could be a rocky road for the couple in the coming months…
Ben & Maggie
Sticking with the Astonis, Ben (Rohan Nichol) and Maggie (Kestie Morassi) are also set for more drama in the coming weeks, but could it be leading to their end?
At this moment in time in Australian episodes, Ben and Maggie have separated after 22 years of marriage—following the revelation that Maggie had slept with Ben’s brother whilst she and Ben were on a break, and kept it secret for all that time. Whilst Maggie was desperate to work things out, Ben couldn’t come to terms with the deception, and declared things were over.
Maggie took some time out from the bay to visit daughter Coco, whilst Ben ended up in a flirty encounter with Gemma Parata (Bree Peters). Although they spent the night talking in his motel room, both Gemma and Ben decided in Monday’s episode that they should just remain friends—it was too soon for both of them.
The new promo sees Maggie driving her car only for Ben to run out in front of her as she slams on her brakes. A further shot sees an emotional Maggie hugging Ziggy.
Whilst we can only speculate, we wonder whether these scenes could be an attempt by Maggie to leave Summer Bay for a fresh start—only for Ben to decide at the last minute that he can’t let her go.
We’ve previously reported on our speculation that both Ben and Maggie could be set to depart Summer Bay over the next month or so. Several actors were seen filming what looked to be a farewell lunch back in December, with Rohan and Kestie later shooting scenes showing them driving past the ‘You are Leaving Summer Bay’ sign.
If this plays out as expected, then there will have to be an event in the coming weeks which brings Maggie and Ben back together before they decide to move away—could this be that moment?
Precision driving scenes like this often require the use of stunt doubles, and this one had been expected, with Kestie posting a photo on Instagram back in November praising the beauty of her stand-in, Dean Gould.
Is Grace kidnapped?
If the trauma for Tori Morgan (Penny McNamee) throughout the first months of baby Grace’s life hasn’t been enough, there’s more on the horizon!
Recent weeks have seen Jasmine Delaney (Sam Frost) desperately trying to move closer to baby Grace, after the heartbreak she suffered following her phantom pregnancy.
Realising she’d never bear deceased husband Robbo’s child, Jasmine’s obsession with Grace has become all the more disturbing, as she’s stooped to lies and manipulation to force herself into Grace’s life and her last link with Robbo.
Jasmine has also been seen to have signed up to a mother’s group online, pretending that Grace is her own child.
In disturbing scenes shown in the promo, as Tori assists John Palmer (Shane Withington)—who appears having fallen over at the roadside—someone hops into Tori’s car and takes off with it, with baby Grace sat in the back!
Tori races after the car screaming, but whoever is driving ignores her cries.
Has Jasmine gone so far as to actually kidnap Grace?!
Although the identity of the carjacker isn’t explicitly revealed, if we take a closer look, we can clearly see that it’s NOT Jasmine.
It is in fact Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo), who is seen lurking behind a tree during another shot in the promo before dashing out opportunistically, dumping a holdall in the front seat as he drives away.
Does he even realise that Grace is in the back, and what causes Nik to do such a thing?
What happens with Bella and Nikau?
Elsewhere in the promo, an intriguing shot shows Nik lying on a bed with Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller) as they hold hands. Both of them look like they have a huge weight on their mind.
After spending the last few weeks at an equine therapy centre, following her self-harm when she attempted to sleep with Nik, the latest Australian episode has seen Bella ring Dean to come and pick her up and bring her back to Summer Bay.
Although most of the details are still under wraps, it would appear that Bella is too afraid to face Colby, and she brings with her three letters—for Colby, Irene and Nik.
Nik is seen reading a letter in the promo, and then screws it up. In a different scene, Nik is emotional as he asks Tane what he should do, as Tane tells him to “stay”.
In the shot showing Bella and Nik on the bed, which we can probably presume is Nik’s bed (we’re yet to see it on-screen), Nik is wearing the same clothes as when he took Tori’s car.
Could something happen which causes Nik to want to make an escape… or could he even be taking the car for the benefit of both he AND Bella….?
Is there more to Evan than meets the eye?
A big focus in the promo is the growing relationship between Ryder Jackson (Lukas Radovich) and his father Evan Slater (Cameron Daddo).
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the teen over the past few weeks, as he got used to the idea of letting the father he’d never met into his life—only to then find out from Roo that Evan is dying. Spending many years performing in various dives around the country, Evan told Roo that he is suffering from asbestos poisoning, with a terminal prognosis.
Rather than confront Evan, Ryder decided to not let on to Evan that he knew, and decided to make the most of their time together.
In the latest Australian episodes Ryder has been organising for musician Evan to give a concert at Salt, although Evan has reservations as his condition means he’s struggling to sing.
The promo shows Evan’s performance seemingly going down a storm. A tearful Ryder watches his father perform for the first time as Evan dedicates a song to him.
As the promo continues, Evan tells Ryder that he loves him and Alf accepts Evan as part of the family.
But things then take a sudden turn as it appears Evan’s condition is deteriorating.
Roo holds Evan’s hand as he sits on the sofa in Summer Bay House, clearly struggling with his chest whilst on a nasal cannula delivering oxygen.
However is there a lot more to the story than first anticipated? Rumours have been circulating to that effect…
Cameron Daddo is still working on the show, with photos from the past couple of weeks showing him on set in scenes which won’t be airing for several months.
Whilst it’s possible that his need for oxygen could be down to something exacerbating his condition only temporarily, people are beginning to question whether things are really as they seem.
Could there be a clue that something is up in the promo itself?
In a shot which only lasts a few seconds, Colby is seen telling someone that something isn’t adding up, and he’s going to find out what it is.
We can expect to ‘come home to thrills’ in the new Home and Away promo
Whilst the person he’s talking to is not seen fully, might the hint of brown wavy hair indicate that he’s actually talking to Roo…?
Could Evan be under investigation, or are we barking up the wrong tree entirely….?
Intruder in the diner!
Finally, another scene shown in the promo depicts an intruder in the Pier Diner, which we’ve already covered in our preview article for this week’s episodes.
Leah is thrown to the ground when she disturbs someone robbing the till after hours, which has the potential to undo all the progress Leah has made in recent weeks since her kidnap ordeal!
“She hits the ground and is left in shock,” Ada told TV Week. “What’s troubling is the lasting effect this could have on her. It could bring her past trauma back to the surface.”
All this is set to air over the next few weeks in Australia. For a full round up of Home and Away spoilers, visit our dedicated spoilers page.