Don Fisher's recent return!!

[Di]

I was so excited when I heard that 'flat head' was coming back to Summer Bay...

But that thought sadly soon faded, What was the point in his return?

He didn't have a big storyline, or really didn't do anything did he?

Oh wait, the big story was he didn't know how to use a computer or the Internet. He was skint. June and he had spilt up Wow!!!

I'm very disapointed about the whole thing

I think he should stick to been a guest for 'specail episodes' some of the old characters, sometimes come back for.

[buffygirl]

I firstly thought why bring him back, then oh ok to catch up with the old crowd ok.

To bring him back into the school is old news been there done that, time to move on, he is'nt the only best school master.

His attitude is the same from old as it would be from his time he's not prepared to acknowledge that his other collegues point of views, things change and yes sometimes they work.

I watched todays episode and thought my god what are they doing to flat head forgetting to count the children on the bus, oh come on he's had his day there.

He can come back but not rewriting the old game of im the best schoolmaster what a waste.

[Drew]

I thought the whole story of him not knowing how to use technology was very stupid. He only left in 2003 and most of those things were around in his time like the computers etc. He didn't even know how to use powerpoint, that program has been around for years, and when you're a teacher you're likely to use it often. The writters made him an old dumb airhead that was living in the past.

I wish he stayed though for a bit longer. I like him as a character. Good ol Flathead!

[Reo]

I wondered why they ruined his away life just to bring him in for a couple of weeks just to ruin his character.

First he is broke,left June and Marilyn has cancer..So he comes back to the Bay where the teens are treating him badly infront of him and behind his back,even some of the adults and the way they have had that computer storyline,where like others have said,surely he would be able to use a computer..Didnt he have a computer in his office when he was there years ago?

They basically put his character back in the show just to repeatedly hit him with a stick..The only useful thing that seems to have come from it,was the way he spoke to Luc after Lisa's death about his writing..And that could of been handled in many different ways without Fisher.

[Lesley Bee]

What was the point in bringing his character back just to make him look stupid. Donald used to be such a strong minded and respected character and the storyline with the school excursion just undermined him IMO.

[alexx]

I thought he return was rubbish. The writers didn’t know what they were doing with him. It wasn’t character driven at all. There was so many missed opportunities, for the thousands time this year, and it was just all bitty. Norman did a fantastic job with the scripts and what little he did get, but it was so disappointing.

Ok, so we got to see where Fisher is up to in his life now, in regards to being a teacher, and him feeling like he’s well and truly past that. So why didn’t the writers explore how it made him feel? And for the last couple of episodes, the storyline should have focused on Fisher contemplating life, past, present and future. We could have had him walk along the beach and have a flashback to when Alan collapsed with his aneurism, we could have had flashbacks of him and Maz discussing there future together on the beach that time in 1996 (the scene with the Michael Palin cameo). Then we could have had flashbacks of Byron’s death, all being spliced between shots of Fisher gazing out to sea reflecting on his past life, and coming to some sort of conclusion as to where he is to go from now on. Resulting in a nice deep, and maybe teary monologue, as Fisher talks to Alf about how he feels about where his life has gone, how he misses his dead children, his missed opportunities...etc But also the fantastic times he's had, and how he draws on those times to help him move forward in a crises in the past, and how he will do it again, for his future...something like that.

But no, the writers wouldn’t do anything so character driven these days, especially with a cast member above the age of 50. I know that idea is all very Home and Away pre-2005, but it was stuff like that, that made the show unique.

I just think there were endless storyline possibilities with the privilege of having Norman return to play Fisher, so why did they waste it?

[emmasi]

They seem to be very fond of bringing back past characters to destroy them. Alex was pathetic. And the way they brought

Jonah

back (not sure if that's still a spoiler) was infuriating. Luckily they haven't undermined his character yet, they've actually made him quite sympathetic and respectable, but the way they papered over his past in order to do it... ugh! He's a good person IN SPITE of what he did, not because he never did it .

[gmgirl]

I watched Shane's death episode the other day and Fisher had to tell I think Nick that Shane was dead over the phone. That was the saddest ever scene and all because of his voice. I love Fisher's voice.

I hate when they bring old characters back. It's always depressing because they no longer fit in and in real life you know the only reason they're back is because their acting careers have gone nowhere.

[Lesley Bee]

I watched Shane's death episode the other day and Fisher had to tell I think Nick that Shane was dead over the phone. That was the saddest ever scene and all because of his voice. I love Fisher's voice.

I hate when they bring old characters back. It's always depressing because they no longer fit in and in real life you know the only reason they're back is because their acting careers have gone nowhere.

Yeah i always loved Donald's voice, especially when he was marrying Marilyn and he recited that beautiful poem, it brought a tear to my eye. Norman has an excellent voice for that kind of thing.

[alexx]

I watched Shane's death episode the other day and Fisher had to tell I think Nick that Shane was dead over the phone. That was the saddest ever scene and all because of his voice. I love Fisher's voice.

I hate when they bring old characters back. It's always depressing because they no longer fit in and in real life you know the only reason they're back is because their acting careers have gone nowhere.

I totally disagree with that. It was Norman’s choice to leave Home and Away, because he retired.

If the writers are good at what they do, there’s no reason why any past character cant fit into the current show.

But I totally agree with you about Fisher - Norman could master those emotional scenes with perfection! The writers could have done so much more with his stint this year...its so annoying.