Classic Episodes on 5★

[beau_t]

^Even now in 7Two episodes (sorry for going off topic slightly) Ailsa is changing dramatically from the character she was in the pilot. I HATE the way she was against Bobby fostering (and not because she was worried about Bobby doing it too soon, oh no, but because she was worried about the rotas in the Diner!).

[Skylover]

Ailsa's hairstyle is awful in the 90 episodes I've seen. It was much nicer in the 80s. So glad. Watched that online 92 episode with Adam and Blake walking around half naked, been wanting to see Blake shirtless for a while

[Blaxland 89]

I love how you saw Bobby and Greg leaving the hospital after seeing Tamara. I know its such a small thing but its the kind of thing that wouldn't happen in a million years in modern episodes.

They had nothing to do with the scene and didn't need to be there for any of the story. But that kind of thing makes they bay feel like a small community and how everyone is involved with each other. These little touches that they take a little bit of effort show how character based the old episodes were written. It is far to narrative nowadays.

[Blaxland 89]

Well considering I never knew who David was and thought Karen left in 1993, I was lost for words when I watched her kill another character tonight. Like Red Ranger said, you see Karen campaigning to save a tree in current 7Two repeats, and then this. It makes me really sad as I love Karen. Like Beau said, her story becomes incredibly dark.

It also makes you realise how many characters stayed for such a short time in these years. A lot of 1 year or 2 year characters.

Karen does return in 93

[Blaxland 89]

It looked like Karen drove through some barriers that were put up due to roadworks, ignoring the stop sign.

I may be totally wrong, but wasn't Ben already in the army when he met Carly or did he leave and then sign up again? According to wikipedia (not sure how accurate it is) Ben was in the Army, left then joined up again, obviously without consulting Carly. You didn't need to be clairvoyant to know Carly was going to be won over by the fact Ben went AWOl to be with her.

I thought she took a sharp left turn down a diversion too fast and went through the stop sign.I think Wikipedia's right on this one:Ben left the army when he and Carly got together, then joined up again shortly before they left.There was a weird Chinese whispers version of the storyline going around where several people seemed convinced that he lied about leaving the army and was AWOL for the whole of his time on the show.Thankfully, that one seems to have disappeared now.

I think watching some of these episodes for the first time is making my reaction more immediate and less insightful than it sometimes is.If I'd seen that accident several times or watched it out of context, I might have been examining it technically and wondering why a fairly mild collision sent David's car careering out of control and overturning.But the episode ratchetted up the tension so much, especially when I knew just how bad it's going to turn out for both David and Karen, that the emotional impact of the accident kind of took logic out of the equation.

We've now reached the point where I'm feeling properly nostalgic because this is the show I first watched:I started grinning like a loon when Finlay walked through Summer Bay House and at that pointed shot of Sally in Summer Bay High uniform in the opening credits.I think I even grinned when I saw Greg.And for the first time, two episodes with exactly the same opening titles.I remember Ryan and I contemplating the longest serving opening titles a couple of years back and I think that version was used for three quarters of the year.And Simon.When my brother and I first started watching, almost exactly halfway between these two episodes, we instantly went "It's Ryan from Neighbours!" and latched on to him as our favourite.Nowadays, anyone who's not an expert on either show would probably go "Who's he?" I think he pretty much ended up being the new Matt, the half of the double act that never gets any storylines.

I don't think it really sunk in how many death episodes we're getting, it's perhaps a good thing they're leaving out Dale and Michael.I literally had trouble sleeping after watching Karen Kills David.Fortunately, Meg's Sunrise hasn't left me haunted in the same way:It's an emotional tearjerker and possibly the first of its kind, with earlier deaths being abrupt with no time for last words and last wishes.I can see why the older fans always rave about it, there's a quiet simplicity to those last scenes that more recent episode-long attempts like Flynn and Belle haven't quite matched.Given we're all there for that last scene, I was surprised how little Meg actually appeared, even though I could feel myself welling up every time she was on screen, and Blake doesn't turn up until over halfway through.The rest of the stuff was actually pretty good:Another failed scheme by Adam which raised a few laughs and good to see a lot of Fin.And yes, that is the Irene that they're all talking about like she's the devil incarnate.Wonder how many people tuned in to that episode today, didn't realise Sophie was pregnant and thought she'd just put on weight?

And yes, Tamara's birth.I'm pretty sure ITV repeated a cut down version of this a couple of years later, with all the subplots removed and just focusing on the Sophie stuff.(I can clearly remember Ryan's only appearance in that version was standing silently next to Don at the end.)It is the first episode of this run I saw first time round though and I remember Sophie berating Michael as she gave birth, it's kind of appropriate he was there for her given he hadn't been all that supportive to start with.And the Northern District Hospital had much nicer rooms in those days.When the hell did Bobby get highlights?!And yet another of Adam's schemes backfiring on everyone.I am glad we got to see quite a bit of Simon here and he and Blake really do work well together.The bit where they realise Alf and Ailsa are going to the exact same restaurant that Adam's had them fork out for was the laugh out loud moment of the episode.

Two things I keep meaning to say:Is there a rule that every episode has to include Alf?!It's like we're in late 2010.And, after the promising start on Tuesday, they are now squeezing down the credits on the second episode.Fortunately, in those days the writing was big enough that you can still read it.

Agree with everything you said. But to be picky, those two 92 credits that were shown are not exactly the same. The shot of the two people going in the sea with canoe's has a different graphic.

[Red Ranger 1]

Thanks for the comments on here giving me a nudge to watch the online only episode.Quite interesting viewing.It feels weird seeing Frank and Bobby revisited, it already feels like it's a different show from when he was around before.(The cynic in me always thinks the return was designed to stop the diehard Frank/Bobby shippers insisting Greg was her second choice and it's a shame they had to wreck Frank and Roo's happy ending to do it.)And I quite enjoyed reacquainting myself with that teen group again.

This is the era I know least about but the guy after Blake and Adam is Josh Webb, who 7Two viewers have just briefly met for the first time, and who returned seeking revenge for, er, something.(In Blake's case, we've just seen him reporting Josh for drug dealing, but not sure what his beef with Adam is.)From what I can gather, he claimed to be a reformed character, befriended them, took them off on a boat trip and then turned on them.

[c120701]

I love how you saw Bobby and Greg leaving the hospital after seeing Tamara. I know its such a small thing but its the kind of thing that wouldn't happen in a million years in modern episodes.

They had nothing to do with the scene and didn't need to be there for any of the story. But that kind of thing makes they bay feel like a small community and how everyone is involved with each other. These little touches that they take a little bit of effort show how character based the old episodes were written. It is far to narrative nowadays.

Weren't Bobby and Sophie raised together as sisters? I thought that was why they were there. What I don't understand is why Pippa had to get a taxi to the hospital, as surely she'd have taken the car to Yabbie Creek, Michael had a ute from what I remember and Pippa had a station wagon.

[Red Ranger 1]

I love how you saw Bobby and Greg leaving the hospital after seeing Tamara. I know its such a small thing but its the kind of thing that wouldn't happen in a million years in modern episodes.

They had nothing to do with the scene and didn't need to be there for any of the story. But that kind of thing makes they bay feel like a small community and how everyone is involved with each other. These little touches that they take a little bit of effort show how character based the old episodes were written. It is far to narrative nowadays.

Weren't Bobby and Sophie raised together as sisters? I thought that was why they were there. What I don't understand is why Pippa had to get a taxi to the hospital, as surely she'd have taken the car to Yabbie Creek, Michael had a ute from what I remember and Pippa had a station wagon.

Bobby and Sophie didn't meet until 1990 when they were both in their teens;Sophie was the illegitimate daughter of Bobby's adoptive father.Not entirely sure when Al found out about her, I think it was a bit vague, but Bobby didn't know about her until they turned up in Summer Bay together.But yeah, there is a connection there, not least because they're both part of the Ross/Fletcher clan.(Also, Bobby was David's cousin, so she is a distant blood relative of Tamara.)

[c120701]

I love how you saw Bobby and Greg leaving the hospital after seeing Tamara. I know its such a small thing but its the kind of thing that wouldn't happen in a million years in modern episodes.

They had nothing to do with the scene and didn't need to be there for any of the story. But that kind of thing makes they bay feel like a small community and how everyone is involved with each other. These little touches that they take a little bit of effort show how character based the old episodes were written. It is far to narrative nowadays.

Weren't Bobby and Sophie raised together as sisters? I thought that was why they were there. What I don't understand is why Pippa had to get a taxi to the hospital, as surely she'd have taken the car to Yabbie Creek, Michael had a ute from what I remember and Pippa had a station wagon.

Bobby and Sophie didn't meet until 1990 when they were both in their teens;Sophie was the illegitimate daughter of Bobby's adoptive father.Not entirely sure when Al found out about her, I think it was a bit vague, but Bobby didn't know about her until they turned up in Summer Bay together.But yeah, there is a connection there, not least because they're both part of the Ross/Fletcher clan.(Also, Bobby was David's cousin, so she is a distant blood relative of Tamara.)

I knew there was some link other than the Fletcher/Ross, thanks. I like how Bobby continues to be part of the family long after she's moved out, the scene with Fin for example where she talks about her joining the family.

[Blaxland 89]

I love how you saw Bobby and Greg leaving the hospital after seeing Tamara. I know its such a small thing but its the kind of thing that wouldn't happen in a million years in modern episodes.

They had nothing to do with the scene and didn't need to be there for any of the story. But that kind of thing makes they bay feel like a small community and how everyone is involved with each other. These little touches that they take a little bit of effort show how character based the old episodes were written. It is far to narrative nowadays.

Weren't Bobby and Sophie raised together as sisters? I thought that was why they were there. What I don't understand is why Pippa had to get a taxi to the hospital, as surely she'd have taken the car to Yabbie Creek, Michael had a ute from what I remember and Pippa had a station wagon.

They weren't raised together. When Bobby was being dragged up by her adopted father he had another secret family. i.e Sophie. They were close but what a meant is that Bobby didn't have anything to do with the story but they still bothered to have her there as she would be.