Classic Episodes on 5★

[Ryan]

I'd always imagined Blake/Sophie as being like Shane/Angel 3-4 years before Shane/Angel, but it's actually only a 3-month relationship that's already taken place on SevenTwo I believe.

[James Martin]

I barely remember them as a couple, although I was a child at the time. Certainly I don't think the 5* run has gone anywhere near it.

Somebody put up an online video of the episodes (either off a VHS of the C5 transmissions or the Norwegian airing) and I remember them having a massive argument when they both washed up wherever they washed up? Sadly I've gone through several PCs and hard disks since then, although I've probably got it on an external hard drive somewhere. What became of that? Was that some sort of undoing that got patched up in Episode 4000?

Anyway, looking forward to the Coral/Bevan era which is where I picked the show back up in my late teens after going off it in the 90s.

Next week's episodes, then...

Monday, 2003

On TV: Fisher's Exit and Sally & Flynn's Wedding (because that's never been aired during a summer break before, has it?)

Online: Season Finale

Tuesday, 2004

On TV: Appropriately, the Olympic Cliffhanger and the second episode back afterwards (In my opinion, Home & Away's finest hour. WATCH THIS if you've come into the show post River Boys! )

Online: Rhys & Beth's and Kane & Kirsty's weddings.

Wednesday, 2005

On TV: Episode 4000 and Flynn's confession to Sally that he has terminal Cancer.

Online: The Palace burns down.

Thursday, 2006

On TV: The Cyclone* and Flynn's death.

Online: Alf's trial

Friday, 2007

On TV: Season première and Fisher's return

Online: Rachel's attack

*NOTE: Please note that Channel 5 heavily cut this episode on its' original run and it is that "version" we are likely to see here.

[Red Ranger 1]

Yeah, it does seem to have reached the point where episodes we've seen loads of times have turning up, I actually find myself more intrigued by some of the online episodes than the same old stuff, notably the 2003 and 2005 episodes.(I'm not sure I've ever seen the 2003 finale.That's the one when they drop all the Sutherlands bar Dani down a mineshaft and Robbie turns up, right?)

Sophie and Blake is a rather obscure couple to resurrect, even more so than Tug and Sarah who people at least remember together, Blake and Sophie were more friends who briefly dated once:I think Blake came in in the August, they spent about a month sort-of-dating-but-not-quite before they really got together and by the season finale she's making out with Haydn.I think we'll actually see more of their relationship in these 2000s episodes than the '90s ones:They got together while they were washed up, fell out a bit during the surrogacy business but then found out she was pregnant, then when Sophie comes back very pregnant for Sally and Flynn's wedding she admits Blake walked out on her before they get back together in 4000.I kind of got used to Sally with black hair(she had it for about eight years after all)but I don't really think it suits Sophie.Paler complexion?

[nenehcherry2]

I'd forgotten what an absolute DILF Joel Nash was.... looks like he comes straight from a US "Hot Daddy" gay porn movie

[nenehcherry2]

Never quite sure about Sophie's black hair, wonder if she went to the same hairdresser as Sally.

I know, I never liked either Sophie or Sally with that black hair. They both looked much nicer with their natural brown hair.

I feel like that about Bobby's dirty blonde highlights that she had in 93... made her look pasty faced and ugly imho.

[cadyctslover]

While I probably should have spent more of today enjoying the amazing weather, instead I have been catching up on a few of the old episodes I missed over the past couple of weeks.

Firstly, Dale's cot death episode. An incredibly sad episode with some amazing acting from Debra Lawrance whose various appearances I have seen as Pippa pre-1991 and since 2007, always felt was a bit emotionless. This episode proved me wrong. On a weird tangent, I always find it nice in these old episodes to see the bedrooms upstairs in SBH, as we never get to see them these days.

I also just finished watching the Mirigini disaster episode from 2002. Looking at the sheer number of returnees for this episode I would have expected the appearance of Matt Wilson for example to have appeared really forced. Instead it worked really well, and I kept finding myself going 'Oh look it's Frank', 'Oh look it's Celia', 'Oh wow they managed to get both Lance and Martin back', instead of 'Oh god not another token appearance of an old cast member'. If anything the current cast of the time took a back seat, in the surf club at least, and the returnees worked well together. As for the cast of 2002, the return of Kain would probably have been a massive twist at the time, and from the way Flynn was acting around Sally I was expecting him to propose.

I think if I had been a viewer at the time - I only dropped in occasionally 1999-2007 - I would have been completely stumped trying to identify most of the guests, so I'm glad I have since seen the 1988-1990 (so far) episodes shown on 7TWO. I wonder why this episode wasn't written to air in the 2003 season for the 15th anniversary? I hope they are able to write something even half as good as this for the 25th next year.

[c120701]

I found the 'whooshing' bits annoying.

Ah those London scenes! A few more buildings to wonder at since then and County Hall is no more!!! Covent Garden looked good though. What was the point of the Atomic Kitten appearance? Robbie came across as very intense and I'm wondering if Hayley had stuck with him would he have turned out a right control freak? I liked the way Will and Gypsy telling their stories was done.

I've recently been down to London and stayed in Covent Garden, so it was different watching the episode and recognising places I'd spent a lot of time in. I'm almost sure I stayed in that hotel too. What was the reception in that episode is now the entrance to the restaurant/bar as it's just had a big refurb.

[c120701]

I also just finished watching the Mirigini disaster episode from 2002. Looking at the sheer number of returnees for this episode I would have expected the appearance of Matt Wilson for example to have appeared really forced. Instead it worked really well, and I kept finding myself going 'Oh look it's Frank', 'Oh look it's Celia', 'Oh wow they managed to get both Lance and Martin back', instead of 'Oh god not another token appearance of an old cast member'. If anything the current cast of the time took a back seat, in the surf club at least, and the returnees worked well together. As for the cast of 2002, the return of Kain would probably have been a massive twist at the time, and from the way Flynn was acting around Sally I was expecting him to propose.

It really was brilliant, right down to the video from Pippa with them all watching in Summer Bay House.

What was good about it was they celebrated Summer Bay, but then with Pippa's video they celebrated the show's beginnings and really began to establish Sally as an adult and a bit less of a sulk. As you say, the returnees were really given screen time over the regulars, which is why it worked so well, you don't want the Fletcher kids back only to watch the latest teen angst.

[c120701]

Watching these old episodes as well as clips on YouTube, I've just noticed that the quilt that hangs on the wall behind Sally and Flynn's bed in Summer Bay House is actually the quilt which used to be on Pippa's bed, which is such a sweet and subtle touch.

[c120701]

Just got around to watching the Mirigini episode. I was thinking that for another break it would be really good if they showed sequences of episodes for the returnees, like the whole Sally/Kieran and Sally/Flynn weddings and the whole Sesquicentenary and Alf's 60th.

I also noticed that Carly appeared to be drinking a Simpson on the boat, which is either really good continuity given her past drinking (although I'm not sure if she avoided alcohol afterwards or was more controlled) or she was drinking Bucks Fizz.