What's your least favourite relationship with a guest character

[Red Ranger 1]

2 hours ago, cymbaline said:

That's true, but she was still talking about David when she reconnected with Blake. She also called their son after him. I don't think that's healthy TBH

I mean, I agree with you on one level. I think Sophie will always view David as the love of her life and have an idealised version of him that no-one else can live up to, although I don't think that's necessarily the only reason she was single for so long. Worth pointing out that the reason Blake didn't get a say in naming their son was he bailed on her while she was pregnant and seemed to have very little contact with them. It's a bit weird but again, a standard soap (and wider fiction) trope to name a child after a dead loved one. (Hayley naming her son with another man after her dead husband springs to mind.)

[cymbaline]

True. I'm just spitballing really  

[cymbaline]

Shannon and Eric: In 1995, Shannon briefly went out with Eric Philips. He looked good in a tank top but that's where the praise for him ends. He was a creep who sold steroids to Jack and attacked Shannon. Exit stage left. I was surprised to read that the actor who played Eric ended up in America and was in The Young and the Restless for years. Now he's on General Hospital. That's not bad going for someone who I thought was a poor actor on H&A. 

[cymbaline]

Another one I'd forgotten about

Sally and Gus: Sally briefly went out with Donna Bishop's younger brother. He was a mouthy brat who had gone off the rails and was on the verge of being sent to a juvenile detention centre. Pippa and Michael were against Sally going out with him, which of course... Sally began to behave like him, though she stopped short of setting anyone's guitar on fire or throwing rocks through windows. 

 

[Zig]

Didn't like Pippa and Ian that much or Karen and Rev

Edited July 15 by Zig

[CaptainHulk]

On 15/07/2025 at 13:31, Zig said:

Didn't like Pippa and Ian that much or Karen and Rev

Ian was a plot device to give Pip a happy ending and a new start elsewhere.

[j.laur5]

On 01/08/2025 at 08:59, CaptainHulk said:

Ian was a plot device to give Pip a happy ending and a new start elsewhere.

I think if Debra Lawrence wasn’t leaving and she did end up staying long term and I think  she would stayed single for longer and eventually paired up with single father with kids and  possibly with Rhys Sutherland and his daughters with possibly with older actor playing Rhys and although actor  who played Rhys Sutherland was only about five years younger then Debra and so he still could be cast and I was surprised when Rhys was only turning 40 in 2002 as he look more like in his mid 40s and so did Shelley.

But however don’t think Debra would stayed as long as Lynne or Ray as Debra recently said interview that she wasn’t going to stay long term even if she wasn’t moving to Melbourne and stayed living in Sydney .

So I think Debra would left around 2000 if she stayed any longer and would be fitted given it  was  when show was given revamp and also would be  right when Sutherlands bought house form her.

Thats was also when Debra had her second child around then. 

Edited Friday at 23:06 by j.laur5

[adam436]

On 15/07/2025 at 22:04, cymbaline said:

Another one I'd forgotten about

Sally and Gus: Sally briefly went out with Donna Bishop's younger brother. He was a mouthy brat who had gone off the rails and was on the verge of being sent to a juvenile detention centre. Pippa and Michael were against Sally going out with him, which of course... Sally began to behave like him, though she stopped short of setting anyone's guitar on fire or throwing rocks through windows. 

That must have surely been one of Samuel Johnson's earliest TV roles. Sally went through quite a few love interests during that period: her crush on Joe Lynch (I can't remember if that ever came to anything), Gus Bishop and then Irene's nephew Nelson.

Donna left rather abruptly shortly this storyline. Do we think Gus might have had a bigger role and a redemption arc had Donna stayed longer? 

[cymbaline]

Samuel Johnson revealed years later that Kate/Sally had been his first kiss. What a way to get started! 

From what I remember, nothing romantic ever happened between Sally and Joe. She asked him out but he wasn't interested. Instead of just simply turning her down, he bullied her and reduced her to tears. He must've apologised to her because I have memories of him taking part in a party game in the Rosses. Sally whacked him on the top of the head with a dessert spoon as revenge.

Yeah, I think Gus was meant to be around for longer. He might even have been a "testie guestie" - someone the producers might've been considering promoting to the main cast. Nicola Quilter's departure put an end to that. Gus's introduction certainly bears all the hallmarks of a longer stay than he had. Their dad issuing Donna with a "You with all your qualifications. Can you fix this degenerate?" challenge makes me think there was meant to be more to this than we saw. Gus was always going to be a headache at the start before coming good. They never moved past the Bad Gus phase and instead, hastily packed him up and sent him back home. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that this was a truncated story. 

Edited Saturday at 09:46 by cymbaline

[CaptainHulk]

On 01/08/2025 at 01:18, j.laur5 said:

I think if Debra Lawrence wasn’t leaving and she did end up staying long term and I think  she would stayed single for longer and eventually paired up with single father with kids and  possibly with Rhys Sutherland and his daughters with possibly with older actor playing Rhys and although actor  who played Rhys Sutherland was only about five years younger then Debra and so he still could be cast and I was surprised when Rhys was only turning 40 in 2002 as he look more like in his mid 40s and so did Shelley.

Them girls put years on him.

Pip/Rhys? I see them more as close Neighbours tbh with a healthy respect for one another.

14 hours ago, cymbaline said:

Samuel Johnson revealed years later that Kate/Sally had been his first kiss. What a way to get started! 

From what I remember, nothing romantic ever happened between Sally and Joe. She asked him out but he wasn't interested. Instead of just simply turning her down, he bullied her and reduced her to tears. He must've apologised to her because I have memories of him taking part in a party game in the Rosses. Sally whacked him on the top of the head with a dessert spoon as revenge.

Yeah, I think Gus was meant to be around for longer. He might even have been a "testie guestie" - someone the producers might've been considering promoting to the main cast. Nicola Quilter's departure put an end to that. Gus's introduction certainly bears all the hallmarks of a longer stay than he had. Their dad issuing Donna with a "You with all your qualifications. Can you fix this degenerate?" challenge makes me think there was meant to be more to this than we saw. Gus was always going to be a headache at the start before coming good. They never moved past the Bad Gus phase and instead, hastily packed him up and sent him back home. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that this was a truncated story. 

Yep. The Spoon Game happened. 

And It was *Charles'* job to parent Gus, Not Donna's. No wonder she legged it to the Great White North!