2026 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Medea Fleecestealer]

Why does the repeat have just one commercial break while the new episode has two?  Weird.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf did seem to be being genuinely friendly towards Zane in their chats.He still doesn't fully trust him, which seemed to be the main motivation behind his reluctance to go and see Martha, but it's better than being openly hostile towards him: He is at least willing to give him the benefit of the doubt up to a point.

I'm more than a little puzzled at how Dana made it back to Summer Bay when Tane was still with Harper: Did he run her back and then turn straight round again? I think Tane needs to get down off his high horse a bit: His friends stick by him whenever he messes up, he needs to accept Sonny's friends will do the same. Dana agrees to give Sonny another chance but things are clearly fragile. Harper may be overreacting but maybe a clean slate is what they all need at this point.

[pembie]

Alf is going to miss Martha’s birthday well he knows how to live dangerously his not playing it very clever though one minute he is friendly then acts like a fire breathing dragon 

Wheres Harper staying again on second thoughts stay there that place looks like a mansion 

[James Martin]

And with that, it's goodbye to the Matheson sisters.

Even though I knew it was coming, it felt a bit rushed.  It's particularly a shame that Harper didn't get to say goodbye to anyone although Dana's farewell with John was sweet.

So after all that fighting for his son, Harper is taking him away.  What's keeping him in the Bay?  His only friends are Cash and Mac.  The writers split him and Jo up, so what's the point of him staying there?  If he was still with Jo there might be some point.  Nicholas' episode quota will, I assume, be needed for the Eden storyline, so Cash hasn't been there to comfort Tane today.  Instead, he's going round to Sonny's and, we hope, doesn't beat him up.

Just jumping back to Thursday (Friday for the hardcore 6pm crew) - a mate of mine suggested the way Beau was caught was entrapment, but I'd argue that because he was already wanted as a result of breaking the AVO, the ends justified the means?

2 hours ago, Medea Fleecestealer said:

Why does the repeat have just one commercial break while the new episode has two?  Weird.

I assume there's not one at 6:30pm so the two episodes flow into one-another.  As 5 Star isn't a Public Service Broadcaster (unlike 5 Proper) the regulations allow half-hour programmes to have two internal breaks.

I also imagine the premiere also still gets decent ratings.  Until 5 Star get an HD outlet I'll be sticking with streaming, thanks.

[c120701]

I posted these in the wrong chat so copying over…

I don’t like how isolated from the long term cast John seems to be at the moment. With Irene gone and Roo away, aside from the occasional interaction with Alf & Justin he’s really seeming on the outside with very little outside of his Surf Club role.

I wish I hadn’t seen a spoiler a couple of weeks ago, as Dana’s exit with Harper was a real shock to me when it aired in Australia, just not today. It did surprise me how quickly it came around on screen here though.

I’m sad to see her go, she’s been one of my favourite characters and one of the best in recent years.

I’ve even warmed to Harper these last few months since Tane was acquitted.

[James Martin]

16 minutes ago, c120701 said:

I posted these in the wrong chat so copying over…

I don’t like how isolated from the long term cast John seems to be at the moment. With Irene gone and Roo away, aside from the occasional interaction with Alf & Justin he’s really seeming on the outside with very little outside of his Surf Club role.

I wish I hadn’t seen a spoiler a couple of weeks ago, as Dana’s exit with Harper was a real shock to me when it aired in Australia, just not today. It did surprise me how quickly it came around on screen here though.

I’m sad to see her go, she’s been one of my favourite characters and one of the best in recent years.

I’ve even warmed to Harper these last few months since Tane was acquitted.

Agreed, and now Dana has gone he's even more cut off.

[H&Alover]

I like to think Dana did want to give it another go with Sonny, but the fact she couldn't believe him when he was just taking pain killers proved they couldn't get back to where they were. 

The 6.30pm episode does have two commercial breaks, can't comment on the 6pm one as I don't watch that one. 

Okey, dokey Dana has quit her Surf Club volunteering  post but what about her nursing job  at ND's, could she just leave without giving notice? Harper's job is more flexible, she did SW in the city and just upped and moved to the bay.  Very poignant when John rubbed  out her name on the roster list. That was sad her telling John she was leaving right there and then, he's going to miss her.  I noticed he didn't divulge any secrets when Leah and Justin asked why Sonny and Dana's wedding was on hold.  Dare say the news will soon be spread about the bay.   

It was  kind of two faced of Alf acting he was OK about Zane staying but still harbouring doubts about leaving him in the house alone with Maz.   But he got worn down by Leah and Maz, putting their argument across, Justin, wisely stayed out of it.   There was another reminder  of how long Zane been inside, he hadn't learnt to drive as most teens his age back then, 17, would have.  Unless of course,  he had been driving  illegally.  I'm guessing it's a BIG Birthday for Martha - hang on Martha was born in August so confused.com. 

I've been puzzling just how far away Tane's cousins place was, Dana seemed to get from there, back to the bay and back again pretty quickly,  I'm guessing while she, Dana and Archie are staying there he can pop over to see them they had been given leave to stay as long  they want by his cousin.  I think we all miss Archie.   Btw wouldn't Harper need to let her lawyer, if   she has one,  know  she's moving away and wouldn't she need to come back for Beau's trial, unless it's going to be held in the city.  She is still jumping the gun somewhat by wanting to leave the bay NOW!

Beau DID break his AVO as part of the conditions was he wasn't allowed back in the bay. 

in Justin's eyes, and I suppose a lot of people would blame  Sonny for bringing Beau into his and Harper's life, not making excuses, but Sonny and his dealing alone wouldn't have touched them, it was Beau suddenly moving in on Harper. Tane has to blame someone and as Beau is out of reach Sonny is the only one he can take it out on.  Justin may not have many close friends but he does have a  business and I like to think he contributes something to Archie's upbringing.

 

[Medea Fleecestealer]

18 hours ago, James Martin said:

And with that, it's goodbye to the Matheson sisters.

Even though I knew it was coming, it felt a bit rushed.  It's particularly a shame that Harper didn't get to say goodbye to anyone although Dana's farewell with John was sweet.

So after all that fighting for his son, Harper is taking him away.  What's keeping him in the Bay?  His only friends are Cash and Mac.  The writers split him and Jo up, so what's the point of him staying there?  If he was still with Jo there might be some point.  Nicholas' episode quota will, I assume, be needed for the Eden storyline, so Cash hasn't been there to comfort Tane today.  Instead, he's going round to Sonny's and, we hope, doesn't beat him up.

Just jumping back to Thursday (Friday for the hardcore 6pm crew) - a mate of mine suggested the way Beau was caught was entrapment, but I'd argue that because he was already wanted as a result of breaking the AVO, the ends justified the means?

I assume there's not one at 6:30pm so the two episodes flow into one-another.  As 5 Star isn't a Public Service Broadcaster (unlike 5 Proper) the regulations allow half-hour programmes to have two internal breaks.

I also imagine the premiere also still gets decent ratings.  Until 5 Star get an HD outlet I'll be sticking with streaming, thanks.

5Star do put some ads for their own programmes in the gap, not sure if they do "proper" ads for stuff.

Yeah, I was just going to ask about this sudden dropping of work.  Surely there are minimum notice periods they have to adhere to before they can leave?  I would think the hospital will be pretty pissed at Dana suddenly not showing up for scheduled shifts.  Probably the same for Harper even if her employers might be a bit more flexible.  Not to mention losing out on their wages because they just suddenly upped and left with no notice period.

[pembie]

I understand Dana leaving small town and Sonny broke her heart and all that but Harper Beau has gone now so get counselling if scared but to leave friends behind is quite daft I think especially the father of your child 

Unless she’s was fed up with Tane maybe she was really 

[Red Ranger 1]

So yes, a rather abrupt goodbye to Harper and Dana. Dana at least sticks around in Summer Bay long enough to say her goodbyes to Sonny and John, the latter being an especially poignant moment. But Harper just kind of stops appearing when her contract runs out and doesn't come back to the Bay. So no goodbye with Cash, her oldest friend, and I guess Alf being Archie's honorary grandfather didn't really mean much in the end. I guess it's best to make a fresh start now rather than hang around in the Bay until she hears Beau's being released (which could be as early as next month if the court doesn't go their way). Harper did say that she'd let David know where they were so I guess she's still keeping in touch with the prosecution for when she gives evidence. I agree that Tane seems to be going after Sonny because Beau isn't available. It did occur to me, just before Dana said it, that when they came to the Bay, Harper was giving up her life to support Dana and now the roles are reversed.

I don't really see Alf's behaviour as two-faced: He's giving Zane a fair go but trust must be earned. Justin continued to be a highlight: Attempting to give Alf's point of view and then giving up when it's clear Leah's not going to listen, complaining he doesn't want to be there and then his argument to Alf is that he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't go!

Yes, the fact that the 6.30pm showing has two commercial breaks (and so does streaming, at least on 5) has been a topic of discussion going way back to when there was two Channel 5 showings. It's another reason for me to be glad to watch at 6pm: It's bad enough when I record the 6.30pm showing and have to hit fast forward twice, I'd hate to have to actually sit through two lots of adverts!

Edited September 15 by Red Ranger 1