Neighbours: Discussion Thread

[Vee]

I am brand new. I enjoyed it, and I caught up as I went.

[Vee]

I just watched Tuesday and Wednesday's shows. A few errant thoughts from a clueless newbie.

Mackenzie is cute and winning - I didn't realize she was trans. I'm still getting the hang of the other youths but I have a vague understanding of who each one is. The acting skill among them varies (especially Sadie, I think her name is) but there's nothing horribly offensive. Mackenzie and her new beau are really fun together to just watch hang out, there doesn't feel like there's that much artifice in those scenes.

It's nice to open a miracle revival of a show like this, which has always read wholesome at a glance, with a big party for the cast all enjoying everyone's company. And Toadie and Terese are sweet even if it's supposed to be an odd couple. The lack of much visibility on Melanie, Toadie's ex, makes me wonder how much they'll show going forward. The exposition given thus far re: the couple swap is interesting. I wonder how longtime fans feel about the details we've been given as to the break-ups. I hadn't realized at first that Paul has been the on-off heavy for years. I also didn't realize Harold had been gone so long until coming back for the TV finale. The dementia/whatever storyline with him is a bit heavy-handed so far but I've seen plenty worse. I really like Wendy Rodwell's spunk.

Apparently Byron the bellboy is a recast. He's handsome but very plastic to me, which is making solo scenes with just him and the tentative Mischa Barton strange. She has been through a lot IRL and it shows, not that she's unattractive, but this is a woman who was primed for big things at a young age and flamed out quickly after a lot of backstage dramas and is now doing a niche soap on the other side of the world. She's doing a decent job despite that shadow hanging over it, but Byron feels very bland to me, he's giving Bolt from Soapdish. I have little patience for his bratty younger co-worker - apparently Karl's kid by another woman, and only recently returned? Holly is a lot.

I still find the all-new Varga(?) family especially intriguing, and not just because of its progressive makeup or that they like me are new. J.J. being the 'good boy' of the family who still clearly has an agenda of his own in the neighborhood is a solid mystery and a unique way to play it, he's not scowling his way around but he's in some ways using what is expected of him as a nice kid to follow his own plan. Is the gold confetti all over the street supposed to be from the party in the TV finale? And has there been a clear tip-off yet as to who J.J. is looking for? He seemed to be looking at the dartboard at that pub/restaurant.

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I do like that they are apparently picking up on a plotline involving Susan and Karl's money woes from the past show, just as AMC 2.0 tapped into Angie and Jesse's baby swap issues, etc. from the ABC run. Susan is now forcibly retired it seems.

Jane and Guy Pearce were in the preview for episode 3 but didn't appear - maybe it was a more general teaser.

Didn't realize the visiting Daniel was supposed to be Kylie's kid. What a world.

Wasn't Jason Herbison a massive soap fan or soap magazine guy before he became showrunner? Or am I wrong?

[althea-davis]

I am fairly new to the show. I only started watching earlier this year when it came to Amazon Freevee so I don't have the years of emotional investment that others do yet, but I like what they're doing with the show so far. I like JJ too. His family has an interesting & mysterious vibe to them. I really like the potential of Mackenzie and Haz. Holly annoys the crap out of me. I like Carl and Susan as a couple and individually. I like Terese and Toadie together and I realize that's an unpopular opinion. I also know it won't last and I am fine with that. I like the dramatic potential for when it all implodes lol

Mischa looks very different from her OC years obviously but not bad at all. I am intrigued by her character. I just think she doesn't need to be locked into so many solo scenes with Byron. Cute as he is, they both need development. 

It's a little slow moving for premiere week but I think that's okay because they have to catch up new fans like me! lol

[tiofmso]

This is all information you probably know, so please feel free to skip any of my ramblings. I’m just glad to see this show reaching a new audience on the otherside of the world.

From my point of view I think the break-up details are fine. Paul and Terese have married and broken up before, it’s not surprising it would happen again. I also wasn’t a fan of the Toadie/Mel relationship, both good characters but the relationship doesn’t work, so seeing them separate is again fine.

Onto your comment about Paul, he’s the only character on the show to have been there since Episode 1. He did leave (go to jail) in the mid 90’s but after returning in the 04 finale everything essentially revolves around him. He’s a villain, he’s great and he’s only got one leg (long story).

You’re right about Harold returning for the finale last year. He’d been gone for a long time but he was very much the spirit of the show. It’s great having him back for the return but i’m not sure how I feel about the alzheimers/dementia storyline they seem to be doing.

Lastly, yes Byron is a recast, but previous Byron was on the show for at most 3 months at the end of its run. It’s not a major change. In fact Toads kids, Nell and Hugo are recasts as well.

[Vee]

I knew some of that, not all. I'm always happy to be educated and I appreciate it!

I don't care that Byron is a recast, but I definitely do find him to be a bit of a Ken dolll.

[DRW50]

The first Byron was very attractive without being plastic, and a decent actor too. I imagine he chose not to return, but this new guy from what I've seen doesn't really stand out for me - I think he was brought in from a talent competition. (I'm not being sarcastic - I believe that's where he was found)

Oh never mind - he was on Big Brother Australia. They had one popular cast member from BBAU in the '00s so I guess they figured let's try again. 

Edited September 20, 2023 by DRW50

[Ben]

Agree completely. Joe Klocek brought a certain “roughness” to the role of Byron; plus, he has a spark about him and good chemistry with other characters. This recast is plastic and bland, too pretty boy next door for Byron. 

Blair McDonough who played Stuart had charisma and talent. 

Yeah, he wrote for Inside Soap Magazine, TV Week, then wrote into Neighbours and the rest is history. 

Not great from Melanie’s perspective. The explanation given trashed her character and what we saw on screen in 2022. I’m hoping there’s more to it. As you might have gathered, the Terese/Toadie pairing has not gone down well with the longtime fans, including myself. It’s so wrong and so alien. Imagine if Bo Brady randomly married Marlena on Days. It’s that kind of wrong. 

[DRW50]

I find Terese/Paul so tedious as a pairing at this point that the idea of something different can be interesting to me, but this is a "twist" that feels like it's meant to not invest in (it makes no sense for Toadie). I wonder if it will impress new viewers more...although new viewers don't know any of these people, so probably not. 

[Ben]

I get that - and I think any reunion between them needs to be earned by Paul - and I’m all for Terese being with a new man, just not Toadie. It’s not right on any level, and as you say makes no sense for him.

[Vee]

Did Melanie have some sort of mental health issue? That seemed to be what was being implied.

[DRW50]

It might have made more sense to try this with Glenn, although I know that wouldn't have been very exciting. It's too bad they could never get someone like Peter O'Brien on full time again as that might have been interesting to see Paul reacting to Terese/Shane.

Others would know more than me but I think at worst she was meant to be silly and scattered at times - underneath she always seemed grounded to me. She was offcamera for about 30 years. 

Edited September 20, 2023 by DRW50

[Ben]

Now this I could get on board with. Shane would have been an interesting choice. I think if the show hadn’t of been cancelled, I could have seen them going down that route with Glen, but clearly during the hiatus, Jason Herbison lost interest in his character.

No, none that we were aware of. She was scatty and bubbly, occasionally prone to childish revenge stunts, but nothing that screamed mental health issues. But as @DRW50 says, Mel was off screen for years, so it would be plausible that she might have an undisclosed mental health issue. 

[DRW50]

I suppose them burning through a year or more of Glen's story while the show was wrapping up didn't help. (I think the actor who played Glen said something along these lines). I still hope he will at least make visits.

[AMCOLTLLover]

There was a rumor that some of those odd scenarios may be some imagination of Harold and an Alzheimer’s story. Idk how I would feel about that tbh.

God since Sonia’s dead Toadie‘s pairings were bs… I kinda wish Dee would return at this point lol 

[Liberty City]

Loving episode three; Terese & Toadie just work together. They really do, and I didn't think they would. It's a breath of fresh air for both, especially since I hated Toadie with Melanie.

I'm sure watching back episodes would have helped you, honestly. It helped me some, even if I skipped some years. But, at the same time, I do enjoy jumping into things without [some] knowledge and filling in the blanks myself.

I am pretty sure, since Amazon Studios is an American owned company, they are eligible for the Daytime Emmys, which would shake things up.

Sonya was, for me, Toadie's best pairing. Hands down. No contest.