.
Weekly Reviews > Episodes 4274-4277 by Steve

UK Broadcast: Tuesday 26th August - Friday 29th August
Written by: Ben Marshall, Helen MacWhirter, Ray Harding, Philippa Burne. Directed by: Tony Osicka, Gary Conway.

Car crashes, abortion, secrets and lies - despite the Bank Holiday stealing an episode, the drama came thick and fast this week...

Boyd's recent rebellion came to a head this week. After spending time working for Stuart at the garage, the temptation of having access to the car-keys got the better of him and he took a set. However, after returning to the garage later that night and starting the car, he soon changed his mind when he lost control and the car jolted forward. Thinking better of it, he headed back home. However, the next day, he spotted Toadie's car on the garage forecourt and headed out in it, in an effort to win over Heather, who had recently dumped him. She wasn't ready to forgive him however and he sped off. His bad attitude was brought to an abrupt end, however, when he lost control of the car and hit a tree. The accident finally led to a breakthrough with Max as the father and son spoke about the pain Boyd had been going through after witnessing the death of his mother.

This storyline has certainly been successful in fleshing out the character of Boyd, who was in danger of becoming another bland teenage character. Kyal Marsh seemed to really enjoy taking the character in this new direction, as his bitter exchanges with Max, Steph and Summer came across very realistically indeed. It's also great that the writers are still addressing the problems that Max has had bonding with his children since the death of their mother, showing it truthfully as a long and painful process.

The fallout from Lori's pregnancy continued as Connor reacted badly to the news. After agreeing to go to Adelaide on an errand for Lou, Lori caught him about to leave. Connor could see how hurt Lori was and they finally managed to have a discussion about their situation in a civilised manner. Lori's relationship with Jack was also revisited as the pair confided in each other about their problems. Meanwhile, she revealed the truth to Karl, who proved to be a great support. By the end of the week, Lori was back at the surgery, explaining that she'd made a decision.

It's nice that Neighbours once again has the confidence to handle a subject like unplanned pregnancy and abortion and Michelle Ang is certainly giving another excellent performance in the storyline. Another of the more realistic elements is Lori confiding in Jack about the situation. Given that they were in a two-year relationship with each other, it seems very true-to-life that they might find it easy to talk to each other openly like this.

Angie Rebecchi made her highly-anticipated return to town this week when she heard the news that her son had got himself engaged. While celebrating their engagement in a plush hotel overlooking the city, Toadie phoned his mother, who was ecstatic at the news of her youngest son getting married. She quickly got carried away however and Toadie was forced to dump his phone in the bubble bath to escape her ranting. However, the couple were shocked when Angie took it upon herself to come down to Erinsborough and help out with the wedding plans.

Lesley Baker is always excellent in her appearances as Angie, and once again, she didn't disappoint. Angie's joy was completely over-the-top and exactly what we've come to expect from the character. It's nice that, after Toadie being a constant disappointment to Angie when they lived at number 32, he's now given her something to be this happy about.