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Features > The Perfect Blend Season Finale Factfile by Steve and Moe

Neighbours season finales have become a thing of legend. At the end of each year, the show goes off air for a number of weeks in Australia, returning towards the end of January. For the final episode of the year, the show aims to pull out all the stops, hoping to keep several questions unanswered, pulling the viewers back to the show when it returns. This feature looks back at the various ways Neighbours has ended the season over the years...

1985
The very first Neighbours season finale could well have been the only season finale. For when this episode aired on Channel Seven on 8 November 1985, it was also due to be the last episode. Seven had cancelled the series due to poor ratings and had it not been for Channel Ten’s bold decision to pick the show up and re-launch it on their network the following January, the last episode of Neighbours would have been a right damp squid.

Although the episodes leading up to it had been filled with drama and tension thanks to Daphne being wrongly arrested for the murder of Charles Durham and Terry shooting Paul, the actual finale contained very little excitement and ended with the Robinsons seemingly over their financial troubles, Danny agreeing to stay, after threatening to move out of Ramsay Street and Des proposing to Daphne.

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1985 season finale, click here

1986
Reflecting a period when networks weren’t obsessed with ratings and headline grabbing plotlines, the 1986 finale was an example of a time when end of year episodes were more about simply celebrating Christmas.

In a highly amusing episode, Shane and Mike competed for the affections of Jane in a boxing match. But when referee Clive was knocked out, he had a dream in which the entire cast appeared in a Christmas Pantomime, including Mrs. Mangel as Mary, Mary Quite Contrary and Jane as the Fairy on top of the Christmas tree.

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1986 season finale, click here

1987
Rounding off one of the most successful years Neighbours has ever had, the 1987 season finale saw all the Ramsay Street residents gather at The Waterhole for a good old fashioned knees up.

While plenty of light moments occurred courtesy of Harold kissing Mrs. Mangel under the mistletoe, Madge shoving a lemon into Henry’s mouth and Eileen hitting Malcolm in the shin with her bowls bag, the long-running Paul and Gail saga came to a head when Paul finally confessed his love to Gail…She was about to leave Erinsborough for good but Scott intervened and drove her down to the hoe-down en route to the airport in a last ditch attempt at reuniting her and Paul. Scott’s matchmaking worked, and there was joy all round when Paul and Gail announced they were staying together… The couple’s reunion meant the season could finish on an upbeat note, and as the band started playing, everyone kicked up their heels and dosey-doed around the pub. For the first time, the regular end titles were scrapped and instead, the credits rolled as the cast danced around The Waterhole...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1987 season finale, click here

1988
Following in Neighbours’ early tradition of featuring the characters celebrating Christmas together, this year saw the festivities based around Todd and Katie, two of the newest Ramsay Street residents.

With Todd and Katie wanting to celebrate a proper family Christmas, and with this unlikely given their family situation, the Robinsons decided to hold Christmas early and celebrate with all of their friends and family, with even Aunt Edie getting into the spirit of things by dressing up as Santa… Meanwhile, Jane received a surprise proposal from her older American boyfriend, Mark Granger, and was thrilled to accept… Henry and Bronwyn’s relationship had gone cold weeks before, but he didn’t want to lose her completely. However, it seemed that he wasn’t the only person trying to win her over…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1988 season finale, click here

1989
Once again, everything was very positive and centred around Christmas this year, though everyone was in for a surprise or two.

Hilary had been seeing high school principal Mr Muir, but the kids were in for a shock when they went to use the pool at number 30 and found the teacher and Hilary play-fighting in the pool together. Meanwhile, Hilary fell out with her son, Matt, when he wanted to spend some of Christmas with his adoptive parents back in Adelaide… Beverly had desperately wanted a child of her own, but after getting Rhys, she found herself being blackmailed by his young parents… With most of the neighbours spending Christmas away from the street, everyone gathered together for an early party, at which Madge made the discovery that she and Harold had won the lottery…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1989 season finale, click here

1990
This was the first year that Neighbours really used their well-known tactics of multiple cliffhanger endings to make sure people tuned back in after the Christmas break, as the show began to slip in the ratings for the first time.

After a terrible bike crash, Matt and Gemma were both recovering in hospital. Things seemed to have been going well for the young couple, but the news that Gemma may have to have one of her legs amputated soon changed everything and the return of Gemma’s brash father, Tom, soon put their entire future in jeopardy… After finally getting together earlier in the year, Paul made Christina extremely happy by proposing to her… A slightly less joyous shock came for the Robinson family when a mysterious young man arrived on the doorstep of number 26. Jim got a huge shock when the man, Glen Donnelly, claimed that he was his son, the result of an affair he’d had during his time serving in the Vietnam war…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1990 season finale, click here

1991
Continuing the newer tradition of finishing the year on a more dramatic and doom-filled note, 1991 saw various Ramsay Street residents in a desperate state of peril as the year drew to a close.

While there was some brief happiness in Ramsay Street in the form of Madge returning home from Brisbane to spend Christmas with a delighted Toby, things weren’t looking so good for the rest of the neighbours… Helen discovered Todd had been hiding his escaped convict father Bob at No.32 and forced him to hand himself in to the police… Lucy, Brad and Josh had been enjoying a Christmas break up in Surfer’s Paradise. But while Brad and Josh were having a ball, Lucy had begun to suspect someone was lurking around their beach house. Her fears looked set to be realised when a hand was seen emerging from inside her wardrobe as she lay down for a nap…And in a startlingly dramatic end to the season, Glen fell from the roof of Lassiter’s Hotel as he and Todd were fixing a banner for Paul. Todd desperately clung to Glen’s hand as he dangled from the edge of the roof, but his grip loosened and Glen fell to the ground…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1991 season finale, click here

1992
Once again, things got very dramatic for the final episode of the year, and this time, the stakes were raised even higher, with several lives hanging in the balance.

Cameron had been working for the dodgy Gavin Heywood for a while and was beginning to get suspicious of his business deals. However, when Cameron went to the office to try and find some evidence to support his theories, he was caught and threatened by being held over an open lift shaft… While celebrating his stag night at the pub, Stephen was unaware that, back at home, Phoebe had gone into labour several weeks early and was trying to raise the alarm… When Hannah suspected that Michael had taken her doll and hidden in the old cottage at Lassiter’s where he was often seen hanging out, she dragged Beth along to look for it. The cottage was mysteriously set on fire moments later and the pair were trapped inside. When Gaby found out at the pub, everyone set out to see what was going on. As Brad heard Beth’s screams from inside, he rushed in to save Beth, while Phil also realised that Hannah was inside, his friends stopped him from entering the cottage aswell and he waited for someone to emerge…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1992 season finale, click here

1993
The first of the ‘Annalise Years’ season finales, this year saw things get even more ambitious as the show concluded a year that had been filled with a lot more drama than the Neighbours were used to.

In a rare moment of peace between the two rivals, Annalise and Gaby confided in each other about how down they’d both been over the holidays after Annalise being duped into believing Luke Foster was her half-brother and Gaby getting two-timed by Jack Flynn. Annalise asked Gaby, who had recently got her pilots licence, to take her for a flight to cheer them both up. But disaster struck when Gaby was forced to make a crash landing… Meanwhile, bad boy Michael Martin had a huge bust-up with Philip over his decision to see Cody against his wishes. After telling Philip that he felt like everyone was just waiting for him to stuff up, Michael packed his bags and prepared to flee Erinsborough in the middle of the night.

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1993 season finale, click here

1994
For the second year running, the finale centred around Annalise Hartman. However, her wedding to Mark was only one of a series of big events that seemed to affect most of the residents in one way or another.

Mark and Annalise’s big day had been building for months, but it had become obvious that neither party was completely confident about it. While Annalise shared a quick kiss with Sam outside the church, Mark called off the wedding halfway through, later announcing to his ex-fiancée that he was going to become a priest…Cheryl had suspected for a while that Lou was up to something and when she spotted him with another woman, she immediately accused him of cheating. However, when confronted, Lou told her the truth – the woman he’d been seeing was his daughter… Sam was in for a shock when Squirrel told him that she was expecting his baby. Though Sam knew that he hadn’t even slept with the young girl, he wondered whether anyone would actually believe him… The recently-arrived Kennedy family faced their first major hurdle when Mal confronted his father about some rumours he’d heard. It seemed that Karl had been forced to leave their old town after killing a patient…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1994 season finale, click here

1995
After one of Neighbours’ weakest ever seasons, the finale proved to be better than some had expected. Most of the stories had been building up for weeks beforehand and most of the families in the street were involved in one way or another.

Annalise had been cheating on her boyfriend, Sam, with Stonefish for several weeks but had been trying to end the affair. However, the pair of them couldn’t resist and went back to number 32 together. When Sam wondered why Annalise hadn’t turned up at Brett and Susan’s welcome home party, he and Angie headed back to the street and were shocked to find a half-dressed Stonie, followed by Annalise wrapped in a sheet, stumbling out of his bedroom… Elsewhere, Libby had been having problems with her increasingly possessive boyfriend, Sonny Hammond. After he tried it on a little too much with her at the beach, she’d tried to cool things off. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, however, and went to the house to confront her… Cheryl was beginning to feel threatened by the presence of Lou’s second wife, Linda, who’d been hanging around for weeks, seemingly plotting something. The revelation came when Lou and Linda announced to Cheryl that if they were to get remarried, they’d receive a huge inheritance from a relative of Linda’s who had always wanted to see her with Lou again. The decision was Cheryl’s… Susan and Brett’s return from Kenya also left many questions unanswered. It seemed that Brett was finally beginning to break free from his mother’s clutches, while Susan was confused by Karl’s odd behaviour, little knowing that he had shared a kiss with the terminally ill Kate Cornwall during her absence…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1995 season finale, click here

1996
Neighbours had managed to turn itself around after the disaster of 1995 and with Madge and Harold back, plus several new characters, 1996 saw the whole street coming together to celebrate the first on-screen Christmas in several years.

With Madge and Harold back in the street, the feud between Lou and Harold was beginning to build once more. After Harold believed Lou was trying to undermine him in front of Madge, he accidentally knocked Lou into the pool, with all the neighbours watching… After months and months of trying to deny their building feelings, Ruth and Phil were given the task of making the mince pies for the Christmas party – and ended up sharing a kiss, witnessed by an upset Lance, who still hoped his mum might get back together with his dad… Anne and Bill had also been developing feelings for each other, and Lance and Toadie tried to get them together by sending a present to each of them. Bill and Anne were surprised to receive gifts from each other, but soon worked out who was behind the little scheme… After Cheryl’s death, Karl had been working with Darren and Mal at their Handy Sam’s business and the three of them had been renovating the pub. After spending Christmas morning finishing things off, a freak accident left Mal with a crushed windpipe and Karl required to save his son’s life…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1996 season finale, click here

1997
Viewed by many as the ultimate Neighbours finale, this episode combined a spectacular accident with romance and more than one illicit affair. Along with this, some fantastic editing gave the whole thing a real sense of urgency.

The love triangle between Billy, Anne and Caitlin had been going on for several weeks and, after an argument with Anne, Billy had gone to a swimming carnival in Sydney with Caitlin. After realising that she didn’t want to break up with Billy for good, Anne headed interstate to see him but was shocked when she walked into his room to find him kissing Caitlin… Sarah’s break-up with boyfriend Matt had hit her harder than she was prepared to admit, while Karl was at a loose end with Susan preparing to move up to Wangaratta for work. One afternoon in the surgery, Sarah started to cry on Karl’s shoulder, and before they knew it, the couple were sharing a kiss… Phil and Ruth’s relationship had moved on in leaps and bounds, but she was still unprepared to live with him without being married. Phil, meanwhile, had reservations about getting married again. However, while out at Ben’s race, he constantly tried to propose, but she couldn’t hear him. Just as she picked up on what he was saying, disaster struck… Ben had been training as a racing driver for a while, and built up quite a rivalry with another driver, Steve Van Eck. Many residents turned up to see Ben’s big race, but his preoccupation with winning led to him making a terrible mistake and missing a car pulling out in front of him. Just as Phil proposed, Ruth was horrified to see her son’s car crash, flip upside down and burst into flames…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1997 season finale, click here

1998
After the previous year’s huge dramas, this would always be a little bit of a letdown. The whole thing was very much centred on the younger characters in the show, with one life and several relationships hanging in the balance.

In Ramsay Street, Sally, who had just broken up with Joel, decided to try her luck with another man, Drew. Drew found it difficult to resist, but didn’t want to do the dirty on his best mate, fully aware that Joel still hoped to get back together with Sally… Meanwhile, the teens of Ramsay Street had set off camping to celebrate the end of year 12. Lance and Amy, whose on-off relationship was most definitely off, were finding it hard being around each other, especially as Lance seemed very eager to give things another try… Bill and Anne decided to take the plunge and sleep together for the first time, but when Bill played it down to Pinhead, Anne overheard and drove off in the ute, upset that her boyfriend thought so little of her… At the same time, Karl was driving Joel down to join the rest of the group at the campsite. They spotted the ute by the river and tried to help Anne. While attempting to get the ute of the mud, it slid down the bank, trapping Joel underneath. With the water level rising fast, Anne set off to get help, while Karl struggled to keep Joel breathing…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1998 season finale, click here

1999
This year saw the residents celebrate the Millennium with a huge street party – an excellent way of bringing all the characters together and showing new beginnings, along with highlighting new problems and leaving more than one life hanging in the balance.

Having been separated from each other for several months, Bill and Anne finally realised what everyone else had already noticed – they were meant to be together. They shared a kiss at midnight, while Susan and Karl also put a couple of dodgy years behind them and made a fresh start… Lance was upset when Amy failed to show up at the party, but it seemed that she’d been side-tracked at the airport with her other boyfriend, Damien… New teacher Tess turned up in Ramsay Street, shaken and with a mark on her face. Susan suspected that Tess’ husband had something to do with it, but before she could get to the bottom of it, events across the street took over… Drew was ready to propose to Libby, but, while asking Karl for his permission, the music suddenly went off and everyone, including Libby, heard. Before Libby could give her answer, the Scully house went up in flames… It seemed that Michelle had shirked her babysitting responsibilities and Lolly had been playing with matches. Drew stormed in and rescued her, but both he and Lolly were quickly taken away in an ambulance, leaving Michelle feeling terrible about the chaos she’d caused…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 1999 season finale, click here

2000
Due to a screw-up with the schedules, the actual 2000 season finale was screened two weeks before Neighbours went off-air for the summer break. We’ve decided to give you the low-down on the official finale, rather than the run-of-the-mill episode that was actually the final one of the year.

After the excitement of the Debutante Ball, pop group Human Nature made it to the after-party and signed autographs the following morning. Meanwhile, Lance and Allana’s relationship moved forward when the usually agoraphobic Allana attended the party with him… Meanwhile, despite huge objections from her father, Flick shared an illicit kiss with Joel after they’d attended the Deb Ball together and spent all night talking… Steph received a surprise phone call from her ex, Woody, who, unknown to her family, was actually in prison… Tad also got an important phone call, from the hospital, explaining that he could go in to begin the donor process and hopefully save the life of his young half-brother, Tim… In the midst of bush fires sweeping the area, Joe was forced to take a young, pregnant woman across town in his taxi. As they entered an area of bushland, she suddenly went into labour and, with the fires closing in on them, Joe needed to help deliver the baby…

To read a detailed episode summary of the official 2000 season finale, click here

2001
After the last few years had left lots of storylines hanging in the air over the summer break, this year saw only two major stories featuring in the finale. Since both of these stories had been building up over the entire year, it proved to be very effective.

After believing he was dead for several months, Steph got an enormous shock when Woody turned up on her doorstep. He explained that he’d faked his death to escape the gang who were after him and also to make sure Steph was safe, but she was unsure whether to trust him anymore. Woody decided that the only way to win her back was to propose and she was left speechless… Libby’s dangerous labour was coming to an end and she and Drew went away for a few days to the Oakey Rodeo. While her husband was wrestling with his conscience about being bribed into throwing the contest, Libby went off to have a rest and sat down in a barn. Unfortunately, she ended up being locked in, then went into labour. After contacting her mum, she was found and airlifted to hospital. She managed to give birth safely, despite all the risks, but just when everyone thought it would all be fine, Libby suddenly went into cardiac arrest...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2001 season finale, click here

2002
After a terrible year for Karl and Susan (and some say, the show), this finale was an excellent, upbeat way to close the whole incident with Susan’s amnesia and their marriage problems.

After trying for several weeks to get together, the romantic setting of the wedding led to Steph and Max agreeing to go on a date together… After splitting up with Chloe, Darcy made it clear that he had someone else in his sights – his ex-girlfriend Dee, who had recently found happiness with Toadie… Nina showed that she’d overcome her nerves about singing in public when she performed at the ceremony… After a positive pregnancy test was found in the Scully home, Joe immediately assumed that Michelle was pregnant. After confronting her and making an idiot of himself, Joe was shocked when Lyn admitted that it was, in fact, her who was expecting a baby… The year ended on a hugely positive note with Susan and Karl renewing their vows and everyone in the street dancing the night away at the reception…

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2002 season finale, click here

2003
After a year of changes, both behind-the-scenes and in front, the year was capped off with the first Ramsay Street Christmas since 1996. In a similar way to 2002, the season ended with everyone gathered for a wedding, but this time, things weren't capped off so positively.

After a short engagement, Lou married Trixie Tucker with a full showbiz wedding at Her Majesty's Theatre. Despite a noisy objection by Valda, who believed it was all a sham, the couple were wed and headed back to the pub for their reception... After several weeks of secretly modelling for him, Serena agreed to go to a hotel for the night with Chris Cousens. However, his intentions were unclear as they drove off to the hotel together... Despite threats from her father, Rocco, Carmella and Connor gave in to the romance of the wedding reception and shared a passionnate kiss in the office of the pub... Having been feeling out-of-sorts for a few days, Harold headed out to his car to get some more film for the cameras. However, events took a dramatic turn as Harold suddenly collapsed in the middle of the car park...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2003 season finale, click here

2004
2004 saw one of the most dramatic finales the show had ever seen, even beating the 1997 end-of-year cliffhangers for sheer drama. Once again, the drama started with a wedding and utilised characters from many of the year's biggest storylines to create a massive whodunnit cliffhanger. To top it all off, one of the show's original characters made a sudden return...

Karl Kennedy and Izzy Hoyland's wedding had ended badly when the bride jilted the groom. However, she returned and they agreed not to marry, but to still have the reception at the pub. In the meantime, her ex-stalker, Gus Cleary, was back in town but had gone missing. Liljana Bishop's son, Luka, who had a reputation for starting fires, was also missing. The suspects were beginning to pile up when someone set fire the pub storeroom. Meanwhile, Steph Scully had just watched her grandfather, Charlie, die and she was adjusting his pillows when his son, Michael, walked in and accused her of murder. Back at the pub, the fire was raging out-of-control and another had been started in the Coffee Shop. Max Hoyland was injured when he tried to retrieve Madge's recipe book for Harold, while Stuart and Sindi were still inside when the pub dramatically collapsed. In the final moments of the episode, another face appeared in the crowd - Paul Robinson...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2004 season finale, click here

2005
2005 had been a season of big events for the Neighbours. Following the dramatic fire that ushered in the start of the year, the residents survived Paul's attempts to destroy their quiet cul-de-sac and celebrated 20 years with a week of special episodes that saw many residents return. Months later, the whole Bishop family was wiped out by a plane crash, which saw the beginning of Harold's grief, which, in turn, manifested itself into a shocking season finale...

The finale week, as ever, brought the conclusion of several long-running storylines. Having been wrongly imprisoned, Stingray and Dylan's innocence was finally proved and they were released, while Ned and Elle finally got it together. Susan's relationship with Alex reached a sad conclusion as they married and he passed away, with Susan left to care for his three children, including hostile newcomer Katya. But there was bigger drama to come - after weeks of dreaming about her former love, Drew Kirk, Steph suddenly realised that the dreams had been a warning - her cancer had returned. Meanwhile, consumed by grief, Harold realised that he had to act to rid the world of evil Paul Robinson. Walking into his house, Harold snuck up behind Paul and strangled him...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2005 season finale, click here

2006
2006 saw more dramatic events for the residents of Ramsay Street, as Paul's psychotic son Robert Robinson put lives in danger with his plots to dispose of his father, culminating in a dramatic 5000th episode with Paul trapped in a mineshaft. Towards the end of the year, four newcomers arrived at number 30 and they, along with Katya Kinski and her criminal past, played a big part as 2006 drew to a close...

Much of the 2006 finale week was about relationships, with some coming to an end and some new ones taking their place. The Steiger marriage came to a very definite end with Chris announcing that she was gay, and Janelle received a letter from husband Kim announcing that he wouldn't be returning, leaving her and Steiger as free agents... Paul was also a free agent again, after leaving Lyn on their wedding night, and he wasted no time in propositioning Rosetta, who had decided that she had to lose her virginity by Christmas. Elsehwere, as Katya was released on bail, her tormentor Guy was close by, determined to get the money that he believed she owed him. When Katya went to number 32 to visit Ned and found Steph there with baby Charlie, the two women had an uneasy conversation only to be interrupted by Guy waving a gun and demanding his money. The situation quickly turned into a siege, with Katya's younger brother, Zeke also turning up and Toadie, who had been in the shower, bearing the brunt of the violence when Guy shot him in the back, leaving his life, and his new relationship with Steph, hanging in the balance...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2006 season finale, click here

2007
2007 saw Neighbours go back to basics in its second half. While the drama remained, it took on more of a domestic, family feel, as Didge's accident, Susan's MS and Carmella's pregnancy, and their effects on everyone around them, dominated proceedings.

As 2007 came to a close, Susan started to deal with her diagnosis and repair the rift with the Parker family, while newcomer Rebecca cemented her place in Ramsay Street by turning on the Christmas lights. From then on, things took a more dramatic turn. Most of Ramsay Street's youngsters lied to their guardians that they were going to an all-night movie marathon, only to attend an illegal rave at a warehouse that had been condemned as unsafe. As the rave got underway, a couple of illicit kisses were taking place elsewhere - Janae, feeling more and more pushed out of her relationship with Ned, ended up finding comfort with Darren, while Rachel started off a secret relationship with older man Angus, despite their status as teacher and student. Meanwhile, tragedy struck at the rave when the roof caved in, leaving dozens trapped, and, as she arrived at the accident site with other family and friends, Libby, feeling responsible for the whole mess, rushed in to save Zeke, closely followed by Karl. With everyone still under the rubble, a secondary collapse then took place, trapping Libby and Karl.

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2007 season finale, click here

2008
2008 continued with 2007's revamped stories, as each family dealt with dramas, ranging from a teacher-student affair to a bushfire, and from an HIV scare to bipolar disorder.

As 2008 ended, the final week saw most characters being set up for a new story in 2009. As Dan told Sam he would fight her for custody of their unborn child, Steph unwittingly got herself involved with a married man. Harold continued with his chemotherapy treatment, while Miranda and Steve were surprised to find out that Didge planned on tracking down her birth parents. Rebecca got together with Andrew Simpson, much to Paul's disappointment, while Elle and Lucas also got their act together and became a couple. Rachel abandoned her plans to launch a music career, Callum's future in Ramsay Street was threatened as he ran away, missing an important meeting with the Department of Human Services, and Donna's younger siblings, Simon and Tegan, made a surprise arrival in Erinsborough. But the big drama came as the teens, along with teachers Libby and Andrew, went on an end-of-year rafting excursion, during which a stupid prank caused one of the rafts to capsize, leaving Libby, Zeke and pregnant Bridget all missing...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2008 season finale, click here

2009
2009 continued with the back-to-basics feel of 2007 and 2008, with plots including Bridget's teen pregnancy and her death, the Kennedy family surrogacy, the Ramsay kids struggling to cope on their own, and the breakdown of Libby and Dan's marriage.

In the final weeks of 2009, Ramsay Street bid farewell to three of its residents, with Elle moving to New York, Sunny returning to Korea and Dan taking a job in Sydney after splitting from Libby. Before he went, Dan managed to cause one final drama after having a one-night-stand with Steph, Libby's best friend. Elsewhere, Christmas was celebrated and it looked like the Ramsay kids would be reunited after Harry was put into care, while the teens got their VCE results and Ringo contemplated a move to Sydney. As the week drew to a close, Lucas heard from Elle, who told him that she was extremely busy flying between the US and the Middle East, and that their plans for him to come and join her would never work. Devastated, Lucas drove off on his motorbike, speeding off as the police gave chase and crashing into a truck. Unaware of Lucas' dramas, Paul gathered everyone at the bar, where he surprised Rebecca by suggesting that they get married, there and then. A celebrant, dressed as Santa, appeared and they finally became Mr and Mrs Robinson, much to Lyn's horror. Upset, the former Mrs Robinson snuck away, and at home, she broke down and admitted to Susan that she was still in love with Paul. The final shock of the week came when Paul's teenage son Andrew turned up for a reunion with his dad, who he hadn't seen since he was a baby. Though Paul was surprised, Donna was even more stunned, as Andrew was the guy she'd cheated on Ringo with the previous week during schoolies...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2009 season finale, click here

2010
2010 was dominated by the story of Steph's pregnancy lies and the fallout which eventually saw her go to prison for running down and killing Ringo. Other major plots included the mystery of who pushed Paul, and the teen love triangle involving Andrew, Tash and Summer.

As 2010 came to an end, Toadie and Sonya's relationship, which had been looking very strong, is threatened by the arrival of Jade, Sonya's younger sister, who knows a secret that will be revealed in the opening episodes of 2011 - that Sonya is Callum's biological mother. The final weeks of 2010 also saw Rebecca Robinson begin a secret affair with neighbour Michael Williams, at the same time being blackmailed to stay with Paul, as she had accidentally pushed him from the Lassiter's mezzanine months earlier. Donna found out that she'd been accepted into a fashion school in New York - an application made by Ringo before his death - setting up her exit in early 2011. Lyn, desperate to help her imprisoned daughter Steph, considered an insurance job at 26 Ramsay Street to pay for an appeal, but changed her mind at the last minute, only for her step-granddaughter Summer to find the faulty lights that she'd been planning to use and put them back on the tree. In the bedroom, Summer and Andrew slept together for the first time, as he planned to tell girlfriend Tash that he could no longer be with her. As the young lovers slept, a fire broke out with a passing Tash rushing in to save Summer, closely followed by Tash's father Michael. The season ended with a huge crash at the back of the burning house, and the fates of Michael, Tash, Summer and Andrew still unknown...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2010 season finale, click here

2011
2011 saw the first season to air on Channel 11 in Australia, with major plots including the decline of the Kennedy marriage, Sonya finally being revealed as Callum's mum, a return for Harold Bishop, student teacher Kate kissing one of her pupils, and a shopping centre development that would divide the street.

In the final weeks of 2011, Lucas seemed like he might have found his ideal woman in Emilia Jovanovic, but was unaware of the history she shared with her brother-in-law, Michael, or the impact it would have on Tash when it was revealed. Following Susan's close friendship with Jim Dolan, and his death from cancer, Susan and Karl realised that their marriage was over, and she decided that it would be best for both of them if she moved out, whilst Toadie and Sonya were closer than ever, having formed a family unit with Callum. As the teens came to the end of their time at high school, the pressure became too much for Summer, who cheated in an exam, only to be caught out by principal Michael - but the stress of Emilia's arrival had taken a toll on his health and he collapsed, forgetting that he'd witnessed Summer's cheating. As the year came to an end, her marks proved good enough to go to uni and study journalism, but her guilt made her consider confessing. A planned shopping centre for the area had brought Toadie into conflict with many of his neighbours, as Toadie's bosses at the law firm pushed him into trying to get many of them to give up their businesses, to provide land for the new shops. Things escalated when Lucas refused to give up his garage, his apprentice Chris ended up being badly beaten and collapsing from a punctured lung, and Toadie realised that his boss Peter Noonan had been behind the whole thing...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2011 season finale, click here

2012
2012 saw some comings and goings in the street, with the previously-recurring Kapoors moving in, an couple of affairs, two pregnancies and a love triangle...

The final episodes of 2012 saw Kyle's gran Sheila decide to make Erinsborough a more permanent home, as she saw how her grandson was struggling to cope in the wake of his girlfriend Jade's departure, whilst newcomer Georgia got a surprise when her boyfriend Scotty arrived from the country. The pregnancies of Vanessa Villante and Sonya Rebecchi had been major stories in 2012, and as the season came to an end, both women were close to giving birth. Vanessa was overdue, and having spent weeks avoiding Rhys, after a painful split from him, he was the one who helped her to the hospital when she suddenly went into labour. Meanwhile, Lucas, the father of the baby, who'd been secretly in love with Vanessa for months, had gone to try and talk Vanessa's mother Francesca into patching up her relationship with her daughter. His absence meant that he missed the birth, arriving in time to witness a kiss between Vanessa and Rhys, as he had just proposed - and she had accepted. At number 30, Sonya had gone into labour too, but she was determined to stay at home - and in control - for the birth, but complications soon arose and she had to be rushed away in an ambulance...

To read a detailed episode summary of the 2012 season finale, click here

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