Channel Ten: 27/02/09, Five: 01/05/09
Harold announces his plans to leave and visit Sky for her baby’s birth. Toadie is shocked that he’s leaving so soon and wants to organise a party. Simon tells Cass that he glued Paul’s doors shut. Bridget realises that Miranda and Joanna know each other. Joanna reveals that after giving up Riley and Bridget, she had two daughters. Bridget refuses to take Joanna’s money. Joanna thinks Bridget, much like she was, is too young and not ready for motherhood.
Angry and hurt about Joanna’s judgement, Bridget storms out of the store and is spotted by Rebecca. Rebecca reassures her, saying that she shouldn’t doubt herself and must believe that she is strong enough to be a mother.
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Toadie tells Harold that it will feel so weird without him. Harold points out that nothing lasts forever and says that as long as Toadie is around to look after the street, things won’t fall apart without him. Toadie feels like he could never be like Harold. Harold doesn’t want him to try because being himself will be more than enough and he has faith in him.
Miranda arrives at Charlie’s and Didge tells her mum that she was right about Joanna. Miranda tries to convince her that Joanna was wrong and promises that Didge will be an amazing mother. Didge remembers that Miranda once told her that she always knew she wanted to be a mother because she felt it in her heart, but she doesn’t feel the same way.
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Cass purposefully tries, and fails, to ignore Paul. He is aware of her games and flirts with her. He asks her out on a date, wooing her with the promise of her choice of movie and some French champagne. Lucas, Elle and Toadie have been watching the entire exchange and Elle is annoyed when she learns that Lucas has been helping Cass. He tells her that if she had her own love life, she wouldn’t be so interested in her father’s.
Lou, Lucas and Ringo are helping Harold move boxes of his belongings out of number 24. Noticing that Harold seems anxious, Lucas and Lou think that he’s planning to do a runner to avoid a fuss. Harold reminds them that he specifically said that he didn’t want to have a party. Lou says there is no party…
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Lou tells everyone that Harold knows about the party. The neighbours gathered at number 28 are annoyed, realising that Lou gave the secret away. Toadie proposes Plan B and gathers them all round the table. Peering out the window, Susan sees Harold and goes outside to speak to him.
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She interrupts him as he takes pictures of all the houses, aware that he’s not coming back. He says that Sky needs him. Susan says they all need him too and she’s worried about his health. They start crying and he apologises for missing Dan and Libby’s wedding. They hug and he wonders how he would have got through the last few years without her, saying that she was always there for him. Susan replies that she always will be. Asking her not to tell Lou, Harold admits that he’ll miss her more than anyone.
Didge researches adoption services on her laptop, just as Declan sits beside her. Thinking that she was on Facebook, Declan takes the laptop and has a look. He’s confused, reminding her that she’s already found her birth mother. Didge corrects him, saying that she’s decided to put the baby up for adoption.
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Didge argues that the adoption makes sense. She can go to medical school, Declan can focus on his AFL career and the baby can grow up with parents who can take care of it properly. Declan thinks that it should be their job to take care of the baby and is angry that Didge doesn’t care what he thinks – AFL is no longer his dream, Bridget and the baby are. Miranda and Steve come in and Declan tells them about Bridget’s decision. Didge asks them not to try and talk her out of it. Steve thinks that this business with Joanna has upset her and Miranda defends herself, saying that this isn’t her fault.
At Charlie’s, Paul waits for Cass. Rebecca offers him a menu, but he says that he needs two – for his date, not his imaginary friend, as Rebecca suggests. Elle and Donna enter and come over to Paul, who tries his best to get them to leave. Elle knows that he’s waiting for Cass to arrive.
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Cass gives Simon and Tegan some chocolate for dinner and rather than go on her date, starts watching tv.
Paul offers Donna fifty dollars to leave. She makes him give her one hundred, and heads off with Elle.
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Cass receives a text from Paul, who has realised that she has no plans to come and says that they’re even. Tegan asks what happened to her mum’s date, but Cass says she’d rather stay at home and watch Brad Pitt.
Rebecca comes back to Paul, gloating that he’ll be eating alone after all.
At Harold’s Store, Libby and Toadie make sure everything is ready for ‘Operation: Bishop.’ Lou tells them that Harold secretly loves the attention. Rebecca comes in and Lou directs her toward Declan. He tells her of Bridget’s decision and doesn’t think she’s going to change her mind. Rebecca asks him to try and be more understanding and says that Didge needs his love and support. He admits that he is ready to be a father, but she reminds him of his promise never to run away from Bridget again.
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Declan returns to number 26 and Didge insists that she’s not changing her mind. He says he’ll work on that and they sit beside each other, hooking their fingers together.
The following morning, Harold comes out of his campervan and stares up at number 24, smiling. Music suddenly starts playing and he walks round to see a street party with his neighbours, complete with the Salvation Army band. He tells them that they shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble. Susan tells him that everyone deserved to say goodbye properly and now they’ll get to keep him for a couple more hours. He tells Susan that he was going to come and see her later anyway, as there’s something he wants her to do for him after he’s gone…
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Harold finishes speaking to Karl on the phone and Steph rushes over and jokingly asks where he and Susan have been. Harold says they were tying up some loose ends. Lucas hands Harold the keys to the campervan, having looked over the engine for him. Harold is ready to go, but no one can find Lou. Steph suggest that maybe it all got a bit too much for him. Harold agrees and asks Steve to tell him goodbye.
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Harold begins to say goodbye to Steve Dan, Lucas, Cass, Steph, Didge, Donna, Miranda, Rebecca and Susan. They all great him individually, thanking him for being there for all of them, for helping them when they had no one else to turn to, for getting them through rough times and keeping them laughing, for making them feel part of the community: they’re all family because of him. Before he goes, Donna suggests a group hug and they all huddle together. As the band begin playing again, everyone sings ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow’ and Harold gets into his campervan. As he drives out of Ramsay Street for the final time, everyone claps and cheers and they all wave goodbye. Once he’s gone, Steph and Susan hug, unable to believe that he’s really gone. Susan says that he’s left a few surprises…
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At number 28, Susan has gathered everyone together to open a box of gifts for some of them, left behind by Harold. Libby has got his tuba and tries to play it. Donna gets his Afro Harold wig. Susan says that there’s lots of stuff for everyone and tells them to go outside and sort through it all. She stops Toadie from leaving, handing him a book: ‘Ramsay Street: A History.’ They sit beside each other and begin to look through it. Harold narrates his life on Ramsay Street:
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Ramsay Street. Feels like I arrived a lifetime ago, but it’s been years of wonderful memories that I will cherish forever. Marrying my childhood sweetheart, Madge. Helping raise my beautiful granddaughter, Sky. And forging wonderful friendships that would last a lifetime. I have taken unexpected turns. Experienced great love and great loss. And faced impossible challenges. But the best thing of all is that I found a family bigger than I ever could have imagined. My story ends here. But the story of Ramsay Street is far from over. So, Jarrod, it’s up to you to document it now…
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Toadie says it would be an honour.
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On a country road, Harold finishes his tea and approaches his van, shocked to see Lou emerge. Harold’s delighted to see him, but Lou says he’s only along for the ride then heading straight back home. Harold jokes that if cancer and a heart attack didn’t kill him, driving three thousand kilometres with Lou might do it. Lou’s hungry and Harold’s offer of cheese and salad sandwiches, carrot cake or fruit isn’t appealing. As they drive off together, they begin to bicker and argue, just like old times.
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Steve suggests that he and Miranda give Didge some time, in the hope that she’ll change her mind. Miranda, however, has another option for Didge. They speak, and Miranda tells her that raising her and Riley has been the biggest joy of her life. So, if Didge isn’t ready to raise the baby, someone else is more than ready: Miranda.
Regular Cast Credits
Featured Regular Characters: Rebecca Napier, Declan Napier, Paul Robinson, Elle Robinson, Donna Freedman, Lou Carpenter, Steve Parker, Miranda Parker, Bridget 'Didge' Parker, Mickey Gannon, Susan Kennedy, Libby Kennedy, Daniel ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald, Lucas Fitzgerald, Jarrod ‘Toadie’ Rebecchi, Callum Jones, Steph Scully, Ringo Brown
Guest Cast: Ian Smith as Harold Bishop, Tottie Goldsmith as Cassandra Freedman, Chelsea Jones as Tegan Freedman, Mauricio Merino Jr as Simon Freedman
Trivia Notes
• At the time of screening, it was believed that this would be Harold's final appearance, though Ian Smith returned to the role for 6 weeks in 2011
• Harold owns a video of To The Manor Born, which Lucas describes as the story of ‘a dark and damaged gentleman who falls for a snooty, unobtainable blonde.’
• Didge has a Facebook profile
• Harold receives a phone call from Karl, who is busy at the hospital and can’t make it to the party
• Among the gifts Harold leaves behind, Libby receives his tuba and Donna gets his Afro Harold wig. Toadie is left to continue documenting life in Erinsborough in Harold’s book: ‘Ramsay Street: A History’
• In a 2009 interview with Perfect Blend, scriptwriter Pete McTighe said of this episode: "I was extremely proud of that script. And thrilled to be given the opportunity to make a bit of Neighbours history. Unfortunately, the actual filming of his goodbye scenes ended up being a little rushed for various reasons… but the nature of the show means you’ve got to keep moving."
Summary
by Conor
