Episode 8904 (Neighbours)


Episode 8904, also branded as the premiere episode of Neighbours: A New Chapter, is the first episode of the Australian television soap opera Neighbours to be released following its return from cancellation. It premiered on 18 September 2023 and was released through Network 10 in Australia, and Amazon Freevee in the UK and USA. The episode was written by the serial's executive producer, Jason Herbison, and directed by Kate Kendall. Although Neighbours had been off-screen for a little over a year, the production team decided to set its return two years after the events of "Neighbours: The Finale", with the events of the interim period for multiple characters positioned as mysteries to be revealed in subsequent episodes.
The plot of the episode revolves around an upcoming wedding, which is revealed in the episode's closing moments to be between the long-running characters Terese Willis and Toadie Rebecchi, who had not previously shared any significant on-screen interaction. This storyline subverts the endings given to both characters in the previous episode, where Toadie married Melanie Pearson and Terese reunited with her husband Paul Robinson. Meanwhile, a new family moves into the show's central setting of Ramsay Street, and Byron Stone pursues a sexual liaison with mysterious hotel guest Reece Sinclair.
Media coverage of the episode focused on the series' unexpected revival, the narrative challenges of its resumption after its well-received ending the previous year, and the promised "twist" to the wedding. Neither participant of the wedding was revealed prior to the episode's release. Reviews of the episode were mostly positive, with praise given to the series' consistency of tone despite its change to a multinational network, and the development of various characters' circumstances over the two year narrative gap. Some reviews were, however, more critical of the narrative developments since the finale and the episode's significant use of exposition. After the episode was shown, the show further publicised the plans for Terese and Toadie as a couple and the potential for further storylines allowed by their partnership.

Plot

Remi, Cara, JJ and Dex Varga-Murphy drive into Ramsay Street after renting 24 Ramsay Street from Jane Harris. Jane greets them at the house prior to attending a wedding, after which she is due to fly to the UK to meet her partner, Mike Young, for a holiday. At 28 Ramsay Street, Harold Bishop is visiting Karl and Susan Kennedy, while Karl's daughter Holly Hoyland has also moved in. Harold laments that his Ramsay Street history book has not been updated since his last visit two years ago. Having returned home at 3:00am, Holly rushes to work at Lassiters Hotel, where she is distracted by her friends Mackenzie Hargreaves and Sadie Rodwell. Paul Robinson notices her lack of attention to guest Reece Sinclair and asks Byron Stone to intervene. When they are alone, it is revealed that Byron and Reece are conducting an affair. Paul sees Terese Willis, whom he married several years previously, and assures his sister, Lucy, that he is content with his choices.
At 22 Ramsay Street, Terese prepares for her wedding day with the help of her daughter, Imogen, her son-in-law, Daniel Robinson, and Susan. Terese's younger daughter, Piper, has declined to attend the ceremony, and Susan also privately expresses misgivings to Karl. Terese is also troubled by finding reminders of her and her fiancé's romantic pasts. At 30 Ramsay Street, Melanie Pearson finds a wedding gift for Terese and reminisces with Toadie Rebecchi over their wedding day. JJ expresses a surprising interest in the history of Ramsay Street, much to Harold's delight, while Byron muses over how little he knows about Reece and Paul thanks his present family members for their support. At the wedding ceremony, attended by the street's residents, it is revealed that Terese is marrying Toadie.

Regular cast appearances

Conception

On 28 July 2022, Neighbours aired "Neighbours: The Finale" as the final episode of Neighbours, accumulating over 1.4 million viewers. Following the public and media attention surrounding the finale, it was announced on 17 November 2022 that Fremantle and Amazon Freevee had reached a deal that would allow Neighbours production to restart in 2023. No agreement had been reached for the series to continue at the time of the finale's broadcast, though discussions with five potential broadcast partners were ongoing at this point. The production team accordingly planned to leave the series in a position where it could be returned to in the future. Jones revealed that the serial would not be changing its format to appeal to new international audiences, saying that "we didn't change it to appeal to the UK audience – they loved us for who we are – so we're hoping that the Americans feel the same way." Regular production recommenced on 17 April 2023, though scenes featuring Jones and Pearce were filmed in the UK earlier in the year.
Jason Donovan, who reprised his role as Scott Robinson in the 2022 finale, said that he was "thrilled to hear" about the reboot and praised the serial by saying, "Neighbours has helped shine a light on Australian culture, provided endless opportunities for our industry and kept fans entertained for decades!" Kylie Minogue, who also returned in the finale as Charlene Robinson, was "baffled" by the show's reboot due to the high effort put into the finale. She was excited about Pearce's return due to his performance in the finale, in which he, according to Mingoue, "had like a million scenes and I felt bad that I was just kind of on and off and said two words!" Margot Robbie told Studio 10's Angela Bishop that she was "so happy" for its return. Dennis told Bishop that he was not excited for the return, but was rather pleased by it, while Fletcher revealed that he first thought when he heard of the reboot about the "hundreds of people who would get their jobs back". Lucinda Cowden said that she felt in suspense between hearing about Neighbours being revived and being invited back. She also expressed the hardship of not being able to tell her family during Christmas that she was in fact returning to the show. Before it was revealed that he would star in the reboot, Guy Pearce said that it was hard for him to rewatch the 2022 finale as he knew that there would now be more episodes. By returning for the finale, Pearce worried that he had "just inadvertently committed" himself to a four-year stint on the show. He also called the finale a now "rather expensive exercise", while American actor Brad Pitt said that he was "perplexed" by the show's revival. Herbison later stated that although discussions had been taking place whilst the finale episode was being produced, at this point he had envisaged the series as returning years in the future if an agreement was reached. Jamie Lynn, Fremantle’s executive vice president of co-production and distribution, likewise asserted that the cast and crew were unaware of these discussions, describing their approach to the finale as "genuine".

Development

In discussion with Amazon executives, Herbison and the Neighbours production team decided to begin the new episodes two years after the events of "Neighbours: The Finale", adding an additional year to the period since the show was last broadcast. Heribson stated that "We knew there was going to be a transmission gap, so life for the audience would have gone on and time would have passed for them too." It just felt like a one-off opportunity. In serial dramas, there aren't a lot of things you can do for the first time We felt that it was a great opportunity – and two years felt like a really nice timeline". Woodburne further suggested that events from the two years away would slowly become clear to viewers over time. Kano also praised the narrative potential of moving forward in time, noting the "evolution in the characters, their arcs, and their relationships", and Leo's own experiences as a single father to a three-year-old.
Rukavina, who joined Neighbours in episode 8904, was interviewed by The Guardian for its release day. The interview highlights the Varga-Murphys as the first lesbian parents on the series, placing them within its recent movements towards increased diversity. Rukavina also indicated the benefits of exploring LGBTQ+ identities in a soap opera format, saying that "to be on a show that’s on four nights a week, where our sons have their own storylines and not everything is about us being queer – we get to do everyday normal stuff that you don’t get time to explore in any other show”. She also praised the producers' willingness to listen to the cast around matters of representation. Heribson further noted that in his time with Neighbours, dissenting voices regarding diverse characters had lessened significantly.
Elmaloglou and Moloney were informed that their characters were to marry shortly before scripts were circulated to the cast, with Elmaloglou flown in from New South Wales specifically to be told in person. Following the episode's premiere, Herbison explained his decision to unite Toadie and Terese, highlighting the storyline's potential to re-engage viewers: Moloney further discussed his determination for the relationship to not be a "gimmick", highlighting the work he and Elmaloglou had done to create a believable couple. Moloney stated that he could see how Toadie and Terese could be right for each other, pointing out that "Toadie is always trying to save people, but for the first time ever he's got this powerful woman who he doesn't have to save at all, who is completely capable. So in that aspect he is just able to love her, have fun with her, lighten up and enjoy life. For Terese, she's always been with somebody who she can never trust or believe. So now she gets somebody who just genuinely loves her and she can trust." Elmaloglou expressed concern that fans would not accept Terese and Toadie as a couple, but asserted that they are "genuinely in love with each other and have got together in a beautiful way". She was also excited for the "challenge" of working closely with Moloney after years acting alongside Dennis.
The events of the episode, in particular Terese and Toadie's wedding, were designed to introduce storylines set to continue in the following weeks. Herbison teased a "big event" that would stem from Toadie and Terese's relationship, and that more would be revealed about Mel's off-screen departure. Similarly, Dennis revealed that there was more to Paul's jilting of Terese than had been shown on-screen, and that his motives were to protect Terese. Moloney suggested that Paul would interfere in Toadie and Terese's marriage. Dennis further opined that "you should always be worried about Paul at some stage". Reflecting on the narrative gap prior to episode 8904, Woodburne stated that "when we learn what's happened in those two years, it's so complex but so beautifully dovetailed into every character and backstory".