List of Home and Away characters introduced in 2010
Home and Away is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. The following is a list of characters that first appeared during 2010, by order of first appearance. They were all introduced by series producer Cameron Welsh. The 23rd season of Home and Away began airing from 25 January 2010. Two days later Mitzi Ruhlman made her debut as [|Rabbit]. Mink Carpenter and Elijah Johnson arrived in February, while Justin Jefferies began appearing from March. Mink's mother, [|Jill], arrived in May. Christian Clark and Rhiannon Fish began portraying Penn Graham and April Scott from June. April's older sister, Bianca, made her debut in July, while [|Paolo Rosetta] was introduced to the show in August. The following month Mitzy Fraser, Vittorio Seca, Daria Hennessy were introduced to the show.
Rabbit
Amber "Rabbit" Copeland, played Mitzi Ruhlman, made her first screen appearance on 27 January 2010. Rabbit was Ruhlman's first television role. The character was introduced to help bring "a little fun" back into Miles Copeland's life. When asked how the idea for Rabbit came about, Tart revealed "I was very keen to get a bit more magic into the character of Miles. He came in with a great sense of magic and I think we wanted to capture that again." The actor explained that the concept of Miles having Rabbit in his life brings all sorts of questions about psychology and mental illness in the equation. He added that the storyline was something young children could enjoy because Rabbit is "feisty and mischievous" and there is an innocence to it all.Rabbit appears to a hungover Miles Copeland, after he spends the night on the beach. She later appears at Summer Bay House and tells him she is staying for a while. During a game of cards, Rabbit tells Miles of her visions of fire and people hiding under tables. Miles does not take her seriously, but when he arrives at the Pier Diner, he finds the place under siege from drunks who have set it alight. Rabbit is visibly shaken, but Miles convinces her the visions are a good thing. She later tells Miles he will die if he falls asleep. After falling asleep at school, Miles is nearly killed by a ceiling fan. A spate of graffiti attacks occur in the Bay, including at the Caravan Park and Surf Club. Miles notices the writing is done in Amber and spots Rabbit. When he catches up with her, she denies doing anything. Marilyn Chambers begins having strange dreams involving Rabbit dressed as a rabbit eating a carrot. Rabbit tells her that Miles is unwell and then presents her a vision of her late son, Byron Fisher at the age of eleven. Rabbit also tells Marilyn that she will die too.
Marilyn has another dream involving Rabbit being drenched in water. She awakes and finds Miles adding graffiti onto a van in the park and realises Rabbit's real name is Amber. Miles confesses that Rabbit is actually his daughter, who died in the Boxing Day Tsunami five years earlier along with her mother, [|Louise]. He has been seeing visions of her for several months. After Miles visits [|Michael Patton] for a psychiatric assessment, he is prescribed some medication, but Rabbit begs him not to take it. However, Miles takes the pills and Rabbit disappears for a while. She reappears when he stops taking the medication. Miles struggles to keep Rabbit's visions quiet resulting in an outburst at school, which gets him suspended. Rabbit has another premonition involving Elijah Johnson, Leah Patterson-Baker and several school children in danger on an excursion. She and Miles then discover the group are unconscious due to an exposed gas main on the site. Miles manages to break down the door and save them. Miles and Rabbit part ways on the beach, after he sees a vision of Louise at the water's edge and goes towards her. Rabbit stops him and states that her mother will look after her and she heads to the sea, disappearing from Miles' life.
A reporter from the Daily Record praised Rabbit because they believed that Home and Away lacked "a spooky little girl called Rabbit". They added that "ever since she first appeared the show has been terrific". The episode featuring Miles finally letting go of his visions of Rabbit won the Australian Writers' Guild Award for "Best Episode in a Television Serial" in 2010 and was presented to the episode's writer, Sam Meikle.
Mink Carpenter
Mink Smith, played by Matylda Buczko, made her first screen appearance on 1 February 2010. Buczko shared the same agent as Luke Mitchell and he suggested that they both move to Sydney to look for work. Mitchell won the role of Romeo Smith within a week of moving to the city, while Buczko auditioned for the role of a goth rock chick. She did not receive the part, but was asked back to audition for Mink, a professional surfer and Romeo's sister. Buczko commented that it felt weird to be playing Mitchell's on screen sister. The actress decided to "hit the gym" after getting the role and Mitchell advised her to take surfing lessons, so she would pass as a pro surfer. Buczko reprised her role for a brief guest stint in November 2011.Mink was a top surfer, who had just left juvie for an unknown crime, when she arrived in Summer Bay. Buczko explained "I always said, if I ever did Home and Away, I'd love to have a character who was a bit of a stirrer. I like to cause trouble, and I'm a bit fiery and feisty at times, and I do like to have a bit of mischief in my life." Describing her character, Buczko stated that Mink is feisty but quite fragile. She has been separated from Romeo for a few years and comes to the Bay to find him. Catherine Woulfe from Stuff.co.nz called Mink "mysterious" and a "stroppy surf chick". She added "Mink's hot, with plenty of sass and street smarts, and maybe even a soft heart under her bad-girl exterior." Mink unexpectedly returns to the Bay a year later and asks Romeo for money.
Mink arrives in Summer Bay looking for her brother, Romeo Smith. It is revealed that she has served time in juvenile detention for killing their abusive stepfather, after taking the blame for Jill, Their mother who really killed him. Xavier Austin invites Mink to stay with him and his mother, Gina. She steals some money belonging to Xavier's brother, Hugo, which is stashed in a box in his bedroom. However, Mink later has a change of heart after being admonished by Romeo and returns the money. She then shares a kiss with Xavier and tells Ruby Buckton, Xavier's ex-girlfriend. Mink is upset when Xavier lets Ruby and Gina know about her past, but she forgives him before leaving the Bay. Mink returns the following year and borrows $2,000 from Romeo, much to the annoyance of his wife, Indigo Walker. Mink enters a surfing competition and performs badly, almost drowning in the process. One of the other competitors tells Romeo that Mink has been turning up to competitions drunk and has been struggling for a while. He later learns that she has Ménière's disease and will never be able to surf competitively again. Indi asks Mink to stay, but she departs, leaving a note for Romeo.
Elijah Johnson
Elijah Johnson, played by Jay Laga'aia, made his first appearance on 11 February 2010. Laga'aia's casting was announced in November 2009 into the serial to play a new local reverend, Elijah Johnson. Elijah was introduced as a potential love interest for established character Leah Patterson-Baker. Laga'aia left the serial in 2010 but co-star Nicodemou later called for Laga'aia's character to return to the serial. Laga'aia had agreed to rejoin the cast Home and Away and returned to filming at the end of the month. Laga'aia described Elijah as not being a typical Reverend and when you see him in normal clothing people would mistake him for a rugby player. In February 2012, Colin Vickery of the Herald Sun reported Laga'aia had finished filming with Home and Away the previous year. Inside Soap asked its readers to decide who their favourite "clergyman" was in a poll which Elijah gained the lowest number of votes, receiving nine percent of the poll.Justin Jefferies
Justin Jefferies, played by Matthew Walker, made his first screen appearance on 19 March 2010. He was introduced as the brother of established character Aden Jefferies. The actor and Justin's first scenes were with the character Marilyn Chambers. Walker told a reporter from the official Home and Away website that it was his first day of "filming in the middle of the bush" at 5 am. Walker was pleased to work alongside Symons for his initial scenes because he saw her as a "legend".A writer from TV Week reported that producers had considered offering Walker a contract with the show to have Justin featured in a recurring capacity. A representative for the show said that bosses were "impressed" with the work he put into the role.
Justin is Aden's older brother. He arrives when Marilyn finds him bloodied, dazed and confused. Marilyn takes Justin to hospital and he recovers. He regains his memory of being in a car accident but little else. Justin visits Aden much to his surprise as the brothers have not seen each other for a long time and tells him he is in the army and encourages him to enlist, which Aden rejects due to their war veteran grandfather, Stan molesting him as a child. It is later revealed that Justin was responsible for the death of his and Aden's father, Larry in the accident. He wants to contact the police but Aden suggests they bury the body. They do so but Justin confesses and Aden moves the body and tells the police he found Larry alone. The brothers face a charge of conspiracy to commit murder but Morag Bellingham successfully defends them and the prosecution drop the case. Aden and Justin then leave for the city without telling anybody.
Jill Carpenter
Jill Carpenter, played by Josephine Mitchell, made her first screen appearance on 14 May 2010. The character and casting was announced on 8 March 2010. Mitchell previously appeared in the soap in 1990 as Jane Holland. A journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald reported Mitchell's scenes as the "troubled mother" of Romeo Smith would be broadcast mid-year.Jill is a "high functioning alcoholic" who spends her entire day drinking, but still attempts to lead a "normal life". While being interviewed on The Morning Show Mitchell revealed that "it's not something I do personally, just to let everybody know, but it's a wonderful layer for a character. I like complexity. I like trying to do subtext at the same time as doing the words." Mitchell researched alcoholism in preparation for the role to learn how it affects other people and what Jill would be able to do during the state of intoxication. Sue Yeap from The West Australian described Jill as "a flirtatious, fun-loving woman". She is "cashed up" from the life insurance payout that she received following her abusive husband's death and often uses the money to buy alcohol. Jill comes to Summer Bay to re-establish her relationship with her son. Although Romeo loves his mother, he is often humiliated by her actions and just wants her to be normal. Over time he has become the adult in their relationship.
Mitchell told Yeap that the storyline between Jill and Romeo was very character driven, explained "Even though the underlying issue is the alcoholism it was very much the relationship between Romeo and his mother and how her relationship with others filters through the community." When Jill is rejected by John Palmer, she relapses. Luke Mitchell explained that Romeo feels responsible because he was not supportive of her potential relationship with John. Jill becomes depressed when John chooses Gina Austin over her and she feels the only way she can cope is to "drink herself into oblivion." Romeo turns to Irene Roberts for help, as she knows what Jill is going through. The actor revealed "Irene's also an alcoholic, she gets it completely. She thinks Jill needs to hit rock bottom before she can admit she has a problem. As long as Romeo's there to pick up the pieces, Jill will keep drinking." Romeo decides not to help Jill the next time she gets drunk, telling her to ruin her life if she wants.
Jill arrives in Summer Bay looking for Romeo. He refuses to see her after having the latest letter he sent her returned to him unopened. Romeo is annoyed when he learns that Jill has been spending his stepfather's life insurance and angered further when Alf Stewart and Marilyn Chambers bring a drunken Jill home. She offers him a cheque for $50,000, but he tears it up and tells her it is too late to make amends. John Palmer and Irene Roberts offer Jill support and she accepts, leaning on John in particular. Jill's friendship with John causes friction with Gina Austin leading Romeo to fall out with Gina's son, Xavier. After realising the damage she has caused, Jill promises Romeo she will attend an AA Meeting, which he is pleased about. However, Romeo discovers Jill has the left the bay the following morning.