Summer Bay favourite killed off in season finale
Heart-wrenching deaths on Home And Away have provided some of the most memorable moments in Australian television history and Summer Bay is about to be rocked by another one that will have fans racing for the tissue box.
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Heart-wrenching deaths on Home And Away have provided some of the most memorable moments in Australian television history and Summer Bay is about to be rocked by another one that will have fans racing for the tissue box.
Families sat stunned as Shane died in the arms of Angel and when long-time Bay favourite Bobby was killed in a shocking boat accident. Tears were shed as Ailsa grabbed her chest and fell to the floor in front of Alf and when the time finally came for Sally to say goodbye to Flynn as he succumbed to a battle with cancer.
Now fans of the long-running soap, which enjoys an average audience of 1.2 million viewers an episode and is seen in more than 50 countries, will be left reeling after another regular is killed off in a highly charged extended season finale on Wednesday.
The death comes during a dramatic siege that takes place in Summer Bay’s hospital, with several high- profile residents trapped as armed men take control of the building.
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It’s the first finale for Emily Weir, who joined the show in June and plays Mackenzie Booth, the strong and determined owner of Summer Bay restaurant Salt. Her character is one of those trapped in the hospital and Weir says it was a thrill to be involved in a plot that was so different to the usual.
“It was great for me because with this stuff it’s the cops who come in at the end of the day and do all the rough and tough stuff,” she tells Insider.
“But we were involved inside with the siege and so we got to take the reins and show a bit of strength and a bit of bravery throughout — especially my character which was very, very cool to play.”
Brisbane-born Weir, who was a huge fan of the show growing up, says the epic scale of the finale, which will be run as a mini-series combining three back-to-back episodes, was quite an experience on set.
“It was so exciting - the mood on set was great because there were so many extras and so many moving parts,” she says. “Big season finales like this mean you get to be with characters you don’t usually work with so it was a great energy.”
While there has never been a shortage of dramatic plotlines in Australian soaps, writers over the past few years have been deliberately making content more relevant to audiences. Mental health, online grooming and an upcoming storyline on revenge porn are just a few of the angles that may not have been covered just a few years ago. These angles are important for Weir who remembers learning some of her own life lessons from Home And Away.
“I remember watching it when I was younger and learning about the emotional spectrum of romance and drama and things like that,” she says. “I think the writers have moved with the times and are implementing stuff about mental illness and things like the siege.
“It’s done so well and in such a diplomatic way, it’s not preachy but shows both sides. It’s awesome to be involved in,” she adds.
* Home and Away season finale, Channel 7, Wednesday, 7PM