Episode 8851

Last updated

Episode 8851
Neighbours episode
Ep8851 title card.png
The title card for the episode, which replaced the usual opening credits.
Episode no.Episode 8851
Directed byEugenie Muggleton and Kate Kendall
Written by Jason Herbison
Featured music"High With You" – Divinity Roxx and Nathan Bodiker
"Steroids on Chrome" – Tai Jason
Original air dates20 May 2022 (2022-05-20) (UK)
16 June 2022 (2022-06-16) (AU)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
Episode 8850
Next 
Episode 8852
Storylines

Episode 8851 of the Australian soap opera Neighbours premiered on 20 May 2022 in the United Kingdom and on 16 June 2022 in Australia. The episode was written by the serial's executive producer Jason Herbison and directed by Eugenie Muggleton and Kate Kendall. The plot focuses on Hendrix Greyson's (Ben Turland) trip to Sydney, where he intends to tell his family that he has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Hendrix is accompanied by his girlfriend Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone) and the pair tour his favourite childhood locations around the city, furthering the exploration of the character's background.

Contents

The episode is only centred around Hendrix's storyline and is set entirely in Sydney, so the usual sets and filming locations are not featured. It was filmed on-location in the city in early March 2022. Episode 8851 does not use the show's opening title sequence and none of the main cast beyond Hendrix and Mackenzie appear. Tim Robards reprises his role as Hendrix's father Pierce Greyson for the first time since 2020, after he was forced to leave the show early and the role had to be recast. Jane Allsop also reprises her role as Hendrix's mother Lisa Rowsthorn, while Molly Broadstock and Beatrix Van Vliet make their debuts as Alana Greyson and Maeve Rowsthorn respectively.

Episode 8851 was well received by Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy, who branded it "a triumph". [1] He praised Turland and Stone's acting performances, as well as the script and production values. Kilkelly found that the focus on only one storyline allowed time for a number of character-based scenes and a more relaxed pace. Laura Denby from Yahoo! Entertainment believed it was one of several stunning moments for the show, which had stemmed from Hendrix's storyline. The proposal scene was included in a Radio Times poll to find the best moment from Neighbours.

Plot

Hendrix and Mackenzie drive over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a rented Ferrari California, before stopping at Mrs Macquarie's Point. There, Hendrix tells Mackenzie about the time he ran away from home because he did not like his mother's new boyfriend. He shows her the bench where he sat the day he cheated on an exam, and the spot where he did his first backflip. In Quibaree Park, Hendrix explains that is where he experienced his first heartbreak. He suddenly suffers a coughing fit and Mackenzie tells him they cannot keep his condition from his family, but Hendrix insists they can. While Mackenzie waits for Hendrix to come back from the restroom, his sister Alana shows up. She tells Hendrix that she worked out where they were from his social media posts. They have lunch with Hendrix and Alana's father, Pierce. Hendrix starts feeling ill, but blames it on an early start. Afterwards, Hendrix shows Mackenzie around his old school, but a security guard chases them out. The pair then visit Hendrix's mother Lisa and his half-sister Maeve. Hendrix gets upset wondering if he will be around to see Maeve grow up. Mackenzie assures him that he will get a transplant, but Hendrix questions whether he will get to share his life with her. Mackenzie tells him that he cannot keep his condition from his family anymore and suggests they talk to Lisa first.

When they go inside, they find Pierce and Alana have arrived and Hendrix realises that Alana has gone through his bag. Pierce asks why he has health instructions with him, while Lisa reads that he has pulmonary fibrosis. Hendrix admits the instructions are for the hospital in case he has to be admitted. He explains that he has an autoimmune disease that developed into pulmonary fibrosis after he rescued Mackenzie from a fire. Pierce asks Hendrix why he did not tell them sooner, and Hendrix says he got fed up of people treating him differently back home. He apologises for all the stupid things he has done and the time they spent being angry at each other. Lisa thanks Mackenzie for being there for Hendrix, but Alana blames her for Hendrix's condition as he went into the fire for her. Hendrix orders her to apologise, before asking his family to be strong for him. Hendrix takes Mackenzie to Bondi, where he used to go and think about his future. He admits that she was right about talking to his family. Hendrix then tells Mackenzie that he has never met anyone like her, before declaring his love and asking her to marry him.

Production

Development

On 24 April 2022, Neighbours confirmed regular character Hendrix Greyson, played by Ben Turland, would be diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease. Scenes prior to this had showed Hendrix suffering serious coughing fits. Hendrix soon learns that the sarcoidosis has developed into pulmonary fibrosis and he needs a lung transplant. [2] The storyline began airing from 5 May in the United Kingdom and 16 June in Australia. [3] Of his reaction to learning about the plot, Turland stated "I was taken into the office and told that they wanted to do this storyline and it was going to be quite big. I was honoured to take it on, and it's been really good to explore it with everybody." [3] He explained that Hendrix's condition developed after he saved his girlfriend Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone) from a fire at the local high school. The storyline was then built up slowly with Hendrix eventually receiving his diagnosis. [3] Turland called the plot "a good challenge" for him to take on. [3] He also explained that prior to the episode, both Hendrix and Mackenzie were having "a tough time" coping with Hendrix's diagnosis. [4]

Episode 8851 solely focuses on Hendrix's storyline, as he and Mackenzie visit his family in Sydney and tell them about his diagnosis. [5] It was written by executive producer Jason Herbison and co-directed by Eugenie Muggleton and Kate Kendall. [5] Unlike the majority of Neighbours episodes, it features a small cast and centres around one storyline. [5] There are also no opening titles or scenes set in the fictional Ramsay Street and Erinsborough locations. [5] The plot helps further exploration of the character's backstory, as Hendrix takes Mackenzie around his favourite places in Sydney, before he is reunited with his family. [5] Turland said "We see a lot of the places where Hendrix would go to if he was scared as a little kid – places that he felt comfortable. Taking Mackenzie to all of those spots is really special. It's really nice for Hendrix to be in those places with the girl that he loves. It's so important to him and it tells us a lot about Hendrix as a character." [5] Turland said that Hendrix has to tell his family about his condition because he will need their support going forward, but he finds it "daunting". [4] He also believed Hendrix felt guiltily at not having seen his family in quite some time, especially his sister, and he said that it was time they reconnected. [4]

Tim Robards (pictured) reprised his role of Pierce Greyson, two years after the part had to be recast. Tim Robards.jpg
Tim Robards (pictured) reprised his role of Pierce Greyson, two years after the part had to be recast.

Turland told Alice Penwill of Inside Soap that Hendrix's family are shocked by the news, as his condition seems to have come out of nowhere, and it has been a long time since he last spoke with them. Turland called the scenes "confronting" and said that his family "need to get their heads around it", but Hendrix's parents are keen to help him. [4] The episode ends with Hendrix proposing to Mackenzie. [4] Turland described the proposal as "very much spur of the moment." [4] He believed that Mackenzie had been good for Hendrix, as she makes him think differently. He also reckoned that Hendrix is questioning who and what he wants in life at that point, so it feels right for him to propose. [4] Turland noted that as the proposal is spontaneous, Hendrix does not have a ring and Mackenzie is not expecting it at all. [4] He added "They're young and with everything going on, it comes out of nowhere. But Hendrix knows what he wants, and he wants to get married..." [4]

Filming and cast

The episode was filmed on-location in Sydney in early March 2022. [6] Turland said filming the episode was a lot of fun, but described it as "a pretty tough shoot" due to bad weather. [5] He enjoyed travelling to Sydney and shooting scenes in the different locations that mean something important to his character. [5] He found that filming in real houses instead of sets made him and his co-stars feel like a proper family. [7]

Producer and director Kate Kendall revealed on her social media in the same month that Tim Robards and Jane Allsop would be reprising their roles as Hendrix's parents Pierce Greyson and Lisa Rowsthorn for the episode. [6] Robards had played Pierce from his introduction in 2018, but he was forced to leave the show early in 2020 due to the impending birth of his child and the COVID-19 travel restrictions in Australia. [8] The role was then recast to Don Hany who played out the character's final storylines. [8] Robards felt honoured to be able to return to the role, especially as it had been announced that Neighbours would be ending later that year. He stated: "I'm beyond excited and grateful to get back and see the whole team whom I never got to say goodbye to. Now knowing the show is coming to an end, it's such a privilege to be a part of it one last time." [9] Turland was also glad to have Robards back, pointing out that he had started the show with him and they had formed a good friendship off-screen. [4] He also noted that it was Robards' last chance to come back to the show before production wrapped, so it was a good chance for them to be able to explore Pierce and Hendrix's relationship again. [10]

Episode 8851 also features the first appearance of Hendrix's sister Alana Greyson. [7] Molly Broadstock was cast as Alana, who had been mentioned by her family members on-screen since Hendrix's introduction in 2019. [7] Turland praised Broadstock and said that he had had fun exploring the relationship between their characters. He also said that viewers would finally get to see Hendrix in the big brother role, as he expresses guilt for not being there for his sister. [7] He added "It's been really good and Molly is great. We connected and established this sibling relationship, especially as we see the two characters in their homes in Sydney." [7] Lisa's young daughter and Hendrix's half-sister, Maeve Rowsthorn, played by Beatrix Van Vliet, is also introduced in the episode. [7]

Reception

The original broadcast of Episode 8851 was watched by 85,000 viewers in Australia, [11] which was a small decrease from the previous day's episode, [12] however, it still made the top 20 programmes shown on free-to-air multi channels that day. [11]

In his review of Episode 8851, Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy branded it "a triumph". [1] He praised Turland and Stone's performances and Herbison's script, calling it "an incredible episode that earned a place in the show's history books." [1] Kilkelly was glad to see Turland at the forefront of a big storyline, and believed that the story needed "the extra effort" involved. With the focus on one plot, Kilkelly explained that there was time for "character-based scenes, exploration of backstory and a slower pace". [1] Kilkelly also enjoyed the on-location filming and production values. He concluded that Episode 8851 showed Neighbours was still on form and able to deliver strong moments in its final few months on air. [1]

Stephen Patterson from British newspaper Metro noted that Pierce was "incredibly supportive" of his son and said their moment together was "emotional". [13] Patterson called the scenes in which Hendrix proposes to Mackenzie "romantic", adding "No, you're crying." [13] Yahoo! Entertainment's Laura Denby praised the pairing of Hendrix and Mackenzie as they navigated his pulmonary fibrosis story, writing "Hendrix's illness has sparked some stunning moments for the soap, as the character whisked Mackenzie away to Sydney where he took her to his favourite childhood haunts. He acknowledged just how lucky he felt to have her in his life, and surprised her with a marriage proposal." [14] The proposal between Hendrix and Mackenzie was included in a Radio Times poll to find "the best Neighbours moment in the show's history." [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsay Street</span> Fictional cul-de-sac in the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera Neighbours live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Neighbours storylines primarily centre on the residents of the street, which was named after Jack Ramsay, the grandfather of original character Max Ramsay. A blackjack game between Jack and Sam Robinson determined whose name the street would be named after. Only six houses on the street are featured on a regular basis; numbers 22 to 32. Number 34 was featured for the only time in 2018. The cul-de-sac is at the end of a long street and the rest of the houses are on the other side of the main road which bisects it. The street behind Ramsay Street is named Mirrabooka Drive. A storyline within the show saw the name of the street nearly changed to Ramsbottom Street. Harold Bishop led a protest against it and won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erinsborough</span> Fictional location from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Erinsborough is a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Australia, where the soap opera Neighbours is set, focusing on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work there. Neighbours primarily centers on the residents of Ramsay Street and other Erinsborough locations, most prominently those situated within the Lassiters complex. Erinsborough is a loose anagram of Neighbours.

The Robinson family are a fictional family from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours. The family were created by Reg Watson and introduced in the first episode of the serial, broadcast on 18 March 1985. The family initially consisted of Jim Robinson, his mother-in-law Helen Daniels, and his four children Paul Robinson, Julie Martin, Scott Robinson, and Lucy Robinson. The Robinsons have one of the largest and most complex family trees in the show's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Tanaka</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Leo Tanaka is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Tim Kano. He made his first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 22 September 2016. The character was introduced alongside his twin brother David Tanaka, and they arrive in Erinsborough to find their long-lost biological father. Both Kano and Honda auditioned for both Tanaka roles and were later awarded their respective parts. The show's producer Jason Herbison had planned their stories months in advance. The shows writing team meticulously researched the show's history to find a way to introduce the two characters into the show's long-standing Robinson family. Leo and David's search ended in the revelation that the show's villainous character, Paul Robinson was their father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Robards</span> Australian actor and model

Timothy Robards is an Australian actor, chiropractor, model, and television personality. Robards worked as a chiropractor for seven years, before he was cast in the first season of The Bachelor Australia. He chose Anna Heinrich in the finale. The couple later appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2015. Robards took part in the fifteenth season of Dancing with the Stars and appeared on Australian Ninja Warrior. In 2018, Robards had a guest role in soap opera Neighbours as Pierce Greyson, which led to him joining the regular cast in 2019. Outside of television, Robards has worked as a model, and has developed a fitness program called The Robards Method.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Brennan</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Chloe Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by April Rose Pengilly. Pengilly auditioned for the role without knowing anything about the character. Not long after she made plans to move to Los Angeles, Pengilly was invited for a screen test and she was offered the part of Chloe a week later. Neighbours marks her first regular television role, and she made her debut during the episode broadcast on 27 March 2018. Chloe is the sister of the established Brennan brothers, and had often been mentioned on-screen by her family prior to her arrival. Chloe is portrayed as "well-meaning", "carefree" and "fun-loving". She wants to get along with everyone and live her life to the fullest. However, she also suffers from intimacy and "daddy issues", due to her upbringing which saw her raised by her mother following her parents' separation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipi Rebecchi</span> Soap opera character

Dipika 'Dipi' Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sharon Johal. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 24 April 2017. Johal originally auditioned for the role of Dipi's younger sister Mishti Sharma. Actress Scarlett Vas secured the role and producers changed Dipi to better suit Johal. Dipi is part of the extended Rebecchi family introduced into Neighbours, joining established regular character Toadfish Rebecchi. She is married to Shane Rebecchi and they move to Erinsborough with their two daughters Yashvi and Kirsha Rebecchi. She soon becomes the new owner of Harold's café.

Harlow Robinson (<i>Neighbours</i>) Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Harlow Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jemma Donovan. Harlow is introduced as an extension of the Robinson family, the secret daughter of Robert Robinson and the granddaughter of Paul Robinson. Donovan is also the real life daughter of Jason Donovan, who played Harlow's great uncle, Scott. Donovan auditioned for the role after a four-year break from acting and successfully got the role of Harlow, which producers then slightly tweaked to suit her. Donovan's casting announcement was made in March when she began filming, and she debuted on screens on 15 July 2019. Harlow is described as head strong, sensible and clever, and Donovan revealed that she liked her character. Donovan's co-star, Dennis, also explained that the character had some reservations about her new secret family initially. Harlow's early storylines involve a feud with Roxy Willis and a reunion with her mother, Prudence Wallace. Harlow's introduction was described as similar to Donovan's story of moving from London to Melbourne.

<i>Neighbours: Erinsborough High</i> Australian web television series

Neighbours: Erinsborough High is an Australian streaming television series produced for video on demand and catch up TV services My5 and 10 Play. It was released on 11 November 2019. The series is a spin-off of soap opera Neighbours. Featuring new and regular characters from the main show, the series follows a group of students at Erinsborough High School as they prepare for their final exams, and focuses on the various issues they are facing, as well as the disappearance of one of the students.

<i>Neighbours</i> 35th Anniversary Episode of Neighbours

Neighbours celebrated its 35th anniversary during the week comprising 16–20 March 2020. This consisted of the five regular weekday episodes as well as five extra episodes as part of a series titled Neighbours: Endgame, aired as the second part to the regular episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Rodwell</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Wendy Rodwell is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Candice Leask. Leask secured the role of Wendy after sending in an audition tape in October 2021, however she was unsure if the character was right for her until she read over the script again. It was Leask's fifth audition for the show. The character was initially meant to only appear in a single episode, but Leask discovered that writers had plans to reintroduce the character the following year to coincide with producers' plans to bring in another busybody character. Leask made her debut on 2 December 2021 and returned in February the following year as a recurring character, as requested by the serial's executive producer, Jason Herbison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hendrix Greyson</span> Soap opera character

Hendrix Greyson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Turland. Turland's manager did not tell him that he was not what the producers were looking for when he submitted a self-tape. However, he received an audition a week later and was flown to Melbourne from Sydney for a chemistry read with members of the cast. Three days later, he was informed that he had been cast as Hendrix. He joined the main cast in his first ongoing television role. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 September 2019. Hendrix was introduced as the estranged son of Pierce Greyson. His arrival led to further exploration of Pierce's backstory and established a new family unit in the serial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolette Stone</span> Soap opera character

Nicolette Stone is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Charlotte Chimes and Hannah Monson. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 15 July 2020. Chimes auditioned for the role at a time she felt creatively fulfilled owing to her work on another series. Despite her nonchalant approach, Chimes was invited to a second audition, which the then Sydney based actress had to perform over video-tape due to the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions imposed in Australia. Chimes was successful and assumed the role of Nicolette, who writers created as the daughter of the heritage character, Jane Harris. From her introduction, Nicolette was portrayed as "straight talking" and "brash", unafraid to hurt other character's feelings. Nicolette is a lesbian and is confident with being open about her sexuality. Writers often used Nicolette's characterisation in her storylines. Writers created a fractured backstory between Nicolette and Jane, owed to Jane's request that Nicolette conceal her sexuality from her opinionated grandmother. Nicolette's early stories commonly featured her and Jane's journey to reconciliation. Writers further explored Nicolette's backstory with the introduction of her friend Audrey Hamilton, who had helped Nicolette commit fraud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackenzie Hargreaves</span> Fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours

Mackenzie Hargreaves is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Georgie Stone. She made her first appearance on 30 August 2019. Mackenzie is the soap's first transgender character, added to the series after Stone wrote to executive producer Jason Herbison to pitch the character. She arrives as a new student at Erinsborough High School and is connected to the established Rebecchi family, who she knew prior to her gender transition. Following her initial guest storyline, Mackenzie was a central character in spin-off series Neighbours: Erinsborough High before being promoted to the regular cast of Neighbours in 2020. She remained with the series until its finale episode, broadcast on 28 July 2022, and reprised the role when the series resumed on 18 September 2023.

Benjamin Turland is an Australian actor and dancer. Turland won the grand final of the revived Young Talent Time series with his dance group Lil' Banditz Krew, before going onto the semi-final of Australia's Got Talent. He later appeared as a dancer on The X Factor Australia and The Voice Australia. In 2014, he made a guest appearance in the drama series Love Child and played Jordan Walsh in Home and Away during 2016. From 2019 until 2022, Turland portrayed Hendrix Greyson in fellow Australian soap opera Neighbours. He also appeared in the spin-off Erinsborough High, and was nominated for Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards. After leaving Neighbours, Turland appeared in the television miniseries Riptide as Ethan Weston. He filmed a role in the 2023 thriller 13 Summers and joined the supporting cast of Paper Dolls. The Casting Guild of Australia named Turland as one of its 12 Rising Stars of 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Kilkelly, Daniel (20 May 2022). "Why Neighbours' special Hendrix episode was a triumph for the soap". Digital Spy . Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  2. Kilkelly, Daniel (24 April 2022). "Neighbours announces huge new Hendrix Greyson storyline". Digital Spy . Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kilkelly, Daniel (5 May 2022). "Neighbours star Ben Turland responds to Hendrix Greyson's huge new storyline". Digital Spy . Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Penwill, Alice (14–20 May 2022). "Hendrix proposes!". Inside Soap . No. 20. pp. 22–23.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kilkelly, Daniel (10 May 2022). "Neighbours boss writes special episode for Hendrix Greyson's storyline". Digital Spy . Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  6. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (8 March 2022). "Neighbours star Tim Robards returning to show as Pierce Greyson". Digital Spy . Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kilkelly, Daniel (10 May 2022). "Neighbours reveals who'll be playing Hendrix Greyson's sister Alana". Digital Spy . Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (8 May 2022). "Neighbours confirms Pierce Greyson's emotional return storyline". Digital Spy . Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  9. Cremona, Patrick (28 April 2022). "Neighbours' original Pierce Greyson to return for guest appearance". Radio Times . Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  10. Kilkelly, Daniel (13 May 2022). "Neighbours star Ben Turland addresses Pierce Greyson recast as Tim Robards returns". Digital Spy . Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  11. 1 2 Knox, David (17 June 2022). "Thursday 16 June 2022". TV Tonight . Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  12. Knox, David (16 June 2022). "Wednesday 15 June 2022". TV Tonight . Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  13. 1 2 Patterson, Stephen (20 May 2022). "Neighbours spoilers: Hendrix proposes to Mackenzie in romantic scenes in special Sydney-based episode: 'Marry me!'". Metro . Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  14. Denby, Laura (9 June 2022). "'Neighbours' hits new heights ahead of imminent finale for Australian soap". Yahoo! Entertainment . Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  15. Denby, Laura (4 July 2022). "What's the best Neighbours moment of all time? Cast your vote in our poll". Radio Times . Retrieved 6 July 2022.