Digital Spy article:
Why Sonya Rebecchi's powerful final Neighbours episode will go down in soap history
Eve Morey's tear-jerking exit aired today.
https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/nei...y-exit-review/
Gut-wrenching, tragic and incredibly difficult to watch – not descriptions you'd see for most episodes of sunshine soap Neighbours. But with the Aussie show killing off one of its most beloved characters today (March 5), we really wouldn't have expected anything less.
Tuesday's episode featured the final appearance of Eve Morey as Sonya Rebecchi, who's been written out of the show after an unforgettable nine-year stint.
Back in January, viewers watched in horror as Sonya was diagnosed with stage four cancer and, thanks to some leaks and spoilers from the set, we've always known that her battle would prove tragically short.
You definitely can't accuse the Neighbours bosses of not giving Sonya a fitting send-off. Her final episode was largely a two-hander special with Toadie, focusing on their fateful journey to the beach to spend time with their young family.
As Toadie looks forward to some rest and relaxation with the people he loves most, Sonya is hiding devastating news – her treatment is having no effect and she now only has days left to live.
This set-up allows us to see the Rebecchis at their finest – from the fun banter between them when Toadie still holds out hope everything will be okay, to the powerful and award-worthy dramatic scenes when it all comes crashing down.
Toadie and Sonya have always been the relatable Ramsay Street couple who can shift seamlessly from high drama to high comedy – plus high melodrama if you factor in Fake Dee – and these final scenes illustrate exactly why viewers have come to love this pairing so much.
After nine years of standout performances, Eve Morey saves the best until last as an ailing Sonya bravely accepts her fate, shares her final wishes with Toadie and says a heartbreaking goodbye to her beloved husband.
Long-serving cast member Ryan Moloney also gives the performance of his career, as Toadie struggles to accept the inevitable and his longest on-screen relationship comes to an end.
Neighbours seems to be making a concerted effort to shed its innocent image this year – complete with its new PG rating and darker storylines.
This has continued in Sonya's exit plot. We haven't seen the usual soap clichés of bucket lists and miracle cures abroad, but rather the true horror and heartbreak that comes with terminal illness. While Sonya has to deal with the thought that she won't watch the kids grow up, Toadie struggles to imagine life without his soulmate.
Plus, as we saw with Sonya and Mark's awkward final scene together, not every loose end can be tied up neatly. We imagine Neighbours fans on both sides of the world will be hugging their loved ones a little closer after today, having been given a sombre reminder to cherish every moment with family and friends.
This final episode in particular contained beautiful cinematography and direction from Kate Kendall, who previously played Lauren Turner on the show. The sensational script was written by executive producer Jason Herbison. Bosses even shelled out on some commercial music – whoever thought we'd hear Robbie Williams in a Neighbours episode?
Of course, it'd be wrong to praise Sonya's exit without also addressing the elephant in the room – the show has faced a pretty vocal backlash from fans on social media since Digital Spy revealed that it wasn't Eve Morey's own choice to leave the show.
Viewers seemed to be reluctantly on board with Sonya's death when they thought Eve had quit and the show had no choice, less so when it emerged that she didn't actually want to leave and was axed as part of budget cutbacks.
Neighbours has one of the most loyal and passionate fanbases in Soapland and viewers have questioned the pretty baffling decision to let one of the show's biggest talents leave.
Take a bow, Eve – your final episode, featuring performances on a par with any high-end drama, has shown exactly why everyone thinks they were mad to let you go.
Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).
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Originally Posted by Aussieguy
