Neighbours Spoilers 29th Aug - 2nd Sep 2016

[Aussieguy]

True. The article made it sound like the audience already knew this Regan. It was a bit weird how the character was introduced. What is also interesting is that Regan also sounds like both a girl's and boy's name. Could be a dude? It's about time they had a bisexual character. 😀👍

Well there's Steph...

[mezzac]

Never really thought of Steph as bisexual. I keep forgetting. I think its because she only had once off relationship with Belinda. I don't think we'll see her with another girl again.

[Dazzle]

Never really thought of Steph as bisexual. I keep forgetting. I think its because she only had once off relationship with Belinda. I don't think we'll see her with another girl again.

I hope you're wrong about that but I think you're probably right.

[Perdita]

Monday

Cooper’s parents have taken out an injunction order against Gary. But when he bumps into Cooper laughing with his mates about Xanthe, he can’t resist warning him to stay away. Unfortunately, Mark sees everything…
Terese gets the camera footage from Ryan and sees Cooper’s attack on Xanthe has been recorded. Tim’s worried about their careers and asks Terese to send the clip anonymously to the Cannings. Will she agree?
Piper looks through Elly’s assessment folder – and is shocked to see how hard she has graded her compared to everyone else. But will Elly catch her in the act?
To Paige’s delight, Jack is spending all his free time with her, tutoring her in religious studies. But Amy discovers he’s actually protecting Paige after being told something worrying on a professional capacity…


Tuesday

Jack’s worried when he hears a man crying in the confessional and then abruptly leave. He races to protect Paige and, when he finds her unharmed, he lies and says he’s worried about her upcoming boxing match. Later, Jack realises Paige isn’t the girl Ari’s after, but if it’s not her, then who is it?
When Sheila discovers the USB with the incriminating footage of Xanthe and Cooper, it seems their luck has turned. However, when Alison reveals Cooper’s mum has a serious temper, Ben begins to wonder – could she have hit her son?
When Mark asks Steph to move in with him permanently, she’s torn about what’s best for Charlie. When Charlie begins acting up and an accident occurs at the motel, Steph assumes Charlie did it, unaware it’s been caused by Ari…



Wednesday

Believing Steph is safe with Mark for the afternoon, Jack asks an older priest for permission to alert Steph and the police. The priest is clear that Jack must stay quiet, leaving him with a dilemma.
When Steph tells Mark she doesn’t want to live with him, an argument ensues and Steph is left alone in the house. When Jack finds out he rushes round there – but will the stalker hiding in the house get to Steph before Jack does?
Ben wants Maureen Knights to admit to assaulting Cooper. But Tyler warns Ben to tread carefully, offering to help by talking to Cooper…
Mark delivers the news that Gary is now cleared of any suspicion of assaulting Cooper – but Xanthe must still decide if she will pursue her complaint about Cooper’s assault.



Thursday

Jack and Steph race after the mystery stalker, but he manages to get away. Determined to protect the woman he loves, Mark lays out all the recent events and Ellen Crabb agrees it’s a compelling case, but denies his request to bug the confessional. Will Mark be forced to take matters into his own hands?
Gary delivers Paul a list of all the guests who stayed in the hotel rooms with the cameras. And despite Terese’s best efforts, word eventually gets back to her investors. But, suddenly, Elly storms in to apologise for her student’s media project which is being miss-reported as hidden camera footage!
Ned and Piper present their parents with an old campervan that all the kids have pitched in to buy. Piper gives her brother props for the thought but he reveals it was Elly’s idea. Impressed, Piper decides to apologise, but things don’t go to plan…



Friday

After spending the night together, Elly and Ned head for Harold’s. Unbeknownst to Elly, Ned runs into an old acquaintance, Bree – she hopes that Ned’s not getting too close to that girl he’s with, he knows how possessive Regan gets…
Piper explains that Elly has a grudge against her – but knowing she’s just saved Terese’s skin, Elly threatens that if Piper doesn’t back off, then Elly will tell Mr Udagawa that she lied to cover up the hotel hidden camera scandal. In a tight spot, Terese tells Piper to leave it – but will she listen?
Madison’s super nervous for the first of her regular gigs at The Waterhole. As she steps on stage the power goes out and, as Paul and Terese argue over fixing the fuse box, they share a longing look.

[Dazzle]

...as Paul and Terese argue over fixing the fuse box, they share a longing look.

Proof that Paul and Terese will be an item sooner or later. The writers aren't letting their chemistry drop.

[meagan82]

isn't Regan the girl Ned was seeing ...thats married?

[Jenzzyuk]

Why did Coopers Parents take an Intervention Order out on Gary? when it's Cooper who attacked Xanthe who should have the Intervention Order Put on him

[Dazzle]

Why did Coopers Parents take an Intervention Order out on Gary? when it's Cooper who attacked Xanthe who should have the Intervention Order Put on him

Unfortunately that kind of thing happens a lot. Since it was Cooper's word against Xanthe, there wasn't much action the police could take against him. I also imagine that given what we now know about Cooper's mother, she took out the intervention order to take the heat for Cooper's head injury off herself.

[Dazzle]

I'm annoyed with the resolution of Xanthe's assault storyline! In the end it became all about Cooper's pain, and everyone (including Xanthe herself) falling over themselves to make him feel better.

Now I know what he did to Xanthe will be seen by many as a very mild sexual assault, but - bearing in mind this is Neighbours we're talking about where euphemisms and evasions are used for anything deemed remotely shocking - I think it's fair to say the storyline being played out here is equivalent to something much stronger in any other soap.

The reason it's annoyed me so much is that sexual assault is not taken seriously in reality and most victims get no justice, so to make the perpetrator in this case sympathetic is downright offensive and hugely dismissive of the trauma real victims go through. As we saw with Xanthe, in reality it's the victims who are often blamed, harassed and bullied and the perpetrators let off scott free (despite the fact it's been proved that only a minute proportion of sexual assault/rape accusations are false). There are no convenient videos to back up most victims' allegations...

Neighbours had a chance here to keep the storyline tightly focused on the effects of the assault on Xanthe and her family and their attempts to get justice, but chose in the end to make it all about poor little Cooper, his unhappiness, and everyone (including the victim) colluding in making sure he was punished with the most feeble slap on the wrist possible.

It was badly done.

(Also to add: the judge would take Cooper's background into account when handing down his sentence, so there was absolutely no need to have him be virtually absolved of any wrongdoing by Xanthe and everyone else involved.)

[badirene]

I agree I hated how it was handled, but it seems to be a common storyline in entertainment, a woman is hurt and has to forgive the male character for the male character to "grow" and be redeemed. How about just once the male character grows emotionally in prison?

Interesting side fact the percentage of false rapes reported to authorities are approx 3% (from the FBI stats), this is the same rate as other falsely reported crimes (theft or criminal damage for example) yet the media coverage is disproportionally higher making it seem like these are common cases. For every story you see reported about a rape claim and the reaction that the accuser is lying try to find a case where someone reported an item stolen, or vandalism and see how many people react that the accuser is lying.