Random returns that you didn't see coming?

[matty]

I was shocked when Sarah Thompson/O'Neale came back for Alf's 60th, and Barbara.

[aussiesoapfan]

Matt Wilson came back in 2002 for some celebration. He was with Carly on the Mirigini when that sunk. That was a surprise because he was last seen at the end of 1991 and didn't come back for the next season

[Ryan]

Lance's return in mid-2005 when he appears for 1 episode to go around the show home was a surprise. It seemed like an ordinary episode and then Lance comes bounding down the street.

From around the same time, I never expected either James Fraser, Diana Fraser or Josh West to ever return and they did.

[Blaxland 89]

Adams was weird. but good. agree with Sarah. total surprise.

[Dibble Investments Inc]

I always thought Frank coming back in 1991 or 1992 was pretty random....

[maciam]

Gypsy 2011. What was the point of it?

[Jamie!]

I didn't see Marilyn ever returning to the show, let alone full time; particularly after the way she was written out in 1999 and how she was portrayed in the London episodes a couple of years later. She looked to have completely lost the upbeat bubbliness and ditziness that she was so associated with after losing Byron. I knew that if she ever did return, then it would have to be as the ditzy Marilyn that we all knew and loved her for, and not the withdrawn, depressed Marilyn we last saw her as. And I couldn't see how they could do that successfully.

But they made it work. It's a shame that we haven't seen her be like that in recent episodes. She did have a wise side at the same time, but that's all we seem to be seeing of her at the moment. I hope 2012 changes that.

[alexx]

I didn't see Marilyn ever returning to the show, let alone full time; particularly after the way she was written out in 1999 and how she was portrayed in the London episodes a couple of years later. She looked to have completely lost the upbeat bubbliness and ditziness that she was so associated with after losing Byron. I knew that if she ever did return, then it would have to be as the ditzy Marilyn that we all knew and loved her for, and not the withdrawn, depressed Marilyn we last saw her as. And I couldn't see how they could do that successfully.

But they made it work. It's a shame that we haven't seen her be like that in recent episodes. She did have a wise side at the same time, but that's all we seem to be seeing of her at the moment. I hope 2012 changes that.

These were my thoughts. I think her return was actually written quite well - they could have integrated her back into Summer Bay a lot better, instead of sectioning her off with Alf and Miles for most of the year, but in terms of how the character was written - I thought they were doing a really good job. But somewhere along the latter half of the year it seemed like they just forgot to write in those dizzy comments and moments they had included in her first 6 months or so - in a sense they treated her dizzy side as an entrance storyline and then once she was established, they dropped it in favour of the more spiritual/earthy thing.

I too hope they reinvigorate her in 2012, lucky I think they've managed to pull her back from that 'odd' era earlier this year with the baby swap obsession and Sid, where she became quite serious and edgy all the time. Now she seems much more like the Marilyn we love, they just need to start putting her into interesting scenarios in order to bring out the dizzy or innocent side again.

The great thing about characters like Maz and Colleen is that you can have them face predicaments that could be seen as quite horrific to the more serious characters, but use the seriousness as a play on their personalities. Like Colleen being struck by lighting for instance or being kidnapped in her mobile home. Even though they were serious subjects, they were written with a comical edge and it worked brilliantly. Same with Maz when she was arrested with Lance or when she almost ran over 'JJ' during her first episode in 2010 - her reaction was just funny because she took it so seriously in a very caring but loopy/innocent way.

[Blaxland 89]

I didn't see Marilyn ever returning to the show, let alone full time; particularly after the way she was written out in 1999 and how she was portrayed in the London episodes a couple of years later. She looked to have completely lost the upbeat bubbliness and ditziness that she was so associated with after losing Byron. I knew that if she ever did return, then it would have to be as the ditzy Marilyn that we all knew and loved her for, and not the withdrawn, depressed Marilyn we last saw her as. And I couldn't see how they could do that successfully.

But they made it work. It's a shame that we haven't seen her be like that in recent episodes. She did have a wise side at the same time, but that's all we seem to be seeing of her at the moment. I hope 2012 changes that.

These were my thoughts. I think her return was actually written quite well - they could have integrated her back into Summer Bay a lot better, instead of sectioning her off with Alf and Miles for most of the year, but in terms of how the character was written - I thought they were doing a really good job. But somewhere along the latter half of the year it seemed like they just forgot to write in those dizzy comments and moments they had included in her first 6 months or so - in a sense they treated her dizzy side as an entrance storyline and then once she was established, they dropped it in favour of the more spiritual/earthy thing.

I too hope they reinvigorate her in 2012, lucky I think they've managed to pull her back from that 'odd' era earlier this year with the baby swap obsession and Sid, where she became quite serious and edgy all the time. Now she seems much more like the Marilyn we love, they just need to start putting her into interesting scenarios in order to bring out the dizzy or innocent side again.

The great thing about characters like Maz and Colleen is that you can have them face predicaments that could be seen as quite horrific to the more serious characters, but use the seriousness as a play on their personalities. Like Colleen being struck by lighting for instance or being kidnapped in her mobile home. Even though they were serious subjects, they were written with a comical edge and it worked brilliantly. Same with Maz when she was arrested with Lance or when she almost ran over 'JJ' during her first episode in 2010 - her reaction was just funny because she took it so seriously in a very caring but loopy/innocent way.

True. And Maz has always had that depressive side to her nature. A very layered character. Then again, she was invented at a time where characterisation was more important than sensationalism.

[alexx]

Yeah, I like that about the character too. But the way they used to write it was spot on, it was a naive sort of depression if that is at all possible - they just kept her in-character, with the quirks and such even when she was written as somber. Whereas the stuff with Sid and Nicole they stopped writing her quirky innocence and as a result there was a lot of back lash from some viewers who at one stage this year were calling her a 'selfish bitch' and turned against her. As I said though, I think they're managed to win them back by re-injecting that friendly bubbly spirit back into her. Although the writers hardly give her any Maz-centric dialogue or material to work with, Emily is totally in-character.