Sally and the money

[ter06]

Before I start, I want to make clear that I loved Sally's return and Kate, as always, was phenomenal. However, I do think they let themselves down a bit when it came to the money and the Fletcher family especially as they kept on harping on about Sally being back for the 25th anniversary. Here are my thoughts on the potential opportunities they could have explored;

1. Pippa - I struggle to accept the fact big Pip wasn't mentioned once for the entire eight weeks. Surely she would have wanted to visit Sally? Even if Debra wasn't available (and I doubt she was even asked as she has said she enjoys coming back for Kate's big storylines) they could have at least mentioned her

2. Alf - surely Alf has some money lying around?! At one point he owned a lot of business in the Bay, he still owns the bait shop, he surely would have had some money left over from the sale of the Diner? Ailsa'a insurance money? The fact he has lived rent free in Sally's since 2006?!! What exactly does he do with his money?

3. Morag - surely Summer Bay's richest resident? A career as a respected solicitor and judge? That beautiful harbour side mansion in the city? Again, not mentioned once and she also lived in Sally's house for years.

4. The Fletcher Family - what would have been great would have been a fundraiser for Pip and got all the family back. That would have been a real celebration of 25 years.

The thing is, nobody ever really mentions money or money problems on Home and Away. Summer Bay is an ideal middle class haven we are led to believe where in reality most of them work in pretty normal jobs yet afford lovely houses on the coast. It's seems pretty unrealistic especially in this day and age. I recall at the time somebody asked Kate something along the lines of what do you have in common with Sally and she said I'll tell you what I don't have in common with her and that's a sizeable piece of real estate on the coast!! So, where we are led to believe they all live an idyllic, money hassle free life when it boiled down to it her own family and friends struggled to help her and it just didn't sit right.

Also, they left the ownership of the house very unclear. The $80,000 was supposed to be a deposit for Alf, Roo and Marilyn to buy it but none of the three of them have mentioned it since. It also beggars belief how a near 70 year old man and two part time waitresses would get a mortgage on such a big house.

[beau_t]

The thing is, nobody ever really mentions money or money problems on Home and Away. Summer Bay is an ideal middle class haven we are led to believe where in reality most of them work in pretty normal jobs yet afford lovely houses on the coast. It's seems pretty unrealistic especially in this day and age.

This problem started because Summer Bay is supposed to be a bit of a daggy, run down, hicksville type of town, which just happens to be on the coast. Over the years they have let go of this idea and made it look too attractive and expensive, hence the contrast of "normal" people working normal jobs, living in what is now presented as a beautiful idylic seaside resort.

Don't get me started on Sally's return, I thought the whole thing was awful, not just the issue you have highlighted, so I won't go there.

[hward]

I also wondered about the whole money issue and the fact it's never been mentioned since, but it all became about Brax doing the "hero" act and donating all that money. And I thought the whole "return" was awful too, but I suppose the less said on that the better, lol.

[Red Ranger 1]

I think there seems to be a thin line between logic and fan wish fulfilment in some of these points but I'll try and address it as much as possible.It was explained that Alf had spent all his savings on Roo and Harvey's wedding, which should account for money he may or may not have had twelve and a half years previous.Even without paying rent, he's got very little income and is presumably paying bills and expenses so he's unlikely to be rolling in it.I agree the show has been a bit vague as to whether or not Alf et al bought the house:There was a reference to them using the money from the wishing well to help with the deposit and there's been a couple of lines since suggesting it happened but since Alf's been acting like it's his house since at least 2010, sometimes when Miles was right there, it's hard to tell the difference.Yes, there are people Sally could have asked for money(but then she wouldn't have come to Summer Bay).Yes, Pippa's absence could have been explained with a couple of lines like Sally not wanting her to know or come down or her having had an accident and not being able to fly.But suggesting all the Fletcher family should have turned up to raise the money?Not sure if that means Pippa and Christopher or the original foster children or everyone who ever lived in that house but there is such a thing as overkill.You can point to a dozen occasions when Sally needed help over the years and no-one turned up, that's just television.

Sure, it wasn't perfect:Bringing Sally back to heap more misery on her by making her daughter ill was a dubious decision, as was the did-not-do-the-research implication that Leah was Pippa's mother. But at the end of the day, even if it was partly down to Kate Ritchie, I think they portrayed Sally well, as a flawed but caring character, and my only real upset was that she went away again.

[Pierced Musie]

I also wondered about the whole money issue and the fact it's never been mentioned since, but it all became about Brax doing the "hero" act and donating all that money. And I thought the whole "return" was awful too, but I suppose the less said on that the better, lol.

That was the only reason moment that just let the whole storyline down. They had one scene together and he just hands the money over, which felt like a tacked on ending in a way. After the story was over I got thinking about some of the missed opportunities and came to one that would have probably felt more natural. I think I would have prefered Sally getting to know Kyle (meeting him because of Heath & Bianca) because they were both foster kids. They could have built up that friendship to a point where Heath, Bianca and Kyle decide to donate that money to the wishing well, with Brax agreeing to it.

Anything would have been better than what happened.

[Jacklost]

What happened to my comment? all i said was that you people are overeacting, i should be allowed to say my opinion...

[Pierced Musie]

This whole forum is for discussions about H&A, which means having a decent chat about different storylines, characters and behind the scenes stuff.

If that is overreacting then call me a Drama Queen .

[gutterboy]

I also wondered about the whole money issue and the fact it's never been mentioned since, but it all became about Brax doing the "hero" act and donating all that money. And I thought the whole "return" was awful too, but I suppose the less said on that the better, lol.

You hit it on the head........ just had to get the Braxtons involved!

[elikell]

See, the thing is, no matter what storyline there is, the writers/producers always have to bring it back to the Braxtons. Don't get me wrong, I love the Braxtons as much as the next person, but why can't there be just ONE storyline that doesn't involve the Braxton's at all?!
It would've made more sense to have Leah or someone hand over the money, not Brax. He doesn't even know Sally or Pippa! That's what got me. NOONE would hand over that much money to a stranger...it just didn't make any sense at all.
Surely a community fundraiser would've been the better solution to get little Pippa over to America...I just hate what the Braxtons have done to the show. They seemed to have ruined some fairly decent storylines with their thuggish behaviour.

[H&Alover]

They did raise money via Bianca and Heath's wedding, the first aborted one, but I wouldn't have thought that would have been anywhere near enough. Did Leah have that much money to spare and where did Brax suddenly find $80,000, I thought Angelo's wasn't doing that well. I think he, Brax, may have been motivated by Rocco's death, he couldn't help him, but he could help Pippa.