Belle Taylor Storyline (Mystery from way back)

[dvj1208]

Seriously? She (who most of us know by name, anyway) did this? She made the writers end the storyline abruptly, however indirectly? I didn't realise constant badgering on social media actually has a sway on TPTB!

[JamesC10]

I really liked the storyline as I was gripped and was hoping for more answers but sadly they dropped it . Didn't realise the producers dropped it because of the witness protection theories.

Sorry should have made that clearer, it wasn't dropped because of the theories, but I had to get confirmation that it was indeed over to stop the constant denial of Belle's death and the demands that she was in witness protection (and even all these years later this poster is doing the exact same elsewhere, albeit with Neighbours).

Ah thanks for that . I know who you mean but I remembered the mad Belle theories by that particular fan in 2009. Sadly she is still doing it with Neighbours like you said. At least Belle had a good exit and it was very memorable!

[Red Ranger 1]

Yes, a certain someone who got thrown off pretty much every forum and now resorts to hanging around Demand5 insisting it's all a dream.She still hasn't abandoned HA entirely, in recent years she was loudly declaring that Charlie and Romeo wouldn't die, although at least she dropped it once we got to the funeral.

There were an awful lot of loose ends and pretty major characters who just disappeared from the action without any resolution.Despite conspiracy theorists insisting he was the mastermind behind it all, it was pretty obvious that Angelo wasn't involved until right near the end though, we saw enough of him in private conversation with Tim to know that.And yes, there were also huge unanswered questions about Jack's death, with the show settling for blaming it all on Angelo and then coming up with a way to keep him on the show, even though they seemed to change their minds about what it was all the time.Still, the year long mystery ended the same way, concentrating on the big revelations and leaving us all going "But what about..?", so I guess tight plotting isn't the writers' strong suit.

[Blaxland 89]

Wow, when you about the show it was pretty badly written in many ways back then not to end stories properly. And it was a ruddy good idea to start off with.

[Jezz]

Very interesting to have this storyline brought up. I still remember it really well and I thought that there were many unanswered questions at the end of it's conclusion.

Before I go any further I'm absolutely astounded that one 'obsessive' poster that we're all aware of could have such a profound impact with the way the writers and producers were initiating storylines and then dropping them at the click of the thumb quite literally. Anyway, at least she rarely focuses on Home and Away these days but she's still been a problem for Neighbours in recent years though.

In regards to the actual storyline relating to Belle and the toxic waste development site storyline, there were many too many unanswered questions as I mentioned earlier.

In relation to how the storyline concluded, I always got the impression it concluded in episode 4777 when Jack's funeral occurred and Angelo was arrested after confessing to killing to Jack by accident on the night of the shooting at the development site. In the same episode, Tim Coleman (leader of the developers/builders) was arrested as well. RR1 sums up the conclusion with Belle writing a newspaper storyline about the whole situation as the conclusion of the story very well. Overall, the storyline ended rather abruptly.

In regards to Jack's death, I was always expected that the truth would come out about who was the other person firing shots which left Angelo and Jack in fear of their lives and which proved to be the catalyst for Angelo shooting in Jack's direction. I know that in the 2008 season finale that Angelo was planning to meet Tim that night but no one graced their presence to meet with Angelo. As I said earlier I swear I remember that Tim admitted that someone else was there on the night of the attack but he didn't say who it was unless he was referring to Angelo and that he was the third party that was shooting before Angelo fired shots towards Jack. Again this is very ambiguous after many years as well.

I hear the mentions of Murray and Nobby which amuses me a little because it's cool to see that people still remember these characters. Murray 'disappeared' in episode 4757 after he was planning to meet with Angelo and he was fearful that his life was on the line. I suspect that Murray was killed before he could meet with Angelo and Nobby was killed in episode 4766 after he was assisting Angelo in finding evidence to bring down Tim and the developers. Angelo planned to get Nobby to talk Tim with a recording device inside him but Tim found out as Angelo was listening in and then a scary crackling sound occurred. Soon after we saw Nobby being buried on the development site albeit we didn't see his body on the shallow grave though but it's obvious it was him though. This occurred at the end of episode 4766.

The storyline begins from episode 4715 and concludes around episode 4778 from memory. It was definitely enjoyable at the time I have to admit. Also it was odd to see Belle die from cancer only about 8 months later of the conclusion of the storyline, yet her cancer was never mentioned or hinted to be a cause from her investigation on the development site though all those months before.

[strawberry]

I have really enjoyed reading all the posts pertaining to this topic, and if there is one particular storyline which has felt completely unresolved and incomplete then this has to be the stand out. The toxic waste development site had the potential to be a truly epic summer bay storyline. I thought it would somehow cleverly link together all the previous cancer related storylines (Marilyn, Sally, Flynn, Colleen, Alf, Kane, Martha, Vinnie, Little Joe et al) uniting characters past and present, and through Belle's selfless persistence and determination we would finally get resolution and closure of this long-running cancer cluster chapter. But how wrong was I? Instead, all we got was a myriad of unanswered questions, which incidentally, still bug me to this day. For example, in relation to Jack's death, I still have reservations regarding the actual shooter. Who really did kill Jack that fateful night, because I'm certain that it was not Angelo. I think the real reason why Angelo returned to the bay was because he working undercover to solve this case, and that the abalone storyline was just a parallel running, red-herring, convenient type storyline to deceive us viewers?

With regards to "Nobby", are we just supposed to forget he was killed and buried somewhere on the development site plot? Will this ever re-surface?

What exactly did happen to Murray? As a viewer, do we presume he's dead? What happened to him after he posted Belle's photo-card in her bedroom?

Flashing back to the night in which Belle was taking pictures of the developers removing the toxic waste, whereby she was chased, fell and cut her hand, was that the mechanism of her illness?

Where was the toxic waste transported too? I remember in one episode, when Geoff and Nicole where stranded on that island there were some large wooden crates. For some reason there was a lot of hype surrounding those crates, but disappointingly we were never told their content. Did those crates contain the removed toxic waste?

Then there were several anomalies in the Belle cancer storyline, for which I will never forgive the home and away writers!

There was one particular hospital scene, where Belle was secretly meeting Rachel for a scan. Rachel gave Belle a brown envelope. What or was there any significance to that envelope scene?

Why after all the investigating of the toxic waste development site was this not addressed as the root cause of Belle's cancer? Surely Rachel, Belle Irene, and Aden would have all linked her cancer to the development site? This is something that I have never understood. I find it extremely strange and ironic that it was never ever mentioned. This would have made emotional, and compelling viewing. Could you imagine a highly volatile Aden, and an irate Irene wanting revenge and justice for Belle? -That would of been good viewing.

Another example, which still remains ambiguous, pertains to the fact that at one point, Belle desperately wanted to find her biological father. I remember a scene in the surf club where Belle was having a really emotional discussion with Rachel about this. In the end, Rachel told Belle to save her energy, and to concentrate on the people who loved her. What really was the point and significance behind mentioning Belle's father, if the writers were never going to go down this track? Why raise the question of who really was Belle's father, and then not developing the storyline further. Pointless?!

In reference to a scene from Belle's absolutely heart-breaking funeral episode, how exactly did Belle order those balloons? Why did Rachel suspiciously bow her head when they arrived? And why did Rachel want to return to work so quickly after Harry being born?

With regr

How come we have never heard the contents of Irene's letter from Belle

Why did Liam's character really return to the bay? This is still unanswered!

Finally, when Irene had her cancer storyline why was there no reference to Belle?

Is there any possibility that the witness protection theories are still plausible-I do because there really are too many unanswered questions!

[lissieke]

Another example, which still remains ambiguous, pertains to the fact that at one point, Belle desperately wanted to find her biological father. I remember a scene in the surf club where Belle was having a really emotional discussion with Rachel about this. In the end, Rachel told Belle to save her energy, and to concentrate on the people who loved her. What really was the point and significance behind mentioning Belle's father, if the writers were never going to go down this track? Why raise the question of who really was Belle's father, and then not developing the storyline further. Pointless?!

I'm pretty sure Amanda mentioned something about it when she visited though. She said something about trying to contact his family, but they'd moved or something, if I remember correctly. So, it might be a mystery to the viewers who her father is, but not to Amanda and Belle. But it is weird that they brought it up like that, and then didn't do anything with it.

[strawberry]

Thanks lissieke-I still think that there are too many anomalies concerning this storyline. I will never understand the significance of mentioning Belle's father, and not developing it any further

[beau_t]

Thanks lissieke-I still think that there are too many anomalies concerning this storyline. I will never understand the significance of mentioning Belle's father, and not developing it any further

I think that was a form of lampshade hanging

From TV Tropes:

"Lampshade Hanging is the writers' trick of dealing with any element of the story that threatens the audience's willing suspension of disbelief, by calling attention to it and simply moving on."

In this case the writers realised the issue of Belle's father had - unrealistically - never been explored, so rather than leave it as a plot hole, they had the character mention it and decide not to pursue it, as a way of drawing a line under the issue.

[jodlebirger]

I really liked the storyline as I was gripped and was hoping for more answers but sadly they dropped it . Didn't realise the producers dropped it because of the witness protection theories.

Sorry should have made that clearer, it wasn't dropped because of the theories, but I had to get confirmation that it was indeed over to stop the constant denial of Belle's death and the demands that she was in witness protection (and even all these years later this poster is doing the exact same elsewhere, albeit with Neighbours).

I think that is a really bad excuse!! And I really don't believe that was the reason. They wrote themselves into a corner and that's the reason why they didn't bother to resolve the case!

Yes, there was one obsessed person, but seriously... this series is written and filmed several months before it airs. And Jack's murder happened more than 6 months before Belle's death. And this person was obsessed by Belle, not so much Jack. Some people thought that Jack was in witness protection. But the reason is that they didn't bother to announce Paul O'Brien's departure from the show, and they didn't bother to resolve Jack's murder in a decent way. So fans of Jack just believed it wasn't over. And I think it isn't strange at all. A popular character needs to get a decent departure from the show!

I know this person was obsessed and sometimes still seem to be obsessed. I have seen several others being obsessed too, but they haven't got the same treatment. But she still has a lot of good points too. But people don't want to listen to her. Of course it is irritating when she is in "over the top mode", but how people has reacted to her is far worse and sometimes borderlines to internet bullying. This person is obviously not well.

I honestly think that 2 deaths of main characters in the same year are too much. Especially if they are that dramatic as Jack and Belle's deaths were. There are other ways to write characters out of the show. But at least they have to be done properly, and none of these two were. We got a couple of good and even beautiful funeral episodes and death episodes, but the build up and the aftermath weren't good at all!