Episode 8052
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"Episode 8052" of the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...
'' premiered on
10 Peach 10 Peach Comedy (set to rebrand as 10 Comedy in 2025) is an Australian free-to-air television channel operated by Network 10. It was launched on 11 January 2011 as Eleven. It is owned by ElevenCo, which was established as a joint venture betwee ...
in Australia and Channel 5 in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2019. The episode was written by series producer
Jason Herbison Jason Herbison (born 1972) is an Australian television producer, screenwriter and novelist, most recently serving as the executive producer of the soap opera ''Neighbours''. He has written scripts for numerous television serials, and has publis ...
and directed by
Kate Kendall Kate Kendall is a British-born Australian actress and director. She played Angie Piper in the long-running Nine Network Australian drama '' Stingers'' from 1998 to 2004. Kendall has appeared in television series '' The Librarians'' (2007), '' R ...
. It features the death of series regular
Sonya Rebecchi Sonya Rebecchi (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Eve Morey. The actress auditioned for the role and began filming in June 2009. She made her first screen appearance during the episod ...
(
Eve Morey Eve Morey (born 4 June 1983) is an Australian actress. Her roles have included Lucy Green in '' Pig's Breakfast'' (1999) and Sonya Rebecchi in the soap opera ''Neighbours'', the latter role played from 2009 to 2022. She has also appeared in '' A ...
) from
ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
. She and her husband
Toadfish Rebecchi Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi, commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie", is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
(
Ryan Moloney Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 1995 until his departure in 2025. Career Moloney's first ...
) take a road trip to the beach to spend the day with their children. It is mostly a
two-hander A two-hander is a term for a play, film, or television programme with only two main characters. The two characters in question often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and possibly overcome as t ...
between Morey and Moloney, a format which allows the focus to be on Sonya's final storyline. The episode was conceived after Morey was informed in March 2018 that her contract would not be renewed, in an effort to reduce the show's production costs. She asked for her character to be
killed off The killing off of a character is a device in fiction, whereby a character dies, but the story continues. The term, frequently applied to television, film, video game, literature, anime, manga and chronological series, often denotes an untimely o ...
, knowing there was no other plausible reason for Sonya to leave her husband and children. Episode 8052 was filmed over a week in December 2018, after a production delay due to bad weather. Morey returned to film the scenes two weeks after she had wrapped her stint on the show. She said she was "satisfied" with Sonya's final scenes and believed she had done her character justice. Two promotional trailers featuring scenes from the episode were released in February 2019. Episode 8052 posted a small ratings increase in Australia. It received positive reviews from critics and viewers, who praised Morey and Moloney's performances. Some viewers campaigned on social media for Morey to win a
Logie Award The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Television in Australia, Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The eve ...
. Maddison Hockey of ''
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
'' called the episode "touching and beautiful", while Daniel Kilkelly of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
found it to be "gut-wrenching, tragic and incredibly difficult to watch".


Plot

Sonya Rebecchi Sonya Rebecchi (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Eve Morey. The actress auditioned for the role and began filming in June 2009. She made her first screen appearance during the episod ...
(
Eve Morey Eve Morey (born 4 June 1983) is an Australian actress. Her roles have included Lucy Green in '' Pig's Breakfast'' (1999) and Sonya Rebecchi in the soap opera ''Neighbours'', the latter role played from 2009 to 2022. She has also appeared in '' A ...
) and her husband Toadfish "Toadie" Rebecchi (
Ryan Moloney Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 1995 until his departure in 2025. Career Moloney's first ...
) pack their car, as they prepare to join their children at a beach house. As Toadie goes inside to get his son's iPad, Sonya takes a moment to look at all the houses on
Ramsay Street Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. ''Neighbours'' storylines primarily centre on the re ...
. They stop at the Lassiter's complex, where Toadie buys junk food and Sonya teases him about his secret food stashes. As they travel down the freeway, they sing along to some music before Sonya declares she does not want a funeral but a memorial by the lake instead. Toadie tries to assure her that they are getting the best treatment for her ovarian cancer, but Sonya wants to be prepared just in case. Toadie notices Sonya is looking nauseous. She says she is fine, and they joke about his domineering mother. Toadie wants to pull over. Sonya asks him to wait for the next rest area, but she has trouble remembering what it is called. Toadie pulls the car over next to a field and Sonya assures him she is just feeling ill from the chemotherapy and carsickness. While Toadie goes off to urinate, Sonya becomes dizzy and her vision blurs. Toadie later finds Sonya in the field picking wildflowers and they take a moment to admire the view. As they continue their journey, Toadie becomes concerned that Sonya is talking about a future that she is not part of. She becomes upset as she wonders what happens to people when they die and admits she is scared of not seeing him and the children again. Sonya finally tells Toadie that the chemotherapy has had no effect on the tumour in her brain, and she has days to live. Toadie experiences grief and anger. Sonya asks him to take her to the children. As they reach the beach house, Sonya promises not to give up. After learning their children are at the beach, Sonya becomes desperate to see them and they make their way there. Sonya starts feeling weaker and tells Toadie that he will have to let her go. She makes him promise to lean on his friends and family and take care of the children. She also urges him to find love again when he is ready. She sits and watches the children playing, while Toadie hugs her. As her breathing becomes shallow, Sonya says she knows that heaven exists because it is with Toadie and her family. Sonya falls limp in his arms. He tries to rouse her, but soon realises she has died.


Production


Conception

In early December 2018, ''Neighbours'' announced that "a fan favourite" character would be killed off during 2019. The following month it was confirmed that Sonya Rebecchi, played by Eve Morey, would be diagnosed with stage IV
ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
, which would eventually lead to her death. Morey said that the producers chose to write her character out to reduce the program's production costs. The show's future had been called into question when
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...
entered voluntary administration in 2017. The producers informed Morey in March 2018, shortly after she returned to work following maternity leave, that her contract would not be renewed. She said, "There's no doubt that it was a hard decision to make, but that's just the way the job goes sometimes. Once I'd let go of my ego a bit, it ended up working out exactly the way it should." After accepting that her character would be leaving, Morey wanted to know what would happen to Sonya and her husband Toadfish "Toadie" Rebecchi (played by Ryan Moloney), as she was keen "to preserve the integrity of these characters". Morey suggested that Sonya would have to die, as there was no other plausible reason for her to leave Toadie and their children, especially after everything they had been through together. Morey did not want her character to "go off the rails" and suffer an alcohol or drugs relapse again. That might have made her unpopular with viewers, who would not have cared as much about her death. Moloney came up with a final storyline for the character, which saw Sonya struck by a car as she hurried to meet Toadie, who had been given the all-clear after his own battle with cancer. Episode 8052 was written by series producer Jason Herbison and directed by former ''Neighbours'' actress
Kate Kendall Kate Kendall is a British-born Australian actress and director. She played Angie Piper in the long-running Nine Network Australian drama '' Stingers'' from 1998 to 2004. Kendall has appeared in television series '' The Librarians'' (2007), '' R ...
. It is mostly a
two-hander A two-hander is a term for a play, film, or television programme with only two main characters. The two characters in question often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and possibly overcome as t ...
between Morey and Moloney. David Knox of
TV Tonight TV Tonight is an Australian-based website which features reviews, news and programming information related to television in Australia as well as OzTAM ratings information. The site was started by television critic David Knox in 2007 after li ...
called it "a rare move", as typical episodes feature the ensemble cast and multiple storylines. Morey was pleased that it was written as a two-hander, so that the focus would only be on Sonya's storyline. She told Katie Baillie of ''
Metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...
'', "Sometimes you can act your little guts off in a scene and then it will cut to the Waterhole—you need light and shade otherwise some of these storylines can be too much, but it was great to know that this final episode was—they weren't going to cut to Sheila doing something." The plot sees Sonya and Toadie taking a road trip to the beach to join their children, shortly after Sonya learns her condition has deteriorated. Morey explained that Sonya is aware she has not got long to live, so she feels that she needs to "empower" Toadie to carry on without her. During the journey, Sonya's condition deteriorates, and she shares her last wishes with him, as well as questioning whether heaven really exists. Moloney said his character is "completely gutted" when Sonya tells him she is going to die soon. Upon reaching the beach, Sonya decides that the children should not see her and she lays in Toadie's arms, where she realises that being with her family is heaven. Morey added, "She dies content and grateful for the life that she's had, which is pretty ideal. Not a lot of people get that."


Filming

The episode was filmed at an exterior beach location in December 2018. Moloney described filming the scenes as "horrible and beautiful all at the same time". He explained, "We went away for more than a week to shoot it all. The whole week was just horrible, but at the same time, it was nice that we got the chance to actually be in love for the last storyline." Morey revealed that they were supposed to film the scenes earlier, but bad weather halted production. She returned to film them two weeks after she had wrapped her stint on the show. Morey found that the two-week gap gave her a better perspective on Sonya's final scenes, and allowed her to approach them in a different way. She also said that Kendall helped her and Moloney to "find the light and shade" in the scenes, so the characters are seen laughing and joking, just being together, before Sonya's last moments. Moloney commented that the final shooting day was "stunning", as the sun came out, and it felt "as if it was meant to be". Morey was "satisfied" with Sonya's final scenes and felt she had done her character justice.


Promotion and broadcast

Scenes from the episode were first seen in a promotional trailer for the show released on 22 February 2018. A second trailer, released on 25 February, asked viewers: "If you had one day left, how would you live it?", as scenes from the episode played. As the trailer ends, a
voiceover Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...
is heard saying "It's time to say goodbye to Sonya". Episode 8052 aired on 5 March 2019 in Australia and the United Kingdom. The cast, crew, and
Fremantle Australia Fremantle Australia Pty Ltd. (formerly FremantleMedia Australia) is the Australian arm of global British production and entertainment company Fremantle. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of market leader Grundy Television and comedy special ...
personnel held a private screening of the episode at Como Cinemas in
South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a populati ...
.


Reception

The original broadcast of Episode 8052 was watched by 126,000 viewers in Australia, which was a small increase from the previous day's episode. In the UK, the episode failed to make the top 15 most watched television shows on Channel 5 for that week, but it was the highest rated episode of ''Neighbours'' across PC/laptop, tablet and smartphone users, and sixth overall behind episodes of '' The Bachelor''. The episode received positive reviews from critics and viewers, many of whom began campaigning on social media for Morey to win the
Logie Award for Most Popular Actress The Logie Award for Most Popular Actress is an award presented annually at the Australian TV Week Logie Awards The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and s ...
. ''
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
's'' Maddison Hockey wrote, "Sonya's sudden illness has been an emotional whirlwind that culminates in a touching and beautiful episode of ''Neighbours''. Tears are guaranteed". ''Metro''s Katie Baillie called Sonya's death "the moment we've all been dreading" calling it "utterly heartbreaking" and "poignant". Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''
Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly soap opera and television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom. The magazine is currently released every Tuesday. It covers storylines featured in British and Australian soap operas that are broadcast in t ...
'' wrote Morey and Moloney's performances were "sublime, and deserve to win every award going". Lisa Woolford of '' The Advertiser'' dubbed the episode "powerful" and wrote "It's pretty much just Toadie and Sonya for the entire 30 minutes. It's beautifully shot, and beautifully written. But be warned you will need tissues, it's genuinely heartbreaking as the couple try to confront her fate." Claire Crick of ''
What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and com ...
'' also praised Morey and Moloney's performances, saying they "did us proud, as we knew they would." She said the moment when Toadie learned his wife did not have long to live was "easily the most powerful ''Neighbours'' has ever seen, but in true Rebecchi style there also some light-hearted moments between the pair during the episode, reminding us why we love Sonya and Toadie so much." Crick concluded that Sonya "was given the unforgettable send off that she deserves". A reporter for ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' felt Sonya's death was not as impactful as Molly Jones's (
Anne Tenney Anne Tenney (born 1954) is an Australian film, television and theatre actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Melissa "Molly" Jones in the television drama ''A Country Practice'', Liz Taylor in ''Always Greener'', and as Sal Kerrigan oppos ...
) in fellow soap ''
A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...
'', but said it was "certainly a milestone" and found the cast and crew did it justice. The reporter added that Morey and Maloney "traversed the last hours of life with dignity, humour, and as much honesty as you can expect from a family-friendly prime-time soap." Daniel Kilkelly of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
opened his review writing, "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". He thought the episode was "a fitting send-off" for the character, and the two-hander format allowed the audience to see the couple at their best. Kilkelly also praised Morey and Moloney's acting. He said Moloney had given "the performance of his career". He also praised the cinematography, Kendall's direction, and the "sensational script" from Herbison. Kilkelly concluded by writing, "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". Herbison won the Best Script for a Television Serial accolade at the 2019 Australian Writers' Guild Awards. The following year, Kendall won Best Direction of a TV or SVOD Drama Serial at the
Australian Directors Guild Awards The Australian Directors' Guild (ADG) is an industry guild representing the interests of film, television, commercials and digital media directors, including documentary makers and animators, throughout Australia. With its headquarters in Sydney ...
for her work on the episode.


References


External links

* {{Neighbours Neighbours episodes 2019 Australian television episodes Two-handers Television episodes about death Television episodes written by Jason Herbison Television episodes directed by Kate Kendall