Coming up on Home and Away in Australia, heartache is on the way in Summer Bay as a much-loved resident says goodbye for good.
TV Week reports that either Irene (Lynne McGranger), Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) or Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) are set to die in upcoming episodes….but which will it be?
Does Irene die?
Viewers have recently seen Irene fall off the wagon after being scammed by conwoman Bronte Langford (Stefanie Caccamo). As Bronte was led into the cells at Yabbie Creek police station, her comments that she just needed a stupid, gullible, old woman cut deep for Irene.
After nine years of sobriety, Irene succumbed and bought herself a bottle of whiskey to numb her pain.
Irene managed to keep her drinking under wraps at first, despite a clear change in attitude towards her friends and a disastrous interview with the Coastal News, but after dropping a bottle when John (Shane Withington) turned up expectedly, he walked in to find her weeping over the broken glass.
Irene agreed to attend an AA meeting and assured John that she was back on track after her blip. But as John headed to the city to visit son Jett and daughter-in-law Lindsey, Irene began openly drinking wine with Leah (Ada Nicodemou) and Marilyn (Emily Symons) after inviting them to Salt.
Irene has been determined to show that she can function as normal, whilst still enjoying the odd social drink with her friends, but has continued drinking harder spirits in secret.
John suspected as such following Irene’s dinner party last week, and spotted her dumping her empties in a bin near the surf club.
After John confronted Irene with the evidence, she angrily told him that their friendship was over before throwing him out.
Upcoming episodes will see Irene suffer an accident at home after another heavy drinking session.
After alienating people further as she demands to be left alone, Irene hits the whiskey. However, as she tries to climb the stairs in her drunken state, she loses her balance and falls.
Crashing down the stairs, Irene lands at the bottom with a sickening thud. As she lays out cold, will she be discovered before it’s too late?
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We already know that these episodes were some of the last filmed before Lynne McGranger left the show for what was described as an extended break. Lynne initially took a short holiday in the UK back in March, before returning to rehearsals for a theatre production, which toured NSW and Victoria from 28th May to 4th August.
However, Lynne assured viewers of Seven’s The Morning Show earlier this year that she would be back.
“(I’ll be going for) just a little while, not leaving anything permanently,” she stated.
So it appears that Irene could be safe… for now at least!
Does Cash die?
Meanwhile, Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) last week managed to crack the case of the late Senior Constable Franklin McGrath, the officer he was drafted in to replace at Mangrove River Police Station.
McGrath’s body had been found dumped in a local dam, after he had been carrying out surveillance on a hangout belonging to the notorious River Boys.
Latest River Boy leader Rory (Joshua Orpin) and his sidekick Dingo (JK Kazzi) had already come under the radar of Summer Bay locals, after Mali (Kyle Shilling) called old mate Dean (Patrick O’Connor) to draft in some support with his fight against the Allens.
Rory soon found himself entering into a steamy romance with Felicity (Jacqui Purvis), and when he and Dingo vandalised the car of the new Mangrove River cop, he was stunned to discover it was none other than Flick’s brother.
Rory saw his chance to use his fling with Flick to a further advantage by keeping an eye on Cash. Meanwhile, after hearing all about the River Boys from town resident Constable Jo Devlin (Ariadne Sgouros), Cash tried his best to warn his sister off Rory.
Flick being Flick however, she thought Cash was just being over-protective, and refused to stop seeing him.
As he and Jo looked into the case further, Cash soon uncovered CCTV which showed that Dingo was in the vicinity of the dam where McGrath’s body was found, with Dingo and one other person seen in his car.
After being questioned, Dingo dropped a locked bag off to Mali, telling him that he owed them and to take care of it.
When a forensic search of Dingo’s car revealed traces of McGrath’s blood in the boot, Cash and Jo drafted in officers from Yabbie Creek to help storm the River Boy hangout with a search warrant, just as a defiant Mali decided to return the bag.
With Dingo in custody, with a bag containing McGrath’s wallet, police badge, and a crowbar used as the murder weapon, the River Boy was charged with murder.
However, a further twist came when Rory then came forward to say that he had in fact been the one who’s finished off McGrath, after Dingo had beaten him unconscious.
Although it was unclear whether Rory was telling the truth or just attempting to cover for Dingo, Rory was charged following his confession.
Flick was certain that either Rory or Cash were lying, but was devastated when Rory confirmed that it was true, after Cash took her to see him at the police station before his transfer to remand.
The story was seemingly over, but could the River Boys possibly come after Cash, seeking revenge on the cop that put their leader in prison?
Does Flick die?
Flick could equally find herself a target if the gang decide to hit Cash where it really hurts, but with Rory’s feelings for her seeming genuine, would he allow his mates to harm her?
The end of last week’s episodes saw Cash pop the question to girlfriend Eden (Stephanie Panozzo), and as we reported a few months ago, the pair are set to celebrate their engagement with a big party on the beach this week.
©Back to the Bay
The episodes will see the debut of Hailey Pinto as Eden and Levi’s (Tristan Gorey) younger sister Abigail, with Flick at this point also looking to be quite loved up with ex-husband Tane (Ethan Browne).
©Back to the Bay
© Back to the Bay
However, it soon became apparent after we witnessed these scenes being filmed back in March, that they were in fact amongst Jacqui Purvis’s final scenes as Flick.
Fans reported in the following weeks that security guards working for the show had told them Jacqui had left the series, and she has not been spotted at Palm Beach since.
©Back to the Bay
As such it looks very likely that Flick will be the upcoming death.
If so, will her demise be related to her recent dalliance with the River Boys, or something else entirely that no one could foresee?
