On Monday, January 31st, Home and Away will return to Australian television screens for the first time in a week. Mia and Chloe’s deeds swiftly catch up with them in the show’s dramatic return week, and Ari must move quickly if he is to save the duo from jail.
Chloe (Sam Barrett), Mia (Anna Sampson), and Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams lives )’s were permanently transformed in the closing weeks of Home and Away in 2021.
In the nine months since Mia and Chloe stepped back into Ari’s life after a decade apart, the three had grown into a safe, loving family unit.
Mia had purchased the gym – albeit with some dubious funds leftover from Ari’s criminal past – the three of them were living together, Mia and Ari were considering adoption, and Ari was ready to propose.
When Matthew (James Sweeny) arrived, everything changed. Chloe’s father was the surprise newcomer, a man she had never seen, knew nothing about, and Mia had no desire to see again.
Mia met Matthew at a party and didn’t consent to anything sexual happening between them, so Chloe was the result of a sexual assault.
Mia initially hesitated to tell Chloe the truth about her pregnancy, and she was forced to watch in horror as her daughter formed a bond with a man she detested.
The truth eventually emerged, and a saddened Chloe informed Matthew that she no longer wanted anything to do with him. He wasn’t pleased with the news and showed up at the Parata residence, insisting that Chloe accompany him to the city.
A struggle began, and when Matthew grabbed Mia with force, Chloe smacked him across the head with a rock. He was instantaneously killed.
Mia drove away after packing Matthew’s body into the back of her boot and forcing Chloe back inside the house at the end of the season.
Her goal was to dispose of the body and act as if the incident never occurred… Her luck, however, ran out in a matter of minutes.
Mia was pursued by Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) in the last seconds of last year, who had spotted her erratic driving as she drove out of Summer Bay.
She stepped aside for a moment but panicked when she noticed the blood on her sweatshirt and realized Cash would notice it as well. Cash sped away as she approached her car.
A high-speed chase ensued, and Aussie fans have endured a nine-week wait to find out what happens next.
Mia will be in a lot of trouble when the show returns next week. Leaving quickly was, predictably, a bad choice. Cash summons assistance, and she’s suddenly encircled by flashing blue lights as many cop cars pursue her.
Anna Sampson, speaking to TV Week about her conduct, says that “sheer fear takes over Mia.” She had no other plan but to keep her daughter safe.”
She knows the game is up when police cars speed towards her from the opposite way. She has no choice but to come to a halt when one of the automobiles skids to rest on a diagonal, obstructing her way.
“She’s frozen. Mia has run out of options,” Anna explains. “There was no plan in her thinking, just to get as far away as she could.”
When Cash realizes it’s Mia behind the wheel, he’s taken aback. He knows something horrible has happened when he sees blood on her sleeve, but he isn’t prepared for what he’s going to find in her boot.
Opening it up, he finds Matthew’s lifeless body inside.
His mind is racing — this isn’t Mia he recognizes – but the proof is in the back of her car.
Cash locks Mia and escorts her into the back of his police car while forensic officers remove the body from the car.
Meanwhile, Ari returns home to the Parata residence to discover Chloe in a state of emotional breakdown on the couch. He can’t believe what he’s hearing as she breaks down as she tells what happened.
Soon later, he receives the call he dreads: it’s Cash, informing him that Mia has been arrested for murder!
Cash is familiar with the Paratas and understands that there is more to this story than meets the eye. When Ari arrives at the station, despite knowing that it is against the regulations, he allows him to communicate with his fiancée.
Mia and Ari hug, and she begs him to protect her.
“I’ve got you,” the Parata patriarch responds as he promises her that he’ll do whatever it takes to free her.
Mia, on the other hand, is fiercely protective of her daughter and will go to any length to keep her out of jail – even if it means taking the fall.
Ari devises a strategy, as he is no stranger to dealing with cops. It’s risky, and it could cost him everything, but he’ll go to any length to save his family.
“Ari sometimes acts first and thinks later,” Rob Kipa Williams reveals to TV Week. He’ll go to any length to protect his family.”
However, Chloe’s own guilt could soon see her plan unravel.
Bella (Courtney Miller) discovers the truth about what happened outside the Parata house as Chloe breaks down and confesses to her father’s murder.
Bella advises her to be calm and draws on her own experience of losing her father to devise a strategy for Chloe’s survival.
She says, “The only way you can pull this off is if you act regular,” but it appears like being normal is too much for Chloe.
She goes to the police station to talk with Cash when her guilt becomes too much for her. Is she going to confess what she’s done?
Home and Away returns to Australian screens 7pm on Monday 31st January.
These scenes will be seen by UK viewers in six weeks, when the 2021 season finale airs on Friday, March 4th, and the return episode airs on Monday, March 7th, 2022.
