A bumper minute-long trailer has given us our first peek of what’s in store when Home and Away returns, less than 24 hours after the show’s epic mid-season finale put lives on the line. Harley Bonner, who joins the programme as a new physician, also makes his debut appearance.
In Australia, Home and Away is presently on a two-week hiatus to accommodate coverage of the Olympic Games. It will be back on Monday, August 9th.
Dean’s (Patrick O’Connor) car was left teetering on the brink of a cliff, with Mia (Anna Samson) and Dean inside, and Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) laying lifeless besides, in the mid-season conclusion scene.
When a kangaroo leapt out in front of their car, causing Dean to veer off the road, they were returning to Summer Bay from Wee Jasper, a little isolated hamlet where Nikau had fled. Nikau was thrown out of the automobile as it crashed down the bank, knocking all three unconscious. Viewers in the United Kingdom, or those who need a refresher, may read the entire chain of events here.
When the programme comes to Australia in August, we’ll get a first glimpse at what the future holds for the trio. This page includes a link to the entire trailer.
Dean, Mia, and Nikau’s loved ones are gathered at Northern Districts Hospital in the trailer’s first scene.
Bella (Courtney Miller) is slumped on the floor, Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams) and Chloe (Sam Barrett) stand in the corner, heads down, while Tane (Ethan Browne) and Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) sit on the waiting room seats.
Summer Bay inhabitants are seen to be worried in the commercial, which cuts between various medical scenarios.
Ari is sitting with a concerned expression on his face. Will he blame himself, given that it was his outburst at Nikau that prompted his nephew to flee town for the distant location?
Mackenzie wonders aloud, “What happened?” (Emily Weir). Ari recalls the events of the day, and her countenance changes to surprise – “there was an accident on the way back.”
The commercial displays video of the horrific crash, with Dean’s car rolling and rolling down the steep hillside, reminding us of what transpired.
“At least one person is still stuck inside,” Mackenzie informs Ari, who appears to have gotten an update on the situation.
The first new pictures of the wreckage are titled “LIVES HANG IN THE BALANCE.” The automobile is perched on the brink of a cliff face, with nothing but bare rock and a steep drop between it and the earth below, as seen from a fresh perspective.
Nikau is immobile on the grass, surrounded by the car’s door and bumper.
Ari, eager to know if his girlfriend and nephew are still locked in the car, asks, “Any clue who?”
Mac can only sigh and shake her head.
Mia has awoken at the crash site. It’s difficult to tell, but she appears to be still in the rear seat of the automobile, checking on Dean’s condition.
She shouts “no, no, no!” when she sees his lifeless figure on the other side of shattered glass.
She’s clearly still in the car in the following image, clinging to the rear seat, perilously near to the cliff.
She isn’t the only verified survivor, though.
Nikau is seen pushing himself back up the slope to the road in the hopes of flagging down a passing vehicle.
Is he having any luck? When he sees an automobile, he urgently gestures to get their attention. “Wait! Come to a halt!”
However, it appears that luck isn’t on his side, as the automobile keeps going down the road.
He collapses on the floor, clutching his abdomen, exhausted.
He seemed to be in a horrible state. Is there any internal damage as a result of the crash?
Bella has been devastated by the news that Nikau was involved in the tragedy back at Summer Bay.
Bella tells Ziggy, “I might never get to tell him that I still love him.” “And it may be too late now.”
When word of the crash reaches the emergency services, a helicopter is dispatched to the distant location.
It’s here that we get our first look at Harley Bonner’s new character, Dr. Logan Bennett.
After fans spotted him filming at Sydney’s Palm Beach, where Home and Away’s external shots are often taken, his presence in Summer Bay was revealed in March. He was described as a “charismatic trauma surgeon who rushes to Summer Bay to assist save one of the township’s loved ones’ lives.”
Harvey hinted that his character is capable, empathetic, clever, and entertaining, as well as a nomad, and that “he’s seen and done a lot in his life, some of which he does his best to avoid getting into.”
As he becomes a regular fixture in Summer Bay in the months ahead, he’s poised to fall in love with Mackenzie Booth. More about Dr. Bennett’s arrival may be found here.
“Dean… hey, hey, hey, he’s on the verge of collapsing!”
Logan’s first words, as he desperately attempts to keep Dean steady, are these. Will he be successful?
As Bella and Ziggy embrace, it becomes clear that Dean isn’t the only one who requires immediate medical attention.
Christian (Ditch Davey) is treating Nikau, who is unconscious in Northern Districts.
The neurosurgeon begs, “Please remain with me.”
Tane asks Ziggy, “Are you concerned about him?”
The tragedy happened only days after Ziggy and Dean kissed, and while Ziggy assured Tane that it was a one-time thing and that she and Dean were genuinely done, it appears that the accident will put that vow to the test.
Ziggy answers, “I’m afraid.” How would she feel if her ex didn’t make it? She’d lately come to grips with the reality that she still had feelings for him.
Ending the teaser, we see Harley Bonner, Summer Bay’s new doctor, putting one of the survivors into the air ambulance.
We still have almost two weeks before the return of Home and Away, but it seems like it will be a dramatic few episodes when the people of Summer Bay learn the fate of their loved ones.
On Monday, August 9th, Home and Away will return to Australia. These episodes will air in the first two weeks of September in the United Kingdom.
