Neighbours finale review: A gut-wrenching farewell as unanswered questions leave us desperate for more

The sun has set over Erinsborough – and not for the first time. Neighbours has somehow bounced back twice before, having been dropped after just eight months on air in 1985, and the axe falling again in 2022 when British broadcaster 5 cut funding.

No one, I suspect, was under the illusion that Amazon’s revival of the cult soap in 2023 would last forever. After all, all good things must come to an end eventually – it’s just a crying shame it happened so soon.

It’s been a stellar revival, with ambitious storylines and polished production. The so-called ‘new chapter’ was Neighbours with the volume turned up.

While there have been some questionable elements, such as the endless parade of American guest stars in a bid to gain some transatlantic attention, the show’s beating heart has remained intact.

When whispers that the show was under threat reached me last year, I struggled to believe it. Viewers were still tuning in, social media was buzzing, and the energy felt anything but terminal. Ultimately, as has often been the soap’s Achilles’ heel, finances were proving to be too much of a hurdle.

This is a disease that has plagued Neighbours for over a decade.

For that reason, when it was announced that the serial would be wrapping production again, I was under no illusion that the final storyline would be somewhat muted.

There would be no Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie dropping by, no glittering party in the suburban cul-de-sac, and certainly no fanfare-filled national celebration of the show’s legacy.

I didn’t want the last two years to be seen as a misfire or embarrassment because, to us viewers and the hard-working production team, it hasn’t been. What saddened me was that today’s episode seemed so incredibly rushed, as though Amazon had no appetite in investing a little bit more cash to bring some sort of spectacle to the proceedings. Would a double-length feature be too much to ask?

Despite the number of episodes left to air dwindling, over the last few months we’ve been introduced to a flurry of new characters alongside a sudden return of some faces from the near past. These included '90s favourite Gaby Willis’s son Zack, his boyfriend Colton, cleaning product thief Clint, and his daughter Addison.

Now I’m not saying that any of these actors were unworthy of having a slice of the Neighbours cake, but new characters bring new stories, which was jarring when there was still so much to finalise. I’ve enjoyed their presence, and I’m sure if they were given time, they would’ve thrived.

I was stung by story arcs that were hard to digest – Zack’s abruptly buried sex tape scandal and Addison’s reunion with her drug dealing mother should not have played a part in the final months. We should have focussed on the community, those who we have already invested a great deal of our time in.

Clint being revealed as Addison’s father was clumsy way to shoe-horned him back into Jane's life so that they could rekindle their romance in the penultimate episode. Just three years ago, her spark was reignited with teenage love Mike Young. Would it be so wrong to have her remain single?

It's understandable that the idea was to give everyone (or most) a happy ending; Remi Varga-Murphy’s amnesia fading and the memory of her wife Cara conveniently returning, Krista Tanaka announcing her pregnancy to husband Leo.

But so many threads were left unresolved. One of the strongest families in years, the Rodwells, were left in tatters in the wake of Andrew’s affair with Holly Hoyland.

There was the faintest shimmer of a possible reconciliation when Wendy supported Holly through her miscarriage, and later alluded that she may be able to put everything behind her in a conversation with the Varga-Murphys. Andrew listened in, intrigued.

And yet, as the theme tune kicked in, I yearned for that conversation to happen between the couple in a post-credits scene. Andrew’s infidelity with his messy neighbour and the subsequent fallout has been immense, and the implosion had legs for another six months of story. We’ll never see that.

Executive Producer Jason Herbison has made no secret of the fact he had to speed a lot of things up to accommodate the ending, but it's impossible to shake the feeling that a lot more could’ve been sacrificed for a more emotionally satisfying farewell.

Despite that, there was a lot to love in today’s instalment. I cried my little heart out watching the episode, and that was despite knowing every single beat of what was about to happen some months ago.

There opening brought perfect symmetry: the Varga-Murphys spinning into Ramsay Street, waving to Karl, mirroring their introduction two years ago. They’ve been one of the triumphs of this era, and rarely has a new family settled so easily.

Karl and Paul’s near-verbatim reprise of Susan’s iconic monologue from the 2022 finale also made me smile. For a moment, I wondered why they hadn’t crafted something new – then I remembered, this is Karl and Paul, of course they haven’t. The words hit just as hard the second time around.

A delightful procession of familiar faces poured into the The Waterhole to hear Shane Ramsay’s grand plans for a future beyond their usual confines. It wasn’t quite the same nostalgia-fest of the previous finale, but was nonetheless heartwarming to hear Melanie Pearson’s infamous cackle one last time, catch up with trailblazing Mackenzie Hargreaves, and see Roxy Canning strutting her stuff on the bar.

With only 24 minutes of material, I was pleasantly surprised to see that each and every returnee had some form of dialogue. They could have easily faded into the background given the limited timeframe, but managed to stand out and serve as a reminder of the folk who’ve woven the show’s rich tapestry.

Now, probably my most contentious view: I liked the final scene. I’m certain that by the time this article goes live, fans will be in uproar about the unresolved Erinsborough redevelopment plot, and that we’ll never truly know whether the locals chose to fight for their homes, move to Ramsay Hills or live in the Robinson Towers complex.

But that’s the beauty of a serial drama. If Neighbours had continued for another 20 years, we’d still be left with unanswered questions at some point.

In the closing moments, Susan stood in the heart of Ramsay Street, contemplating her future. I had goosebumps as the voices of those we have loved and lost over the years rung out around her.

It was a poignant reminder that although Neighbours may be gone, the memories will never fade – for us viewers, at least. Susan, stay away from the spilled milk!

As she was joined by Paul and Karl for some last words, nobody could muster up a decision about what to do, and so the camera panned out over the signpost, seemingly for good.

I’m worried that this open ending will prompt viewers to cling onto the hope of a potential comeback, continuing to plow their time into pushing out the Save Neighbours hashtag at any given opportunity. I would never, ever rule it out a third revival, but it seems incredibly unlikely. I hope that there is at least some comfort found in this ambiguity.

Now more than ever, it feels like the right moment to honour a legacy that will only continue when the current generation of actors move onto their next project, and exclaim: “I started on Neighbours.”

I like to think it’s not the end of the road, we’ve just reached the midpoint of the cul-de-sac. Farewell, Neighbours, and thank you.

Read more:

• Neighbours boss was unable to secure legendary character for affair story
• Neighbours producer teases "optimistic" finale and reflects on soap's legacy after 40 years
• Neighbours finale week: Tragedy strikes as a further 9 old faces return to say goodbye to Ramsay Street
• Neighbours spoilers reveal finale story as 9 old characters return to Ramsay Street
• Neighbours wraps after 40 years - as boss drops hint of "hopeful" future
• Neighbours star teases Terese and Paul's future and 40th anniversary cast comebacks
• Neighbours star reveals whether they think axed soap can be saved again

Neighbours is available to stream on Prime Video.

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