Long Distance Neighbours

So Karl and Susan are of to London on holidays. And we all know who they're going to run into while they're there.

Twice.

Because, you know, London's a small place, with hardly any people there. Chance encounters with people you know from the other side of the world are actually quite common.

Anyway, I guess after so many years of frenzied support from the English fans of the show, it was about time that the storyline took a couple of stalwarts from the cast across the seas to visit 'The Mother Country' and involve them firsthand in this way.

I just think it's a shame that so many ridiculously impossible 'special guest stars' are being crammed in to so little screen time. It must be another reflection on the small number of people who live in the heart of London. I know for a fact that you can't walk fifty paces through Trafalgar Square without running into the likes of Julian Clary, Emma Bunton, Michael Parkinson or Jonathan 'Jono' Coleman. And the less said about Neil Morrissey as a priest, the better.

It's strange, then, that Terry Nutkins, Jo Whiley, and Little Britain's Matt Lucas and David Walliams were all also on hand to pop in for tea and scones.

But perhaps the most amusing thing for me, is the idea that local English residents - as opposed to English tourists when they're visiting Australia - will soon be going on Neighbours-themed tours of London, pointing out all the "Neighbours landmarks" to each other in awed voices:

"Look! That's the park bench where Susan left Izzy some money, BEFORE SHE EVEN REALISED WHO IT WAS UNDER THE NEWSPAPER."

"See that there? That's the carriage of the London Eye where Karl proposed to Susan!"

"Hey, check it out! That's the double-decker bus seat Karl and Susan sat in when they were taking THIS EXACT TOUR!"

"Wow, I think that's the pier where < PLOT SPOILER CENSORED >, although all the blood's been cleaned up since then."

I'm actually really looking forward to the next two weeks of the show. The overseas scenes, the return of Izzy, the death of < SOMEONE >, and apparently the kidnapping of someone else. I'm not sure who that is - maybe it's baby Kerry again. Hopefully it's Lolly being kidnapped by a psychotic Sandy, except I know it's not yet Lolly's turn to leave the show, which means we'd only be subjected to lots more overacting and poor delivery of dialogue ... so perhaps it's better if Lolly just hung around and played a supporting role in the Ringo / Rachel storyline.


-----


CONNOR UPDATE:

It's been approximately six months since my much admir'd Connor O'Neill was last mentioned on the show, and over nine months since he disappeared. Imagine my delight, then, when he was finally referenced in Friday's episode - in relation to St Patrick's Day tomorrow. Nice touch, Neighbours writers. You're looking out for me, I can tell. Cheers.

Total number of 'Connor' references since my last 'Connor Update': One. Toadie received a box this evening that had been sent from China. As soon as this was stated, I immediately turned to Wifey, and with wide eyes and excitement in my voice, I blurted: "Connor!"

I remembered Steiger telling Toadie that Connor's wallet had been found in Beijing and handed in to the Australian embassy there, so as soon as the words had been spoken, I figured this box was going to have been sent from the missing Irish lad.

Sure enough, Toadie said something about recognising that handwriting anywhere - it was Mr O'Neill himself. I was delighted. Finally, some closure on the point that's been keeping me awake at nights. I'm pretty sure actor Patrick Harvey won't be returning to the show because there are no rumours of him returning (although he and the producers still have about three months left to surprise me, if their original "let's see how we all feel about the idea in a year's time" notion is to be believed - which is what they said about the possibility of Connor returning, back when Harvey left the show), so I reckon they figured it was a good time to close off that particular chapter. And I'm glad the box didn't contain Connor's dismembered head or anything.

The idea of St Patrick's Day being 'tomorrow' made the timing of the box's arrival a bit cheesy and obvious (after all, if he's meant to be so 'slack', all of a sudden, what motivted him to send the box a few weeks in advance and get the timing of its arrival so spot-on?!), but at least there seemed to be SOME kind of purpose to the box arriving in the mail. Irish gifts and trinkets of no obvious, logical or sentimental value were randomly sent to Ned, Toadie, Steph and Max. The gift for Steph and Max appeared to be wrapped in yellow paper, but I'm not sure if I was just unable to tell what it was. Maybe it was a yellow jumpsuit for Charlie, all rolled up or something. i really didn't get a proper look at it. And Steph appeared to take it away without looking at it closely or opening it, meaning that we're either going to see what it is next week - and it'll mean something pertinent to her current situation of being man-less - or it was just a McGuffin to talk about how much things had changed since Connor left. I'm not sure what other purpose the whole incident was meant to hold for any of the characters.

But it made me ecstatic. Connor is, indeed, alive. So the only questions now are:

1) Will he ever be returning?

2) Will Connor references continue to be be dropped in conversation on the show forevermore now, resulting in more of these darned 'Connor Updates'?

3) What was Connor doing in Beijing so shortly after leaving on a driving tour around Australia?

4) What the Charles Dickens was the point of him sending the garden knome thing to Toadie, back when we all thought Connor had been buried underneath the "Irish Rose" plant Robert Robinson planted in Paul's front yard?

5) What was the deal with Robert Robinson letting Connor go, unharmed (seeing he was the only person at the time who knew Robert's evil secret), and then driving Connor's ute away without Connor, if Connor was in fact fine and on his merry way around the country (and over to Asia)?

6) Why did Connor stop paying his third of the mortgage?

7) How come he hasn't contacted Toadie or provided him with a method of BEING contacted? (I don't buy the ultra-convenient excuse of it being "just like Connor", as we never saw evidence of Connor being anything near as slack and useless as that.)

8) When will Dee come back? On the day of Toadie and Steph's eventual wedding, in another year or so? And will Connor turn up in time to join the Bridal Party? I can only hope so.


.