Today’s Neighbours saw Jane and Terese’s friendship fracture after the discovery that Terese wants to build her retirement village on the site of Erinsborough High.
Jane (Annie Jones) returned to Erinsborough at the end of last week, having canceled her vacation to London with fiancé Mike (Guy Pearce). She discovered that not only was the school facing budget cuts, which compelled her to fire Mike, but the institution itself might close.
Jane confessed that “some horrible developer is trying to buy the site” when chatting with Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) and Susan (Jackie Woodburne) in the living room of No. 28. Terese was then compelled to admit that she was the horrible developer in question!
After receiving a block of land as part of her and Paul’s (Stefan Dennis) divorce settlement, Terese had intended to construct her retirement complex, “Eirene Rising,” near Power Road. However, Erinsborough Council rejected her plans, so she was forced to look for land elsewhere.
When she heard that the school might be closing, she decided to put in a bid for the land.
Terese reassured Jane that she had expressly told the council that she wanted her enquiry to be discrete, so that she could talk to Jane first. But Jane didn’t see it that way: “Translation, so you could lay the groundwork so you could stab me in the back!”
Nothing is set in stone, with the council set to decide between the closure of Erinsborugh High or schools in Ansen’s Corner and Eden Hills. However, Erinsborough High’s dwindling enrollment numbers make it a distinct possibility.“They’re trying to decide between three schools in the area,” Jane explained. “And then you march in with your big money offer… [and] now Erinsborough High is the top contender to close. The first thing a real friend would have done is warn me.”
Jane responded, “You’ve certainly ruined my homecoming,” when Terese tried to reassure her that she didn’t want to ruin her vacation. She then made it plain that Terese’s only option was to end her relationship.
Susan also disclosed to Jane her unwillingness to step down as principal of the school, explaining that Karl’s financial misdeeds had basically compelled her to do so. Jane joked, “There might be jobs going bulldozing the school!” when she told her she was looking for her next chapter.
Upcoming episodes will see Terese torn as she decides between her loyalty to her friend and her business ambitions. Her plans are also set to cause friction in her relationship with new husband Toadie (Ryan Moloney), who attended Erinsborough High himself, and whose two children still go there.
Toadie appeared surprised to learn about the plans, and it seemed Terese had kept him in the dark too.
“Is it worth jeopardising your friendship with Jane over?” Toadie asked his new wife, to which Terese replied that while Jane may be upset, her retirement experience “is really important too.”
With fans torn over Toadie and Terese, and no word on whether they’re a forever couple or whether producers plan to reunite Terese & Paul, and Toadie & Mel, further down the line, did today’s episode show the first major differences in the pair’s ethics?
Later in the episode, Terese and Jane were forced to come face to face once again after an unfortunately-timed dinner at the Kennedys, leading to a showdown in front of Karl, Susan and Harold (Ian Smith), with Jane storming out.
Spoiler pictures show that things won’t cool down any time soon, with photos showing that Jane will confront Terese as they both organise simultaneous meetings at Erinsborough High. In tense scenes, Jane snaps and rips up plans for Terese’s new development in front of her.
Will Terese back down, or will the development put an end to their friendship?
The storyline will continue over the coming months, and it’s widely expected that Jane’s attempts to save the school will lead to a major campaign, with ex-pupils and teachers returning to Erinsborough to try to save it.
Earlier this year, Neighbours alumni Kate Keltie (Michelle Scully), Brett Blewitt (Brett Stark) and Jade Amenta (Melissa Jarrett) were all pictured at Melbourne’s Nunawading studios, and it’s expected that the trio will return to the show as part of the storyline.
A photo on a Facebook Story showed Kate and Brett holding a sign reading “THINK OF THE CHILDREN. SAVE OUR FUTURE. Erinsborough High School,” suggesting that a number of legacy characters will head back to Erinsborough to campaign to save the school.
Another photo on social media showed Brett Blewitt and Jade Amenta together.
Can Erinsborough High be saved?
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