In late 2002, Jason Herbison from Inside Soap revealed that Rugg had filmed her final scenes as Brodie. Of her exit she stated that "I was sad to leave but I think the time has come to go. The show has enabled me to do a lot of incredible things I wouldn't normally have been able to do." In 2004, Inside Soap'sAndrew Fraser revealed that when Brodie returns she would be involved in a "sizzling love triangle" and a dramatic car crash.
Storylines
Brodie arrives in Summer Bay fleeing her abusive mother, Jan . Shelley Sutherland who works at the Sarah McKay drop-in-centre, takes Brodie into her home, where and her husband Rhys become her foster parents. Brodie quickly forms a sisterly bond with Shelley and Rhy's daughter, Dani and soon falls for Mitch McColl, much to the jealousy of his ex-girlfriend, Hayley Smith. Brodie's brother, JT arrives and physically attacks Hayley, leaving her traumatised for a while. After Brodie's relationship with Mitch runs into some trouble, she befriends fellow student Hamish "Woody" Woodford, who is an outsider. Following a bad reception during the school's talent night, Woody holds Brodie, Sally Fletcher and the entire class hostage with a gun. Woody is subdued and arrested an Brodie later reconciles with Mitch. Mitch soon leaves for New Zealandto live with his late mother's relatives. After Mitch's departure, Brodie is knocked off her bike by the newly arrived Alex Poulos when she collides with his car and is hospitalized. Brodie recovers after some surgery. Jan reappears in Brodie's life claiming to have changed but that is not the case when she begins flirting with Rhys. Brodie stands up to Jan when she is about to strike her in an argument and she leaves. Brodie and Alex become a couple but after things get serious and Brodie meets Alex's mother, Helen, he breaks up with her. Miles Alcott, Alex's friend arrives in Summer Bay and he is attracted to Brodie and they begin dating, much to Alex's jealousy. They attend the school formal together and Alex drives the couple home but hits a pothole, causing a crash. An Ambulance is called and paramedics do all they can for Miles but are unable to save him and he dies at scene. Brodie blames Alex for Miles' death and remains bitter and hostile towards him for a while, even after the inquest proves the accident was not Alex's fault. After being urged by Shelley, Brodie finally forgives Alex. Brodie then has a short-lived relationship with Mav Patterson and later reunites with Alex. Their reunion is shortened when Brodie decides she wants to see the world after completing Year 12 and they part company. Brodie returns in early 2004 to find Alex is now dating Hayley. The two girls go to war over Alex and this culminates in a huge car crash which leaves Brodie suffering minor injuries but leaves Hayley with memory loss and disfigurement. Brodie and Alex rekindle their love for one another, but are unsure sure how to tell Hayley. They soon leave after their engagement and marry overseas. When Alex returns to Summer Bay three years, later he reveals that he and Brodie have broken up.
Reception
Sacha Molitorisz of The Sydney Morning Herald said that the episode featuring Brodie and Hayley's car crash was better suited to "die hard fans". They criticised the plot for being "unengaging" and opined that the music, performances and dialogue were "painful" and "patchy". They also stated "The problem is, simply piling one melodrama on top of another will not of itself make for good TV. The characters need to be explored, too. Otherwise the result will be superficial."
