Episode 8325
"Episode 8325" is the 8,325th episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on 10 Peach in Australia and Channel 5 in the United Kingdom on 23 March 2020. The episode was written by series producer Jason Herbison and directed by Tony Gardiner. The episode is mainly a two-hander between Finn Kelly and Susan Kennedy. It serves as part of Finn Kelly's departure from the soap after causing terror during the soap's 35th Anniversary week.
Plot
returns to 28 Ramsay Street in the early morning. He lies to Susan Kennedy that her niece Bea Nilsson is waiting for them at a log cabin in the Snowy Mountains while Aster's mother Elly Conway has elected to remain on Pierce's island. Susan agrees to go with Finn in her car. While on the way to the cabin, Susan discovers Aster in the backseat of the car and confronts Finn about his true intentions. Finn confesses that he wants to start a new life with her, Aster and his friend Harry Sinclair. Finn also reveals that his memories of the evil he committed during the first time he lived on Ramsay Street have returned and that he wanted both Bea and Elly out of the way. Susan subsequently tells Finn that he is not well, needs help and that the other residents of Ramsay street would understand his situation. Finn manipulates Susan by telling her that she is more like a mother to him than his real mother ever was.After arriving at the cabin, Finn sets Aster down to rest and becomes violent and aggressive towards Susan, forcing her to stay with him despite her suspicions. As they lie down to sleep, Finn tells Susan about his dark childhood memories where his mother Claudia Watkins treated him poorly, breaking down in the process. Susan later wakes up in the middle of the night, trying to escape the cabin, and contemplates how she will do so. She tells Finn that she thought Harry had returned, and Finn once again becomes aggressive.
In the morning, Susan attempts to call emergency services. However, Finn soon catches her in the act and realises that she has been doubting him. Enraged, he ties Susan to a chair, and reveals his actions toward Elly, Bea and Gary Canning. He then leaves the cabin to dig a hole for Susan to die in. Susan continues to scream for help, while trying to free herself, waking up Aster.
Episode development
On 4 February 2020, Neighbours announced that it had massive plans for its' 35th anniversary week that would involve three deaths. In December 2019, Mills confirmed that he had left Neighbours and that his final scenes would air in early 2020.. It was confirmed in early February 2020 that Finn's departure would tie into Neighbours' 35th anniversary celebrations. On 16 March 2020, a two-hander was confirmed, with Mills and Woodburne as the principal actors. "Episode 8325" picks up directly after the events of the anniversary week, with Finn's departure imminent. The episode features Finn luring Susan to a remote cabin, taking her hostage and tying her to a chair. The episode sets up a tense scenario where Susan tries escape. In addition Finn begins to dig a grave outside the cabin. Finn's actions set the scene for the third death of the anniversary story, which could have been either Susan or Finn.In an interview with Joe Julians from Radio Times, Jackie Woodburne started that she was "thrilled" about doing a two-handed episode after seeing Episode 8052, which featured Eve Morey and Ryan Moloney. Mills told a Herald Sun reporter that he was honoured to make Neighbours "the Finn show" for one episode. Mills was required to cry frequently during filming and he stated that it came "really hard". The episode also helps viewers understand more about Finn's behaviour. He explained that "I don’t want to compare myself to Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, but you can see the events and moments that led him there. The neglect from his parents, he didn’t fulfil his potential and a lot stems from his childhood. Trauma, PTSD, it all led him to crazy ways."
In the episode, Finn originally intends to start a new life with Susan and Aster. Mills told Alice Penwill from Inside Soap that his revenge plans on the island had been ruined. He believes that running away with Susan will solve his problems. Mills explained "Finn's trying to salvage something. Remember, he's not had a strong female role model in his life other than Susan." Mills described the grave digging scenes as a product of Finn not being "a good or safe head space" because he has mentally "unravelled".
Promotion and broadcast
The episode was advertised towards the end of the soap's 35th anniversary week. It was also confirmed that this episode would lead to the third and final death of the storyline, which was confirmed as that of Finn Kelly in the following episode. Channel 5 in the UK censored the scene where after Finn brought out the rope to tie Susan up she was pleading with him before an outside shot had her screaming before showing her alive but tied up in a chair. Whereas the UK didn’t air any of this they just showed Finn getting rope and cut to Susan being tied in a chair. In line with promoting the following weeks episodes, there was promotional images from the Two-hander episode shared online.Reception
The original broadcast of "Episode 8325" was watched by 149,000 viewers in Australia, which was a small increase from the previous episode. In the UK, the episode failed to make the top 15 most watched television shows on Channel 5 for that week.Johnathon Hughes of Radio Times wrote, "rightly placed at the heart of Neighbours’ 35th birthday year as her long-standing rivalry with Finn Kelly reached a jaw-dropping finale in an electric two-hander reminded us what a consummate pro Woodburne is. As if we needed reminding." when putting Jackie Woodburne as a nomination for Best Actress in the Radio Times soap awards. Their colleague Joe Julians named it "one of the most dramatic episodes the show has ever seen."
Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy described "gripping" scenes in the episode, noting that the Finn's drama would have a long lasting impact on Ramsay Street's residents. A reporter from Herald Sun branded the episode "gritty". Katie Baillie writing for Metro called it a "very special two-hander episode". Rose Hill of the Daily Mirror described Finn threatening Susan as "chilling scenes". A writer from What's on TV labelled it as the "must see" Neighbours episode of the week.