Neighbours' Jane and Mike romance arc made for the perfect finale twist
One last love story helped the soap bow out beautifully.
As Neighbours concluded tonight after 37 years on the air, no doubt the tears were flowing among the soap's army of fans across the world. But for the Ramsay Street regulars, it was a time for heartwarming reunions - and one in particular struck a real chord.
When it was first revealed that Guy Pearce would reprise his role as Mike Young, those who remembered the character during his initial stint in the '80s will of course have noted his early romance with Jane Harris (played by Annie Jones). But little did we know that the last minute magic Neighbours had promised would include bringing the pair back together for good.
Even better, their story arc was executed perfectly, with a gentle approach that avoided making the development look forced in any way. Far from being shoehorned into the last episodes, Mike had moved back to Erinsborough with his daughter Sam (Henrietta Graham), who viewers already knew as an assistant at Lassiters' hotel.
Pearce and co-star Graham are family friends in real life, the former recently revealed; and right from the off we were won over by their sweet on-screen relationship.
Things took a crucial turn when Mike bumped into Jane. She was stunned, while he shyly whispered to Sam "that's Jane!" Clearly since Mike's amicable divorce, he had been thinking about his teenage love! Sam quickly grew keen to help them reconnect, inviting Jane for drinks.
Later, Jane took Mike on a tour of Ramsay Street, and they reminisced over fond memories. Then, when Jane lost one of her contact lenses, she put on a spare pair of glasses; and the smile on Mike's face said it all. "There she is!" he said, full of affection as Jane played up to her old 'Plain Jane Superbrain' status.
A flashback appeared of Jane, post-makeover during their dating days; but Mike reminded her that even then, he always thought she looked beautiful with or without the glasses. "You still do," he added. This dose of nostalgia was the perfect backdrop, seamlessly blending together two eras in a wonderful and fitting tribute.
Of course, there was still the unresolved matter of a jealous Clive Gibbons (Geoff Paine), who was desperate to make amends with Jane after his recent lies. Clive suspected that Mike had returned purely to reconnect with his ex; but there was no malice involved here - just another reason why it worked so beautifully.
After a temper tantrum, Clive eventually came to terms with the fact that his relationship with Jane was over, paving the way for Mike to reach out to Jane once more. But she was scared and uncertain, following recent worries that she was turning into her nan, Mrs Mangel (Vivean Gray).
She also admitted trying to recapture who she used to be, but knew she was now a completely different person. This provided Mike with an opportunity to be honest about his own life, as he confessed to being "a mess" after his split with Sam's mum. With both Mike and Jane opening up about their own experiences, this was no superficial, rushed reunion.
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Mike revealed he was still in love with Jane, but asked if they could take things slow. He had made an offer on Chloe Brennan's (April Rose Pengilly) house, so they now had the time and space to explore a renewed relationship. As Jane tearfully embraced Mike, she wasn't the only one moved by his touching speech.
All other romantic reconciliations Neighbours had teased seemed to be obvious by the time we reached the finale - and there was nothing wrong with that. But it was the unexpected twist of Jane and Mike's love story that made the biggest impact.
Spoilers may have let us in on the fact that Jane and Mike would be sharing plenty of screen-time, but the way the story played out was something special that teasers could never have done justice.
With a stunning comeback performance from Pearce, whose dynamic with co-star Jones was as strong as ever, the scenes were authentic and captivating throughout.
Bidding goodbye to Neighbours with a host of homecomings and happy ever afters was an absolute must, and the show pulled it off with a return that might just top the list as the most joyous soap comeback of all time.
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