THIS ARTICLE REFERENCES THE UNMISSABLE DRAMA THAT OCCURRED DURING THE EPISODE THAT AIRED ON MONDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2023
Stories began to unravel and secrets were exposed as Neighbours began it’s long-anticipated Flashback Week today (November 13th). The events of the past two years that forced the breakdown of Toadie and Melanie’s marriage as well as causing Paul to jilt Terese at the altar are slowly being exposed after we saw Melanie Pearson return to Erinsborough last week.
Melanie revealed that in the days around her wedding to Toadie, a dark piece of her past came back to haunt her. It turns out that whilst living in England, Melanie was a housekeeper for a wealthy family and grew close to the family’s youngest daughter.
That child was revealed to be Krista, who viewers know to be Krista Sinclair, sister of Reece and daughter of Conrad SInclair, the part-owner of Lassiters. Everyone is completely unaware that Krista has any other connections to Ramsay Street as Melanie begins her story.
In flashback scenes we saw Krista, now an adult, arriving in Erinsborough the day before Melanie married Toadie. After a clandestine meeting at the Backlane Bar, Krista tells Melanie that she has assumed the new identity of Kelly, to avoid being tracked down by her family and she intends to make a fresh start. Melanie looks unconvinced.
In present-day, Terese is becoming increasingly irritated by the story, accusing Mel of dragging everything out to go on a trip down memory lane and her return is all a twisted game.
Melanie doesn’t look like she is playing a game though as she explains further.
“Krista turning up, I didn’t realise it then, but our lives were never going to be the same again.”
On the day of the wedding, Krista turns up at The Waterhole as Melanie is enjoying drinks with her new husband and her friends. A nervous Melanie slips away to speak with Krista, giving her $2,000 to start afresh and telling her that she can no longer be a part of her life. Then Melanie drops the bombshell.
“I’m wanted by the Police and it’s all because of you. It’s me who was left holding the drugs, my face all over the CCTV. It has taken me so long to be able to look at myself in the mirror and not see a criminal, to see someone worthy of love, Toadie’s love.”
We discover that Melanie stepped in to stop a drug deal that 16-year-old Krista has gotten involved in, but when the deal was busted by Police, Melanie was caught red-handed. Krista paid Mel’s bail but panicked, Melanie fled the UK, with her passport still in her maiden name she could escape undetected and return to Australia.
Toadie can hardly believe what he is hearing.
“So, you’re a fugitive?”
Terese is furious and tells Melanie that she needs to own up to the Police. Toadie becomes increasingly angry at what he is hearing and learning that his wife lied to him.
“I didn’t want to lose you.” Melanie pleaded with Toadie “I honestly thought that the problem had gone away. I didn’t know about Eden then.”
There were confused faces all around. How did Melanie know Eden, the source of so much recent trouble in Erinsborough? And how does he fit into all of this?
Holly Hoyland explains the she only just found out that Melanie knew Eden, but admits that she was actually in Erinsborough the week of Melanie and Toadie’s wedding.
“It was supposed to be a fresh start, but really that was the start of all the trouble.”
At the same time, in Reece and Byron’s search for Krista they discover a photo on a noticeboard at the hostel where they know she was staying. This picture shows Krista with Eden and Holly.
Why were the three together? Why did Eden get involved with Melanie? Why did Krista’s return lead to Melanie deserting Toadie and his children? Why has Melanie tried to disappear since leaving Ramsay Street? We have only scratched the surface of the revelations, there is so much more as we get deeper into this mystery.
Neighbours Flashback Week runs all this week, with new episodes dropping at 7am Monday-Thursday on Amazon Freevee and Amazon Prime Video.