THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DETAILS OF THE EPISODE THAT AIRED ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST
A relaxing break away was what Leo, Krista, Nicolette, David and Aaron were hoping for, but those hopes were torn apart moments after arriving at their luxurious mountain retreat, when it was revealed that both Nic’s stalker, Veronica McLean, and Krista’s devious ex-boyfriend, Eden Shaw had followed the group.
Adamant that her husband Sasha was at the lodge with Nicolette, Veronica arrived, screaming for her husband, leaving Nicolette, who had been living in fear of Veronica for the past few weeks, alone with the desperate woman.
Nicolette managed to talk Veronica down and convince her that Sasha wasn’t there. She gave Veronica her phone to call Sasha, who admitted that nothing had happened between him and Nic and that he felt the marriage was over years ago and there was no chance of a reconciliation. From being a crazed woman scorned, Veronica quickly realised that her world had gone and it wasn’t Nicolette’s fault.
Nic and Veronica were completely unaware of the drama escalating elsewhere at the lodge. Following Eden’s attack on Leo, we saw David jump to the rescue, pulling Eden off of Leo in the middle of a crazed attack, but, in the process, falling with Eden down a cliff.
Surprisingly, we see David, injured, but alive. He pulled himself over to Eden who was laying unresponsive. As Aaron and Leo arrive to the foot of the cliff he assures the pair that he is OK, just suffering with a broken ankle. Eden is seriously injured and they need to get him medical attention immediately.
Aaron tells David that he is the priority and wants to get him to the hospital, but David is adamant:
“If you don’t get Eden to a hospital soon, he will die. Now, I can’t have that. Not again.”
David was convicted in 2022 of medical manslaughter when he let his personal feelings against Gareth Bateman, who had just violently attacked Aaron, stop him from administering medical care, resulting in his death. Haunted by that decision every day since, David didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
Reluctantly, Aaron follows David’s request, kissing his husband farewell and telling him that he loved him as he left.
Leo and Aaron carry Eden to the car where Krista is waiting to take him to hospital.. he is barely conscious and time is ticking for him. Despite her feelings against Eden, Krista drives away and Leo and Aaron return to David.
When they return to the cliff, David is unresponsive. Leo notices blood coming from David’s body.
It’s too late. David is dead.
Leo and Aaron both break down, realising that David is gone and there is nothing they can do.
They carry David’s body back up to the lodge, where Nicolette is waiting, completely unaware of what has happened. Nicolette drives everyone back to Erinsborough, Aaron clinging onto David’s lifeless body in the back seat.
Back on Ramsay Street, Toadie and Terese are hosting a dinner party with Andrew and Wendy, when there is a loud, frantic bang at the door. It is Jane, devastated. She holds it together until she has to break the news, breaking down in tears as she reveals the death.
Terese looks stunned. Struggling to speak, she mutters “This will kill Paul.”
But Paul knows nothing, locked away in a tryst with Chelsea Murphy at Lassisters, she had made sure they were not disturbed by shutting off Paul’s phone. When Jane exclaims that no one knows where Paul is, Terese says “I’ll find him.” and walks out of the house, leaving Jane doubled over and Toadie completely stunned.
She tracks him down to the room at Lassisters, where he answers the door in a bathrobe, surprised to see Terese standing there. She struggles to tell him the awful news.
“There’s been an accident at the holiday house. It’s David. I don’t know how to tell you this. David’s died.”
Paul struggles to process what Terese is saying. But he takes her to the Penthouse immediately where she explains what happened and that Eden was involved, having tracked the group down at the holiday house.
Paul freezes and drops his keys on the floor. He looks empty and broken, breaking down in Terese’s arms.
At the hospital Dr Karl reveals that David had fallen on a sharp object during the fall, piercing his torso. Leo explains to Paul that David was adamant that Eden was the priority.
“I guess he didn’t want history repeating itself.”
Karl confirms that David’s sacrifice did indeed save Eden’s life.
Paul goes to see David’s body. A son he had hardly spoken to in a year, a relationship he had fractured. All Paul could do is apologise to David, laying there.
Terese returns to Toadie. “I can’t get Paul’s face out of my mind. He’s broken.”
Toadie tries to comfort Terese but she is just staggered by the loss and can’t believe that David is gone.
“I don’t know how he will survive this.”
Back at the hospital, Karl returns David’s personal possessions to Aaron. A wallet, keys and his phone. Aaron unlocks the phone (his phone password was Boo, if you were wondering).
As the phone unlocks, Aaron sees a voice note recorded earlier that day.
David knew that he wasn’t alright. He lied to Aaron. As Aaron and Leo left with Eden, he recorded one final message to his husband.
“Aaron, I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to leave Isla. I want to be with you forever, grow old, watch Isla grow up.
You have to tell her, tell her how much I love her, every day. Don’t forget.
Make sure they all know.
Look after Leo, all of you. Take care of each other.
Tell Dad I forgive him.
I wish I was there to tell you myself. I am sorry Aaron. Don’t be angry for what I did. I had to. It was the right thing to do.
You made me so happy. The happiest.
Be happy again.
I love you.”
The episode played out with a sombre, instrumental piano version of the classic theme.
Farewell, David Tanaka.
