A star rating of 4 out of 5.
The sun has set on the iconic Australian soap opera, Neighbours, more than once. It faced cancellation early in its run in 1985, after only eight months, and again in 2022 when the UK’s Channel 5 ended its financial support. Remarkably, it managed to return to television twice before.
It wasn’t a surprise that Amazon’s reboot of the classic soap opera wouldn’t continue indefinitely. Everything eventually comes to an end, and it’s disappointing that it happened so quickly.
The show’s return has been a huge success, featuring exciting stories and a high-quality production. This new version of Neighbours is bolder and more dramatic than ever before.
Despite a few odd choices, like frequently featuring American actors to try and attract a wider audience, the show has still managed to stay true to its core values.
I was shocked to hear rumors last year that the show might be cancelled. It still had a dedicated audience, was popular online, and seemed to be doing well. However, like in the past, the show’s biggest problem turned out to be money.
This is a disease that has plagued Neighbours for over a decade.
Because of that history, I wasn’t surprised when I heard the show was halting production once more, and I expected the ending to be rather underwhelming.
Don’t expect any celebrity appearances from stars like Kylie Minogue or Margot Robbie, no lavish parties in quiet neighborhoods, and definitely no big national events to celebrate the show’s impact.
I was disappointed that the last couple of seasons seemed to be viewed negatively, because those involved – both the audience and the people who worked so hard on the show – didn’t feel that way. What really bothered me about today’s episode was how quickly it felt like it was made, as if Amazon wasn’t willing to spend a little extra to make it truly impressive. I wish they’d considered a longer, more elaborate finale.
Even though the show is nearing its end, the last few months have seen a lot of new characters appear, along with the return of some familiar ones. These include Zack, the son of popular ’90s character Gaby Willis, his boyfriend Colton, and the unlikely duo of cleaning product thief Clint and his daughter Addison.
I’m not suggesting the actors weren’t good, but introducing new characters felt a bit disruptive when the show was already wrapping up. I liked them, and they probably would have done well with more time.
Honestly, I was really disappointed by some of the storylines they chose to focus on near the end. Things like Zack’s scandal with the sex tape and Addison reconnecting with her mother who dealt drugs just felt… unnecessary. I truly believe we should have spent that time developing the characters and relationships we already cared about, the ones we’d really invested in as viewers. It would have felt much more satisfying to see those stories come to a natural conclusion.
The reveal that Clint is Addison’s father felt forced, a convenient way to bring him back into Jane’s life and set up a potential romance just before the season finale. It’s surprising considering Jane recently reconnected with her old high school sweetheart, Mike Young. It makes you wonder if it would have been okay for her to simply stay single.
The story aimed to provide a satisfying conclusion for everyone involved: Remi Varga-Murphy regained her memories of her wife, Cara, and Krista Tanaka shared the happy news of her pregnancy with her husband, Leo.
Many storylines were left unfinished. The once-powerful Rodwell family was completely broken apart by Andrew’s affair with Holly Hoyland.
A glimmer of hope for reconciliation appeared when Wendy comforted Holly after her miscarriage. She later hinted to the Varga-Murphys that she might be willing to forgive and forget, and Andrew, who was listening, was very interested to hear this.
Even though the show’s theme song started, I still hoped to see the couple finally talk things out in a scene after the credits. The impact of Andrew cheating with their neighbor was huge, and there was enough drama left to explore that storyline for another six months. Unfortunately, that will never happen.
I’ve always admired Jason Herbison’s work, and I know he felt the pressure to wrap things up quickly. But honestly, watching the finale, I couldn’t help but feel like we missed out on some really important emotional moments. It seemed like they could have cut more to give the characters—and us, the viewers—a more fulfilling goodbye.
Even so, today’s episode was fantastic. I still found myself deeply moved, even though I already knew exactly what would happen because I’d read about it months ago.
Their arrival was perfectly mirrored from two years ago: the Varga-Murphys drove onto Ramsay Street, waving to Karl, just like when they first appeared. They’ve quickly become a successful and beloved addition to the neighborhood, fitting in more easily than most new families.
It was fun to see Karl and Paul almost exactly repeat Susan’s famous monologue from the 2022 finale. I briefly wondered why they didn’t create something original, but then I realized – it’s Karl and Paul, so that wasn’t likely! The speech still had a powerful impact the second time around.
A lot of beloved characters gathered at The Waterhole to listen to Shane Ramsay share his vision for the future. While it didn’t quite recapture the emotional feeling of the last finale, it was still lovely to hear Melanie Pearson’s familiar laugh, see what Mackenzie Hargreaves had been up to, and watch Roxy Canning confidently perform on the bar.
Despite the short runtime of just 24 minutes, I was happy to see that all the returning characters had lines. They could have easily been overlooked, but instead, they effectively reminded us of the people who have made the show so special.
I have a rather unpopular opinion: I actually enjoyed the final scene. I predict fans will be upset about the unfinished storyline regarding the redevelopment of Erinsborough, and we’ll likely never find out what happened to the residents – whether they stayed to fight for their homes, moved to Ramsay Hills, or ended up living in the Robinson Towers.
That’s just the nature of long-running TV shows. Even if Neighbours had gone on for another two decades, storylines would inevitably be left unresolved.
As the show ended, Susan stood on Ramsay Street, thinking about what lay ahead. It gave me goosebumps to hear the voices of beloved characters who were no longer with us.
Watching the final episode was a touching reminder that even though Neighbours is over, we’ll always remember it fondly. And, of course, we’ll never forget Susan’s mishap with the milk!
With Paul and Karl at her side for a final moment, no one could agree on a course of action, and the camera slowly moved away from the signpost, as if signaling the end.
As a huge fan, I’m a little concerned the way things ended might leave people desperately hoping for another revival, constantly campaigning with the #SaveNeighbours hashtag. While I’d never say never to a third comeback – you really can’t rule anything out in this business – it feels pretty improbable. I just hope fans can find some peace in the open ending, even if it’s a bit frustrating.
It feels particularly fitting now to celebrate a show that will live on through the memories of actors who’ll fondly remember starting their careers on ‘Neighbours’.
It doesn’t feel like a final goodbye, more like we’re at a turning point. So, farewell to Neighbours, and thank you for everything.
Neighbours is available to stream on Prime Video.
Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025.
Authors
I’m Michael Adams, and I basically live and breathe soap operas! I write about all the drama for TopMob – everything from what’s happening in Weatherfield (that’s Coronation Street for those who don’t know!) to Walford, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before this, I was a Soaps Reporter at Metro for a couple of years, and I even got to work on the sets of Corrie and Emmerdale, which was amazing! It’s a dream job for a soap fan like me.
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2025-12-11 11:36