Neighbours’ Jane and Terese clash over Erinsborough High plans

 

Today’s Neighbours saw Jane and Terese’s friendship fracture after the discovery that Terese wants to build her retirement village on the site of Erinsborough High.

At the end of last week, Jane (Annie Jones) returned to Erinsborough, having cut short her trip to London with fiancé Mike (Guy Pearce). She learnt that not only was the school making cuts, leading to her having to make Mike redundant, but the school itself was at risk of closure.

As she chatted to Susan (Jackie Woodburne) and Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou) in the living room of No. 28, Jane revealed that “some horrible developer is trying to buy the site,” to which Terese was forced to reveal that she was the horrible developer in question!

Terese had wanted to build her retirement complex, ‘Eirene Rising’, at Power Road, after being given a plot of land in her and Paul’s (Stefan Dennis) divorce settlement, but Erinsborough Council rejected the plans, meaning she was forced to search for land elsewhere.

When she heard that the school might be closing, she decided to put in a bid for the land.

Terese reassured Jane that she had expressly told the council that she wanted her enquiry to be discrete, so that she could talk to Jane first. But Jane didn’t see it that way: “Translation, so you could lay the groundwork so you could stab me in the back!”

Nothing is set in stone, with the council set to decide between the closure of Erinsborugh High or schools in Ansen’s Corner and Eden Hills. However, Erinsborough High’s dwindling enrollment numbers make it a distinct possibility.

“They’re trying to decide between three schools in the area,” Jane explained. “And then you march in with your big money offer… [and] now Erinsborough High is the top contender to close. The first thing a real friend would have done is warn me.”

When Terese tried to assure her that she didn’t want to ruin her holiday, Jane retorted, “you’ve certainly ruined my homecoming,” before making it clear that the only thing Terese could do to make it up to her was withdraw her interest.

Susan also revealed to Jane her reluctance to retire as school principal, and how it was essentially forced upon her due to Karl’s financial mistakes. When she told Jane she was searching for her next chapter, Jane quipped that “there might be jobs going bulldozing the school!”

Upcoming episodes will see Terese torn as she decides between her loyalty to her friend and her business ambitions. Her plans are also set to cause friction in her relationship with new husband Toadie (Ryan Moloney), who attended Erinsborough High himself, and whose two children still go there.

Toadie appeared surprised to learn about the plans, and it seemed Terese had kept him in the dark too.

“Is it worth jeopardising your friendship with Jane over?” Toadie asked his new wife, to which Terese replied that while Jane may be upset, her retirement experience “is really important too.”

With fans torn over Toadie and Terese, and no word on whether they’re a forever couple or whether producers plan to reunite Terese & Paul, and Toadie & Mel, further down the line, did today’s episode show the first major differences in the pair’s ethics?

Later in the episode, Terese and Jane were forced to come face to face once again after an unfortunately-timed dinner at the Kennedys, leading to a showdown in front of Karl, Susan and Harold (Ian Smith), with Jane storming out.

Spoiler pictures show that things won’t cool down any time soon, with photos showing that Jane will confront Terese as they both organise simultaneous meetings at Erinsborough High. In tense scenes, Jane snaps and rips up plans for Terese’s new development in front of her.

Will Terese back down, or will the development put an end to their friendship?

The storyline will continue over the coming months, and it’s widely expected that Jane’s attempts to save the school will lead to a major campaign, with ex-pupils and teachers returning to Erinsborough to try to save it.

Earlier this year, Neighbours alumni Kate Keltie (Michelle Scully), Brett Blewitt (Brett Stark) and Jade Amenta (Melissa Jarrett) were all pictured at Melbourne’s Nunawading studios, and it’s expected that the trio will return to the show as part of the storyline.

A photo on a Facebook Story showed Kate and Brett holding a sign reading “THINK OF THE CHILDREN. SAVE OUR FUTURE. Erinsborough High School,” suggesting that a number of legacy characters will head back to Erinsborough to campaign to save the school.

Another photo on social media showed Brett Blewitt and Jade Amenta together.

Can Erinsborough High be saved?

New episodes of Neighbours air Monday–Thursday on Network 10 and 10 Peach in Australia, and on Amazon Freevee in the UK.

---

Here are the Neighbours spoilers for the next week:

Monday 9th October (Episode 13 / 8916)

Paul digs up startling new information in his quest for dirt on his rival.

Jane spirals as she deals with a devastating blow and the potential fallout of a close friendship.

Haz finds out the hard way that he may have bitten off more than he could chew, when he decided to become a pet owner.

Tuesday 10th October (Episode 14 / 8917)

Paul makes a calculated move that has explosive consequences at Lassiters.

Mackenzie takes a leap of faith, placing her well and truly outside of her comfort zone.

Harold has an extravagant plan.

Wednesday 11th October (Episode 15 / 8918)

After being dealt a devastating blow, Wendy dangerously takes matters into her own hands.

Byron faces up to some hard truths.

Toadie makes a shocking realization.

Thursday 12th October (Episode 16 / 8919)

Toadie is shocked upon the discovery of a deceit.

Byron plans the perfect, all-Australian date.

The Varga-Murphys face a rocky start as they further ingrain themselves in the community.

Monday 16th October (Episode 17 / 8920)

The Kennedys find themselves questioning their allegiances.

Mackenzie finds herself at the centre of a dangerous ticking timebomb.

With her guilt piqued, Wendy is forced into an uncomfortable situation.