The second part of our post on Neighbours' Karl and Susan Kennedy's memorable storylines as they celebrate twenty five years on Ramsay Street.
1. THE KENNEDYS BECOME GRANDPARENTS
All three of Karl and Susan's children have children but we've only ever seen them with Ben - Libby's son from her marriage to Drew. Throughout his life, Ben has lived with his grandparents on and off over the years, most recently while his mum took a job in Hong Kong, although he has since moved to Oakey in order to get to know his late dad's family better. But Ben is testament of Karl and Susan's abilities as grandparents, and although Ben had his moments as all kids do, he left Erinsborough a fine young man that his grandparents were very proud of.
2. SUSAN LOSES HER MEMORY
Most people cry over spilt milk, and if they slip on it, well, that's when they really cry over it! In what was considered by many to be a very far fetched - though indeed memorable - storyline - Susan slipped on some spilt milk and hit her head hard. When she came round, Susan Kennedy thought she was Susan Smith, sixteen, and forget the new millennium, she thought she was back in the seventies!
Not recognizing her husband or kids, Susan felt very disconnected from them and refused to believe what they were telling her. And a night out at the school disco at Erinsborough High resulted in a great deal of confusion for Susan as most of the students recognised her as their principal and not as the fellow student Susan believed herself to be.
It was sadly during this time that Karl and Susan's daughter, Libby, became a widow after her husband Drew was killed in a riding accident, and it was difficult to reach out to her mother while Susan still believed that she was a sixteen year old schoolgirl. But even though Susan's memory hadn't returned, she had begun to accept who she was, and promised Libby that she would do her best to help her through her grief.
And in a storyline that was very Neighbours meets The Vow, Karl never gave up on Susan and um, vowed to help her get her memory back. The Kennedys ended up falling in love again, and it was during their vow renewal that Susan's memory began to return.
3. DASTARDLY DARCY
Susan's devilishly handsome nephew, Darcy Tyler, arrived in Ramsay Street to stay with the Kennedys. A doctor like his Uncle Karl, Darcy had accepted a post at Erinsborough Hospital. Although he had always been close to his aunt and uncle, Darcy's relationship with the Kennedys became quite strained due to his womanizing ways and unprofessional behaviour, and he eventually moved out of number 28, and into number 30.
Due to racking up gambling debts, Darcy was forced to turn to theft in order to pay off these debts. In a pretty low move, Darcey staged a burglary after hearing that Susan had inherited some jewellery. But his plan fell apart when on fleeing the scene, Darcey knocked over a pregnant Lyn Scully - the only witness to the crime. Susan refused to believe what her friend was telling her when Lyn revealed who really was behind the burglary, leading to a feud between the Scullys and the Kennedys. But when Darcey was caught with a crucial bit of evidence, the Kennedys realised that Lyn had been telling the truth. Darcey was then arrested and charged.
But Darcey had a very significant role in the Karl and Susan story after he was released from prison and was working as an orderly at Erinsborough Hospital. It was Darcey who uncovered Izzy Hoyland's lies about Karl being the father of the child she lost. Despite her dramatic attempts to stop the truth from being revealed, Izzy couldn't thwart Darcey's efforts and Izzy was indeed exposed - after Darcey had left Erinsborough. Before he left, Darcey wrote to his aunt, telling her everything... and gave Karl a very prophetic warning before boarding the bus and leaving Erinsborough for good.
4. IZZY!
Oh goodness! If Susan thought Sarah was a nightmare as far as the Kennedy marriage was concerned, goodness knows what she would have done is she knew that fate was going to deliver an even bigger blow in the form of Max Hoyland's sister, Isabelle 'Izzy' Hoyland. Blonde, vivacious and feisty, Izzy struck up a friendship with Karl just as his marriage was heading towards the rocks. And indeed Izzy's presence did cause Susan and many of the Kennedy's friends cause for alarm. Karl and Susan's son, Malcolm, saw through Izzy's antics immediately but did his dad listen? Of course not!
The atomic bomb that is Isabelle!
When Izzy discovered that she was pregnant by Max's friend, Gus Leary, she decided to take advantage of the fact that the Kennedys were having problems by causing further chaos for Karl and Susan in the hope that she could break them up and bag a father for her child for herself. And her plan worked: not only did everyone think that Karl was the father of her child - including Karl himself - but Izzy almost got to walk down the aisle and become the second Mrs. Kennedy.
But Susan got her moment of vengeance when she discovered the truth about Izzy's baby, who was tragically delivered too early, and threatened to expose her unless she did the right thing and told Karl the truth. Dr. Kennedy was beyond devastated when he found out the truth and promptly ended things with a distraught Izzy, leaving Neighbours fans cheering!
But if anyone thought that the Izzy saga was over, they were wrong - very wrong...
5. SUSAN HAS AN AFFAIR WITH FATHER TOM
We've had Neighbours meets The Vow, and now comes Neighbours meets The Thornbirds! After splitting up with Karl, Susan met Catholic priest, Father Tom Scully, the brother-in-law of her good friend, Lyn. They tried to fight their mutual attraction but ended up embarking on a passionate affair. Rather risqué for a soap that never showed Scott and Charlene in bed together, even after they were married!
To say that Susan and Tom's affair was the talk of the Street was an understatement. Furthermore, the affair caused friction between Susan and Lyn, a very devout Catholic. Tom decided to leave the priesthood in order to be with Susan but in the end they both realised that there was no future in it for them so they called it a day.
Then three years later, Tom reappeared in Erinsborough... as the new principal of Erinsborough High. He told Susan that he loved her and wanted them to try again but by then she was back where she belonged... with Karl!
6. HOLLY
We all remember Susan's devastation when Karl told Susan that Izzy was expecting his baby in a belter of a scene that has since become iconic where Jackie Woodburne gave it all she had! There was even a reference to the time Susan had wanted another baby but Karl had put his foot down. And now he had the nerve to tell her that someone else was expecting his baby. The git! But as we all knew, Karl was not the father and the truth only came out well after Izzy had lost the baby leaving Karl to grieve for a child who was never his.
Then there was the series of bizarre plot twists that nobody could have anticipated. Karl got back together with Susan but had a night of passion with Izzy - after mistaking her for Susan (as you do!) and Izzy actually did become pregnant with Karl's baby. But for once in her life, Izzy decided to do the selfless thing by leaving town quietly without telling Karl the truth and ruining his second chance of happiness with Susan.
But as we all know, Susan is no fool, and after intercepting a phone call that she thought was meant for Stephanie, Susan realized that Izzy was pregnant and headed over to the bus station where she managed to catch Izzy just in time to demand answers. Izzy lied (what she does best!) and insisted that Karl was not the father but Susan was not convinced and remained suspicious over the paternity of Izzy's child... until baby Holly made her appearance by entering the world just as Karl and Susan had exchanged vows for the second time...
7. KARL AND SUSAN REMARRY
To say that Karl and Susan had had their ups and downs is something of an understatement. But against all odds, the couple reunited and while on a trip to London, Karl proposed to Susan who happily accepted. They planned to get married on a boat on the River Thames. But Izzy - who by now was living in London - was on hand to make sure that the ceremony was anything but smooth sailing. She had decided that now was the right time to reveal to Karl that he was the father of her baby. But as she saw the happy couple exchanging vows, she turned around to leave - and promptly doubled over in pain as she went into labour, leaving it to Karl and Susan to deliver the baby girl who unbeknownst to Karl was his daughter, who Izzy named Holly.
And Susan's worst fears were confirmed when a conversation she overheard revealed what she had suspected all along - that Karl was baby Holly's father. Being the kind of person that she is, Susan told Karl the truth, and over the years, viewers have watched Karl make frequent visits to London to see his daughter. Holly also made several visits to Erinsborough and even though she did, at first, prove every bit to be Izzy's daughter by making Susan's life difficult, stepmother and stepdaughter have grown close over the years and have developed a very strong bond.
So there it is - just some of the very many Karl and Susan storylines that we think are very memorable. We've no doubt that in years to come, there'll be plenty more. Congrats to Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne on twenty five fantastic years on Neighbours as the Kennedys.
What have been your favourite storylines featuring the Kennedy clan?
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