While the residents of Summer Bay struggle to move past the trauma of the hospital siege, some are burying secrets amid their grief.
As friends and family gather to bid farewell to Robbo, who lost his life in the wake of a high-speed car crash, Colby (Tim Franklin) will be forced to reveal the sad truth about his death.
On the day of Robbo’s (Jake Ryan) funeral, Marilyn (Emily Symons) is struggling to return to normal life. John (Shane Withington) arrives at the Diner to find his wife working tirelessly.
Colby tries to support Jasmine through the funeral.
(Image: Channel Seven)“Marilyn can’t really get back into her old life,” Emily, 50, tells TV WEEK.
“She’s having flashbacks and is traumatised by what she saw.”
John tells Marilyn they need to get going to avoid being late, but she insists she’s too busy to attend, forcing her husband to attend without her.
At the church, the community gathers, along with Robbo’s parents Ian (Frankie J Holden) and Wendy (Amanda Muggleton).
As Ian steps up to deliver a heartfelt eulogy, he recalls how proud he was the day his son graduated from the police academy. Robbo was eager to bring wrongdoers to justice, and now he’s been taken away – it’s not fair.
Wendy and Ian mourn for their son.
(Image: Channel Seven)The grief-stricken dad breaks down, his wife rushing to support him.
“Robbo never stopped protecting people and did so until the end,” Jake, 36, tells TV WEEK.
“He knew he was dying and didn’t want Jasmine to see him go. Once he knew baby Grace, Tori [Penny McNamee] and Jasmine [Sam Frost] were safe, he went.”
As the priest offers his final words, Robbo’s widow Jasmine can no longer contain her grief. She starts screaming at Robbo’s casket, calling her husband a liar – he swore he would keep her safe and never leave her.
Officers carry the former policeman to his final resting place.
(Image: Channel Seven)“Finally, for the first time in her life, she felt happy, safe and they were planning a future together,” Sam, 30, explains.
As Robbo’s family and friends move to Salt for the wake, people wonder where Marilyn is, while Jasmine continues to spiral. After Ian offers a toast to all who attended, he and Wendy depart, leaving Jasmine feeling more alone than ever.
Summer Bay says goodbye to a favourite.
(Image: Channel Seven)“You can’t even comprehend the pain, the trauma, the grief, the sadness of losing the love of her life,” Sam says.
When the nurse moves to the balcony to clear her head and Colby follows, Jasmine quizzes him: why didn’t Robbo want her there in his final moments – and where is his partner Scott?
The police officer tries to deflect her questions, but Jasmine knows he’s hiding something and asks again.
Will he tell her the truth surrounding Robbo’s death?
Sam Frost reveals the real-life experince she relied on for those emotional scenes.
(Image: Channel Seven)Sam Frost: “I couldn’t stop crying”
How Sam Frost drew on personal experience for her emotional scenes
What was it like to film the final scenes between Jasmine and Robbo?
It was heartbreaking to film, and the scenes are so gut-wrenching. You can’t put into words the pain, trauma and grief, the unbelievable sadness of losing the love of someone’s life – of Jasmine’s life. I have goosebumps just talking about this. We shot the scene [when Robbo dies] in one take and had all cameras set up at different angles. Afterwards, I was on the ground crying hysterically – it felt so real.
How do you get into the mindset for such an emotional scene?
I lost my stepdad quite suddenly – not in a similar way to this, but it was completely out of the blue. He was in a hospital bed [at the time], but I had parallels to draw on for Jasmine. For me, it brings up a lot of trauma I’ve been through. I harnessed those feelings.
WATCH: In happier times! Relive Jasmine and Robbo’s wedding day. Story continues below…
Was it hard to say goodbye to your co-star Jake?
I hate when people leave – it’s heartbreaking. Jake and I worked together every single day for two years. We’ve been through a lot together. You’re actually mourning the loss of a castmate, in a way. On his final day, he made a nice speech and the entire cast were crying. I adore Jake – he’s a wonderful friend.
