that cuts deep into the past while reshaping the future for several of Summer Bay’s most beloved residents. At the centre of the storm is Harper Matheson

whose decision to reopen old wounds leads to a revelation that will haunt her — and divide her family — long after the truth is finally spoken aloud.

A Family Past That Refuses to Stay Buried

In the episodes leading up to the UK season finale, sisters Harper and Dana found themselves locked in a painful conflict rooted in their shared childhood trauma. Raised by parents Warwick and Carrie, whose lives were consumed by addiction, the sisters escaped their toxic home as soon as they were old enough. For more than a decade, they survived by turning their backs on the past — and on the people who caused them so much fear.

But becoming a mother has changed Harper in ways she didn’t expect.

A seemingly innocent comment from Dana — that she and Harper were all baby Archie would ever need — planted the first seed of doubt. That feeling deepened after a chance conversation with Alf, who spoke candidly about the regret of missing out on time with his grandchildren. Suddenly, Harper began to question whether cutting ties with her parents had also robbed Archie of something essential: a sense of extended family.

With Tane’s parents already gone, Harper started to feel that her son was missing a vital connection — one she wondered if she could still salvage.

Dana Draws a Line in the Sand

Dana’s response was immediate and fierce. To her, the idea of inviting Warwick and Carrie back into their lives was unthinkable. She couldn’t understand why Harper would even consider exposing Archie to the same people who had once made their childhood unbearable.

The disagreement escalated quickly. Harper tried to keep details vague when explaining the tension to Tane, but it didn’t take long for the truth to surface. Cash eventually filled Tane in on the sisters’ history, leaving him deeply unsettled.

Tane made his stance clear: he wanted no part of Warwick and Carrie anywhere near Archie. As Harper stormed out, Dana reassured him that her sister wouldn’t move forward without her support.

But that promise would soon unravel.

Cash’s Discovery Changes Everything

Behind Dana’s back, Harper approached Cash with a desperate request — asking him to search the police database for information on their parents. Though reluctant, Cash eventually followed through.

When Home and Away returns on Friday, Harper and Dana appear to have reached calmer ground, with Dana believing the issue has finally been laid to rest. But peace is short-lived.

Harper excuses herself after receiving a private message from Cash, and away from her sister, she receives news that will change everything.

Warwick is dead.

Cash reveals that Harper’s father died four years earlier from a drug overdose. Their mother, Carrie, however, is still alive. More shockingly, Cash provides her last known whereabouts — and notes that she hasn’t had any recent run-ins with the police.

The information leaves Harper reeling. She wonders if Warwick’s death may have served as a wake-up call for Carrie, forcing her to confront her addiction and change her life. For the first time, the idea of reconciliation feels real — but terrifying.

“It Changes Nothing”

When Harper finally tells Dana the truth about their father’s death, the reaction is chillingly flat. Dana feels no grief, no relief — only distance. Warwick’s death, she insists, changes absolutely nothing.

But Dana quickly realises this information didn’t come to Harper by chance. She pieces together Cash’s involvement and confronts him in fury, accusing him of crossing a legal and emotional line. Cash apologises but gently suggests the real conversation Dana needs to have is with her sister.

That confrontation is raw and brutal.

Dana admits that fear is the only thing she associates with their parents. Harper counters that people can change — that even broken people deserve the chance to prove they’re better. Dana isn’t convinced. In her eyes, monsters don’t transform.

While she accepts Harper’s right to make her own choices, Dana draws a firm boundary: she wants no part in whatever comes next.

Old Wounds, New Understanding

Later, Dana confides in Sonny, revealing that Harper’s insistence on “perspective” cuts deeper than she lets on. She admits she has faced her own struggles with addiction — something Harper helped her overcome.

Sonny gently points out that Harper has dedicated her life to pulling people out of dark places and would never endanger Archie. Dana acknowledges that truth, recognising how much Harper has done for her. Still, it doesn’t change how she feels about their parents — or her refusal to revisit that pain.

When Harper later stumbles across an online memorial for Warwick, the weight of unresolved grief finally begins to settle in. Not long after, Dana seeks her out again. Though she still doesn’t understand Harper’s desire to reconnect with Carrie, she accepts they are approaching the past from different emotional places.

Dana’s condition remains firm: she wants to be kept completely out of whatever Harper decides to do next.

Honouring Theo’s Legacy

Elsewhere in Summer Bay, grief continues to ripple outward following Theo’s death. Remy and Sonny’s new record label, Back on Track Records, is finally becoming a reality — but the absence of the friend who was meant to be its first signed artist is deeply felt.

Justin, originally set to manage the label, admits he’s not ready to commit. His grief is still too raw, leading him to attend counselling — a decision Leah struggles to accept. While she respects his need to grieve differently, she can’t bring herself to talk about Theo with a stranger.

Instead, Leah finds solace in action. As she begins packing up Theo’s belongings, she’s reminded of how much music meant to him — and how Justin once encouraged him to play again after his abusive father destroyed his guitar.

That memory sparks an idea.

Justin and Leah bring Theo’s guitar to the new studio, suggesting it be displayed as a permanent tribute. The gesture resonates instantly with Remy and Sonny, who work together to create a plaque bearing the words Justin once spoke to Theo:

“In this house, music is never a waste of time.”

As the guitar is mounted and Remy begins searching for new talent, the moment marks not just an ending — but a quiet, hopeful beginning.

A Year of Reckoning Begins

With Harper facing the possibility of reconnecting with her mother, Dana protecting the boundaries that saved her, and Summer Bay still mourning Theo, Home and Away enters 2026 on deeply emotional ground. The truths revealed may not heal old wounds — but they will force every character involved to confront who they were, who they’ve become, and what they’re willing to risk moving forward.

And in Summer Bay, the past is never truly gone.