In the show's final years, it started to lose the plot quite dramatically. New characters were introduced that never seemed to fit in to the show. Who can forget the truly lamentable Ginny Doyle, Doug Fletcher, May Walters and Janice Reid, not to mention the excruciatingly awful Craig and Debbie. Popular, long standing cast members either left or were pushed, leaving only four originals - Beryl, Gordon, Wayne and Fiona.
As if they did not know what to do with these much loved characters they created ridiculous situations, such as the completely implausible marriage between Beryl and Gordon. The role of Susan Palmer was recast and she was reintroduced to the show.
Susan married Wayne, who by this point had become truly psycho and she was forced to fake her own death to get away from him.
The role of Charlie Bartlett was expanded, fleshing out the character and making her more three dimensional and sympathetic, but the opening of her gym "Bumps and Grinds" was surely the beginning of the end for what had once been a top quality family saga.
The programme began to descend into farce, becoming a sad parody of itself. By the end of its run, it was like a terminally ill patient begging to be put out of its misery. The viewers were that patient's family, sentimental about better days, but relieved that the suffering would be over.
In a last desperate attempt to renew interest in the soap, the producers enticed Rowena Wallace back, for a stint playing Patricia's twin sister, Pamela Hudson. However, her presence only served to remind viewers of the "good old days", and seeing her towering over Belinda Giblin highlighted the ludicrous notion that Alison was really Patricia.
In the final episode, Alison was reunited with David, and Wayne killed Susan. The final scene ended the show how it had begun. Fiona welcomed a young couple into her boarding house and helped the young woman deliver...twins. Sons and Daughters had come full circle.
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