Packed to the Rafters (season 5)

Packed to the Rafters season 5
Season 5 DVD
Country of origin	Australia
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	Seven Network
Original release	April 17, 2012 – April 16, 2013

The fifth season of Packed to the Rafters, an Australian drama television series premiered on 17 April 2012 on the Seven Network.^[1] 22 episodes have been ordered for Season five. The Seven network put the series on hiatus again on June 19, 2012 after 10 episodes, despite previously promising that viewers would see a full season run. The show returned on 29 January 2013 with episode 11, accompanied by an increase in viewers compared to previous episodes of the season.

Production

Packed to the Rafters was renewed for a fifth season with production on the episodes to begin from October 2011.^[2] Hugh Sheridan, who plays Ben Rafter, filmed his final scenes for the fifth season in February 2012, before leaving the show.^[3] Angus McLaren, who plays Nathan Rafter, will take some time off during the fifth season and return mid season in the 100th episode.^[4]

Cast

Main cast Rebecca Gibney as Julie Rafter Erik Thomson as Dave Rafter Hugh Sheridan as Ben Rafter (13 episodes) Angus McLaren as Nathan Rafter (3 episodes) George Houvardas as Carbo Karandonis James Stewart as Jake Barton Ryan Corr as Coby Jennings Hannah Marshall as Retta Schembri-Karandonis Michael Caton as Ted Taylor

Recurring Hannah & Sabella Storey as Ruby Rafter Jacob Allen as Matt Jennings Merridy Eastman as Donna Mackey (21 episodes) Zoe Cramond as Emma Mackey (21 episodes) Brooke Satchwell as Frankie Calasso (21 episodes)

Guest Samantha Tolj as Sian Perry (12 episodes) Cameron Daddo as Adam Goodman (8 episodes) Andy Anderson as Jim Barton (5 episodes) Kristian Schmid as Alex Barton (4 episodes) Olivia Stambouliah as Voula Karandonis (4 episodes) Mark Lee as Duncan Galloway (4 episodes) Henry Nixon as Bryn Perry (3 episodes) Holly Fraser as Elisha (2 episodes) Lauren Clair as Saskia Clark Rafter (2 episodes) Steve Vidler as Mark Mackey (2 episodes) Zoe Ventoura as Mel Bannon (1 episode)

Hugh Sheridan's departure

Hugh Sheridan, who plays Ben Rafter, announced on 15 May 2012 that the fifth season will be his last season of Packed to the Rafters as a main cast member. His final episode aired 5 February 2013, the series 100th episode. Sheridan is expected to return on a recurring basis in season six.

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Australian viewers
89	1	"Answering the Call"	Kevin Carlin	Jeff Truman	17 April 2012	1.384[5]
Julie receives a surprise invitation to become a writer for the local paper. Dave, after interviewing people for the sparky job, is shocked when an attractive woman, Frankie turns up and she gets the job. Coby returns home from overseas, and is shocked to discover Matt has moved in with Jake. Ted continues to bond with Cooper, however Cooper's sister, Elisha, tries to jeopardise the friendship and ultimately Ted's reputation. Emma moves to claim a bigger place in Ben's life and she's relieved when he takes off his wedding ring. Narrated by Julie Rafter
90	2	"Great Expectations"	Kevin Carlin	Boaz Stark	24 April 2012	1.418[6]
With Dave expanding his business and gaining a new premises and a new employee, he has high hopes, however what Dave considers chivalry is what Frankie considers sexism. Coby has a tough time adjusting to his new workmate, but his disapproval is actually masking his crush. The deadline for Julie's article is getting closer and she decides to procrastinate when she can't think of anything to write about. Ben has trouble asking Emma to stay the night, which is another bridge to cross in his grieving process. Retta implements a savings plan so she and Carbo can put a deposit down on a house. When Elisha begins blackmailing Ted, he turns to Donna for advice. Narrated by Dave Rafter
91	3	"The Power of Words"	Lynn-Maree Danzey	Margaret Wilson	1 May 2012	1.355[7]
Matters of the heart are front and centre on Valentine's Day. Ben and Emma dodge the pressure by both doing a shift at the boat club. Donna has a crush on Ted and Julie is not impressed when Ben encourages Donna to ask Ted on a date. The date gets off to a rocky start when Ted arrives at the wrong venue, however Ben is to the rescue, which leaves Emma smitten. The pressure between Emma and Ben gets even worse when those three little words are muttered - and someone misses the moment to reciprocate. Matt decides to play a cruel joke on Coby and Jake by giving them both an anonymous Valentine's Day card. Narrated by Ben Rafter
92	4	"The Things We Do for Love"	Lynn-Maree Danzey	Marieke Hardy	8 May 2012	1.405[8]
It becomes quite obvious that Coby had a crush on Frankie despite his best efforts to hide his true feelings. Dave and Julie's marriage is at a tense time when Dave begins spending extra hours at work for a suspicious reason. Julie meets up with Adam after he says they need to discuss work, however she finds herself confiding in him about her personal problems and their relationships begins to move in a romantic direction. After a fight with Dave, Julie meets up with Adam to vent out her frustration and she quickly realises she may have feelings for Adam. Adam asks Julie if she'd like to cool off at his place and after accepting, Julie ends up staying the night...and someone is watching. Jake begins dating Coby's sister, Bree and Ben and Emma decide to go on a romantic date. Narrated by Coby Jennings
93	5	"Judgment Day"	Lynn Hegarty	Trent Roberts	15 May 2012	1.422[9]
Jake's father, Jim, returns and throws Jake's world into a tailspin. Off this, Jake makes several poor judgements that threaten not only his job, but his relationship with Dave. Meanwhile, Dave notices how much Adam enjoys Julie's company, but he has a hard time accepting it when he becomes jealous. Retta discovers she's pregnant but convinced that Carbo is a child on the inside, she holds off telling him. Narrated by Jake Barton
94	6	"Secret Fears"	Lynn Hegarty	Chris McCourt	22 May 2012	1.459[10]
Dave struggles with his secret fear that his relationship with Jake is permanently damaged and that Julie's relationship with Adam might turn out to be more than just professional. Will Dave be able to rein in his fears before they cause him and his family even more heartache? A love-struck Coby completes a painting for Frankie. At first she's thrilled — until she learns how he really feels. When talking to Sian, Frankie admits the truth about who she is really trying to suppress her feelings for. Who does Frankie fancy, and could it make things even more awkward at work? Meanwhile, Ben's having issues. Carbo and Retta are filled with constant expressions of affection, permanently reminding him of Emma's unreturned 'I love you'. Should Ben return the sentiment — even if he isn't a hundred percent clear on his own feelings? Narrated by Dave Rafter
95	7	"The Great Escape"	Pino Amenta	Martin McKenna	29 May 2012	1.534[11]
Ben is being driven quietly crazy by the baby-obsessed Carbo and Retta. Feeling edged out of the world they are creating, Emma suggests that the two of them get out of town for a few days, a large step forward in their relationship for Ben. But once you've found escape, the trouble comes returning from it. After being romantically shunned by Frankie, Coby does his best to avoid her at work. However, when the awkwardness becomes too much to bear, Frankie makes a proposal. Meanwhile, Julie begins life as the new kid at the local newspaper and her new lease on life inspires Dave to move forward with his own business plans, leading to frustrations between the couple. Will venturing into a new future drive a wedge between Dave and Julie? Narrated by Ben Rafter
96	8	"Unwritten Rules"	Pino Amenta	Kim Wilson	5 June 2012	1.369[12]
Julie admits to Donna having had a recent raunchy dream about Adam, but denies nothing is wrong in her marriage. Questioned by Ted, Dave also comes to the same conclusion. But alone that night, Julie and Dave argue yet again, this time about who will baby-sit Ruby, as Julie has a movie premiere with Adam and Dave is taking his employees away to a seminar. When Julie can't go to the premiere, Adam drops by later that night and Julie is primed for some easy company after the tension with Dave. They chat for hours, discussing life's journeys and confiding a few secrets. Julie maintains it is all very innocent, so why does she feel so guilty? Dave too, is up for a big night, drinking until the small hours with his team. And then one brief moment threatens to destroy everything. Narrated by Julie Rafter
97	9	"A Kiss Is Just a Kiss"	Kevin Carlin	Kim Wilson & Jenny Lewis	12 June 2012	1.590[13]
Following an awkward moment, Frankie announces she's going to quit but Dave convinces her not to make an rash decisions. With a niggling feeling of guilt, Julie tells Dave about Adam's visit for a late-night drink, stopping short of sharing her growing attraction to her boss. Confiding her crush to Donna, Julie is given further pause for concern when Donna warns her she could be moving into dangerous emotional territory. However, when Julie receives some shocking news from Dave, will she be forgiving, or be driven into the arms of her boss? Narrated by Dave Rafter
98	10	"Letting Go"	Kevin Carlin	Hamilton Budd	19 June 2012	1.557[14]
Tension remains high in the Rafter house as Julie and Dave struggle to forgive each other. Ted is caught in the middle and is feeling the strain. He's sick of having to hide the real reason behind their squabbles from Ben and implores them to move on before they have to explain everything to their son. But it is clear that letting go could be a long way off for our couple as they accept Bens invitation to a weekend in the country. Meanwhile, Carbo is also having trouble letting go of something - his beloved Charger. Having deemed it unsuitable for transporting babies. Retta decides they have to sell it. However, Carbo is outraged and is prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect his other baby. Narrated by Ted Taylor
99	11	"The Right Time"	Lynn-Maree Danzey	Rick Held	29 January 2013	1.613[15]
Ben and Emma decide to get a loan from the bank to get their cottage, however when he goes to the hospital, he - and Emma - realise that he still isn't over Mel and they decide to break up. Julie and Dave struggle with his infidelity, however when they go out for dinner, they spent the rest of the night having sex. Donna, who is having trouble with Ben and Emma's news, urges Ted to have an Alzheimer's test, or at least tell Julie. Frankie and Coby bond over a football game and over a game of Jenga. Retta and Carbo, who attend a 12-week ultrasound, decide to tell their friends that they are pregnant, however Retta later suffers a miscarriage and breaks down in tears in Carbo's arms. Narrated by Ben Rafter (final narration episode)
100	12	"Life's Surprises"	Lynn-Maree Danzey	Margaret Wilson	5 February 2013	1.762[16]
Nathan returns home with two secrets from his holiday around the world. After being greeted by his family and going out to lunch, the family finds out that Nathan has married his cougar, Saskia, whom he has known for three months. When the family goes out for dinner, the second secret is revealed: Saskia is pregnant with Nathan's baby. Julie has a hard time accepting this news, however she finally accepts it, and Saskia. Carbo and Retta have appeared to have moved on from their loss, however Retta informs Carbo that she doesn't want to go rushing back into having kids. She then gets Carbo his Charger back. Ted goes in for an exam to find out whether he has Alzheimer's and the symptoms aren't looking good. Ben decides that he needs to move on with his life and decides to take a trip around the world, first to New York to see Rachel and then to London. Narrated by Julie Rafter Final episode of Hugh Sheridan as Ben Rafter and Return episode of Angus McLaren as Nathan Rafter
101	13	"Filling the Void"	Ian Watson	Marieke Hardy	12 February 2013	1.533[17]
Narrated by Julie Rafter
102	14	"Bad Habits"	Ian Watson	Alison Boleyn	12 February 2013	1.533[17]
Narrated by Julie Rafter
103	15	"Moments of Clarity"	Roger Hodgman	David Lawrance	19 February 2013	1.559[18]
Narrated by Ted Taylor
104	16	"Displacement"	Roger Hodgman	Abe Pogos	26 February 2013	1.609[19]
The cleanup after the fire begins and tension rises everywhere. Donna accidentally reveals Ted's secret tests to Julie and Dave when Ted decides he wants to go into residential aged care. Donna takes up pottery and begins flirting with Gary, a man from her OCD support group. Retta and Voula try to get Carbo to prove himself as a man when he refuses to have sex with Retta. volua decides to move out and the idea of having Emma move in is tossed up in the air. Dave is called to pick Alex up from a party when he gets stoned. Jake confronts Bryn about dealing to Alex and this causes Jake and Sian to have their first real fight, while sparks fly between Coby and Frankie. Narrated by Dave Rafter
105	17	"Keeping Step"	Jet Wilkinson	Martin McKenna	5 March 2013	1.582[20]
Narrated by Julie Rafter
106	18	"That Heady Rush"	Jet Wilkinson	Greg Millin	12 March 2013	1.568[21]
Narrated by Frankie Calasso
107	19	"Got What It Takes"	Lynn-Maree Danzey	Chris McCourt	19 March 2013	1.562[22]
Narrated by Dave Rafter
108	20	"Weathering the Storm"	Lynn-Maree Danzey	Drew Proffitt	26 March 2013	1.411[23]
Narrated by Jake Barton (final narration episode)
109	21	"Free to Choose"	Pino Amenta	Boaz Stark	9 April 2013	1.372[24]
Jake, Dave, Frankie and Matt worry about Coby and his disappearance. Jake promises his father Jim that he will be there when he dies. He turns up drunk and threatens Duncan, who calls the police. Jake catches Coby coming out of the house, but when Coby runs and Jake and Matt try to find him, Jim passes away. Coby decides to turn himself in after Jake tells him off and Frankie and him share a final goodbye. Ted takes Cooper and Julie to an aged care facility, where he plans to move into, but at the last minute he changes his mind. Julie gets a phone call from Nathan, who tells his mother that Saskia gave birth to a baby boy three weeks premature. Narrated by Dave Rafter
110	22	"Rewriting History"	Pino Amenta	Margaret Wilson	16 April 2013	1.619[25]
Narrated by Julie Rafter Final episode of Ryan Corr as Coby Jennings and James Stewart as Jake Barton

Reception

Ratings for season five have been significantly lower compared with previous seasons, which has been attributed to two hiatuses during season four by the Seven network and competition from the Nine Network's The Voice. However, upon returning with episode 11 in 2013, the ratings have once again increased.

Ratings

Episode	Title	Original airdate	Viewers^1	Nightly Rank	Weekly Rank
1 5-01	"Answering the Call"	17 April 2012	1.384[5]	7[5]	17
2 5-02	"Great Expectations"	24 April 2012	1.418[6]	5[6]	16
3 5-03	"The Power of Words"	1 May 2012	1.355[7]	6[7]	19
4 5-04	"The Things We Do for Love"	8 May 2012	1.405[8]	6[8]	13
5 5-05	"Judgment Day"	15 May 2012	1.422[9]	5[9]	12
6 5-06	"Secret Fears"	22 May 2012	1.459[10]	5[10]	18
7 5-07	"The Great Escape"	29 May 2012	1.534[11]	2[11]	11
8 5-08	"Unwritten Rules"	5 June 2012	1.369[12]	5[12]	17
9 5-09	"A Kiss is Just a Kiss"	12 June 2012	1.590[13]	3[13]	9
10 5–10	"Letting Go"	19 June 2012	1.557[14]	2[14]	11
11 5–11	"The Right Time"	29 January 2013	1.613[15]	2[15]	4
12 5–12	"Life's Surprises"	5 February 2013	1.762[16]	2[16]	6
13 5–13	"Filling the Void"	12 February 2013	1.533[17]	2[17]	10
14 5–14	"Bad Habits"	12 February 2013	1.533[17]	2[17]	10
15 5–15	"Moments of Clarity"	19 February 2013	1.559[18]	2[18]	5
16 5–16	"Displacement"	26 February 2013	1.609[19]	2[19]	6
17 5–17	"Keeping Step"	5 March 2013	1.582[20]	2[20]	7
18 5–18	"That Heady Rush"	12 March 2013	1.568[21]	2[21]	7
19 5–19	"Got What It Takes"	19 March 2013	1.562[22]	3[22]	10
20 5–20	"Weathering the Storm"	26 March 2013	1.411[23]	1[23]	3
21 5–21	"Free to Choose"	9 April 2013	1.372[24]	3[24]	14
22 5–22	"Rewriting History"	16 April 2013	1.619[25]	3[25]	10

s

¹ Viewer numbers are based on preliminary OzTAM data for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth combined.

References

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2. "Rafter's Erik Thompson not too happy about the break in Packed to the Rafters". Throng. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
3. "Hugh Sheridan close to packing it in". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
4. "Angus McLaren turns empty-nester in Rafters". TV Tonight. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
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