All Saints: articles


A Decent Proposal

After a year of tragedy and hurt, Mitch asks Terri the question… will you marry me?

The moment All Saints fans have been waiting almost five years for is here… and you certainly won't be disappointed. With his divorce now finalised, and clutching a stunning antique ring in his hand, a nervous Mitch Stevens asks his beloved Terri Sullivan the question she (and we) thought she would never hear.

That's right—after a year filled with joy and tragedy, TV Week can reveal that All Saints delivers fans the ultimate Christmas gift of a marriage proposal. And the even better news is that Terri's answer is a resounding "Yes!".

Of course, it wouldn't be All Saints without a hitch. In the gripping season finale of the Seven Network medical drama, to screen later this month, one obstacle threatens to destroy the happiness of Mitch (Erik Thomson) and Terri (Georgie Parker)—evil Rose (Joy Smithers).

Mitch's bitter and twisted ex-wife reappears on Ward 17 to rehabilitate injured ambo Ben Markham (BV) and she immediately begins spreading rumours to thwart Mitch and Terri's plans.

"Rose has used every opportunity to slow things down in terms of Mitch and Terri getting on with things," explains Erik exclusively to TV Week.

"But Rose and Mitch's relationship never worked. No one was right—it was just a tragedy of errors. It was bad timing, miscommunication and hurt."

"This proposal has been a long time coming. Waiting for his divorce to be finalised was all that held Mitch back."

Georgie agrees that it's time for some happiness for the couple.

"They have been to hell and back," she says. "There was the tragic loss of their much-wanted baby, the troubles caused by the interfering Rose and everything else—from Mitch's clinic burning down to Terri finding herself caught in the middle of a dramatic siege at the hospital."

"This will not only be a relief to the fans, but also a nice journey for them to go on with the characters—to see them get engaged."

At first, Mitch places his grandmother's ring on Terri's right hand. Only in the final moments of the episode does he transfer it onto the ring finger of her left hand and ask her to marry him!

"It shows a great deal of tenacity for both characters to still be together," Erik believes. "A lot of times, they could have thrown their hands in the air and said, 'This is not working!'

"But they had to go through a lot of that stuff to get to the purity and clarity of their relationship."

Georgie, who is married to scriptwriter Steve Worland and has a two-year-old daughter called Holly, believes marriage is more important than ever to her character.

"There isn't a religious reason behind Terri wanting to get married," she says of the former nun. "Mitch is the one for her and she wants to make that commitment to him, to have that spiritual connection."

Erik, who is married to Always Greener star Caitlin McDougall, says the proposal is true to Mitch's low-key style.

"It's not like he hands a helicopter, gives Terri roses and has fireworks going off," he says. "Their love is such that they don't have to demonstrate it other than to be pure about it."

As for speculation that he is leaving All Saints, Erik is noncommittal.

"We'll just leave it as speculation for the moment," he says.

But he is definite about the shocks in store for All Saints fans in 2003.

"It will be dramatic and make for really good television," he says.

By Jackie Brygel
TV Week
Week of Nov 16, 2002