Karl Kennedy and Susan Smith 3833993 220531272 2008-06-20T09:12:25Z Magioladitis 1862829 clean up, converting template, Replaced: fictional character → [[fictional character]] using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Unreferenced|date=August 2007}} '''[[Karl Kennedy|Dr. Karl Kennedy]] '''and''' [[Susan Kinski|Susan Smith]]''' are the two [[fictional character]]s who make up the couple '''Karl and Susan Kennedy''' in the [[Australian]] [[soap opera]] ''[[Neighbours]]''. Karl is played by [[Alan Fletcher]], and Susan by [[Jackie Woodburne]]. They are widely regarded by fans not only as two popular characters in their own right for their personal attributes, but also because - despite repeated setbacks - they have always ended up returning to each other, regardless of temporary obstacles such as infidelity, remarriage and [[amnesia]]. == Background == === The beginning === The characters have been in ''[[Neighbours]]'' since [[1994]], when they moved in to [[Ramsay Street]] with their three children, [[Malcolm Kennedy|Malcolm]] (Benjamin McNair), [[Libby Kennedy|Libby]] ([[Kym Valentine]]) and [[Billy Kennedy (Neighbours)|Billy]] ([[Jesse Spencer]]). Karl Kennedy became the local [[General Practitioner]], and Susan Kennedy got a job as a [[teacher]] at the local [[secondary school]] (including becoming [[principal (school)|principal]] for a period). === First breakup: Karl's affair === <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Karlandsarah.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Karl Kennedy and Sarah Beaumont]] --> The first storyline which tested the Kennedys' marriage came in [[1998]], when Karl had an affair with his secretary, [[Sarah Beaumont]] ([[Nicola Charles]]). Susan found out through neighbourhood gossip, after [[Ruth Martin (Neighbours)|Ruth]] (Ailsa Piper) and [[Philip Martin|Phil Martin]]'s ([[Ian Rawlings]]) wedding. Susan slapped him in public for this, but eventually forgave him and the couple reunited. ===Second breakup: Susan's amnesia=== <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Susansamnesia.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Susan slips on milk]] --> In [[2002]], Susan Kennedy developed [[retrograde amnesia]] when she hit her head after slipping on some milk. This amnesia meant that she had forgotten the last thirty years (including her entire marriage to Karl) and could not remember anything that happened to her after she was sixteen. With a mental age of 16, Susan was scared by Karl and the couple were forced to split again. As months progressed, despite still being unable to remember the missing thirty years, Susan fell slowly in love with Karl again, and at the end of [[2002]], they renewed their wedding vows. At the altar, Susan's memory spontaneously returned and she was able to recite her vows from her first wedding; Karl was able to do the same. ===Third breakup: Karl and Izzy=== <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Izzykarl.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Karl Kennedy and Izzy Hoyland]] --> Whereas the other two breakups only led to temporary separations, Karl and Susan's third breakup resulted in a [[divorce]]. It came about gradually, caused in part by Karl's [[mid-life crisis]] and [[alcoholism]], as well as the arrival of sexy and manipulative [[Isabelle Hoyland|Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland]] ([[Natalie Bassingthwaighte]]). Whilst Karl never had an affair with Izzy (they did not get together until after Karl and Susan had separated), he became increasingly dissatisfied with his marriage; until the point in [[2004]] that he announced that he wanted to divorce Susan. Susan was devastated by this admission, and she became bitter rivals with Izzy. Over the course of the next year, Karl began a relationship with Izzy. Izzy's manipulation and presence meant that Karl and Susan's divorce was a bitter process for many months, until their final meeting about the division of their assets. In this meeting - attended by Karl, Susan, Izzy, and their lawyers - the arguments reached a peak, before Karl and Susan realised that the hostility was getting them nowhere, and abandoned the meeting to discuss things amicably in private instead. They finished this private meeting with a passionate kiss, before returning to the room with Izzy and the lawyers and continuing with their separate lives. From this moment on, they became friends again, though at this stage the writers did not choose to imply that either character was still in love with the other (though Karl did telephone Susan as well as Izzy when he believed he was dying of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]). The divorce went through, and Susan temporarily changed her name from Susan Kennedy back to her maiden name of '''Susan Smith'''. ===Remarriage=== Karl and Izzy were due to be married at the end of [[2004]], but the wedding did not go ahead after the Lassiter's complex exploded. It was not rescheduled, as Karl discovered that Izzy's baby was not his and the pair ended their tumultuous relationship. Instead, it was Susan who fell in love with the terminally ill [[Alex Kinski]] ([[Andrew Clarke (actor)|Andrew Clarke]]), who was Karl's patient. She married Alex, and became '''Susan Kinski''' but was widowed almost immediately after the ceremony. Alex's children were left orphaned, having lost their mother several years earlier; his adult daughter [[Katya Kinski|Katya]] ([[Dichen Lachman]]) was awarded custody of younger siblings [[Rachel Kinski|Rachel]] ([[Caitlin Stasey]]) and [[Zeke Kinski|Zeke]] ([[Matthew Werkmeister]]). The responsibility soon proved too much for her, and so all three moved in with Susan, coming to accept her as their stepmother. ===Current status=== In the course of [[2006]], Karl and Susan have slowly rediscovered their attraction to each other. Karl was the first to rediscover his feelings for Susan, after supporting her throughout Alex's death. After the plane that many Ramsay Street residents (including Susan) were travelling on crashed in the [[Bass Strait]], Karl revealed his true feelings towards Susan to his friend [[Max Hoyland]] ([[Stephen Lovatt]]). Later in the year, Susan confessed her love for Karl (after his brief relationship with [[councillor]] Jenny ended amicably), and the couple briefly reunited before having to end their relationship for the benefit of Susan's stepchildren Rachel and Zeke, who felt that Susan was being disrespectful to their father by reuniting with Karl. As the year closed the Kinski children began to accept the relationship, and Karl moved in. In of March 2007, Karl and Susan went on a trip to London, where Karl proposed on the London Eye, Susan accepted and they got married on the River Thames. The wedding was interrupted by the appearance of Izzy who had gone into labour. The baby, delivered by Karl, was named Holly. Susan later remembered that she had Izzy's handbag and took it to the ambulance, only to overhear Izzy talking to Pete about Karl being the father. She kept the secret until she got home and told him. He then flew back to see Izzy and the baby, leaving Susan at home. Later that next week, Susan's old flame Tom Scully arrived and said he wanted to start over. She told him she was married to Karl and he told her he was the principal of Erinsborough High School. Tom started to regain his feeling for her, but Susan turned him down in order to pursue her marriage to Karl. More recently, her father-in-law, Tom Kennedy, moved into the family home and has started progressing in his dementia. In late 2007, Susan began to show symptoms of a mystery disease, causing her to blackout whilst driving. This blackout led to her accidentally causing a hit-and-run incident with newcomer Bridget Parker. During the trial (in which she pleaded guilty, and was served with a non-custodial sentence), Susan's symptoms worsened and she became hospitalised several times, eventually being diagnosed with MS(Multiple Sclerosis). [[Category:Neighbours characters|Kennedy, Karl and Susan]] [[Category:Soap opera supercouples]]