Plot

Hugh faces a dilemma when his best friend Joey makes a dying wish. The Knight family rallies to support Ajax and Meryl as they each confront a major crisis.

After the accident, Hugh is left with no feeling in his hand, and his future as a surgeon is suddenly in jeopardy. He's also left to deal with his badly-timed revelation to Ajax that he's his father. Ajax hasn't taken the news well, fleeing the family homestead and setting up camp at the old family cottage. Meryl is particularly on edge, as she's desperate for all the family to pull together for her political debate today. They manage to get Ajax there in time, but Meryl gets caught out when Rod Eagle challenges her about him and whether he left high school illegally. Meanwhile, Joey has been sent home early from the cancer trial. Hugh is soon discovers the truth: Joey's cancer has metastasised to his brain, and they can do nothing further to treat him. Joey's made up his mind, he wants to go out on his own terms, and they hold a wake so that he can be surrounded by his friends one last time. Hugh finally accepts that he is unable to save him, and gives his friend the death that he deserves.

"Say Sayonara" is such a heart-felt episode of this marvelous Aussie creation known as "The Heart Guy" in PBS-land or WETA-UK in my neck of the woods - and "Doctor, Doctor" in Australia. Dr. Hugh Knight, formerly a top-rated urban heart surgeon demoted to country doctor for misbehaving and assigned to his home town no less - leads a life full of complications! So many things are happening in this terrific episode: euthanasia, parental heritage revealed, adult bedding of high school student - sixty minutes filled with non-stop action! Hugh is revealed to be the father of Ajax - who thought Hugh was his brother for 16 years. Ajax runs away temporarily - angry at all his family members for deceiving him all these years - even telling Hugh that he wishes his father was his uncle. Very understanding of Hugh's parents to raise a child who was conceived out of wedlock by their OWN kid - who was off to medical school and in no way capable of being a responsible father! A female physician/colleague of Hugh's (and the head physician at the country hospital where they both work) innocently sleeps with a "youngish" guy who - after dressing up in his high school blazer after a mad roll in the hay - reveals himself to be a kid! And - Joey, Hugh's best friend and high school buddy asks Hugh to assist him in dying when his lung cancer is revealed to have fatally and terminally metastasized. Hugh knows that assisted suicide is against the law and agonizes over breaking the law or granting his best friend a favor. Sad...sad...sad... The episode ends with Hugh sitting on a grassy knoll after administering a lethal dose of medication and cradling Joey in his arms during his last moments of life... A really great series that I discovered only a month ago - and, I'm already a loyal fan!