When Brax and Ricky drove out of Summer Bay in 2016, they believed they were finally leaving behind prison walls, police sirens and the heartbreak that nearly destroyed them. At the time, their exit felt final and hard won. Now, ten years later, one of Home and Away’s most iconic couples is returning, and their comeback immediately raises questions about what truly happened during their so-called perfect escape.
Home and Away: Brax and Ricky Return After 10 Years Away
A full decade after their emotional farewell, Bonnie Sveen and Stephen Peacocke reprise their roles as Ricky Sharpe and Darryl Brax Braxton for a special storyline filmed in Western Australia. Their return does more than spark nostalgia. It pulls viewers straight back into the chain of events that forced them to leave Summer Bay in the first place.
Back in 2015, Brax’s life unravelled when he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Dean Sanderson. He did not commit the crime, yet the conviction stood. At the same time, Ricky gave birth to their son while he remained locked in solitary confinement.
The separation crushed him, and from that point onward, he refused to accept a future without his family. Because of that desperation, Brax made a bold decision. He organised an escape and enlisted the help of Ash, played by George Mason, and Kyle.
Ricky chose to stand by him and agreed to go on the run. However, events spiralled and the vehicle crushed into a pond. Brax rescued the guard but used the chaos as his chance to flee. In the aftermath, the residents of Summer Bay believed he had died in the crash.
The Prison Break That Changed Everything
Soon after, Kyle arranged a safe house where Brax reunited with Ash and prepared to disappear. With the Bay convinced he had perished, he slipped away quietly. Meanwhile, Ricky faced the painful task of rebuilding her life while believing the love of her life was gone forever.
Gradually, she moved forward with Dr. Nate Cooper. Their relationship grew serious, and they eventually became engaged. For a time, it seemed she might finally find stability. Then Ash revealed the truth. Brax was alive. The revelation stunned Ricky and shattered the fragile peace she had built.
Not long after, Brax returned and begged her to run away with him. He insisted they could start fresh somewhere safe. Ricky turned him down at first because Casey was ill, and she refused to risk her son’s health. Even so, Brax remained determined to fight for his family and prove that he could give them a better life. In 2016, the tide finally turned. Authorities officially exonerated Brax of Dean’s murder and cleared his name. With his conviction overturned, he became a free man.
At the same time, Ricky’s marriage to Nate began to collapse under the weight of unresolved feelings. In fact, Nate reached out to Brax himself, recognising that Ricky had always loved him and understanding that he could not compete with that history. As a result, Brax and Ricky reunited without secrets or misunderstandings standing between them. This time, they chose to leave Summer Bay together with their son, not as fugitives but as a family ready for a clean slate. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Home and Away spoilers.