Packed to the Rafters - Season 3 - Eps 8: Rites of Passage
Nathan is forced to question his motives for wanting to donate a kidney, triggering a crisis of confidence. Will he be able to put his demons to rest and in doing so, save Chel's life? Although he passes all the physical tests, Nathan is thrown into doubt when the transplant co-ordinator seeks answers on his true motivations for donating a kidney to Chel. When Sammy praises Nathan over the transplant, his feeling of pride seems only to confirm he is donating his kidney for self-serving reasons. While Ben and Rachel have no doubt Nathan is made of the right stuff, their younger brother can't seem to find the words to convince the co-ordinator or himself and he's terrified his failure will spell the end for Chel. With Chel's health on the decline, Julie and Dave decide there's no time like the present to hold Ruby's Naming Day ceremony. After a disastrous interview with a comically self-absorbed celebrant, the Rafters plans instead a much more laid-back gathering at the park and ask Rachel, Ben and Nathan to be Ruby's guardians. Baby Ruby's welcomed to the world by those that love and care for her. And perhaps something in the speech Dave makes gives Nathan the answer he's been looking for. Meanwhile, there are problems at the Barton house, with Alex struggling to accept his mother's new relationship. Alex goes out on a bender and when Grace returns from her date and finds Alex still gone, she flies into a panic. She and Jake lock horns over the whole issue, with Grace feeling that she should be more mindful of Alex's feelings and Jake insisting that she's entitled to live her life. Jake decides it's time both he and his brother stood on their own two feet and comes to a surprising solution to their joint need to cut the apron strings. Carbo struggles with his own rite of passage when he discovers some grey hairs – and not just on his head!
About Packed to the Rafters

Title: Packed to the Rafters
First Air Date: 2008-08-26
Last Air Date: 2013-07-02
Status: Ended
Rating: 7.7/10 (from 9 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 7
Total Episodes: 122
Network: Seven Network
Genres: Drama, Comedy
Production Companies: Spectrum Films
Synopsis
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-oriented television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The show has continued on Tuesdays in this timeslot for its entire run. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and life issues, whilst also tackling serious social issues. The Logie award winning series was the highest rating to screen on the Seven Network in 2008, and the show has consistently been among the top 5 shows of the year throughout its run in Australia. It was announced in TV Week that the sixth season of Packed to the Rafters would be the last, with Hugh Sheridan stating: "It's emotional letting go of Rafters – for all of us. It was such an amazing chapter in Aussie TV. I'm really proud we all came back together to send it off." The two-hour series finale of Rafters aired on 2 July 2013, which saw the return of Hugh Sheridan, Jessica Marais, Ryan Corr, Jessica McNamee and James Stewart. Rebecca Gibney said, "The cast, writers and producers have always said that we wanted to keep Rafters as one of the most-watched shows on TV. If we ever felt like we were losing too many cast members, we needed to end it on a high. We can say season six winds up an aspect of the Rafter family and there is a sense of finality to it."
Cast

Rebecca Gibney
Julie Rafter

Michael Caton
Ted Taylor

Erik Thomson
Dave Rafter

Zoe Ventoura

Angus McLaren
Nathan Rafter

Hugh Sheridan
Ben Rafter

Jessica Marais
Rachel Rafter

Jessica McNamee
Sammy Rafter

James Stewart
Jake Barton

Ryan Corr
Coby Jennings