Sam Kratz - Development

Development

Sam was sent to Ramsay Street by his grandmother, Marlene (Moya O'Sullivan), to check out the house she had purchased. He befriended Brett Stark (Brett Blewitt) and his sister, Danni (Eliza Szonert), who started looking up to him, as she thought he was "glamorous". When Marlene arrived in town, she revealed to Sam that Brett and Danni were actually his cousins. Josephine Monroe, author of Neighbours: The First 10 Years, stated that after a shaky start, Sam became popular in Ramsay Street and added "Sam may look rough, with his stubble and oil stains, but he has proven himself to be a rough diamond." Serena Coneele from Inside Soap described Sam as being good-looking and nice, but revealed that he would have a few secrets up his sleeve. Grieve told the writer, "Sam's unreal, I'd love to be more like him. I worry a lot more than he does and I've got a really bad temper. He's friendly and laid-back, and before long, he knows everyone in Erinsborough. He's that kind of guy!" The actor added that wherever Sam went, trouble and disaster seemed to follow him around. He later revealed that he would have liked Sam to have had more of a dark side, as he could be too good to be true at times.

After Sam chaperones a high school dance, he attracted the attentions of Squirrel (Brooke Howden), a young student who became "glued to him like a fly in Vegemite." When Sam went away on holiday with the students, Squirrel made it clear that she had more than a crush on him. She eventually cornered him and announced that she was pregnant with his child. Grieve revealed "Squirrel turns out to be a bit of a psycho! She is pregnant and she's convinced herself that Sam is the father, but he can't be because they haven't even slept together." Inside Soap's Victoria Ross commented that the Squirrel situation came just as Sam's life seemed to be on "a general downward spiral". He had spent weeks fighting his feelings for Annalise Hartman (Kimberley Davies), who was due to get married. When her wedding was called off, Sam provided Annalise with a shoulder to cry on. But before he could declare his feelings for her, Squirrel's revelation made him think twice. Grieve told Ross, "Sam doesn't tell anyone about Squirrel's accusation because he's convinced that no one will believe his story, especially Annalise. When Sam eventually tells Annalise about Squirrel's accusations, their relationship turns around because she totally believes his story and agrees to stick by him. Their friendship grows into something more serious so I suppose Squirrel did him a favour."