Storylines
Serena arrives in Erinsborough with her parents David and Liljana, when they arrive to stay with her grandfather Harold (Ian Smith) and her cousin Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh) at Number 24 Ramsay Street. Serena, expecting to stay no more than several weeks until the family's new home is built, is upset when she learns that they will have to remain living in Ramsay Street after David is ripped off by his business partner Thomas Morgan, leaving the family bankrupt. She is further displeased when she learns she will have to leave Eden Hills Grammar and attend Erinsborough High along with Sky, but this subsides when Serena becomes popular and tries to distance herself from her cousin.
After sneaking into a nightclub and lying about her age, Serena meets barman Chris Cousens (Simon Mallory) who offers her his card and tells her he is a photographer. Serena agrees to model for a session and earns $200. At the school formal, Serena flirts with Taj Coppin (Jaime Robbie Reyne) but he tries to put her off by pretending to come on heavy with her. Later in the evening when Sky is attacked by Erin Perry (Talia Zucker) and her friends, which results in a portable toilet being tipped over, Serena stands by and does nothing to help. Sky is very cold with her and the truth about Serena's modelling is revealed to Liljana who then slaps Chris.
Chris' seedy dealings are exposed when Serena discovers a webcam in his studio and David anonymously hands Chris' hard drive into the police after breaking into retrieve it and later burns the photos of Serena. Stingray Timmins (Ben Nicholas) arrives and is immediately attracted to Serena and tries to impress her by doing silly stunts. Serena softens towards him after being initially resistant. However, Serena has difficulty accepting Stingray's hyperactive streak and is uncomfortable to be seen in public with him at times. David and Liljana disapprove and Stingray turns to Gino Esposito (Shane McNamara) for help in style and etiquette to impress Serena, which backfires when he eats too much during a date and is sick all over her. Serena and Stingray's relationship later ends after his wild behaviour becomes too much to handle
Serena later meets Luka Dokich (Keelan O'Heir) and becomes immediately attracted to him, much to the horror of her grandmother Svetlanka Ristic (Deidre Rubenstein), who knows the truth about Luka's true parentage. After Luka donates part of his liver to save Liljana, it soon emerges that he is her son and Serena's half-brother. After planning the school formal with Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh), Sky's boyfriend, who has separated from her, Serena shares a kiss with him and they begin a brief relationship.
As 2005 begins, Serena finds her parents at odds after Liljana has an affair with Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) and briefly leaves the family. Liljana later breaks up with Paul and returns. After this Serena takes a job working for Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) in his bikini shop Bounce, which she later buys into and becomes attracted to Connor (Patrick Harvey). Things are messy as Connor is much older and has a daughter, but the couple begin dating until it emerges that Connor has been stealing from the shop to pay back a $50,000 loan to his ex-girlfriend Carmella Cammenitti (Natalie Blair) which was used to pay for an operation for Connor's daughter, Madeleine.
The Bishop family, along with several of their neighbours board a joy flight to Tasmania arranged by Paul for the 20th anniversary of Lassiter's. A bomb explodes taking out one of the engines and the plane crashes into Bass Strait. Serena and Connor find themselves clinging to floating wreckage in a desperate fight for their lives. Connor tries to keep a weakened Serena awake, but is unable to and she vanishes into the rough seas.
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