Little Princess

I'm sorry to hear about your hand! While I'd love to know how this story ends, I'd like you to take your time ensuring that your hand heals well so, don't rush things, ok?

Oh wow...no wonder people like Melody don't stand a chance in the world with so many people thinking that she's nothing but a poor little defenceless creature! I might not like her as a character but that doesn't stop me from giving her the credit she deserves: Melody is a terribly smart person, probably too smart for her own good, and it will take sometime for her body and her emotions to catch up with her intelligence. That day, Melody might stop blaming the whole world for her problems and might start using her brain to get on with her life in a more harmless way. I agree with those of you who say that Nicole's approach is definitely the only one which works and that Melody will actually accept: let her do her own mistakes while being on standby in case she needs help to get back up and be pointed towards the right direction. To finish off, I'll say this one last time and then I'll leave this thread quietly: Melody isn't ill equipped to cope with real life, she's intelligent enough to realise what she's missing and in her own clumsy way she's trying to make up for it, the same way other teenagers do, by trial and error. Also, Melody has made quite a few decisions on her own. For instance, when she started seeing Geoff, she chose to lie to her mother by telling her that she was going to see her girlfriends. She also chose to report Axel's assault to the police out of her own free will, which btw, it took a lot of guts; more recently, she reported Nicole's illegal driving knowing very well that it would make Nicole lose the captaincy, denoting a high level of analytical thinking, not to mention the fact that she seemed to me like she had a pretty good social life, good enough for her mother to not find it strange that she would go out after school, which meant that she probably developed a good deal of social skills, at least much better than real social outcasts who spend their non-school time locked up in their room. The problem is that the writers have pulled storylines like when she stopped eating since it was the only thing she could decide when, in reality, it would seem like she's been making decisions all her life... I found this to be rather contradictory and in fact one of the reasons why I think I don't like Melody as a character is because I think she's been very poorly written. Hopefully, the H&A creative staff will fix these issues soon and provide me with a reason to think that she's not wasting perfectly good screentime.

I might not be getting it but I understand Melody enough to know that compassion is the last thing she needs and probably wants. What she DOES need is to get back on track and she's lucky to have someone like Miles who I'm sure will step in soon enough to get things straight with her so that she can find her north. I'll say this once again: none of the kids in H&A have had a normal childhood but this is the first time I see one of them consciously using her past to justify what she's doing and get away with stuff. This alone makes me think that Melody is very aware that what she's doing is wrong and, whereas I agree that she's a very confused and lost kid, I'd love to ask anyone who's been through puberty who didn't have some sort of identity crisis at some point and it takes us all a great deal of time, pain and effort to find our own self. I do get that for Melody this process is going to be even harder however, that doesn't mean things should be made easier for her or they'll make the same mistake her mother did during her childhood. Let her try her wings and crash and she'll learn how to fly solo soon enough. The only thing we can do is try and suggest her the way to do it, the rest is up to her. Also, it is true that Aden, Geoff and Annie all originally had a family but, contrary to what I've read somewhere in this forum, the parents died when they all were way too young to have actually formed themselves an idea of what true family live was. If anything, having known a loving family probably made things worse for Aden when he had to face the hell he faced (at both physical and psychological level) and we could all see what living with Bruce Campbell was like: no phone, no TV, no school, basically no contact with anyone from the outside world, was hardly the best environment for Annie to grow up. Geoff was 'lucky' since he got sent to boarding school but, do I need to remind you that Annie, aged 14, couldn't even read properly when she first joined SBH? Or that she got her first period and didn't even know what was happening to her? And yet, probably thanks to Geoff but largely thanks to Annie herself, she's a decent kid who did her best to fit in the new world she was living in, handling Lucas' rejection with a lot more class I would expect from adult women and not giving up on Jai when he needed a friend. As per the Bible, you don't need to be a believer to get what's it all about. I'm not a Muslim but I studied the Koran when I was a teenager and I understood a lot of the moral values that rule the Islamic community. That's what's making me sure that Melody knows very well the difference between what's good for her and what's not. At any rate, I love H&A so I sincerely hope I'm proven wrong by its writers and that in the next season they'll manage to make me like Melody...maybe with a storyline involving her feeling really sorry for what she's done and hopefully trying to rebuilt her relationship with her parents...

Okay, I'm going to waste just one more post to say this for the last time: Melody, contrary to what an unbelievable amount of people think, is not a defenceless little creature unable to fend for herself. It makes me laugh when I read that she doesn't have the 'tools to deal with life'. Let me ennumerate just a few of the 'tools' she has: The BIBLE: if you've ever had this book in your hands and have taken a bit of time to read it and hopefully understand it, you will know just how many freaking lessons in life it contains. It was written in a way so that even illiterate people could come up with the right conclusions and could apply them to everyday life. Melody, as smart person she is probably has HEAPS of knowledge in what's considered right and wrong and what it takes to make it through life. Jesus was nice enough to make sure we knew how to be good people, regardless of the parents we found ourselves with. Her FRIENDS: contrary to real social outcasts, Melody actually has a number of people of her age who care about her enough to support her and be there for her and even get her out of trouble when she needs it. Considering how she's been behaving with them lately, it's nothing short of a miracle she DOES have friends, and it says a lot about how good friends they really are. She's very, very lucky. Her FAMILY (i.e. Miles & Co): Melody, after 'divorcing' her parents, more of that later, was exeptionally fortunate finding someone like Miles, Alf and Kirsty who are prepared to look out for her and to provide the guidance she needs and who are patient enough to put up with her tantrums and, as Kirsty put it, let her test the boundries in a way that not even real parents would do for her. Again, she's very lucky for that. Now, regarding her parents, what does alarm me a lot is the fact that no one is commenting on how she decided not to have anything else to do with them. They might have been as far from perfect as it gets but they ARE her parents, they gave birth to her and she should never forget that. I think that this says a lot about how Melody isn't the Miss Goody-Goody she wants us to believe and is nowhere near as forgiving a person as, for instance, Aden and Nicole have showed us to be. Need I remind anyone that Aden, even after trying to get him killed actually went to visit his father one more time and even said to Belle that he still loves him? And how Nicole, who lived her childhood trying and failing to get her mum's affection, forgave and told her that she loves her? After leaving the clinic Melody never gave her mother a single chance to start from scratch, she simply gave up on both her and her poor father who, other than lacking spine, seemed rather harmless to me... But hey, if I ever came across someone like Melody in real life, I'm sure as hell that I wouldn't treat her any differently than I treat everyone else because the last thing troubled people need or want is to be made feel even weirder by getting any sort of special treatment. People like Melody, Aden, Jai and the rest are craving for normality and that's what I'd give them...oh cruel me.

Okay, you've got us all officially hooked and would please like to read more!

john003au, that's precisely what I'm saying: Melody isn't the delicate china doll everyone thinks she is (thanks for the expression karter!) and the more they'll try to excuse her wrongdoing by being sympathetic and understanding, the more damage they'll do. I'm 100% with Nicole when she suggested that they need to let her crash on her own so that she learns things the hard way. Also, whereas it's true that she's hasn't had to make any decision on her own and taking into consideration that she is been raised a catholic, she knows very well what's right and what's not for anyone who's studied the Bible as much as she has, must have a very solid moral base. For this reason, I simply refuse to believe that she doesn't know she's would cause a huge amount of pain when She did both things fully aware that it would make Nicole suffer. Just as she knows that is wrong but she's all proud saying that I think that this is a clear enough sign that she knows very well that what she's doing is wrong. Bottom line, maybe you guys are right and Melody is actually a nice person who's just super confused about her own identity but, right now, she's behaving with such a high level of malice that I find it very hard to believe the writers will manage to turn her into a likeable character anytime soon. This all said, I don't expect to have anyone agreeing with me, it's a very personal opinion of mine and it should be taken as such.

You've got a really good story going in in here and I like how you've managed to keep everyone very much in character. I can't wait to see where you'll take this!

I'll start my very long rant saying that my dislike for Melody started that time she gave Geoff a peck on his cheek while giving him that self-made card and she then turned to face a few girls there and said that infamous '...Oh, grow up! Just because you don't have a boyfriend...' She then continued to stalk Geoff to the point that he was forced to say it out loud in public that she was NOT his girlfriend. Yeah, granted, he could have handled the whole thing better but, come on, the girl was sticking to him like a bloody leech. Anyway, then Nicole arrived and Geoff choose to start paying attention to Melody in my opinion because Geoff saw Melody as a much safer and trouble-free option and, for a little while, I did think that Melody and Geoff made a cute enough couple. That was till the psycho-mother showed up and ruined everything. This time I found that Melody didn't really do much to improve the situation and she annoyed me beyond words when she all but asked Geoff to risk getting a criminal record by violating the AVO. Then there was the whole clinic-stint and that's another moment when I could even think of feeling slightly sorry for her but she yet again ruined everything by proclaiming that it only someone with an ego big enough to need its own postcode would say something like that; essentially, she thinks she's important enough for GOD to do whatever she asks Him to....it renders me speechless really. XD And what to say about when she OMG, newsflash Melody: Geoff is a free agent and doesn't have to report anything to you...but hey, for the second time she fancied herself to be his girlfriend when he had NEVER hinted that they were back together... Then we had the Halloween stunt when Now, I know what all Melody-lovers out there will say: she's had a very controlled and sheltered upbringing and she's not equipped to handle the bad stuff from real life and yadda, yadda, yadda....to that I'll just say this: Annie Campbell had it a lot worse than Melody yet she isn't going Before it's even mentioned, when Annie got massively drunk and accused Aden of assaulting her, she ended up owning up and she actually apologised to him for getting him in trouble. Somehow I can't see Melody apologising to everyone she's hurt in the past, if she did that I could consider taking her off my 'dislike list' but judging by what the spoilers announce for the upcoming episodes, methinks that her name will be at the top of it for a long while...

You know, it's funny you say this...I've had this very silly thought of a future storyline involving Melody getting in full psycho-mode and doing something horrible to get back at Nicole for 'stealing' Geoff from her... In any case, I too agree with what some of you said regarding the fact that Celeste is indeed a great actress for having managed to make so many people dislike Melody.

I personally love this pairing. Like I've said before, they are perfect opposites in the way that Nicole is everything Geoff is not and viceversa but, precisely because of this, I think they complement each other perfectly, with Geoff giving Nicole the set of moral standards she didn't have when she grew up and with Nicole offering Geoff the fun he didn't have when he was a kid. This allows for Geoff to be as carefree as he's never been before while he tries to keep Nicole from getting into too much trouble, not by imposing it to her but by having managed to convice her to try his way for a while. I liked the way they both felt instantly attracted to each other and if it hadn't been because of Geoff's over judgemental ways and THAT silly bet between Aden and Nicole, I do think that they would have got together a lot sooner. That said, I'm happy enough with the way they've ended up as a couple for, considering everything they had to deal with, I think it happened at the right time for the two of them. Now though, I think that asides from having to deal with Melody and her psycho ways, the only other danger I foresee in their future is having yet another cute boy showing up in Summer Bay who might try and pry our beloved princess from St Geoff... Opinions, anyone?

I don't like her at all. I know that she was there as Annie's bestfriend and it was due to Annie's interference that she started having a major crush on Geoff who very obviously wasn't interested in her. Nicole's arrival triggered something in him which he probably saw as potentially dangerous for his moral integrity and that was, in my opinion, the only reason why he choose to pay attention to Melody since she was the 'safer option'. That said, her whole story arc as a mentally disturbed 'I'm Evil' kind of kid was intriguing enough to keep me interested for a bit but now that she's supposedly better, I really don't want her around Geoff&Nicole. Like Eli, I hate the way she thinks she's the only one who is worthy of a guy like Geoff and I'm terrified of what she'll do in order to get him back. Now, I know that she had a pretty difficult childhood with a psycho of a mother but this doesn't justify the fact that she's a horrible person posing as a goody-goody. Annie had it a lot worse than she did and Annie is a genuinely nice person who, unlike Melody, would never dream of backstabbing people in order to get her way.

He's the best dad ever. Cool, level-headed and strict when he needs to be. I think he's done an excellent job at dealing with his princess of a daughter and the fact that Aden trusted him more than he did with anyone else (except Dr Armstrong) says a lot about how much of a nice guy Roman is. I really liked seeing the lengths he'd go to protect Nicole and it makes me think that he'd do this for anyone he loves as much as he cares for his daughter. Both Nicole and Aden are very lucky to have him looking after them and I like how the three of them have formed a tiny family unit which, I hope, won't be ruined by Natalie's arrival. I also hope that they'll find a way for him to be happy in his very complicated love-life. I know that for a woman it'd be hard coping with the fact that he's got two trouble kids in their teens but methinks the guy is well worth the effort, don't you agree?

I love him. I seriously do. After Nicole, he's my favourite character and I have to say that Todd Lasance's outstanding performance is what has allowed for this to happen. Aden, not only has easily the most complex personality in the whole of H&A but also, despite the fact that he's finally comfronted his demons, becoming a much nicer person in the process, he still retains a little of his enfant terrible persona which makes him adorable. Also, I love the nicknames he uses: Sweet Lips for Belle, Princess for Nicole and Bible Boy for Geoff. Also, he does have hilarious lines like when he proposed Belle and Nicole to wrestle their issues out just as long as he got to watch. Things like these are what make me love him so much. Now,I want him to be happy so I really hope Belle will realise that she really needs to focus on him and forget about her 'Greenpeace Mode' for a bit. Regarding Nicole, like I've said in her thread, he really cares about her and I think he's starting to view her as the little sister he never had and I love watching their interactions nearly as much as I like seeing him without a t-shirt!

I agree with you guys: at first I thought that Geoff was way too strict but I knew that it all came from the way he'd been raised. I found him rather annoying sometimes, specially when dealing with his sister and when he criticised other people (Cassie, for instance) without pausing to think things through. Now, whereas I really didn't like him with Melody for, in my opinion, she didn't really bring anything to the relationship and even made him become nearly as obessive as she is, I love him with Nicole for, like I said in her own thread, she complements him almost perfectly and makes him laugh and smile a lot more often than anyone else. I think he's lucky that he's not only found someone he loves, but also she loves him back and is also prepared to live according to the standards set by his faith. I only hope he realises that!

I love her. She's my current favourite character and the reason I chose my username. Even from the start, when she was nothing but a spoilt little princess, she was a lot of fun and brought a bubbly touch to every scene she was in. I love her interactions with Aden, especially at first with their reinterpretation of 'Cruel Intentions - Summer Bay Edition', and I still look forward to watching them sharing screentime since they're never boring. That said, I concur with what Nicole said about her and Aden being togehter: they'd truly be a nightmare! (but a very fun one to watch, at least for us!! ) Regarding her personality change throughout the episodes she's been in, I love the way we've seen her gradually go from princess to a caring person, without having left behind her spoilt little brat self, one side I think she reserves for whenever she's with Aden or her own father. In terms of pairing, I do think she's great with Geoff since they're perfect opposites which complement each other quite well and I hope that the writers will allow them to stick together, I also like how, despite the fact that she's had a pretty hard life in terms of receiving proper affection from anyone, which makes her very insecure and therefore prone to seek attention from those she loves, she's still pretty tough and I admire how easily she tends to forgive and forget whoever has hurt her in the past. I was pleased to read that Tessa James signed a three year contract, this means we'll see a lot more of Nicole in the future. I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing what the writers have in store for her!