b2sb09

On Jaclyn's Facebook page, she said in February that she hadn't been called back for a while and there was nothing for the future. It would have been nice to learn more about her than her first name, especially after all the time she was on the show and she did have her fans - someone on FB has even started up a Bring Back Watson page. It's just my luck though, that the characters I like most these days, are recurring or guest characters who just vanish. I do hope Watson will pop up some time in the future though and this wouldn't be the first time where she's disappeared for a lengthy period of time - wonder where Watson disappears to ?

Brax's violence toward Heath is as inexcusable as Danny's was and I always found it quite ridiculous when they had Casey worrying about becoming like Heath when Brax was just as bad, if not worse - he was the big brother who was using violence and words to lay into Heath (often for no justifiable reason) and Casey started to copy Mr Wonder Big Brother. After hearing the way Danny used to treat Heath, it just made Brax's similiar treatment of Heath all the worse. For years, it seems like Brax has been happy to not only abuse Heath (as Danny did), but nurture and encourage his violence when it suited him, ie. using his younger brother to do his dirty work within the gang, including using violence to enforce Brax's law, so that Brax could sit on the sidelines and play Mr I Wasn't Involved while counting his precious drug money. The way he has used his brother, dismissed at times (was even tossing him aside to runaway with his favourite brother and Charlie), let him take the fall for following Brax's orders and never seemed to encourage him the way he has Casey, prefering to treat him like a fool at times and knock him down when he tries to make his own decisions (even if they were dumb decisions, Brax just reinforced Heath's belief he couldn't be better) really makes it hard to believe we're meant to see him as a good big brother. Sure, he's there for them, but he's often made things worse by interfering and has been a lousy role model. There's little point telling Casey to be better when his actions say differently and while his motivations may be different to Adam and some of the others, his actions aren't any better and he is just as big a criminal and remorseless as all the other so called nasty bad guys - only difference, the show excuses and lets him get away with everything and throw around the words loyatly and family to do so - I'd say the Walkers are as loyal to each other and even the Pirovics were more loyal to each other than Brax has been at times to Heath and the Pirovics did things for family, yet it was never portrayed in that way. There are so many double standards when it comes to the portrayal of Brax and it's become quite laughable, especially as his actions have so often contradicted his words and at times, what we're meant to believe about him. It's no wonder Heath turned out as he did with both Danny and Brax treating him like they did, but it's funny how Heath is the one who doesn't react violently toward Brax when he is given so much provocation to hit back - that's what men like Brax do though, they beat loyalty into others so they just accept the abuse and putdowns, it's part of the gang culture and Heath had been nothing if not Brax's lackey. I honestly find Brax to be one of the most loathsome characters ever and even his one redeeming quality (looking out for his family) is ruined because he's so controlling of everything and his loyalty (when it suits him with Heath) is used to let him do all these awful things and get off scott free.

He's hit Heath, he's headbutted Heath just because Heath has said or done something Brax doesn't approve of (but has actually done himself) and has been verbally abusive with his put downs over the years toward Heath, and on more than one occassion, slammed Casey against a wall, he's beaten up Kyle etc. If a guest character bullied and abused his family the way Brax has done, it would never be tolerated and it would be seen as abuse or at the very least, as assault, but it's Brax, the big brother who would do anything for them and so it always comes across as if they deserve his rough treatment of them and he's never called out on it. If Heath deserves to be abused by his brother as we're meant to believe, then Brax would equally deserve to be punched back by Heath, yet that doesn't happen - who's the real thug in that family? No one, especially someone in your own family, deserves to be punched or headbutted just for saying something you don't like and Brax has no right to throw his weight around like he does just because they don't live up to his expectations or do what he wants for them - they're not little children to be bullied and shaped into what he wants for them, they're adults, old enough to do as they please, make their own mistakes and live life the way they want to and he's hardly set a good example for them. It was wrong for Danny to abuse his family and Alan Henderson wanted more for his son, like Brax wants for Casey, but Alan would never get father of the year because he abused his family and was a terrible role model to Stu, so why is Brax allowed to bully and abuse his family? The show can't have it both ways, yet they seem to insist on it at times, especially when it comes to St Brax.

I'd like for her to have a purpose in the Bay other than being someone's girlfriend. We've seen with Liam that without Bianca, he has no family or real reason to stick around and becomes a rather pointless character and Tam seems to have been brought in to stir up drama for Casey and not much else and so far, I'm not too impresssed with her behaviour. Given time, that may change, but going on the way so much revolves these days on romantic drama and triangles, I'm not sure if my opinion of her will change, though I do hope that she and the other younger characters form some sort of friendship group, preferably without the sex/relationship drama taking over - I'd actually like for them to exist outside of a couple. The past couple of years, I find myself constantly falling into the 'then I must be wrong' category as I dislike most of the big couples we're meant to think are the best thing because I don't like the way the characters interact within those pairings or the way they treat each other and others during their on-off-on-off-sleeping around-love triangle-romances and so far, Tamara has fallen victim to yet another one of those unlikeable romances. Maybe if Casey had been single at the time, my view may have been different, but he was with Sasha and Tam turned up as the interloper - find it hard to support any couple that starts off like that.

I disagree. Year 11s consist of 16-17 year olds, and year 12's consist of 17-18 year olds. ^I believe you're both right.Year 11 actually consists of 15-17-year-olds and Year 12 of 16-18-year-olds.But you're only there for a year.Different people start the year at different ages, depending on when their birthday falls in the year and how old they were when they started school. RR is right. My birthday fell in the early part of the year, so I started school at 4 and so was 15 when I moved into Y11 and turned 16 that year, just like Sasha but the majority of Y11s began the year at 16 then turned 17 during the year. It meant that I and just a few others, were always a year younger than just about everyone else in that year - we really were in the minority though and it was like that at both Secondary Colleges I went to. Considering what Sasha went through last year, no surprise her school work suffered but I suspect she is just the unfortunate 'mandatory' repeater we seem to always get. Hope Sasha does move on from Casey and finds a guy that treats her right and is there for her, much like Xavier was.

Highlight the spoiler, then go to Special BBCode - the icon to the left of the font box - and scroll down to spoiler. You should be able to see what text will appear under the spoiler tag.

I was never much of a Xavier fan until he started seeing Kelly last year and by the end, I was sorry to see him leave. I think during his stay, he developed and matured into a rather nice young man, which seems like a rarity these days as a lot of characters take one step forward then two steps back and unlike those characters we’re told are nice guys, yet their actions continually say otherwise, Xavier actually was a nice guy and since Miles left, I enjoyed having another nice guy around the place. I liked most of his storylines this year, because they showed him maturing from the school leaver into a young man looking to take responsibility. Romeo could learn a few things from him. Even though I still find it rather funny thinking of him as a cop, he had the right motivation for choosing that career and think he will probably become a good cop, especially as he’s well away from Summer Bay, a town that taints and portrays so many cops in a poor light. I didn’t like the usual, have a cop do something wrong for the sake of family/friends part though and it’s a shame we won’t see him develop further into his career, but hopefully, Even when I wasn’t a fan, I always enjoyed his interaction with John and this year, I started to enjoy his interaction with his mother much more, especially the way he was finally loosening the apron strings and starting to stand up more for himself with her. There were quite a few amusing Gina expressions because of Xavier standing up to her. I liked the way he stood by Sasha throughout her ordeal, but though I started off as a fan of them as a couple, as he grew into his role as police cadet, Sasha just seemed to come across as far too immature for him and the age gap appeared more than it was, so I wasn't that fussed when they split. The only storyline of his I didn’t like this year was his exit. I can’t remember the last exit storyline I liked as these days, they seem to be about character assassination before sending them to jail or a coffin or shoving them out the door as fast as they can and Xavier’s exit felt like the latter. One minute he decides to move away, the next minute he’s packed and gone as if he'd never even been there. Overall, I was happy with the person he became and his development from a teen doing dumb things into an adult taking responsibility and looking to help others in his role as a police officer. I just hope he gets over his accident-proness, as he could prove rather dangerous to himself or others with a loaded weapon.

Leah was once one of my favourites, but in the past couple of years, she's moved down the list and I actually didn't like Leah much this year, so I didn't really have a favourite storyline with her in it. My least favourites though, was having her falling for Brax, which I thought was one of the more ridiculous storylines. She never really trusted him or wanted him around the house because of the danger someone like him brings, so Charlie's death in her house at the hands of one of his enemies should have just reinforced her feelings, instead it made her forget everything and it became all about poor Brax. And the way they had her acting around him at times was embarrassing to watch. The other least favourite was the way she handled Ruby at times. I didn't like the way she put Brax before Ruby. Sure, it was her house, so when Ruby got upset about having Brax at the house, which under the circumstances, was completely understandable, while Leah had a right to not let Ruby dictate who comes around and who couldn't, I just think that with Ruby's feelings still so raw, this one time Leah could have relented. I mean, why was it so important for Leah to be able to have Brax around the house when she could so easily see him at any other place? Ruby should have been her focus, not Brax, who at least had his brothers as support while Ruby had no family and so I hated the way Leah let Ruby move out and became one of the growing number of Brax groupies, there to remind us what a good guy he is, usually after his latest disgusting behaviour. I liked her when she saw him for what he was and so this about face and letting Ruby move out at such a tragic time when she really needed her more than ever, just didn't sit right with me. Another storyline I didn't like was her exit. It just felt contrived, rushed and totally unnecessary when there were other family related options which could have been used, ie. her mum or someone got sick and needed her. Jamie was too obvious and by rushing the storyline, there was no real suspense and considering all the unpleasant characters and criminals these days, I wished they'd chosen a non-psycho/crime storyline to write her out - after all her years on the show, she deserved a far better treatment than what she got. Ada may be back filming this year, but I think it will be later in the year, so I'd be surprised to see Leah on our screens at all next year, but hopefully the break will give the writers time to come up with some fresh ideas and maybe introduce a new character as a long-term love interest. It's time Leah had some happiness in her life and for this show to have another family, ie. mum, dad and kid.

I've uploaded some wallpapers of each couple in my artwork thread.

^^Current (as of when last saw them) police officers at the moment that I know the names of Snr. Sgt Mike Emerson, in charge of the station. Sgt Georgina/Georgie Watson Const. Patrick Avery Const. Neal Stevenson

Hugo Johnstone-Burt - he's around 24/25, so about a 10 year age difference. Once again, I think Leah is heading for heartache. The guy just has that vibe, 'Run away quick before it's too late'.

I didn't have any screen caps, so I hope these will do.

If you're still after some Romeo Indi icons, I've uploaded some new ones in my artwork thread.

Bianca is so far out of Heath's league in all ways and I will never be able to take Heath and Bianca seriously because of the way so much is overlooked, like him using and sleeping with April and then cheating on her; where's the anger at the man for treating her little sister like that or the man who sold drugs (which she supposedly hates) to her students? Can't stand Bianca since she hooked up with Heath, but that's for another thread. I find it weird the way April gives her sister advice on the man they both slept with as if it's not that big a deal and they all lived under the same roof. Heath/Bianca is just so implausible whereas I actually brought April and Heath as a couple, even more so if they'd toned down April's rather stalkerish chase of him. She understands him, accepts him for who he is, just as he doesn't pretend to be someone he's not (his big bro could get a lot of pointers from his so-called bad brother) and age wise and maturity wise, they're a far better match than he will ever be with Bianca, who treated him like dirt and beneath her. Don't know why they ever went with Heath and April if it was never going to be nothing more than a fling, because it ruined Dex/April (I actually think he works far better as a single guy) for me and Bianca hooking up with the man who used her sister just makes her look even worse than just hooking up with her husband's drug dealer.

^ David never got a farewell video or picture gallery when Xavier left. Maybe they're not doing it anymore.

Sunny and warmish until I put the washing on the line, now it's cold, dark and wet.

Once again, the writers have ruined a couple for me by breaking them up and then pairing them off with others before getting them back together. Usually, the way they have characters act when they're apart puts me off them getting back together and that happened again, plus the fact that both Dex and April came off better with their brief relationships. April is much better with Heath (not that I really liked them as a couple, but she seemed to suit Heath better than Dex) and I really liked Dex with Dallas, but once again, it feels like the writers used these brief flings for not only some cheap drama, but to try to prove that the original couple are better suited with each other - only problem is, what I liked about Dex and April the first time around, is no longer there and the writers are trying too hard to convince me that they're a good couple and are focussing too much on the physical side of their relationship. Last year, early on they used the sex (and Charlie strutting around in her underwear) to sell Chax as some great love (never saw what they had as a great love at all) and now they seem to be doing it with April and Dex and again, I'm not buying it. I'm no prude, but it seems at times, like they're trying to use cheap thrills to sell these couples instead of showing us a real connection as to why they should be together and that shouldn't involve changing characters or having them jump in the sack at the drop of a hat or strutting around half undressed. Can the writers not come up with interesting drama that keeps couples together instead of tearing them apart, having them sleep with others only to then get back together? It seems to happen far too often these days, especially amongst the younger couples. This year, the writers have pretty much turned me off all relationships of the characters under 35 as they just seem to jump into bed with others the moment they end a relationship or they're just not suited together and for me, it feels forced when the writers pair some of them up and use their sex appeal together or just sexing up things, to try to convince us that these are great couples. It really does become annoying, especially when there are times when they end a really good pairing or don't give a pairing much of a chance, because the writers prefer them with others and seem to feel that endless breakups and sleeping around is somehow interesting drama. It's become a pointless excercise to ship couples in this show, at least amongst the younger characters, as they just end up ruining them for me with their repetative type of storylines or I just can't buy into some of the couples because as far as I'm concerned, they're too incompatible to work without sacrificing a large part of who they are for the other. Dex and April do provide some humorous moments but I kind of lose interest in Dex when he's with April and this time around, I think Dex and April grew in different directions when they were apart and are no longer suited to each other like they were when they first got together.

^Sasha said it in tonight's episode. Not sure how long four weeks is in Summer Bay time though

They really do seem to be taking it slow with these two, which I think is good and with Sasha's birthday in four weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if she and Xavier get together officially around then. Could be wrong of course.

I feel they rush into a lot of relationships between established characters and the latest new one who arrives without really giving us much of a chance to know the newbies as individual characters, so I like the way they've gone slow with this pair and that we've seen a fair bit of Sasha on her own and with someone other than Xavier. Have never been a big fan of Xavier, but really have found myself liking him more and more in the past six months and it helps that we're finally starting to see a more mature Xavier and one able to stand up for himself more; really liking his scenes with his mum and the loosening of the apron strings. He's still impulsive at times, but he's learning when to step back and to still be there for Sasha without pushing for more. I do hope she has her birthday soon though, having a cop, even one in training, dating a 15 year old doesn't quite seem right and I do hope the writers remember the age of consent or our future cop could find himself in a rather awkward (and illegal) situation. With every thing Sasha has been through since she's arrived, Xavier does seem like the right guy for her; he's maturing nicely, he's a nice guy and he's already shown how supportive he can be without expecting anything in return. Xavier always seems to get the girl but only until they find someone they want more and he gets dumped, so I really hope the writers don't do the usual get together, break up misery-go-round with these two.

I'm enjoying seeing Georgie stepping out from Charlie's shadow and taking more responsibilty in investigations. and maybe we can finally learn more than just her first name. Charlie was promoted twice and Georgie has now actually been on the show longer than her so I think it's time she was finally promoted. I hope we do see more of her, I just hope she doesn't suffer from the same affliction that seems to befall our resident coppers - stupidity, corruption and/or death or forced to leave their job.

I think we're supposed to find all this sneaking around and lying to people sexy and exciting but like with Brax and Charlie, it just comes across as sleazy after a while, especially when it's all they seem to do. I just found Charlie and Brax's behaviour pathetic and ridiculous and couldn't buy into it at all, but with Heath and April, it seems more understandable and believable considering April's age and lack of experience and Heath's usual behaviour. I just can't see it ending well though. Maybe things will change, but at the moment, it just keeps looking more and more like April is a consolation price; he can't have Bianca so he'll take the next best thing, the little sister.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what is happening. I’ve read so many posts on other forums from viewers who don’t think Brax has really done anything wrong because he's had a hard life, he’s doing it for family or because he’s had no choice as he’s forced by others into doing these things – it’s never his fault he has to break the law. Everything he’s done is always excused in some way yet when Stu, Jake, Hammer and others do exactly what Brax has done, the same people justifying Brax’s actions want these others punished. And because his motives are for family and he loved Charlie, it all makes him this amazing guy who some admire and even think he’d be a wonderful father figure for Ruby, even though he shoves his brothers around and is both physically and verbally abusive toward Heath. Is this how we’re supposed to view someone who has used sex, drugs and violence to get what he wants, who is prepared to hurt people, even murder people to achieve the happy life he wants to make for him and his family? Because that’s the message some people are getting, that because he wants a better life for himself and his family, then what he's done isn't so bad. I think my main problem with Brax is the portrayal and the way he and the River Boys were promoted in such a way they’re seen as more sexy and exciting than the others and that no matter what Brax does, he always stays this amazing guy and is excused of his crimes while others are condemned. When he bashes people, he has a reason, usually Heath deserved to be punched, slapped or head butted by his own brother, when he lied and used Charlie, he had a reason and he loved her, so that was ok, when he had Liam bashed, he was just protecting his brother, so that was ok, when he was trafficking in drugs, it was for a better life for Casey regardless of the pain and suffering he inflicted on others along the way, so that was ok and it’s always everyone else’s fault Brax is forced to do these thigns. Now that Charlie has died, it’s all about poor Brax, he didn’t deserve this because he deserved happiness and now it’s all about his grief being an excuse for doing the same things he did last year. I don’t think it helps that they had a cop fall in love with him, then act like he hasn’t done anything that he should be jailed for; Heath deserved to be in jail, but not Brax. And if he had murdered Jake in revenge, he’d be seen as some avenging hero while Jake is condemned as the bad guy for avenging his own brother’s death. I just don’t see how it’s ok for Brax to do what he does and be seen the way he does, yet others guilty of the same are seen as bad guys. I thought violence was wrong regardless of who does it. Poor Stu had a violent home life yet I didn’t see any excuses for his behaviour and people seemed happy for Sid to beat the crap out of him which was wrong of Sid to do, but when he flipped after seeing his daughter hurt, he was arrested, yet when Brax flips and beats up Jake in front of a bunch of cops, he’s not even charged, they then let this dangerous criminal they’ve been after go after waving a gun around and endangering everyone around him. When I look at Brax, I don’t see his actions or motivations as justifiable in any way, nor do I see any difference between him and Jake or the others. Heath was supposed to go to jail but because he’s hot and popular, they signed him up as a regular instead and let him get away with selling drugs to kids. What’s the message there? That it’s more important to have a hot guy on a family show than to actually punish them? I don’t see the point in putting them into situations where the cops have the evidence against them and then just find a way to let them get away with it. Throw in the smug arrogance both Brax and Heath display toward the police and when they get away with their crimes and it just seems to enhance their reputations as hot bad guys who make the show exciting. I also think that they’ve been allowed to get away with far too much without justice eventually catching up to them but I have little faith it ever will. Yes, people are put into situations in which they break the law but that doesn’t make it right and it’s just my personal opinion, but I don’t think violence and drugs should be excused in anyway, especially in a family show, yet it seems that is exactly what is happening and when you see the way Brax is seen as this amazing guy who’s every crime is justified and even seen as a father figure to some and man to admire, then I don’t think the right message is being sent. Maybe it's just me, but I find violence a turn off and the way he treats and speaks to Heath, his own brother, just disgusts me, which is why I don't like Brax at all and don't understand how some people think he's this great guy and are so willing to overlook all of his crimes.

John has become one of my favourites and I hope he and Gina have decent storylines this year and more screentime, otherwise what is the point of having them around except for the odd little scene here and there that they seem to get. Their talents are being wasted with the little screen time they have. we need a character to inject some humour into scenes and there are so many things they could be doing with both John and Gina if they really wanted to. That episode where he thought Gina had menopause provided great scenes and I was hoping they'd continue with the storyline but it seems to have been forgotten that there was something wrong with Gina - maybe this year they can pick it up again. It's a storyline that could provide both drama and humour.

Glee returns on Friday 27th January and is now in direct competition with Home and Away. 7:00pm Glee (ep 7 of 22 in Season 3) All New Season Return