Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[H&Alover]

One moment Tam was there next she was gone and Casey had gone with her, not that we knew it at the time! At least we got a brief update. Isn't she going to need to come back at sometime for Oscar's trial, unless it's going to be off screen as a lot of them seem to be.

The tape Oscar recorded must have been mentioned in Sasha's article if Evie felt she had to hide away because she told Oscar not to say anything and would be hated. Full marks to Spencer for not giving up on her after the way she had treated him. Agree with you Red about all this info being printed that is bound to prejudice the trial as people would have read all about it beforehand.

Heath, I appreciate you want to be a good dad to Harley but accept you need a helping hand for both your sakes, you can't, with the best will in the world, do it all by yourself. You wouldn't be failing Harley by letting others take a turn. Is his wanting a divorce an overreaction? Bianca is going to leave again (yawn), we all know she won't be.

The way everyone was acting I thought Jett and his pals had set fire to a building not glued some beach balls to a floor and it got ruined. He should have said something to John though and John ought to have listened to his version/side and not automatically think he was the ring leader. Difficult one on how to punish him for that, until Marilyn came up with her idea of making him pay for it. Jett got a shock when she suggested that! Maz is right being tough is not her style, but John was OTT in saying Jett was his child so it was down to him to set the punishment. I think I remember Jett saying John had grounded him and he was to go straight home after school.

It was pretty much a forgone conclusion as soon as Mark said he owed the other Braxton's an apology for the way he had behaved something would happen. I think it's way too obvious to be Andy, it didn't look like his car speeding off. His name is going to be at the top of Brax's list as No. 1 suspect though. If 'they' had meant business Brax and Ricky wouldn't be standing. I may be cynical but could Mark be behind it, though neither he or Andy would have known for sure where Brax would have been at that moment, he would have to been followed home from Angelo's. Andy did that stunt with the row, but no guarantee he would have gone home.

Maddy was getting very, very enthusiastic about her idea for the ball, Bianca may have been a touch underwhelmed but she does have to think about budget, safety etc.

[Slade]

I really enjoyed Phoebe standing up to Brax previously. His expression almost suggested that he couldn't believe she had the bottle. I don't like her dad but I can understand why he is acting like he is as he's just trying to protect his daughter. I actually wonder if he had anything to do with the shot that was fired into Brax's house on Friday's episode.

I still don't like Andy one bit but found it really funny how he was trying to rub Brax up the wrong way but the remark he made about Casey suggests that he is completely unrepentant about running them off the road so I'm not sure I agree with Casey's assertion that he has changed TBH.

I am sorry to see Tamara go, especially the way it happened. I remember when she first came to the show as a feisty headstrong girl who rescued Casey from Kyle. Now she just leaves as the victim although at least Casey got to see her off. I would have liked to have seen a scene with Kyle too though.

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, at least we got an acknowledgement that Heath and Harley exist, even if we still didn't see them with the rest of the family.Brax once again is the headstrong one looking for someone to batter to death, with Casey and Kyle having to do the thinking.Especially with Ricky, somewhat disappointingly, just parroting Brax's opinions.While I don't think Andy was involved, I don't think he's changed and I was somewhat disappointed that Casey gave him his job back:The only possible explanation for such a dumb move that I can think of is that he wanted to prove to Brax that he doesn't think Andy did it.The way the police are treated like an inconvenience who get in the way of the fun stuff in Braxton storylines is annoying, especially when they're heavily involved in the episode elsewhere.Did Ricky even bother to tell them about the shooting?I think we can rule out Mark doing it himself but it seems likely he's involved.I thought at first he might have been trying to scare Phoebe into leaving but now I'm wondering if he's playing on Kyle's nobility and anticipating him wanting to send Phoebe somewhere safe.

In a similar vein, we seem to have lost Evelyn and Denny from the MacGuire storyline, the former being especially jarring after her former ubiquity.I'm glad Hannah had to face up to the fact that her constantly getting at Zac just made things worse and at least had the sense not to try and forget it all by rolling around with Andy.So is Zac back working at the school?One minute he's offering to walk Oscar in, then he's back home, then Oscar's wondering why he isn't at school.Seemed a curious lack of recognisable faces in that school corridor...

[H&Alover]

As obnoxious and aggressive as Andy is I believe him when he said he didn't do it/wasn't behind it, he is a more up front type of guy rather than the sneaking about taking pot shots type. Bit of a shock Casey offering him his job back and he had to bite his tongue not to tell Casey to stuff it. All this talk about Phoebe being safe at the Braxton's is just too convenient, considering we saw Kyle trying to get Mark to take Phoebe out of town for a while. I guess he could afford to have guys hanging around waiting for Brax to go home. Phoebe definitely was uncomfortable about living in a house that got shot at! Her suggestion of calling the cops didn't go down well, wonder how Ricky fobbed them off after the neighbour had called them?

I noticed Evelyn had disappeared again. Would not have been right Zac being Oscar's appropriate adult considering he was still a suspect, was unsure about Hannah being it actually, hardly impartial. Eye opener for Hannah when he told the cops why he drove Zac home instead of ringing her because he was tired of all the arguments they had been having. I'm glad she acknowledged her part in the trouble by telling Zac it was down to both of them. I think it really hit Oscar when he had had his mug shot taken that it was for real now.

Brave of Oscar going into school, you would think that someone would have supported him but no Evie, Sash, Matt or Josh about - strange. I thought Zac was on his way to school, unless he's still suspended and he was just going to drop Oscar at school and go back home.

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, I guess I've been complaining about Heath being apart from the rest of the family and now he isn't, but it felt a bit odd to have him and Harley just move back into the house after being sent somewhere safe.Sure, maybe he would be in just as much danger elsewhere but he doesn't know that for sure.It kind of feels like a contrived excuse to force Bianca to look after Harley.Meanwhile, Kyle may well be playing into Mark's hands by sending Phoebe to live with him, I've a feeling he isn't planning to send her back.

Andy was even more odious here in his treatment of Zac and even Hannah seemed to fall into blaming it all on him rather too easily.And then they try and convince us that Andy isn't all bad by having him look after Oscar.Sorry but we've had tons of scenes like this and he always slips back into acting like a douche.It was frustrating that the situation seemed to end with him looking like the good guy and Zac looking like the bad guy, if Hannah had heard him laughing at the idea of Oscar being charged then she might be less inclined to thank him.And his accusing Zac of making others pay for his stuff-ups was a real pot/kettle moment after all the trouble he's called for Josh.Does Casey know that Andy's going around taunting people when he's in uniform and representing the gym?I can't see the clients being encouraged by that.

[H&Alover]

Maybe Heath felt more vulnerable away from the family? Had a feeling Ricky would talk him round, though he must have been considering it anyway or he wouldn't have asked her opinion. She didn't push him into it just suggested what he was already thinking was a good idea. Loved how he had written down a schedule for Harley, then said he (Harley) didn't always stick to it. Well he couldn't, he can't read yet. I know we've been slagging Bianca off about her behaviour but a big decision for her to offer to look after Harley. Just casually mentions she won't be going into work again, how does that school manage when the principal is away more than she's there? Can't see how that is going to be in her favour for a transfer with her attendance record! A minor panic when he wouldn't stop crying and she called Ricky who just left her to it. Nate so cool, suggesting she just give him (Harley, not Nate) a cuddle. And wouldn't you know it it worked and she found she liked holding him, he is half Heath's after all, loved Harley's little hat. What I like to happen is Heath comes round and see Bianca just sitting there quietly with Harley asleep in her arms. That's not so say they should both rush into anything, just take it slow.

Oddly I was thinking the opposite Red about Andy perhaps there is a decent guy in there somewhere, he didn't have to babysit Oscar when he was having his panic attack, didn't give him unwanted advice just sat there with him. Zac naturally jumped to the wrong conclusion until Oscar explained what he had done. Yes, Andy's later behaviour didn't do him any favours and Zac is supposed to be a so called responsible adult being a teacher and all that.

What the blue blazes was Maddy on last night? She was acting like the eight year old she accused Alf of treating her like. I found al that bouncing around and flouncing about intensely irritating. Then complaining to Spencer she felt Josh was being selfish by not going to her dance after all she had done for him, hardly in the same league. Was is behind him not wanting to go?

[Red Ranger 1]

I actually felt it was a bad move of Ricky's leaving Bianca alone with Harley when she obviously wasn't coping, it wasn't the time to play Sink or Swim and she would have fallen to pieces if Nate hadn't been there.Sure, she only needed a bit of encouragement but she needed a bit of encouragement.

I can see why other people find Maddy's character traits irritating, she does often act younger than she is, but I've got a lot of time for her so I mostly just find her eccentricities and childlike behaviour endearing.I pretty much shared Spencer's expression when she went skipping off to try on her outfit:"You're weird but we wouldn't have you any other way."I like the understanding between the two of them.I might have gone for the grey outfit but she looked very pretty in the white.It was a shame Josh overheard her venting and it's not even a case of it being out of context:She does have a point actually, she's been through a lot in order to stand by him, and he was pretty rude when he told her he didn't want to come.Alf handled him well, shame Matt had to come along and give him some bad advice and now he's hiding stuff from Maddy for no good reason.I actually thought her shrugging off his behaviour without knowing the reason was a bit too generous but I guess she just wanted to keep the peace and she does seem to be a bit hard on herself these days.

Oh, Evelyn.First she snaps at Josh, although at least she apologises.And then...Well, positives first, I did like her nervousness about going on a first date but she was such a brat it was hard to enjoy it.Her tirade at Sasha was completely out of line and Matt was completely right to put her in her place and point out that if she wants to know who's really to blame for Oscar being in trouble she should look to her own family.And then Spencer, who's supposed to be Sasha's friend and should have stepped in himself, claims that makes Matt a jerk and acts like he's the one in the wrong.And then, incredibly, Sasha acts like Matt's in the wrong and behaves like a judgemental cow! Is this all because he wouldn't say she was his girlfriend?! Because that was kinda funny.Honestly, no wonder Evelyn's such a brat when Spencer and Sasha give her an easy ride like that.I wish Chris had been there, he wouldn't have just stood there.

Talking of which, I think this is the first time we've really been able to enjoy Chris and Denny as a couple since that night and I did.It was probably good they went to the party instead of a horror movie marathon but they were incredibly sweet together.Are we meant to assume they had their, ahem, second time in the Diner?I can well imagine Chris persuading a Buddhist monk to party with him.

Much like Evelyn above, I feel like we're meant to sympathise with Jett and I don't know why.Sasha might have had a point about legalities but she should have kept her nose out of it.What's the alternative, let Jett do whatever he likes and never take responsibility for everything?He hasn't shown a shred of remorse for the trouble he caused, just fed Marilyn sob stories so she goes soft on him, and yet, much like Matt with Evelyn, we're apparently supposed to see John as the bad guy for punishing him while Jett plays the victim and acts like he's hard done by.

[H&Alover]

I like how Alf is on Josh's side and managed with a bit of coaxing to get the real reason why he didn't want to go the party out of him. What a shame he didn't take the advice and tell Maddy, she would have understood and been there for him without, I hope, be patronising about it. He 's not the first pupil in SBH to have had trouble with studying, Casey being one, I think Rick was another.

So like Oscar Evelyn hadn't been on a 'proper' date before, not surprising if they had been in the commune for a while. She did look nice, but then went and spoilt it by having a go at Sasha, it was hardly the time and place, perhaps she took objection to Matt's remark because she knew he was right. To be fair she did step back the first time, then later when Sasha was fighting Jett's corner without knowing why Jett was working without pay, she stepped back in accusing her of interfering. Is she forgetting Oscar went to Sasha over the whole thing? Seeing as Spencer is now Evie's boyfriend I suppose he feels he should be on her side.

I get that Jett would have felt out of it all his friends enjoying themselves and he's working, but he needs to repay the debt he owes John, though it is going to take a while. There does have to be an easier way.

Chris and Denny were good together, I liked her dress btw. I liked that he was willing to do what Denny wanted to do and once they had settled Evie they were able to slip away and enjoy themselves.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three.A very sparse week on the whole, with John and Marilyn the only other characters to manage three episodes and Irene only appearing in one.

So again Matt's made out to be in the wrong, with the result that Sasha comes across as pretty stuck-up."You embarrassed me,"she snaps.That's the most important thing?And she doesn't think that Evelyn yelling at her in front of everyone meant she'd been embarrassed already?Seriously, Matt's been obnoxious plenty of times in the past and Sasha hasn't noticed, the one time he's in the right she makes a song and dance about it?(I pretty much cheered his "Your face is a complete tool.")And then Jett also makes Evelyn out to be an innocent victim.So I guess the fact that Matt went and embarrassed Sasha again is karma and also got him what he wanted.But still the talk's about Matt apologising to Evelyn, with no mention of Evelyn apologising to Sasha.

The Jett storyline was a bit better and John moving the goalposts by refusing to deduct money for Jett's work at the party was unfair.But Jett's argument might have been a bit more compelling if we'd actually seen any evidence of him knowing he did the wrong thing, rather than him just saying he does here.Still, Marilyn's solution of arranging for him to pay John back in instalments is a fair solution and perhaps a sign she should have stepped up in the first place rather than leaving the disciplining to John.

One episode.We got one episode of Chris and Denny happy together and then Casey rears his ugly head.No offence to Casey but I wish he'd just stick to hanging out with his brothers and leave them alone.I was worried that Chris would get paranoid about them and push them together but actually, the odd loaded comment aside, he's being pretty reasonable and yet Casey and Denny continually make beelines for each other.I've actually got no idea what Denny's playing at, she seems to like Chris and they get on well when they're alone, she's in a relationship with him, yet she keeps hanging around Casey, whose interest in her is so obvious Chris can see it and who she's openly ogled in the past so she must know she's attracted to him.Is she deluding herself or does she seriously think they can stay on the right side of the friendship line?Because if she was committed to Chris I'd have thought she'd be making him her priority.I actually agree with Chris sticking around because the way she's acting at the moment she'd probably wander if she didn't have a reminder she's got a boyfriend.Shame he couldn't have taken her away so they could reconnect.

So is that Irene off for Lynne's panto leave?The early UK break means it's happening later in the year than usual and again she was obviously only there for the location stuff and conspicuously absent from Diner scenes.And we got a mention of Fin! I think that's the first time her name's been mentioned in over ten years and first time her existence has been acknowledged in over five! Maybe the producers are listening to all the complaints that old characters don't get mentioned?

[j.laur5]

No I remember her being mentioned in about 2007 when Dom I think his name was kidnapped Belle!.