Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

I didn't realise it until I just read the comments on the previous episode but it's a shame we didn't get any follow-up to how the MacGuires reacted to Andy staying the night.(Evelyn spends most of the episode with Josh, they could have at least chucked a comment into one of their conversations.)

Anyway, Brax's explanation for not wanting to be a father...still doesn't quite ring true.I mean, I get that there's an emotional logic behind it, but Heath shared the same upbringing and father as him and has turned into a pretty decent dad, and Brax didn't exactly go into palpitations when he thought Darcy was his(in fact he was more upset about not being there for her), so it kind of feels like a weak way to create drama between him and Ricky.

We perhaps got one too many scenes of Alf being antsy with Nate, but it's understandable and he apologised so I'll let it slide.I wasn't really that bothered at Nate blaming Sophie, it wasn't deliberate but it was kind of her fault, but there's clearly some unresolved trust issues between them.

Maddy's comment that it's the longest she's spent with Roo since she's been back isn't all that surprising:Roo's only been back two days and she's spent one of them unconscious.I don't know if we're meant to read something into the fact that Maddy was more comfortable around Spencer than Josh, you would expect her to lean on the person she's closest to so...maybe her feelings for Josh are starting to fade?As I said before, if everyone's happy I'll be happy.But as it is, Josh crosses the cheating line in a way that's even more fickle than Denny, sticking his tongue down Evelyn's throat less than a week after saying how much he loves Maddy.I liked Josh standing up to Brax for about half a second until it turned into an excuse for Evelyn to stare adoringly at him.Her behaviour reminded me a bit of Ruby at her most stalkerish, and I'd love it if this storyline does end up acknowledging that Evelyn's a bit messed up and has latched onto a boy she doesn't know that well because he was nice to her a couple of times.But I suspect that someone somewhere thinks they're going to be the biggest thing since, um, Spencer and Sasha.

[Brian]

Not me Red. I want Josh to stay with Maddy. I'm rather annoyed about the way he just went off with Evie rather than wait for Maddy to call him, as he asked her to. But hey, she's got Spencer to comfort her, so she's alright. Bit surprised about Josh just being able to saddle up a horse and ride it like that, with a pillion passenger.

Agree with you about Brax's spurious reason for not wanting to be a dad, especial;ly as Heaths seems to be turning out alright, as you say.

[Slade]

Sophie said to Ricky she was living proof the most stubborn man can be won over. I'm not so sure. Having watched how Nate and Ricky have been with each other I wonder if there's residual feelings and although Nate was angry at Sophie because he believed she deliberately put his phone on silent, I think what it really comes down to is that he doesn't love her. I'm now starting to wonder whether he's just using her for sex. Because he can't have the woman he really loves. It's interesting that Nate has decided again that he's had enough of Sophie and that Brax has just dropped the bombshell regarding having kids which puts serious doubt with regards to the future of his relationship with Ricky. I guess that sets the groundwork for a possible Ricky and Nate reunion.

Brian, I don't want Josh and Maddie to split up either. Not because I particularly like them but I think we need at least one couple in the show that can stick it out. At least for a bit. Don't find this storyline with Josh cheating on Maddie very believable TBH. I do believe that Josh loves her and I can't believe he would kiss Evelyn so quickly after simply being dismissed like that. I don't think Maddie was that bad and I would have expected Josh to properly have it out with her first if it really bothered him. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow. Will he feel bad or not?

Have to say looking at some of these pairings as of late e.g. Hannah/Andy, Denny/Chris, Heath/Bianca (when she was still around), Sophie/Nate, whilst you could argue they may have provided a certain form of entertainment, some of the relationships in question are an absolute joke.

[Red Ranger 1]

I agree with Slade:It'd be nice to have a couple that actually lasts. And it always seems to be Maddy's relationships that show a lot of potential only for the writers to try and pair her boyfriend up with someone else.It was hard to like Evelyn looking like the cat that got the cream at the start of this episode.And Josh really didn't come across well at all:Them making out at the bus stop was pretty much unforgivable and clearly not the impulsive moment that he tried to make out, they were both looking for it with all those coy looks.Why did Josh bother making up with Maddy when Evie was practically offering herself on a plate if he's suddenly meant to have feelings for her?I was cheering when John and Marilyn had a go at him:Maddy's fought hard for him, both he and Andy would be on the scrap heap if she hadn't gone to bat for them both time and again, and he's willing to throw that away just because something new and shiny has caught his eye?I just wish they'd had a go at Evelyn as well, she's more deserving.I really hope Josh does stay away from her but sadly I've got a horrible feeling it's just delaying the inevitable.

It's good to see Darcy hanging out around the Braxtons more and to see Phoebe dragged well and truly out of her comfort zone.(I'm going to assume the stuff about the guitar was just flirting, because as I recall Phoebe didn't take the money.)I get the feeling Kyle won't be too pleased about Phoebe taking it upon herself to reorganise their living arrangements.

Whilst on a logical level Kyle not having heard of Matt is as bad as no-one knowing who Chris or Denny are until the plot requires it, his non-reaction as a very funny moment and I loved it.Matt was understandably a bit eager to accept Sasha's "congratulations" but it wasn't a good image for Irene to have.Good job she didn't arrive back a coupe of minutes later...

[Brian]

3 good analyses there Red. We'll see what happens.

[H&Alover]

Seems we all agree on Brax's 'valid' reason for not wanting children, if any of the Braxton's could have been called unlikely father material it would have been Heath when he was younger, he was the wilder one and back would have been a lousy dad. But being with the right woman, Bianca, has straightened him out and made him the man he is today. So sorry Brax your argument just doesn't wash.

Did any of the MacGuire's even know Andy spent the night?

Maddy did tell Josh to leave, she'd ring him when she needed him and he kept trying to get her on the phone. Evelyn was just in the right place at the right time (or wrong depending how you look at it).

We keep finding out little snippets about the Barrett history who would have thought he'd be into the country life! The attraction is there between them but you don't always have to act ion it. A single stolen kiss is never a single stolen kiss! Josh did tell Evelyn although he didn't like the way Maddy acted he loved her which was why Evelyn backed off. Stretching credulity a bit by having Marilyn, John and Jett come by just at that very second (I was wondering if the tour bus was still operating). I'm glad Maz went for her second choice and told Josh what she had seen, which is what I would have, rather then telling Maddy who definitely doesn't need news like that right now. Josh's reason to Evelyn to go no further seemed rather half hearted and why didn't he tell her they'd been seen.

Nate did seem rather too quick to blame Sophie for his phone being on silent when it was most likely accidental. Unless it's happened off screen Nate hasn't asked Alf if Roo had been abroad lately. She may have been bitten by something and thought nothing of it at the time.

Phoebe really isn't comfortable with kids is she and she was back to her wanting it to be just her and Kyle and no involvement with his family. She's met her match alright with Darcy, when did she learn to play a guitar btw? Liked Darcy's line about it not being Phoebe's house! On the subject of her idea of Heath moving into the main house with Darcy and Harley and Brax and Ricky (when she is back) moving into the flat, good solution though it is, isn't she forgetting Brax may have something to say about it and what about Casey?

It does seem odd that in such a small town that Casey had never met Matt before or even know who he was. Shame Matt didn't get the chance to tell Sasha he'd been fired before he'd even started the job before she decided to, um, congratulate him. She really ought to have locked the door, bad enough it was Irene who walked in, could have been a customer that would have put them off having a meal there.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm not really sure what to make of Irene's behaviour here.She does have valid reasons for being angry with Sasha (as you say, H&Alover, she wouldn't want a customer walking in on that) but instead of giving them she's just making snide comments and getting into sniping contests.Matt's comments were a bit misjudged but on the whole I'm leaning towards Irene overreacting.Which is a shame, because Irene and Sasha falling out could be potentially good drama, but the way it's presented makes it all feel a bit artificial, with even Leah a bit bewildered by Irene's hardline approach.

Well, Phoebe put her foot in it, although if no-one bothered to tell her it was a secret I can't say I blame her.She had a bit of a "deer in the headlights" look when Darcy got excited.Heath handled things well with Darcy, hopefully she's old enough to understand, and was surprisingly calm with Phoebe.

To my surprise, I didn't mind Casey and Denny as much as I thought I would.I think someone hit on a winner by playing their hook-up for laughs instead of trying to turn it into the greatest love story of our time, allowing us to laugh at the characters and therefore like them more.Casey walking into a post and John's reaction were great.The only thing that bothered me was the use of Spencer.He was rightly annoyed with Denny for her treatment of Chris last week, so the good-natured joking about her and Casey didn't really ring true:Until he and Chris had their scene together near the end, it felt like the fact that they're brothers had been forgotten.(It also didn't feel right to have Spencer standing there while Sasha and Matt are discussing being sprung and not having any reaction to them at all, the scene really needed better blocking.)

[Brian]

About time that Kyle and Phoebe moved into their own place. I'm surprised that she has stuck it for so long there. I wonder how quickly that will happen and if they'll be able to agree on what sort of place to live in. Hopefully something better than the caravan park.

So one triangle has ended, the Chris/Denny/Casey one. Will there be a Maddy/Josh/Evie one? They are always interesting to follow.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three(and he was credited on Wednesday for no appearance). Despite appearing in three episodes, Roo spent the entire week comatose.

Casey and Denny were on the verge of being annoying here.It feels like someone really wants them to be a cute and quirky couple but it's not really gelling for me.Casey spending the night in the car because he thought if he went to the house he and Denny would accidentally shag felt a bit contrived.(Didn't Zac and Oscar notice him?Didn't he have a phone so he could at least call someone to pick him up?Couldn't he have walked home in that time?)And since when did Casey drive a sports car, anyway?(It might have been a company car but it was hard to tell.)Meanwhile, as welcome as Hannah's...fashion parade was, having her and Andy there as well kind of hammered home the point that there's very few couples on the show at the moment that I actually like.(John and Marilyn and that's about it with Josh and Maddy apparently on the rocks.)I did like the Zac and Oscar stuff though, Oscar's facial expressions when Hannah tells Zac Andy's coming were great, as was his teasing when they got stuck in a tent together.Zac doing his best to be nonchalant when Andy wanders through the house half-naked was great too.(And hey, he's seen more of Hannah than that.)

I think the Roo storyline is finally hitting the mark, mainly thanks to Ray Meagher putting in a wonderfully vulnerable performance, and I was genuinely worried at the end.Oh, and I'm glad that Chris dealt with Denny and Casey with dignity, so at least he's not being character assassinated by all this.

[Brian]

Anyone notice - no Braxtons today?

Wednesday's episode (including both end bits) was the best this week for a record number of snoggings : Josh/Evie, Hannah/Andy, Sasha/Matt, Kyle/Phoebe,

Casey/Denny, Nate/Sophie (I think) and John/Marilyn - if you can count their pecks! Bring it on!!!

What "company" would Casey have a car from, Red?

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