Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[atrus]

At first I felt as if the writers were having Leah overreact to the Zac/VJ revelations for maximum dramatic impact, but as the episode came to a close I wondered if it was perhaps the symptoms of personality change that the doctor warned her about taking their toll. I understand that she'd feel upset, but slapping VJ was pretty out-of-character.

I'm quite prepared to be corrected on this, but I thought Zac's decision was chiefly about VJ's living arrangements and not really to do with 'giving up' on Leah. Likewise, I thought VJ moving to his gran's would have put him nearer to Leah at the hospital, rather than further away. Under the circumstances, I do feel like both of them are copping it a bit unfairly given they were told there was every likelihood Leah wouldn't wake up; and hopefully Leah will see that when she's had a chance to calm down.

Today's synopsis on C5.com reads: "Chris is lonely and looks for company but all he manages to do is annoy Marilyn and John and get under their feet." Which makes me think Marilyn was originally supposed to be in this episode, and that it's been rewritten last-minute for some reason?

I guess time will tell as regards whether they will revisit Oscar's 'overexercising' plot, or whether the whole song-and-dance has just been the writers' means of justifying him working at the gym given his past problems. At the moment it sort of feels like the latter.

[c120701]

I did wonder if Chris was covering Marilyn's lines, which would explain why I noticed similarities. It also explains the really odd situation of Maz going to the city to look after Alf only for Roo to go later the same day.

[atrus]

Yeah, I said at the time I thought there was something a bit fishy going on with everyone suddenly upping sticks to the City. Possibly odd that Jett's gone as well, but that could be because they're replaced Palmer family scenes with other material in Marilyn's absence.

[Red Ranger 1]

In spite of all that I do enjoy Matt and Phoebe's scenes together. I'm not sure exactly how they became friends as I missed a fair chunk of the show relatively recently, rejoining during Maddy's 'pregnancy' - or whether it's just a passing acquaintance. But they do seem to have a good rapport; Phoebe was always one of the more tolerable of the 'Braxton sphere' but especially so in her scenes with Matt.

Speaking of the chunk of the show I missed, this was the first I've heard of Oscar's 'body image issues' so that was a revelation to me; I'd assumed when Hannah pulled a face that she was just worried about Oscar's working affecting his HSCs, in time-honoured H&A tradition. I read up in the bios but it doesn't sound like it was a very long-running storyline?

​They seemed to bond over their music basically, we've seen them doing open mike sessions at Angelo's and they performed together at the school formal last year.It's one of these friendships that crops up from time to time.Oscar's body image storyline only seemed to last two or three weeks judging from the plot summaries and there seemed to be a bit of zig zagging about what the storyline was about.(There was only really a couple of lines indicating he had a problem with his body image, it was mostly him over-exercising.)To be fair, there was a three month build-up, with his depression and anxiety issues after running over Tamara and little bits of him going to the gym to clear his head until we and the other characters slowly realised he was becoming dependent on it.

Alf's episode count this week: One! Marilyn, Roo and Jett were also only in one, Brax doesn't appear at all.Did they have to make up for the overspend last week when characters were in more episodes than usual?Or were the actors all doing something else that week?

Sadly, I couldn't really get into the Oscar storyline.His enthusiasm got wearing very quickly and not only was Hannah annoying but Oscar's initial response was a bit too brattish, although I did like him eventually telling it to Hannah straight.I agree that we probably won't hear about his issues again but it is good that these things aren't forgotten.(Unless his slightly manic dashing about is meant to be a sign of old habits resurfacing?)

The John/Chris stuff failed to ignite properly as well, which is a shame because they're often good together.John giving Chris messy jobs and Chris doing them happily is a joke that is past being funny, and what on earth possessed Chris to hijack Marilyn's call when John was clearly itching to speak to her?The pay-off of them hanging out watching Jackie Chan movies didn't really absolve either of them.And after all the fuss about her moving in, where was Maddy when Chris was seemingly playing loud music early in the morning? Heavy sleeper?(Irene's well-timed "Don't even think about it" did raise a smile though.)

Like atrus above, I felt like Leah was overreacting for most of the episode, and the final suggestion that we're entering into "Ailsa comes out of a coma and tries to kill Alf (well...very indirectly)" territory didn't quite make up for it.Still, it's a good episode for VJ.After months where I'd probably have cheered Leah slapping him, since we came back from the break I find I've actually started to like him.It was good to see him defending Zac and making it clear to Leah that he was at fault as well.

[Slade]

So after enjoying the scenes with Leah and Matt I'm left being disappointed with her behaviour although it's hardly unexpected given the accident I suppose.  I can understand her being hurt and disappointed but throwing Zac out was going way overboard.  TBH I didn't really bat an eyelid when she hit VJ given that he did the same thing to Oscar and Matt recently.  One positive thing for me about this is that is shows how well VJ and Zac are getting on now.  And I quite liked the way VJ encouraged him to stay and try and sort things out with Leah not that it made any difference.

Hannah annoyed me slightly the way she reacted when Andy gave Oscar a job but I'm glad she realised this afterwards.  So she's now walking with a cane.  Won't be long until she's back to normal which is disappointing.  Objectively I do understand Hannah's concerns but whilst Oscar was overexerting himself before I think this was just an effect rather than a symptom.  One of the main reasons as far as I'm concerned was Maddy and the way she used him.  And that doesn't appear to be a problem at the moment so I think just letting him get on with it and Andy keeping an eye on him is the best course of action.  Denny seems to have fully accepted Andy now.  I suppose now that she has a new boyfriend there's not really much point in holding a grudge.  I really liked Oscar's "You've really signed up to the Andy Barrett fan club" remark to her on Thursday.  It's funny because Josh said something similar to Evie when she defended him not too long ago.

[CaptainHulk]

VJ's slap came a little too late to appreciate it.

[H&Alover]

 

 

I did think Hannah overreacted to Oscar getting a job at the gym, I kept 'shouting' at her to have faith in him and trust he knows what he is doing which is what he told her himself in no uncertain terms.  It's good he is aware his old problems could recur and was wise enough to suggest she say something if she or Andy feels he could be slipping back and he'd give the job up if that happened. I noticed the cane so the storyline is still been taken at a sensible pace.

Irene was quite right when she said to John that Chris' over the top behaviour was down to him missing Spencer and despite all his bravado covered up how lonely he really was.  That could also explain why he initially took the news Maddy was moving in so badly, he probably wanted it to be him and Irene for a while. I read that C5 synopsis as well atrus, wonder if it is down to Emily's current condition?

It could be argued Phoebe was freaking out Denny needlessly just because Ash and Kyle are out of the bay at the same time, but of course we know Ash is trying to find Kyle to stop him doing anything stupid. Kat trying to pump both Phoebe and Denny for info wasn't going to work, Denny genuinely doesn't know where Ash is or what he's doing.

It can't have been easy for Zac but I'm glad he did tell Leah the truth, though like atrus said I thought it was more him deciding to let VJ live with Stella so he could be nearer to Leah than him giving up on her.  Irene was the voice of reason reminding Leah she and Zac hadn't been together that long before the accident and he willingly took on the role of looking after VJ who then himself told Leah he hadn't given Zac an easy ride.

Her hitting VJ was totally out of character and imo is a symptom of the accident.

Irene catches her having a mad cleaning episode at the Diner after which she goes to the hospital to get checked out.

[Red Ranger 1]

So, Kyle gets pushed off a cliff but only needs the minimal of medical attention? He’s being a jerk at the moment and I don’t know whether it’s because he’s hit self-destruct or because he’s got a thrill for it or because he’s just determined to help Brax and hasn’t stopped to think about whether that’s actually what he’s doing, but he’s in danger of throwing away everything Brax entrusted him with. Ricky going to see Brax is a smart move, for many reasons, not least being that he’s the only person that stands a chance of getting through to Kyle, although I’m not sure that a second hand order will be enough to satisfy him. Ash is making a rod for his own back lying to Denny (and the promo indicates she doesn’t stay fooled for long): Why not just say he was trying to stop Kyle doing the job?

 

I know we’ve got plenty of other evidence that something’s up with Leah, but to be honest obsessively cleaning a workbench when she’s upset seems like the sort of thing a normally functioning Leah would do. I’m glad she’s smoothed things over with Zac and VJ but there’s clearly a bigger problem here. I know the show’s acknowledged it a bit, but it feels like we’ve never really had a chance to see Leah and Zac as a couple so it would be nice, when this is over, to give them a bit of focus without it being about some drama: They have got potential but it’s not being fully realised at the moment.

[CaptainHulk]

Too Bad Leah's problems are overshadowed at the minute by other elements.

[H&Alover]

What is it with people, mostly blokes, who lie to others to 'protect' them? They always get found out in the end, though normally longer then it takes Ash to get rumbled. Talking of which where was Denny when Billie came back to the bay with Ash?  She, Billie, certainly doesn't waste much time pouncing on Kyle, does she?   From the initial state of Kyle he looked a lot worse than  he appeared to later, Ash could have answered Nate's question as to if Kyle passed out. 

Irene recognised Leah's obsessive cleaning was OTT even for her. I liked how she told it straight to Leah and got her to go home and have it out with Zac.  I'm glad she apologised to VJ which was good too.

So what was this medical emergency that got Ricky into to see Brax? Kat's antenna was twitching when she saw Nate hand the letter over to Ricky, she's not going to let that go. We saw Brax confront Gunno, be interesting to see what deal they strike.

Something happens later that although unexpected doesn't really surprise me.