Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Slade]

So Hannah brings home another random.  Boy is she taking advantage of the twins no longer being there.  It will be interesting to see how many guys she plans to sleep with until (a) she gets fed up (b) meets some deranged online stalker (c) decides that she wants Andy back.  I found Chris very annoying the way he just rocked up and wouldn't leave.  I was thinking of a scene last week when he was at Irene's and to me he just felt so out of place.  A person in his early twenties hanging around with people who are a lot older than him.  I find it hard to believe someone his age would be quite content with that.  Surely he would want to socialise with people closer to his own age group.  And I'm still surprised he hasn't even considered going back to the city.

Kyle is a very lucky person.  Those guys actually stabbed him.  Well I suppose he's not mixed up with them anymore which is a blessing.  Surely this affects his suspended sentence admitting to the gambling.  Not sure what he possibly had to gain by doing that.

I was a bit surprised at Denny's attitude towards Ash.  It was almost like nothing happened between them.  I'm don't think his heart is in wanting a baby.  Perhaps Kyle shouldn't have found out like that but I do believe Phoebe was entitled to tell him in her own time and don't like the way Ricky tried to pressurise her last week.  Judging by how Kyle reacted I'm not sure I'm going to like how this pans out.

[Red Ranger 1]

Kyle should be told as it's likely he may be the dad, though I guess that is on hold for now until he comes round, time for Phoebe to get a proper test done at the docs or hospital to get a firmer idea of when the conception date is.

Could Josh been at school or Maddy's and Andy at the gym when Phoebe were having their ddep and meaningful conversation? 

It was night when Ash and Phoebe were there so I doubt Josh was at school.Others are possible.As alluded to before, this isn't like Maddy, who had two or three months between sleeping with Oscar and Josh: There was a very small gap between Phoebe being with Kyle and Ash, so knowing the conception date might not help, you'd probably need a proper DNA test.

I have to say, I wasn't really happy with the way John and Marilyn muscled in and took Casey off Ash.It felt like Marilyn's baby snatcher tendencies resurfacing, even if they didn't know Ash was practising for possible fatherhood.Not too long ago Ash could settle Casey better than Ricky could, now he's hopeless.Possibly he was tenser now things have got more serious, but it's one of many things that leave me wondering if the show's new broom is entirely familiar with the characters, their histories and what works about them.Ash seems to have turned from a fun and engaging character involved in lots of good friendships and relationships to a dull one isolated in a not at all engaging relationship and storyline and reduced to confiding in Andy.As Slade said, wouldn't Kyle's charges affect his suspended sentence?But then the whole thing felt a bit pat:If the police have CCTV, are they going to charge everyone?While it wasn't perhaps the best time for Phoebe to tell Kyle, it felt like she was trying to put it off indefinitely (and I actually think Ricky hasn't pressured her enough to tell him).Oh well, he knows now.At least we got a belated follow-up to the idea of John and Marilyn fostering.

Seeing the chemistry between Denny and Chris, and to an extent Denny and Ash despite her eye-rolling claim that he and Phoebe are "strong", leaves me frustrated again at two promising relationships being cast aside and replaced with two dull and contrived ones (Denny/Casey and Phoebe/Ash).Chris' "You're asking me what I'm doing here?" was a great moment.Marilyn seemed to be shooting Chris and Hannah some knowing looks, which made me think "Really?" Even more random than Ash and Phoebe if anything, but at least it doesn't mean breaking up any decent relationships and it might actually be a good idea given Chris' aimlessness and Hannah's unlikability.(Shooing her latest one night stand out without breakfast once she'd got what she wanted is not a good look.)Then again, it could just be Marilyn reading too much into it.(What's the age gap between them anyway?Must be somewhere between 5 and 10 years.)Brief bonding moment between Alf and James when they duck out of the auditions.

[Psychic Wombat]

Considering how hard the river boys are supposed to be they spend a lot of time in hospital lol. Anyway, I thought Heath was in Melbourne(?) why hasn't he been to see Kyle. I also found it laughable that anyone can have life threatening bruising of the brain and walk out hospital the next day, in real life it doesn't happen like that, I know this for a fact. I wish H&A would get better advice regarding both medical and law matters as it often gives the wrong information out. I assume everyone at the card game is going to get charged and Kyle will have broken his license conditions and go to gaol... but then he is Lazarus so I could be wrong.

It's only a matter of time Hanna and Chris get together at the rate Hanna is getting through guys, no one is safe!

For me yesterday little Casey stole the show, what a cute baby!

 

[H&Alover]

 Chris turned up at the farm to pick up the trestle tables for the Fund Raiser as asked. Seemed Hannah wanted him to stay so she had a more plausible excuse to get rid of her latest random. I think Chris feels more comfortable in being around people older than him and despite his confident front, I don't think he is with people his own age. If that was a bloke who had treated a woman the way Hannah treated her overnight guy, there'd be uproar, but as she is a woman it's OK? Good thought about how lucky Hannah has been so far with her blokes. Nice cheeky banter between Chris and Hanah, but I thnk Maz may have been reading too much into it when she saw them later. Did rather enjoy the 'interviews' very easy on the eye.

At least it was a ward in a different hospital for Kyle to be at death's door in and not ony Northern Districts Hospital that performs miracles then?  If he wanted to discharge himself not a lot they can do, could hardly chain him to the bed. Even if the hospital had CCTV outside the people who dropped him off would have made sure their faces were hidden and Kyle won't dub anyone in, he's a Braxton and they don't do that.

I was thinking that about Ash Red, he and Kyle were the only ones who could settle Casey, but like she was at first now it's him feeling all tense and Casey has picked up on it.  Ash seemed rather relieved when Maz offered to take Casey off his hands. Very unblokey moment him confiding in Andy.  Phoebe's decision not to tell Kyle until she decided whether or not to keep the baby came unstuck, baby alarms have a lot to answer for. There is no legal way he can force her not to have an abortion any more than he could force her to not to. Certainly going to be a few interesting conversations to come between those three. True about the very small gap between Phoebe sleeping with Kyle and Ash, didn't Hannah suggest the DNA test, though Phoebe's got to wait until she's nine weeks gone.

[Angelica]

 

I was a bit surprised at Denny's attitude towards Ash.  It was almost like nothing happened between them.  I'm don't think his heart is in wanting a baby.  Perhaps Kyle shouldn't have found out like that but I do believe Phoebe was entitled to tell him in her own time and don't like the way Ricky tried to pressurise her last week.  Judging by how Kyle reacted I'm not sure I'm going to like how this pans out.

I did find Denny's attitude odd here too. While I can understand that she may be over her anger at Phoebe and Ash, I would still expect her to find it hard that the first man she got with after Casey is potentially having a baby with someone else not long after. I feel like Denny's attitude varies on what happens to be convenient for the storyline (in this case, the lack of other friends for Ash and Phoebe to confide in), and feels she lacks dimension as a character as result. Especially her line about Phoebe and Ash being strong was nonsensical. Seeing Ash and Denny together did remind me that they do have good chemistry and were sweet together, it was a shame that it all ended just for the sake of this new drama.

It does seem like Ash is struggling with the idea of being a father, which is not surprising really given that he spent a lot of jail, and has only just gotten his freedom. Things with Phoebe are still pretty new, and if this were real life, the odds would be that the baby is Kyle's.

Rolled my eyes at Kyle's storyline and his miraculous recovery.

I think Hannah showed her immaturity again with her dealings with the random guys she keeps bringing home. Now I can see why she is happy to have the twins sleep on the couch in the Caravan Park while she gallivants around the Bay.

[Slade]

Marilyn annoyed me again interfering once more in somebody else's dating life although she probably thinks she's the ultimate matchmaker now.  Can't she just mind her own business for once.  It's obvious something is going to happen with Chris and Hannah now.  I think Hannah's "never in a million years" comment has pretty much determined that.  I'll go on record as saying I think they would make a ridiculous couple although I think a one-night stand would probably work.  I think acting as each other's wingmen on their respective dates worked pretty well although I still found Chris quite annoying.

Couldn't stand Kyle in that episode.  It felt like he was trying to bully Phoebe.  As far as I'm concerned it's her body and she can do whatever she likes.  And whilst you can argue that morally she should tell him if she plans to have an abortion she doesn't actually owe him anything.  I'm kind of glad she and Ash are going to the city for a bit.  Kyle is not going to be happy when he finds out.  Just out of curiosity I would actually like to get an update on Billie.

Disagreed with Kat when she said that they have Nate on call all the time.  It's not 'they'.  It's Ricky's that has him on call.  I said this a while back but I personally still feel deep down Nate's still in love with her and if she wanted to get back with him he would take her back in a second.

[Red Ranger 1]

Anyway, I thought Heath was in Melbourne(?) why hasn't he been to see Kyle.

Heath's in Sydney.Different state.

I agree Kyle crossed the line a few times here by issuing ultimatums, but while the final decision is Phoebe's it involves him too and he should be allowed to have a say and be kept in the loop.Phoebe's practically treating him like a one night stand rather than someone she's known ten years or more and was planning to spend her life with.And Ash came across just as bad when the peace talks descended into sniping.So I actually hated the way Phoebe's selfishly bombed off to the city rather than telling Kyle she's keeping the baby (even if it's probably down to episode counts): This is what he wants, he'd want to know, so Phoebe's "I can't deal with him now" felt like a phenomenally weak excuse.There were two occasions in this episode where we got an establishing shot of the farm and I thought "Oh thank goodness, a break from Ash and Phoebe" only to realise a moment later "Oh no, that's where Phoebe lives now!"

Despite the supreme randomness (I'm struggling to remember Chris and Hannah ever talking before yesterday, the only time I remember them really sharing a scene was when Chris wandered in for breakfast back when he was with Denny and everyone had just found out about Hannah and Andy)...I find myself really liking the idea.Hannah's not the most mature of people anyway, yet I actually found myself liking her in her scenes with Chris, which hasn't happened much lately, and they seem to spark off each other well and have good chemistry.So yeah, I'm onboard the Chrisannah train as Marilyn's matchmaking gets overt.And their dates were realistically out there.Liked Irene's reaction to them calling the Diner a perfect date venue and most of John's stuff, especially his line about chimpanzees.Despite Kat's derision, men-ism should be a thing.I bet no-one would be so blasé about topless waitresses or even bikini-clad ones.

[atrus]

Yes, I'm also on-board for the Chrisannah ride. It's about time Chris had a shot at romance, and I'd definitely prefer Hannah to settle for him rather than the constant stream of randoms that seem to have been coming out of her bedroom door of late. As for the topless waiters - yeah, I'm not especially comfortable with this kind of thing in real life, so I'm not especially comfortable with it on TV either. Kat did have a point; you can't decontextualise topless male waiters from general male privilege, or indeed from the fact that men customarily go topless on the beach. There are deep-rooted societal reasons for these things and it's not the same as having topless female waiters. (Or, I'd argue, bikini-clad ones.) But yeah - still crude and unnecessary. And John wasn't arguing that it would be acceptable to have women doing that instead, so Kat should probably just have humoured him rather than the slam-dunk putdown.

I for one would've been happy to leave Kyle in hospital for a week or so, especially since subsequent events have proven he wasn't well enough to come home. I don't mind his character, but I do mind the constant tortured angst we get with him. Ricky was right to say that he wasn't being a moron for the sake of it, today - but even him being a moron for a good reason just adds fuel to the fact that he acts like a moron for no good reason equally as much. Good luck to him getting a lawyer involved regarding the right to a say in an abortion; in legal terms he doesn't have a leg to stand on until the baby's born, and as far as I'm concerned he has no real moral right to a say over what she decides either. That said, of course it's also right for Phoebe to keep him in the loop; and I could understand why he was upset here, given that family's such a thing for him. But ultimately he doesn't endear himself to anyone by stamping around saying he's not going to let Phoebe decide not to have the baby, as if she's his property or something. This despite the fact that I'd still rather the baby was Kyle's, and that he and Phoebe got back together rather than this irritating Ash interlude. (Or at least, I assume it's an interlude.) As for Nate, he should've just told Kyle to get lost, rather than pandering to his macho Braxton 'I'm too hard for hospital' guff. If Kyle is happy to just sit at home and die of gangrene or whatever, let him. I'm sure given the ultimatum that he'd be down to the hospital quick-smart; he just needs a kick up the bum every now and then. 

Other than that, not much to say about the last couple of episodes - I'm anxious to get back to Leah, Zac, Evil Charlotte etc as that's a great deal more interesting than the crime family.

[Red Ranger 1]

Lingering thought from yesterday: John dismisses the idea of Casey going the same way as his father and uncles by saying it skips a generation.Did he meet the Braxtons' father? (Because I know Marilyn did.)Suggesting Ricky will keep him sorted almost rang true, despite her hardly being a straight arrow herself, until I remembered she nearly took him on the run.

Marilyn's matchmaking probably hindered Chris and Hannah more than anything, resulting in Hannah being self-conscious and somewhat rudely ignoring Chris' texts.Still, she did seem rather girly around him and, for all her protests, she seemed disappointed when he said he wasn't interested...So Kat apparently doesn't mind the idea of scantily clad waitresses, although inevitably we get this week's excuse for Nate to go topless.Hard to care about Kyle's latest trip to hospital (my main thought when he was wandering about in his boxers was "Hulk smash!") but his reaction when he woke up, still desperate to know about the baby, leaves me even more convinced that Phoebe should have told him before she left, rather than torturing him by leaving him scared she's going to have an abortion.I wish the show would stop pretending Andy is Heath.It felt like we were meant to smile fondly at him threatening to beat up Chris, but when he actually did try to beat up Chris during his drug dealer days...not so funny.

What was with Evelyn's outfit?She looked like she was going to a pagan ceremony with that stuff in her hair, was it left over from her cult days?Leah and Zac's dialogue was so doomladen something was obviously going to happen but while I enjoyed him running rings around control freak Charlotte...Hunter's a psychopath and I don't care.I mean, ooh, maybe he should have done this before burning down Zac's home?As it is, the way he was sneering at him at the end makes him seem like one of those dirty cowards who thinks whatever he's done it was always someone else's fault.Yet it's hard to shake the feeling the show will try and make us sympathise with him at some point or, worse, expects us to do so now, given that it seems anything goes these days.

[atrus]

So Kyle's half-naked Frankenstein routine was pretty creepy. I was wondering for a while why Kat was suddenly demanding to see his medical notes (was she just being nosy, I thought?) until I remembered the bit in the recap today about Kyle getting caught going into an 'illegal poker game'. (I think I tuned out in the actual episode where he got in trouble for it.) What's the deal with gambling laws in Australia, then? Are they a lot stricter than in the UK? Or are private poker games technically illegal here too?

LEAH: Nothing will ever come between us.

Well if that isn't a banquet invitation to fate (or more specifically, sullen psycho Hunter) I don't know what is. That whole scene at the end was so bad - first Charlotte oh-so-subtly creeping off behind that tree in the middle of Alf's speech (it must have looked from some angles like she was going to relieve herself), and then Hunter gatecrashing the event with his whole 'me, me, me' routine. Okay, we get it; you have daddy issues. But he knew by then that Zac didn't even know he existed; why kick off the relationship by humiliating him like that, rather than having a quiet word afterwords? Presumably he felt deprived of the attention he should have received for burning Zac's house down, and decided compensate for it today. Suffice it to say, this is one occasion where I'm actually looking forward to the (presumably inevitable) moment when VJ throws a punch at him.

Back to the study-drugs tomorrow, by the looks of it. Ho-hum.