Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[atrus]

I must admit I did a double-take when, after their wrestle to the sofa, Ash said he was 'sorry about the...' and Phoebe, lying on top of him, remarked that all was fine because 'it' was 'the size of a pea'. It took me a few seconds to remember that she was actually pregnant and talking about the foetus! I do hope that the baby proves to be Kyle's, as I'm still enjoying their scenes together much more than the contrived Phoebe/Ash stuff.

Kat got on my nerves today. I agree that Nate should've insisted Kyle went to hospital; but he knew how stubborn Kyle is, so he made a(n entirely selfless) call to treat him at home. Silly, yes - in breach of some kind of medical rule, probably. But what Nate could really have done with today, given how guilty he was already feeling, was a bit of support and understanding from his girlfriend, not a screaming fit and being told how stupid he was. This is one of my many reservations about dating cops (not that I'm even pretending I've had the opportunity) - on TV, at least, they just can't separate the black-and-white values their work requires them to uphold from personal situations that require a different approach.

So Josh is learning the hard way just exactly how Bad Drugs Are. Don't take them, folks, or you're liable to get a visit from a psycho with a cricket-bat. Much as I felt sorry for him getting dumped by Evie, it was fair play really - she made it clear how strongly she felt, he promised never to do it again, then he did it again. Although the chances are she'll feel differently once he's been beaten to a pulp - if indeed that's what transpires.

 

[H&Alover]

No mention of Ash or Phoebe seeing Billie while in the city.  I suppose Phoebe was delaying seeing Kyle as she didn't know what mood he'd be in. As it turned out he was apologetic about demanding she keep the baby and very pleased she is keeping it.  What is it about hospitals that the Braxton's don't like, Kyle had only just come round and was already demanding to go home, this time though Nate firmly put his foot down!  I don't think Phoebe could be blamed for Kyle collapsing, don't think either of them realised just how bad his condition was.  The hospital will certainly want to look at what happened, bad medical practice on Nate's behalf and must be unethical as well, definitely not a police matter. Would the hospital in Melbourne be to blame in any way, they gave Kyle what seems to be the wrong antibiotics in the first place. Nate could hardly have knocked Kyle over the head and dragged him off to hospital, yes he could have refused to treat him but that would have been as bad as treating him at home without proper medical back up.

There is a way a paternity test, Hannah mentioned it can be done when Phoebe is nine weeks gone.  I don't know if it's less risky than it used to be. Strangely enough the same thing was done in Emmerdale with Vanessa's baby.

Josh was extremely lucky with the dodgy pill he took seeing what happened to one of Evie's school mate, if it was the same, he could have suffered brain damage or done some other physical damage.  He still dithered about doing anything until Evelyn confronted him after Damo threatened her.  Yes it may seem harsh on Evelyn's part to dump Josh but he had promised her he wouldn't do it again, so how can she be 100% sure  he wouldn't succumb next time he had trouble with studying. I know he was concerned about being charged, but Damo was supplying drugs that were life threatening and it would have been on his head if someone had died. Wonder what Andy's reaction will be when he finds out?  I know he was no angel but that is exactly why he didn't want Josh involved in anything like that.

I liked the talk Evie had with Roo and how without revealing why said she was unhappy with Josh because of something he had done.

Going by what we saw in the trailer it gets very dramatic at the Braxton house once again.  Marilyn acted very cool by just slipping away to call the cops.

[Red Ranger 1]

I understand that in vitro DNA tests involve taking a sample of the amniotic fluid.Anyway, I found myself really disliking Ash here, it felt like he dragged Phoebe away from the hospital not because he thought she needed a rest (since she patently doesn't rest, instead wandering up and down the beach) but because he was jealous of the attention she was showing Kyle.It's a shame that that dominated because Kyle's situation does show a lot of promise and will hopefully be given the attention it deserves rather than just being one more twist in a love triangle.He's running out of relatives that might be a match...

Well, the siege wasn't actually that bad.Damo isn't the deepest of antagonists but there was a sense of threat.I'm not sure Kat's behaviour was entirely within operational procedures, not only putting her gun down but letting Damo wander into reach of it, but she probably would have talked him down if not for Josh's brainless acrobatics and the police not knowing when to turn the sirens off.Shame it's all let down by the utter contempt shown for the viewers when they completely fail to resolve the situation and expect the shock tactic of Kat being hurt to mean no-one notices.What is meant to have happened, did Damo shoot her and then give himself up?! What's worse, instead of saving it for the cliffhanger, the episode drags on with an endless series of scenes that feel like they should be the last one but then it carries on...and on...and on...so that by the time they're giving her chest compressions the audience is more bored than on the edge of their seats.Did they need to get all Josh and Evelyn's scenes in this episode because that's it for them this week?Because those scenes felt like they belonged in the following episode.Anyway, I'm glad we didn't get the cliché of Evelyn forgetting everything Josh's done just because he isn't dead, we've already had one reunion after a disaster this year.Without meaning to be smug and judgemental, the relationship was built on a lie and that may not have been the strongest foundation.I guess time will tell if Andy was right when he said she'll come round.Despite mostly being reduced to silent extras (I think Maddy only had one line), Maddy and Oscar made a good double act in their attempts to gee up Evie.

[c120701]

With the mentions of New York I did wonder if James would mention working there during 9/11, which would have been a difficult experience. Roo was there at the time too.

[atrus]

Tonight's was one of those episodes where the show feels in danger of slipping into hospital fatigue mode, starring Nate as resident doom-magnet. I already think medical crises in H&A are too frequent, but when you get two in the same episode and both of them personally affect the only doctor in town, it just feels like overkill.

I'm not sure that Kat even turning up to the siege on her own was within the bounds of operational procedure, never mind putting the gun down - isn't it time she had a regular patrol partner? Damo, despite his name bearing the requisite -o of villainy, wasn't an altogether convincing hostage-taker - and I don't think he was anything like enough of a badass to have snapped Josh's neck, as he appeared to be threatening to do. I wasn't convinced either by everybody of note hotfooting it from the Diner just in time to hear the gunshot, then standing in the street looking traumatised as the obligatory siege aftermath montage kicked in. Evie and Andy, fair play - but John, Maddy and Oscar really didn't need to be there.

Phoebe and Ash were both annoying me, although I thought Phoebe was the slightly more unreasonable of the two today. If Kyle keeps getting himself into life-and-death situations that demand doe-eyed sympathy from Phoebe (and hey, this is Kyle, so chances are he will), I can't see Phash lasting for more than a month at best - and wouldn't that just prove a waste of everybody's time. Kyle's storyline is only going to prove interesting to me if it's actually going to change his way of life fundamentally for more than a week, so here's hoping that happens.

[Angelica]

So are H&A making every character unlikeable in the hopes that I no longer feel like Hunter may be the worst character to grace H&A?

I continue to wonder why they bothered putting Phoebe and Ash together only for Phoebe to spend her whole time worrying about Kyle. Please let Kyle move forward as a character after his health scare, I feel that with Brax gone, Kyle needs to move away from crime-related storylines.

Kat showed some poor judgement with Damo. She should not have gone alone, put her gun down on the table, and put herself in the position where Damo was both closer to the gun and closer to the nearest exit than she was. I felt things was underwhelming, and found myself indifferent to Kat's cardiac arrest. We've already had Kyle and Josh collapse on us this week and it's only Tuesday.

[Red Ranger 1]

Like most medical dramas, the Kat thing felt like we were just waiting around until she woke up, so not a lot of tension there.Unfortunate that Nate popped out at the very moment she woke up but where exactly did Ricky take him?Surely the hospital canteen would have been good enough, but it seemed like they were away for ages.

So...Charlotte and Hunter move into the Diner flat.Sorry, where? Admittedly, there does seem to be a place where it would be on the exterior set, but why has this not been mentioned at any time in the past seven years? Why did Leah, the co-owner of the Diner, not know they were moving there?Is the flat owned separately? Felt a bit made up on the spot. Charlotte and Hunter continue to tempt Zac in, and while he's playing happy families with this twisted pair he's neglecting his other family unit.Just how late was he?It sounded like he was right behind them when he turned up at the house, yet he apparently missed nearly all the trial.

[Brian]

Good analysis Red. Spot on!

[H&Alover]

Diner flat!!  Exactly my thoughts Red, we've seen what looks like windows when we see the Diner from the shore line, but I thought it may have been a storage area, I'll have to take a closer look next time they show it, but there is actually a flat, strange it's never been mentioned before what with all the various folk who have needed a place to stay over the years. Think of the rent Irene and co could have made, if it belongs to them that is.  It looks a nice place though, like a studio flat.  Understand Andy couldn't help as he had to be at the cop shop with Josh and how handy Zac just happened to be there, but I don't think it was planned by Charlotte. Did Zac accidentally put his mobile on silent or did Charlotte or Hunter switch it off.  It certainly looked very cosy and Charlotte reminiscing about the old days was cleverly done. Wonder what Hunter has in his mysterious box? We know what Charlotte has in hers, old photos of her and Zac. Now is she with Andy to throw everyone off the scent, whilst planning to make a move on Zac?  Hunter seems to have a real split personality, all nice to Zac, but vile to VJ and Leah behind his back.  Did look like Zac wasn't far behind Leah and VJ, perhaps they had to drive somewhere? Leah has got to be careful how much she criticises Zac spending time with Hunter which is also going to include Charlotte, if she moans too much it's going to push him into wanting to spend more time with them. She understands he wants to spend time with Hunter as he needs to make up for lost time, but it's Charlotte she's worried about. Having said that she can't let Hunter get away with being rude to her, Zac needs to be told so he can tell him to rein his neck in. It appears to me they are both operating independently in getting their respective hooks into Zac.

Was a funny old siege, probably Kat didn't think she'd needed backup, but don't they all?  Josh maybe didn't help things by trying to be all heroic, he kept eying the gun himself, was he hoping to distract Damo long enough for Kat to cuff him? Well only Josh, Damo and Kat know what happened so we either have to wait for Kat to tell us or for Josh to tell Andy. John had every right to be there as Marilyn was next door and he naturally would have been worried. Although Evie was relieved Josh was OK, good to see she hadn't forgiven him for what he had done.

Nate certainly has had a couple of busy days, though once again a doctor is seen to be treating a patient when ethically he shouldn't be! I know he and Kat aren't married but they are in a relationship. Luckily we now have Doctor James to step in and help.  What did he say to Roo about that after being in New York he was looking forward to working in a quiet little place like Summer Bay HUH good luck with that mate!!!

Ash did come across as jealous over Phoebe's concern for Kyle and but least she pulled him up on it, he can't expect her to suddenly to stop caring about him, he was like that when she and Kyle had just broken up and Evie (?) alerted them to Kyle's behaviour. Plus of course he could be the babies father.  He did apologise later but the look in his eyes said he thought otherwise. There is only one family member who could provide a kidney and that is Heath and even then it's not a guarantee it'd be a perfect match, they only share one side of the families genes - Danny.

Was it just me or did that hand squeeze Ricky gave Nate a bit more than friendly? Kat probably has her doubts when she was told Ricky had dragged Nate off to get something to eat just before she woke up, heh theses things happen like that in soaps. She was very short with Nate, the first thing she said was 'where were you?' He hadn't moved from her side all night and if she'd seen him break down and beg her to be OK, she would have to change her mind. But then perhaps it's Ricky she doesn't trust, Nate's told her they had a brief fling and maybe she's seen the way Ricky looks at Nate and hence her having at go at her for calling on Nate to help Kyle.

 

[Slade]

I absolutely loathe Hunter.  IMO there's nothing remotely likeable or entertaining about the character whatsoever.  For the second time I found myself extremely frustrated at the way he was towards Leah.  Although I was glad when Leah confronted him at the end of that episode and called him out on his behaviour but it feels as though she's in an impossible position.  If she just sits back and takes it anytime she reaches out him then he's getting his own way and she feels bad about herself.  But if she doesn't he will somehow make himself at to be the be the victim and paint Leah in a bad light towards Zac.  It's a shame considering that Leah decided to give Charlotte another chance.  It annoyed me how he deliberately injured VJ when they were playing basket ball because Hunter was jealous he wasn't exclusively entitled to daddy time and I didn't like the way VJ covered for him.  I do actually sympathize with Zac because he was trying to be objective but what is he supposed to do in this position?  The sooner Hunter goes the better as far as I'm concerned.  I bet he isn't even sure Charlotte is trying to get Zac back but goaded Leah purely out of spite.  

So this Ivana Frost person actually dated Chris.  Whilst I'm still finding Chris quite annoying I didn't mind the stuff with him today.  Especially the way he was calling all those girls (presumably his ex's) in order to save face with Ivana.  The stuff with Hannah was mildly amusing, going round to her's expecting them to do homework on each other so they could get their stories straight.  Chris does seem to get her i.e. the commitment comment.  I agree with him in that most people don't get his sense of humour.  So acknowledgment that he at least has some idea that he rubs people up the wrong way even though he often refuses to take hints.  Had to laugh at his comment towards Hannah earlier on in that episode in that she was funny, smart and kind....WHAT?!