Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Little bean]

Not sure if this is OK or the right place to put this but be warned. I've just seen the next episode on 5* and it included a REALLY spoiler laden preview in the ad break. If you don't like spoilers then you might want to skip the ads in tomorrow's episode when it airs on channel 5. 

[atrus]

Agree with above comments on the very clear parallels between the Roo/James and Evie/Tank stories; obviously they've been thrown together very deliberately over the last few episodes. I'd add to the list of comparisons that both Evie and Roo's families are handling the situation relatively poorly - which while not justifying the level of denial they're both exhibiting, certainly isn't helping matters - and both male characters seem surprisingly difficult to hate under the circumstances. I love the way H&A manages that most of the time; it would be so easy to wheel on the panto villains like some other shows we could name, but James and Tank are both eerily believable, disturbing as their behaviour is.

What's also disturbing is the degree of Evie's impressionability, and it was interesting that Oscar brought up The Cult, as I'd forgotten that Evie was also the more easily manipulated of the twins in that scenario. Good to finally see Hannah take some interest in her niece's descent into depravity. It's about time, really - she's been glaringly absent throughout most of this storyline to the degree that I'd practically forgotten they were related.

I loved the first scene between Irene and Roo; good advice given, but I can also fully understand why Roo would feel conflicted. The second scene not so mcuh; I get why she wasn't wanting to face Alf after their recent clashes, but Irene was behaving much more reasonably and it was a shame Roo reacted the way she did to some fairly sensible points from her. Understandable as Alf's reaction was, it really isn't helping matters for him to have any contact with James at this stage - and I suspect it will only drive Roo further in the direction she already seems to have chosen.

Looks like we're back with the dullards tomorrow. Ho-hum.

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, after a few weeks where she abruptly turned into a James fan, Maddy reverts to playing the parent again, although her attempt to lecture James, while it was nice to see her being strong, was always going to be as big a non-starter as Alf trying the same.(Nice that Maddy acknowledges Roo's treating Alf like she treats her.)The resulting family conference, Alf's melodramatic promo-fodder parting shot aside, actually went as well as it could in the circumstances.They haven't fallen out but haven't given Roo their approval either, and Maddy's distanced herself from the situation.So...James claims he's told Megan.Do we believe him?Jury's out.

Sadly, the Ricky/Nate/Kat triangle is as uninteresting as ever.I sympathise a lot with Kat, who's stuck in a bad position, not wanting to look like the bad guy but having to watch her boyfriend come very close to flirting with another woman.Phoebe's first episode since the break and I was reminded why I don't really like her, as she seems to spend all her time wandering around putting her foot in it.In normal circumstances, I'd be disappointed about Kyle and Ricky's kiss, since I'd rather they'd stayed as friends/quasi-family, but frankly I'd prefer him to Nate...although Ricky doesn't seem interested so it's a moot point.

[CaptainHulk]

Announcing that you're gonna turn Roo against him isn't the best course of action, despite all nobility behind it. 

[atrus]

So, note to self: never confide in Phoebe! Other than that, not much to say about Ricky/Nate/Kat revisited - I'm afraid I was barely awake through most of it. Of the three, Ricky's the only one I care about at all, and her not a great deal. Throwing Kyle into the mix is just making the whole situation intolerable - can't they think up some decent storylines for these characters that don't involve either armed sieges or love-wrangles?

If forced to take a moral stance I'd say that Nate and Ricky are behaving pretty badly - and Nate in particular. He needs either to split up with Kat or stop following Ricky around like a lovesick puppy, but I don't think it's fair for him to have his cake and eat it. I also prefer Ricky and Kyle to Nate and Ricky (with the added bonus that it would really annoy Brax, wherever he's hiding out), but it isn't saying a great deal - and actually I'd prefer that all the characters in this age group just stopped leaping from partner to partner. They make the teens' relationships look like bastions of stability in comparison. If they can't think of anything better to do with them, sorry to say but it's probably time for a clear-out.

The Roo storyline continued to impress, meanwhile; I thought it was wonderfully acted by all the main players today. My heart's with Alf and Maddy, but I think they need to stop barging in to lay down the law, and give Roo a bit of time to process things. She's adjusting to the loss of a soulmate and if James really is a no-hoper, as I'm inclined to believe, then she'll find out soon enough. I'd have liked to see her insist on speaking to James's wife herself though, rather than just taking his word for it that he'd left her - as the chances are he's just lying again. I'd have also liked to see her move back to Summer Bay House for a while; if she is going to try to make things work with James it would be wiser to do it with a little distance between them, while also helping to make things right with Maddy, who after all has also been lied to by James. And under the circumstances I totally understood why Maddy wasn't prepared to stay at James's with Roo.

[Red Ranger 1]

I found Nate very unlikable when he started acting proprietorial over Ricky and Ricky announcing she loved him when he's with Kat was very inappropriate but...hmm.They haven't done anything while he's been with Kat, so if he does want to be with Ricky then breaking up with Kat is actually the right thing to do.Except then of course he ends up in a no-win situation: Either he dumps Kat while she's grieving or he plays the dutiful boyfriend and then dumps her in a few weeks or he stays with her when she's not the one he wants.I'm not sure if I'm ready for Ash winding Kyle up when he's clearly upset yet, but ultimately Ash did the right thing by sending Ricky to chat to him, and looks like they've managed to circumnavigate this one and stay friends.I should probably check her profile: Kat's father's the one that's dead, right?Impossible to guess whether Leo's the one that went off the rails or not.

I'd almost forgotten about Charlotte and Hunter, and definitely forgotten about Matt sleeping with her again, which shows how interested I am in those characters.Despite that, it wasn't as annoying or jarring as I expected, although it still feels somewhat divorced from the rest of the show.Matt was so annoying in the scene at the Diner that I actually found myself rooting for Hunter.So, still no clues as to what mutual friend Charlotte and Trystan might have...

[atrus]

Wow - really slick move by the writers to drop scaffolding on an innocent we've never even met, purely to further extend a love triangle that ought to have been over several weeks ago! Out of everyone I felt sorriest for Kyle today. Their clifftop chat/friendly reconciliation was nice, and generally Kyle and Ricky have a nice screen presence together - which is not me saying it ought to be a romantic one - but perhaps Ricky ought just to concentrate on her new baby for the time being, rather than getting back into a relationship with Dr Catwalk. As for what he should do, I think the honourable thing would be to support Kat through her grief and then gently end things, which it seems is what he's opted for - but no doubt it won't prove that simple.

I'm still dumbfounded as to why Charlotte isn't simplifying her situation in the current crisis, not complicating it by having a cocky and indiscreet schoolboy lover on the go - especially when it's clear the attachment is mostly one-sided. Glad that Mr Creepy is finally making his demands explicit, and very curious to know who his and Charlotte's 'mutual friend' is - we haven't met any of Charlotte's acquaintances from her former life except Hunter. So are we about to meet one, or are we supposed to assume that one of the Bay regulars is in the know about what she did to Denny? Actually, that's a point - is there any way Hunter could be a suspect? I'm increasingly bothered by the fact that he seems to have become a normal human being all of a sudden - would be a nice (okay, nice isn't the right word) twist to learn that he was the one tormenting her all along.

[CaptainHulk]

I sort of sleepwalked today's. I'm more invested in Tank + Evie in their Handicap Tag Team Match against the Rest of the Bay.  (despite getting wound up a little by it) and  Roo/James.

"If you ever hurt her again, I'll break you in Half". Sounds like Alf's ready for Royal Rumble season lol.

Feel for Kat, having her brother die in a gruesome manner (albeit off-screen).

[Slade]

I'd completely forgot that Kyle was the house husband without the sex part or that he's so infatuated he can't see that Ricky is using him as some glorified childminder.  She seems more focused on Nate than looking after Casey.  Still Kyle tried to take advantage of her (although I did quite enjoy seeing Nate's reaction when he caught them kissing).  You could argue Kat made a bad move allowing Nate to spend time with his bestie but I honestly don't see what else she could have done.  If she bans him from seeing Ricky she will just come across as a jealous, controlling cow.  And it would just give Nate an excuse to delegitimise their relationship.  I think today's episode has proved that it wouldn't matter anyway.  Kat never should have gotten back with him.  I felt really bad for her when she was told her brother had died.  This is the worst possible outcome for all three.  Nate is going to be miserable because he forced to stay with Kat out of obligation and can't be with Ricky.  Ricky is going to be miserable because she can't be with Nate and Kat is just going to end up being more hurt than had she not gotten back with Nate.  I don't expect Nate and Ricky will be able to keep away from each other and actually expect them to start cheating on Kat.

Have to say Roo is being unbelievably stupid but as they say love is blind.  I found Maddy so annoying and unlikeable in the scene with James at the hospital, especially when she told him to shut up, her tone and when she called him a lying two timing jerk (not like she's ever lied to Roo before)  that I was actually on his side.  So three years is a really long time according to her.  Alf also annoyed me when he threatened James so much so that I hope that Roo and James to make a go of things if only to wind him up.

Did actually feel sorry for Charlotte.  Not sure why because she doesn't deserve it.  $300000 is a lot of money to give to her blackmailer.  It may be cheaper to pay someone to bump the guy off.

[H&Alover]

A few days behind here so just recapping.  Both Roo's and Evie's stories are similar but with differences. Roo is an adult so can do what she likes without anyone's approval, though she'd like Alf, Irene and  Maddy to be on her side.  They though aren't blinded by love and can be more objective.  We do only have James' word he has finished with Megan for good, seems strange she has just given up without a fight considering they have two children. I feel there is more to his back story, we still have his missing years to account for between him leaving the bay and turning up in the city don't forget. Maddy knows what she put Roo through so in my eyes was justified in having a go at James, he is supposed to be an adult after all whereas she was a teenager and didn't try to rush her into an illegal marriage! Alf was just being a dad and Alf.   I hope she hasn't cut her noise off to spite her face by choosing to be with James and if it does end badly feel unable to go back home.  I think Maddy has made the right decision to move back in with Alf, she is 18 now so doesn't need Roo's permission and with the way she feels about James it would be very comfortable for all three.

Evie, however, is a totally different matter, she is only 17 so effectively and legally still a minor.  Like most teenagers though she thinks she is a fully fledged adult and knows everything there is to know about life. It has been remarked on that Leah and Zac went about it all the wrong way by banning her from seeing Tank.  The other solution would have been for them to allow them to see each other but under their conditions, until at least she'd finished her exams, if he really loved her like he says he does, he'd be happy to oblige.  Limited access is better than no access.  I'm glad Oscar mentioned what I'd brought up about her being susceptible to being brainwashed, she didn't take that too well, too close to the truth methinks. I'm still undecided whether he really does love her maybe obsessively or just wants to prove he can split her up from her family and friends and leave her in a position where she'll she can't go home.  Going by last nights trailer sees she runs off with him. Hannah did well in her talk with her, no pressure, no shouting just calmly put her point of view, not that it did much good.  They were lucky to get away with not being caught when Hannah went back to Evie's room, but Hawkeye spotted him jumping off the roof, but why didn't he go in and mention it right away instead of waiting until Evie came down and blatantly said she hadn't had any contact with Tank.

Bit of a tangled web with Ricky/Nate/Kyle/Kat.  Although Nate didn't have any rights in feeling angry/upset about seeing the kiss between Kyle and Ricky, it does seem to have made him decide who he does want to be with.  I'm glad Kyle and Ricky had that talk, does the fact Kyle is still unsure about where he fits in hint at him leaving the bay again for a while to 'clear his head'.  I thought Phoebe was pretty restrained and subtle for her, she just nudged people in the right direction.  Had to smile at Ash's remark to Kyle about was he feeling well, as he was smiling which is not like him!  Should have guessed really that as soon as Nate makes up his mind to finish with Kat something would happen to scupper it.. Of course he can't dump her now, he may be a love rat, emotionally if  not yet physically, he's not a complete bar steward.  Ricky may not be over the moon but would you want to be with a guy who'd dump his girlfriend when she's just lost a close family member.

Matt, I do wish you hadn't said to Charlotte 'You know I'd anything for you, don't you?'  you may live to regret that.  Let me get this right when she first shuffled Hunter out of the door, she locked it, yet later she merrily opened it to Matt without even checking who was there,  same later when Trystan turned up!  There was a mention of the $20,00 she loaned Zac, as she now wants/needs it back, I thought that been forgotten about by TPTB. Very interesting to know who this 'mutal friend' is there a connection to Denny as well?  Is he working with or for someone else?