Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three. Josh was in two but was comatose in one of them.

So...I loved all the stuff with Ash and Kat, and he actually did as good a job as he could to keep her out of trouble given that she was determined to write herself off, and gave her some good advice, which unfortunately she's not going to remember.(Coincidence that once again we get a good Ash storyline when Phoebe's nowhere in sight?)I'm not wholly against what Nate and Ricky have done, breaking up with Person A because you want to be with Person B isn't unusual and nothing happened between them while he and Kat were together (apart from a fair amount of emotional cheating, which is another matter), but I can't say I'm excited about them either.It's another case of me changing my mind about something over a break: Before it I was dead against the idea of anything romantic happening between Ricky and Kyle but now...I kind of liked their scenes together here, but with Nate in the picture it's obviously not going to happen.

So, as with Evie, Roo gets accepted back into the fold with barely a word once she "repents".It's curious, I'd have said the attempted bigamy was a far greater sign of James being irrational than him using his dead parents as an alibi, but it's barely been commented on apart from in throwaway remarks.Roo does mention she hasn't spoken to Maddy yet, so presumably that's to come next week.Frustrating though that her comments seem to have exacerbated Marilyn's doubts about John.

Once again, Matt was so smug and sleazy that I ended up cheering for Hunter.So Matt's 19 now? He was 18 when he first slept with Charlotte and I don't recall a birthday being mentioned since but there's time for it to have happened off screen.Mind you, it was hard to take Hunter's final moral outrage seriously:When he describes Charlotte as selfish and a liar, he could just as easily be describing himself.The way in which he found out about the missing money didn't seem to make much sense though.The staging was a bit confusing but it looked like he found a bill, went to his online banking to pay it and found it cleaned out.So...doesn't that mean it's not a trust fund, it's his current bank account?Except then he says only Charlotte has access to it, as if it is a trust fund.(Possibly he was being imprecise and meant she's the only person other than him?)So, we now know Trystan's working for Gunno, although unless Charlotte and Gunno are somehow acquainted his reference to a "mutual friend" seems like something of a non-sequitur.(And just how many hours was Trystan carrying around a bag full of hundreds of thousands of dollars for?!) Seems Brax pretending to be dead was pretty pointless, it's reaching the point when everyone knows he's alive except his family.Even if we assume Trystan stumbled across the fact Charlotte had killed Denny by accident and has taken advantage of the fact, it's hard to see how a woman who doesn't even know Brax (he was already "dead" when she showed up) is such an asset.If they want to flush Brax out, why aren't they threatening his family, as Brax assumed they would when deciding to let everyone go on thinking he was dead?

[atrus]

So Hannah's idea of Andy 'handling things well' is not going and beating Tank to a pulp; not exactly a high bar to clear. And then he goes and proves her wrong anyway, by bawling at Kat entirely inappropriately. I definitely resent the whole Josh-in-hospital thing being used as an excuse to have Andy and Hannah make eyes at one another. I don't care how many social faux pas he makes: she's much better off with Chris, so I'm glad at least that she's staying that way for now.

Meanwhile, Dr Catwalk was in a no-win situation, really - he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Still, I have zero interest in him and Ricky as a couple - and even I found it difficult not to be moved by Kat's devastation, particularly when she went and pulled a Soapie Wall-Slide of Tears on us. I also really enjoyed the Ash and drunken Kat scene, which was unexpected and nicely observed.

CHARLOTTE: Trouble is something I am hoping to avoid from now on.

She says, with her arms around a schoolboy. Mild Oedipus vibes aside, Hunter's becoming so run-of-the-mill that I'm really wishing they hadn't introduced him as a house-burning psychopath - because by this point I might well be feeling sorry for him. His reaction to walking in on Charlotte and Matt was very nicely played - although I share some concerns mentioned above about the unnecessary sleaziness of that scene, and especially given that the relationship is approaching the border between definitely unwise and downright abusive, if not actually straddling it.

Predictable that Mr Creepy wouldn't be sated by a mere trifle like $200,000 in a sports bag - clearly there was something bigger going down. And I was building up to what I expected would be a really tantalising reveal regarding the identity of Our Mutual Friend. But then it proves to be... oh. Gunno. And what's more, they manage to drag Brax into it too.  I'm not at all pleased or convinced by this development - is their finding out about Denny's murder entirely a happy (from their perspective) accident, or is it still possible that Gunno and Charlotte know one another somehow? Because that's the only way I can see her being particularly useful in this manhunt they have planned. Unless it somehow involves bedding adolescents or digging shallow graves. Actually, it could involve the latter. And if I were Mr Creepy, or Gunno, I'd be watching my back. Charlotte's highly adept at acting the flower, but being the serpent under't - and I have a feeling they might end up badly bitten before all's said and done.

[CaptainHulk]

Yes, the show is kind of sex obsessed these days.

I'm surprised we don't have scenes of Maddy with Mussed hair and Oscar walking like he's John Wayne down to breakfast!

Or Leah sparking up a Cig afte a Sesh with Zac.

Don't mind subtle innuendo like Matt/Oscar's banter about "quick finishes" but there's a line.

Perhaps we need to bring back the Nutter to enforce "standards and decency!" in extremis. 

[H&Alover]

You know I didn't even recognise Gunno, I realised the guy on the phone to Trystan was in prison but that was all.  Would Denny have had something in her rucksack that would have given a huge hint that Brax was alive? I can't get the 'mutal friend' link either.  It's surely going to take a while for Charlotte to gain the Braxton's group trust for them to open up about Brax.  But and it's a big but none of them know he's alive!  Unless by getting to know the Braxtons Dumb and Dumber are including Ash who Gunno has a feeling that something happened after the jail break? 

They did seem to take it to a whole new level (a low one) by including that scene of Charlotte and Matt, who has been mentioned is suddenly 19!  They do tend to do that in H&A by suddenly aging people, mostly the young ones!  I can completely understand Hunter's shock and total horror of walking in on them.  Another example of people in the bay being remiss in not locking their doors. I know Hunter would have a key, but if it had been locked, he would have had to knock giving them both a moments grace to get dressed. Then the double whammy of finding out his mum had wiped out his trust fund, would he though be able to access it seeing as he is only 16?

I know Andy was out of order shouting at Kat, but that is what family/friends do in soaps either shout at the people who are looking after their injured/sick relatives/friends or the police looking for the people who hurt them. 

I mentioned on an earlier post that both Roo and Evie had turned their backs on their friends and relatives cause of their choice of boyfriend.  and Evie could be excused due to her youth and inexperience but Roo really had no such excuse, yet as we saw all was forgiven and all is right with the world again.

Kat reacted the same way she did when she found out about Nate and Ricky, does she have a secret drink problem?  Ash was great with her.

 

Captain Hulk mentioned the decade recycling loop, well this week there are two!

 

 

 

[CaptainHulk]

Matt WAS left back so it's not a stretch. But the Kings of being left back are Casey Sr. and Romeo (the latter quit).

[CaptainHulk]

On 14/01/2016 at 9:37 PM, Slade said:

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.

Backtracking a bit but this would totally exacerbate all of her problems.

 

[Red Ranger 1]

22 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

Matt WAS left back so it's not a stretch.

I didn't know he played football.

So, Charlotte gets the punishment that she deserved in the circumstances (and that's just for what they know about).Yet I can't help feeling vaguely unsatisfied.After months of everyone telling Matt that if he gets found out he'll be expelled, he...gets offered counselling? Seriously? It kind of increases the feeling that Charlotte is going to be blamed for everything while those who are equally culpable are going to be let off the hook.Matt only turns against her when she refuses to sleep with him again, and Hunter seemed to expose her simply because he was having a sulk (and maybe jealous of Matt getting attention from her)."This isn't how you treat people you love,"he snaps, from the moral high ground reserved for those who burn down the homes of the people they love.(Fair enough, we know Charlotte's done worse, but Hunter doesn't, and he's done worse than what he knows she's done.)And judging by the ending and the promo, it looks like the exam's going to be cancelled and Matt won't even receive the karmic punishment of failing his exams because he was too busy shagging his teacher to study and/or being caught cheating.Well, I suppose they couldn't have him repeat again next year.That's Josh's job.(Or maybe not...)

Meanwhile, tangentially, some of what we suspected about Trystan gets confirmed, although it seems unlikely that Denny would mention Brax was alive in her diary but not say who she spoke to about it.As it is, Trystan's guessed wrong.His reasons for involving Charlotte just about make sense, a mixture of opportunism and lateral thinking, but it still feels like someone though it would be cool to have Charlotte working for Gunno and then struggled to find a reason why that would happen.

I wasn't expecting to see Tank again, I'd have thought he'd be long gone after last week.His wanting a money and car from Greg seems a bit of a weak excuse after he seemed all set to start a new life a week ago, but it looks like his main motivation is taking Evie with him.Mind you, the ending suggests he's been reading Eve Jacobsen's handbook on Summer Bay villainy...

[CaptainHulk]

2 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I didn't know he played football.

 

Boom Boom!  

[H&Alover]

Matt may be 19 and an adult  but Charlotte is still the older (but not wiser) adult and his teacher so has breached (as Leah, Zac and Greg said  her position of trust).  I do have to admit I was also surprised Matt didn't get prevented from doing his HSC, which is what Josh was worried about when he tackled Charlotte about it. Maddy was also of the same mind. Did Charlotte really think she would be allowed to continue teaching until the Board made their decision?  It's usual practice for any professional to be suspended if they have been accused of something, it's to protect them as well as others.  To be fair to Matt he only turned on her when she told him their time together was 'a bit of fun', therefore just dismissing him as a nobody. I must admit I did like the way Hunter turned round as he was leaving and dropped that oh so casual remark 'And she's sleeping with Matt!'.   Hunter has given the impression before he want to confess all about the fire and break in, but she (Charlotte) keeps saying after all I've done  it all for you - not that he knows what she's talking about. I'm pretty sure the new and improved Hunter wouldn't want her to be in the position she's in now.

So Denny did have something in her rucksack - her diary - that mentioned Brax was alive, to think if Trystan hadn't been following her, seen Charlotte put Denny's body in her car and bury her, neither he or Gunno would be any the wiser.  It would just be a theory on Gunno's part. I'm going on the premise that Gunno being a con would do the same thing Brax has done given the chance. Wonder what Denny put in it to imply someone else knew (well two someone's actually there's also Billie). Charlotte is a clever woman and by talking to Kyle and Ricky she is quickly going to realise they both believe Brax is dead, so where does she go from there?

Tank is going to need something to live on and  by the way he was lurking around he's got Evie in his sights.  It's hardly as if he pulled some prank that Greg could forgive and let him have the car and money to be rid of him.

As for the ending don't forget Mad Monty!

 

[Red Ranger 1]

21 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

 

Boom Boom!  

I try.

Well...that was a very effective ending to the Tank storyline.(Except for the exam being cancelled when there seemed to be plenty of time for them to go back in and finish it.They're not going to be allowed to do the same paper they've already seen or something stupid like that, are they?)Tank's history was apt, his becoming obsessed and possessive with girls out of a desire to "protect" them makes sense, as does his unremitting hostility towards Greg, who wasn't a bad man but wasn't the "man" that Tank thought he should be.It's a shame he gets packed off in custody while much less sympathetic characters with much less excuse for their actions (*cough*Hunter*) are still around but hopefully he'll get some help now.A great role for Oscar too, from his quietly supportive and practical care of Evie through to the way that he's learned from recent events and knows exactly how to find her when she's gone missing.(A contrast to Matt, who makes immature comments and seems out of his depth once things get serious.)

Roo and Maddy's reconciliation was brief but necessary.So it looks like Roo is going to stay out of the way for the immediate future, which increases the feeling that Leah's being manoeuvred into her role as custodian of the caravan park house.Ah well, so long as Maddy doesn't move out again I don't mind.

Sadly, the hospital stuff was pretty bad.First we get Saint Andy trying to absolve Evelyn of blame (although to be fair she doesn't believe it either) and getting into inappropriate bedside flirting with Hannah.And then we get Dr.Griffin once more being incredibly premature.Leah was in a similar condition for months and has now made a full recovery, yet they want to turn Josh's life support off after a few days because "his brain activity hasn't increased" (ie there is some, so he's not brain dead) and his chances of recovery are "poor" (ie he could recover).And somehow Hannah ends up pressuring Andy to agree, as if she's fed up of having to put coins in the meter and wants to free up a bed.I would hope she really wouldn't be as quick to give up on her nephew and niece in the same situation.