Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[atrus]

So, am I buying that Charlotte's death has caused Hunter to reflect on what a hateful sociopath he was up until a few weeks ago, and come clean to everyone? No, not particularly.

And yet - now we know he's with us for the long-haul, would I rather he came clean and confessed this of his own accord, than keep quiet, be forced into confession by Andy, or blame his dead mother? On balance, yes - probably. And so I was glad we got the scenes we did today. Although the downside is that we know his comeuppance will be limited at best. 10 years in jail? I'd be surprised if he has to clean 10 caravans, in honesty.

But in any case, knowing now that they were introducing a regular, I'd have had this play out in such a different way. Such as him not having been such a tool to everyone during the first few months of his stint. Such as having the fire be an accident somehow, and probably removing the Marilyn electrocution aspect from the safe theft storyline altogether. And generally heaping more of the wrongdoing on Charlotte's shoulders rather than Hunter's.

Part of the problem is that he started becoming nice (or at least, nicer) a fair while prior to Charlotte's death, with no real on-screen explanation. So this isn't some kind of thoughtful response to her passing. Likewise, there's nothing in his backstory that we know of that can really explain or mitigate his initial behaviour, other than (to paraphrase): 'Waaaah, I don't have a daddy!'

The upshot of all that is that I'm just not ready to forgive him yet. Even less so with the way he's carrying on with Olivia - continuing to dodge the L-word like it's a bullet. In fairness the word keeps coming from her, not him, but he needs to make it clear where he stands rather than just brazenly taking advantage of her. Which he is, because, really, anyone declaring their love after two dates or whatever it's been is probably fairly naive and vulnerable. Plus there's stubbly trucker Lindsay to consider. I don't think Olivia and Hunter are soulmates, and I think it's clear from his language, body and otherwise, that he doesn't either; he's just happy to have an emotional crutch at this moment in time.

Ash and Phoebe? Really couldn't care less either way right now.

[Slade]

On 3/26/2016 at 11:28 AM, Psychic Wombat said:

Yes, Skye did seem to have eyes for Oscar after he saved her. Not sure Oscar is interested though, I think Asia would have made a better suitor.

Yes, I was quite displeased about that actually.  Really liked Asia and thought she had potential as a character and was very unhappy she was used solely as a plot device to facilitate a Maddy/Oscar breakup.  The last time I was frustrated over characters who had potential like that and were wasted were Mink and Axel.  And to think we've got Skye as her replacement.  That's how I see it anyway.

I couldn't stop laughing when Andy told Hunter to fess up to the police and blame Charlotte.  That was a brilliant idea.  Never knew he had it in him.  Olivia is a very supportive girlfriend.  Not only was she there for him during his mother's funeral but she did not judge him after he fessed up about the safe and that he started the fire.  She was also onboard with Andy's idea (I have to admit, my jaw dropped during that scene).  Putting the moral aspect aside the plan is sound i.e. it gets Billie off and puts Hunter in the clear.  And Olivia did have a point - given what Charlotte sacrificed in order to protect him if he fessed up it all would have been for nothing.  His mother's death would have been for nothing.  However I think he did the right thing.  If he wants to become a better person, move forward and look at redemption with Leah, Zac and VJ then he needs to start being honest.  Zac will probably stand by him regardless but Leah and VJ are really the ones who will have to forgive him.

Objectively whilst I really don't care that Hunter framed her and haven't had much sympathy for her given that she was prepared to do the same thing to someone else I guess it's only fair Billie doesn't go to jail.

Are they really going back there with Ash and Phoebe?  I'm of the reckoning that he should count himself lucky he's free from her but the heart wants what the heart wants.

 

 

 

[H&Alover]

I thought they had all passed or have the results not been announced yet? 

Yes, the come and go scars had gone again, slap on wrist to whoever in the make up department who is in charge of them.

It was a slow build up to Hunter confessing his sins (well one of them) and couldn't have been any more dramatic if he'd tried. The other crime(s) if we are including him knocking Josh down the stairs aren't the main issue at the moment, we'll soon find out if he admits to the those.  I've said before I know Charlotte thought she was doing the right thing protecting her child from a possible juvvie term and maybe ruining a potentially good future whereas Billie was a no-one in her eyes and  it wouldn't make any difference to her life. But if she had done the right thing things wouldn't have escalated like they did two people wouldn't have lost their lives, three counting herself and she'd still have her son's respect.

I'm glad Hunter resisted Andy's suggestion to blame Charlotte for the fire, don't forget some of us had her in the frame for that, what I think really decided him, though he took his time about it, waiting until the last minute, was hearing Billie, if found guilty, be doing ten years, due to her previous behaviour.  I can't see him getting that long, he's a minor, no previous record,  although his delay in coming forward may add some time on, be interesting  to see if he cops to the other aforementioned crimes, he does need to do some time which I believe he's ready for.  Was it the fact Billie's defence lawyer was so rubbish the reason we never saw him? 

At least Denny's funeral did get a mention and the fact Charlotte's mum wasn't coming to hers because of what she had done. I think those that turned out were there more for Hunter than Charlotte.                          

I liked the threesome of Phoebe, Ash and Billie and it was Billie that said it truth means a lot to Phoebe so yes Ash does have to re-earn her trust, though he wasn't lying for any self gain.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

[Slade]

3 hours ago, H&Alover said:

At least Denny's funeral did get a mention and the fact Charlotte's mum wasn't coming to hers because of what she had done. I think those that turned out were there more for Hunter than Charlotte

Completely missed that.  I wonder if she knew about the fire because your second point would be all the reason for her to attend the funeral - For her grandson.

This is quite simply brilliant.  The reactions of some of the residents particularly Billie (who bared no ill will towards him and wanted to put the past behind her), Phoebe (who basically told Ash to forget about going after him), Zac, Leah (saying her own son didn't have enough compassion even though Hunter burnt their house down), Olivia (for once again standing by him) and Irene (who offered him a place to stay) would suggest they are going to forgive Hunter and move on.  I just know it.  I can feel it.  Even Alf wasn't as annoyed as what I thought he would be.  To me given that Hunter confessed to starting the fire it's unlikely he murdered Charlotte.  If he did murder her and he was trying to get away with it why fess up to one crime that gives him a motive for committing another?  It just doesn't make any sense. The only question is what is Hunter going to get for owning up to the arson?  With any luck it will be a slap on the wrist.

[atrus]

So one episode has passed, and already Leah and Zac are pretty much there with their forgiveness of Hunter. VJ will be over it by the end of the week, and then everything will be back to normal, presumably, except for the arson charge that he'll no doubt find some way to wriggle out of.

Funnily enough, Billie I can understand being more forgiving, because she's seen people be similarly forgiving of her for doing something that, OK, is not as bad as burning a house down, but still pretty sociopathic, and which could also have seen an innocent person in legal strife. That just seems to have been left by the wayside too, with Phoebe confidently asserting that Kat will be over it by now. Well, she could have asked her first - and I'm hoping that Kat does indeed have some reservations, and not just happily go along with it because it's convenient to the current living arrangements. More generally, I hope Billie hasn't just become a generic golden girl now, because it is feeling a bit like that. As with Hunter, there isn't a particularly great sense that her actions towards Nate have ever properly been explained or mitigated by backstory.

Meanwhile, attention in the murder investigation has shifted to Irene - and I'm curious to hear her explanation for the torn coat. I really hope she had nothing to do with Charlotte's death, because I feel it would really cheapen the ongoing storyline about her past to have her dragged into this at the same time.

Ash and Phoebe - still don't care.

 

[Red Ranger 1]

Just throwing in my tupen'orth on the Asia v Skye issue: I think the decision to keep Skye on instead of Asia might be at least partly because they've already got more college age characters than they know what to do with (Home and Away is never particularly good at having teen characters progress into young adults, hence the absurdity of Matt and Maddy getting a moving in together storyline five minutes after leaving school and two minutes after getting together, as if they've suddenly aged from 18/19 to about 25), whereas Skye is the right age to end up in school with VJ, Hunter and possibly Olivia if we're not just meant to assume she's dropped out.To be honest, I went off Asia in her last episode, when she was suddenly following a clearly uninterested Oscar around pestering him and deliberately sabotaging his admittedly doomed relationship with Maddy by blabbing about the kiss, so I can't say I'm bothered about her, although I do think she needed a better resolution than just disappearing between episodes.

That episode almost managed to be plausible.For the most part, everyone's reactions just about rang true.Leah and VJ showed the necessary anger at someone who destroyed their home, Zac is believably torn between horror at what his son's done and not wanting to turn her back on him, Billie is too delighted at getting her life back to care about Hunter (although I do hope Ash gives him a serve at some point and it isn't just forgotten about), we avoid the absurdity of Hunter just carrying on living with his victims, and Olivia...well, she's already shown what a love-numbed doormat she is so I wasn't expecting any better. But then the whole thing collapses with Irene's ridiculous reaction.It was bad enough her grinning inanely at Hunter and Olivia dating when she just knew he was a manipulative sociopath, but now she knows he's a psychopathic arsonist and she still doesn't tell him to stay the hell away from Olivia and instead lets him live under the same roof as her?(With Olivia quickly looking for an easy way to have sex with him again.Abuse, what abuse?) They tried to cover it by having Irene check it's okay with Zac and Leah, but that is the second most ridiculous place for Hunter to end up living.Contrast it with Irene trying to run Charlotte out of town for far lesser offences and Leah and Zac banning Evelyn from seeing Tank for again a lot less, and Charlotte's description of Summer Bay as a close-minded closed-ranks community who cover for those they arbitrarily consider their own while looking for any excuse to turn on perceived outsiders has never been more true.I was cheering VJ but I've got a horrible feeling he was meant to be in the wrong (even Leah makes a snobby remark about his "attitude") and he'll soon have the bleeding hearts of Summer Bay bullying him into forgetting that Hunter destroyed the only home he'd known and all momentos he had of the father he never knew.Meanwhile, Hunter plays the victim and lies that he moved out because Leah and Zac think he killed Charlotte rather than because he destroyed their home and nearly killed half of them.Not sure why Olivia thinks he'd have a clear conscience when he's still covering up his involvement in what happened to Charlotte and Denny. "Why don't you ask me?"he sulkily asks on hearing Leah and Zac doubt his innocence.I dunno, maybe because you're a liar? Honestly, he belongs in jail.(Aiming for the glass half full, as with Andy I can cling onto the fact that because the police don't know what he's done he might still be exposed and end up in jail when it's time for him to leave.)

So, Zac is suddenly questioning his guilt while Irene's treating him like an innocent little cherub who needs protecting from the big bad policeman.You don't think..?(I'm not sure Hunter can be entirely ruled out as being a killer, given that he only confessed when he realised Billie might be going to jail and has kept quiet about everything else.)

I'm glad we got a reference to what Billie did to Nate and Kat to show it's not been whitewashed, although still no reference to her saving Kat's life (even if she did sort of put her in danger in the first place).I think the fact that Kat encouraged her to get in touch with Ash showed that she has forgiven her(she may even have said words to that effect), but I still think we need the scene of Billie asking Kat if it's okay for her to move in.I was disappointed we didn't get it in this episode, which suggests we might not get it at all.Ash and Phoebe having sex...was there a point?It's frustrating that it's still all about Ash begging Phoebe to take him back as if she's meant to be some sort of catch.

[atrus]

Glad that the police have let Irene go for now, at least. But I didn't like the lack of explanation as to why Irene didn't tell anyone that she was the last person to see Charlotte alive. The detective rightly called her out when she claimed she hadn't been hiding it, because otherwise anyone aware of an ongoing murder investigation would surely come in to make a statement - but we didn't get to see her response. And nobody else seemed at all curious about it, either. Still, I both believe and hope that she isn't involved.

Sulky Chris is one of the few iterations of his character that I can't really get on board with. He's acting like a six-year-old and needs to get over it; and Irene's advice to that effect was probably overdue - not that it kept him at bay for long. Still, it did feel a bit much to expect Chris to share a room with Hunter without even asking him. Can't Hunter just crash on the sofa? Plus, while Chris's conclusion that Hannah is the 'worst person he's ever met' was probably an exaggeration (I can think of several worse), I thought the rest of his criticisms weren't far off the mark.

Ash really got up my nose today. I understand why he was feeling defensive of Kat given what she told him, but he really has inherited the Braxton quality of taking matters into his own hands which I can't abide, and I hope that isn't going to be the case here.

[Slade]

I quite enjoyed the scenes with Hunter and Irene.  I liked the mutual concern for each other and I liked how  Olivia was there for both of them.

Leah is starting to veer more to the foster mother figure.  I liked how conflicted she is about her feelings - wanting to forgive Hunter but at the same time struggling to let go what he did.  I also liked the way Alf listened and spoke with her.

Ash was actually quite scary almost as scary as when he told Charlotte he would end her if she ever did anything to Kat.  He seems very protective of her and their chat in the Diner was bordering on a date.  Dylan was bordering on obsessive the way he was looking over at them.  I wonder if after this he will try and make life difficult for Ash given that he's a police officer.

Chris going for Andy like that was hilarious.  He's very lucky Andy didn't hit him back and Alf and John were there to stop him.  I guess I was wrong.  Perhaps I underestimated his feelings and he really does love her (or at least thinks he loves her).  Never thought I would say this in a million years but go Chris.  I was cheering during his speech Hannah and her face was wonderful.

"What's the opposite to self-aware? Deluded.  Clueless.  You think you're this caring loving person but you know what you really are?  You're a shallow emotionally immature commitment-phobe who sleeps her way into people's hearts and then breaks them.  You're the worst person I've ever met."

As I said above the speech was brilliant but like Oscar getting hurt when he got involved with Maddy, Chris really only has himself to blame.  Given the way she was with Andy (when he cared for her when she was disabled), slept with Sean when he was married and brought a string of randoms home, we all know that Hannah is highly promiscuous and generally has flavours of the month, day, week whatever.  However Chris knew what she was like when he got involved with her.  Seriously what did he expect would happen?  She would marry him and they would live happily ever after.  He can't very well complain when she acts true to form especially when he was the one who ended the relationship.  Like I said about Oscar in the character discussion thread he should count himself lucky he was even able to date her.  Even Olivia couldn't understand why anybody would want to go out with him.

[CaptainHulk]

If Chris wanted to battle Andy. He'd have been better off sneaking up behind with a cricket bat! He's built like a fricking tank compared to Harrington.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm glad we got that chat between Alf and Leah, because without it, aside from a few glares and throwaway remarks, you'd be forgiven for thinking Hunter's confession hadn't happened.It's increasingly seeming like Aden trying to kill his father all over again: Something that should result in a dramatic shift in the other characters' attitude, at least in the short term, is instead largely ignored.So, we get an explanation for Irene's torn coat...but is it the right one?Because she seemed in an awful hurry to get rid of that coat long before Charlotte's death was common knowledge...As with the fact that we know more about Hunter than the police do, it's hard to shake the feeling that it'd be premature to rule out anyone.(Irene's motive is flimsy, but then her motive for trying to get Charlotte evicted was even flimsier.)Deep down, I don't think she did it, so taking that into account, unless there's some timing trick going on here, presumably it was someone else that Charlotte said "What are you doing here?" to.

Dylan's controlling side definitely comes to the fore with his looking daggers at Ash and Kat.I'm confused: Are Phoebe and Ash back together or not? Because Phoebe seemed to back away from it, yet here Kat says Ash's break-up didn't stick.I'm glad we got some reaction from Kat to Billie moving in, but I'd have preferred for it to have been done in person rather than second hand through Ash.I did like Ash and Kat's repartee.I kind of support the principle of Ash's warning while thinking it was magnificently dumb: Dylan's either going to ignore it or get annoyed and take it out on Kat and/or Ash and those close to him.

So we get another Andy/Evelyn scene which leaves me thinking "So much more chemistry than with Josh/Hannah." I had to laugh at the way Andy offers to move out and Josh just shrugs and goes "Okay" while Andy's stood there expecting him to change his mind.And Roo's clueless "Ohhh, is this because of Hannah?" when faced with a moody Chris.I liked John trying to cheer Chris up; he treats Chris as a joke at times so it's nice to see that he does care about him deep down.I haven't quite got tired of Chris yet, we're not in "Matt spends half a year moping over Sasha" territory yet, but objectively I can see he needs to get over it.Him punching Andy had already been seen in the promos and I actually thought he was wrong to do it, even though what he said was actually spot on: Andy did spend all that time pestering Hannah to dump Chris for him, then now they've broken up he doesn't seem to want her.(Maybe it's because he killed Charlotte.)Chris did seem to take a few return hits from Andy before Alf and John stepped in...yet no "You're as bad as the person who put Josh in a coma!" for either of them?Guess it's only Oscar that gets that.Similarly, while I don't think what he said was entirely accurate, I got a certain amount of satisfaction from Chris' decimation of Hannah.