Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[H&Alover]

Although what Hunter did was unforgivable he did make a public confession rather than see Billie actually go down for it, something Charlotte would never let him do whatever the circumstances.  I can understand why VJ is still so angry with him, he burnt down the only home he has ever known but more importantly endangered Zac, Matt, Oscar and Billie's  lives in the process. Billie does know what it is like to be hated, after what she did to Nate and her general stroppy attitude to everyone else in the bay when she first arrived.  Leah has just as much reason to hate Hunter but she would not be impressed with VJ attacking Hunter every opportunity he gets, and you can bet that teacher/coach will report what he has done to Leah, just reduces him to Hunter's level (well the old Hunter) anyway. Olivia has only known the new and improved Hunter so can maybe be excused for treating him like a  normal person. I know he can't avoid him entirely but why can't VJ just walk away and while not forgetting what Hunter did he does need to let it go, he is going to be the only one to suffer. I don't think Hunter can leave town he'd have to stick around for his trial, whenever that is going to be, it'll be more of a hearing seeing as he confessed.  We are though of course forgetting he still has to admit his stealing of the safe from the Diner resulting in Marilyn getting amnesia. I'm not totally forgiven Hunter or forgotten what he has done, see ref. to Diner, but he has seen the error of his ways and now Charlotte (who was  to blame for him hating Zac) has gone he can move on without her influencing or manipulating things and people.

I know Olivia can come across as a princess (yes more than Maddy) but she really excelled herself when Irene staggered in with the shopping while she was sitting on the sofa, Skye offers to give Irene a hand putting things away and Olivia fakes gagging, very mature, glad Irene called her out on it and made her get up to get the job done in half the time. Syke admitted she feels on the outside of things and tries too hard to fit in, btw as she mentioned school does this mean Olivia will finally be going to SBH? Doesn't matter a jot that maybe Skye shouldn't have been listening to Olivia moaning on about her to Hunter, (what was she supposed to have done, as soon as she started talking  about her walk away?) she shouldn't have said what she did about Carol, that was plain cruel.  What Hunter said about although he loved Olivia he hated the way she was sometimes.  I thought Olivia was going to throw a wobbly when she walked into the hall and saw Skye chatting away to Hunter but she kept her cool, she was a bit put out when Billie suggested they all sit together, I like how Skye is with new people, it's just the way she is another difference between her and Olivia.  I like that her and Skye have come to some sort of  a truce, I think they could become good friends and bring out the best in each other, they are different in attitude and outlook to life but it has been known to happen. Skye could get Olivia to lighten up and Olivia could help Syke become more 'cool', Plus of course it'll make it a lot easier for Irene, Hunter and Chris. Actually the line 'We're too different and we're too similair'  makes a lot more sense than 'hating on him'.

So what has prompted wanting to move into the annexe, make it more seem more stable than living in a van when he applies for a loan (an ex bank robber wanting a loan I like that).  Did I hear him say there was no risk of getting his home towed away I don't recall that ever happening. Oops there was nearly another secret there about  him being interested in the garage.  Good luck to him and Andy I say, it's something he's into and Andy has knowledge now of accounting with working in the gym.

So Kyle's was the next number (sorry no pun intended) to come out of the bag.  I'm guessing it was an informal interview otherwise he would have had a lawyer there, being a Braxton he'd know better than be interviewed without one. Been a while since we've seen Kyle's temper flare like that, Dylan couldn't have known about it.  Kyle seriously couldn't think that to the police that nothing  is irrelevant in a murder enquiry so that is why he didn't mention Charlotte's call, whether he turned up to see her or not, the I'd forgotten about it wouldn't work considering that person had died violently,  actually aside from the fact his number was the last call she made who were all the others to?

Forget to mention yesterday Matt was actually nice to Oscar, in the Diner he called himself boring hence the change of image and Matt said he wasn't boring.

[Little bean]

The theft from the diner didn't just lead to Marylins ameasia, it led directly to three (I'm including Charlotte) people's deaths. Hunter needs to take full responsibility for EVERYTHING he has done and pay for it. I don't agree with the way VJ is dealing with the situation but I totally agree with why he feels the way he does.....and he doesn't even know the half of it! Hunter is being written as some kind of victim (as usual for the standard bad boy SL) and I personally don't like being manipulated into liking a character because the writers want me to. I still can't stand him. Sorry. 

LOVED it when Kyle's desert activities were bought up. Good to know someone acknowledges how dangerous he is capable of being. 

[CaptainHulk]

Well...

an even bigger Tool than Hunter and VJ combined will make his return soon. One of his victims is still pretty much recovering. 

 

[c120701]

5 hours ago, H&Alover said:

No, we did see Evie keep checking her lap top, echoes of Sasha doing the same thing, the next thing we hear is everyone has passed!

I think that's the first time since Fisher left that everyone has passed.

[CaptainHulk]

^ Yep, There's always a couple left-backs (and not the kind that play for Norwich, Red ) or a few burnouts/flops.

[atrus]

I'm somewhere between the two camps on Hunter/VJ. I'm not saying he deserves instant forgiveness for the arson, and it was certainly rather nauseating to see Roo, Alf and Irene all suddenly cheerleading for him for no apparent reason - adding to the usual sense with this show that forgiveness is rarely properly earned, but rather accrued automatically over a given number of episodes.

That said, Hunter is Zac's son (supposedly: they never did get round to that paternity test, which makes me think Hunter will acquire a rare disease and need some kind of familial organ donation before the year is through, prompting a non-paternity revelation - but let's stick with what we know for now) and as such, I don't think Zac should be expected to cut all ties with him - nor, to be honest, would I think him much of a father if he did. And as such, I felt it was right that Leah, as Zac's wife, found it in her heart to forgive him. And as such, it would seem inevitable for VJ to follow suit at some point.

While I can certainly forgive VJ for getting physical with Hunter because of what he did, I also didn't want to see him become the guy that Hunter [was when he arrived/still is (delete as applicable according to opinion)]. As pointed out above, Hunter did the same thing to VJ when he first arrived, but I liked the fact that VJ differentiated himself by being forgiving and accommodating of Hunter despite that - and I liked the fact that he did it again in Friday's episode. That said, I didn't like how we skipped to the boys relaying their decision to make an effort with each other to Zac and Leah, without actually seeing them talk it out between themselves. A tricky scene to write perhaps, but it would have been a worthwhile one, I think, if viewers are really expected to get on board with this forgiving Hunter lark.

Hunter finally returns Olivia's "I love you", but follows it with "but you're being a jerk"; and brazen hypocrisy aside, it wasn't an unfair remark. I would totally understand why Olivia had issues with new people, but the best way to deal with that would be to approach them with polite caution, not to go on the attack. Still, she did accept that she'd been in the wrong and made things right with Skye on Friday, so I found myself softening towards her again. Skye is right, though - she is icy, and therefore by definition not the easiest character to warm to.

It's at least a couple of weeks since we've had cause to sample Kyle's wild-eyed, clenched-teeth routine, something that the discovery of Charlotte's phone behind the fridge was bound to elicit. But there's a clear pattern emerging, as yet again he's released from custody just in time for the next arrival in the murder suspect hotseat.

Miscellaneous observations: how old is Billie supposed to be - have we been told? I was under the impression she was an adult (I was thinking somewhere between 20-24) but she seems now to be integrating with the teen gang... I'd forgotten that Phoebe being a teacher was a thing. Still, I thought it was unfair that Zac gave her a telling-off twice for the punch-up - I don't see exactly how she could have stopped it, especially when she's so new and therefore yet to command the kids' respect.

[Little bean]

2 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

Well...

 

  Hide contents

an even bigger Tool than Hunter and VJ combined will make his return soon. One of his victims is still pretty much recovering. 

 

Spoiler

Yes, I know!  And I HATE that he's going to get the same "poor thing, it wasn't his fault, he's a good guy really coz he saved Zach so let's let him off and get him out of that nasty prison" treatment. If he stays. I might self distruct!

 

[Little bean]

Apologies, rant alert.....*gets onto high horse....

As a professional musician (degree in music and two post graduate diplomas, none of which qualifies me to teach in schools other than giving specially created, one off workshops or one to one lessons on my own instrument) today had me almost yelling at the screen. Phoebe isn't a qualified teacher. She's meant to be a "tutor" and yet, there she is, unsupervised, teaching a whole class to write a sentence about the sky.  Sorry, but the writers are being really disrespectful to qualified teachers in the arts if they think that almost having half a career as a pop star qualifies you to teach music in schools. Maybe things are different in Australia but to me it's like suddenly deciding Marilyn should teach physics because she's interested in astrology! 

*Falls off high horse and repeats to self "it's only TV, it's only TV...."

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Four. Bizarrely though, he wasn't credited on Thursday when he appeared but was credited on Friday when he didn't.Roo was also in four, but wasn't credited on Monday or Thursday.Yeah, credits were strange this week...more on that in a moment.

I will try and keep this brief, but the way Hunter's storyline has been "resolved" is farcical.Maybe I'd accept them all taking a step back if I thought the courts would deal with him but they probably won't, because the show seems to send out the message that scumbags can do whatever they like and get away with it so long as they can make people feel sorry for them afterwards."Underneath all that awful business is a really good kid,"Irene tells Leah/us today.No, underneath that pleasant façade is something truly awful, and they've seen it, but they're pretending they haven't because it gets in the way of the fantasy that any tearaway teen they randomly take under their wing will automatically become a wonderful person.Or is that the writers?Now, VJ was being childish today and needed to back off.But he goes from picking fights with Hunter to going out for a cosy family meal with him in the space of a few hours.And then Leah invites him to move back in for no reason.(Has anyone asked Oscar if he minds sharing breakfast with the thug that left him trapped in a burning house?)We have Phoebe of all people declaring that VJ's only angry with Hunter because he still likes him deep down, and Olivia and Skye getting on their high horses and treating this like a petty schoolboy squabble.All of which is designed to hide the fact that VJ has a very good reason for wanting Hunter punished.It's being written as though Hunter did some minor bad boy thing like pinched someone's wallet, not set fire to someone's house on purpose which isn't troubled it's psychotic. So his "punishment" is a couple of people are angry with him for a couple of weeks then go back to treating him the way they did before? He doesn't even have the "It's okay because they deserved it" excuse that Andy's using.I bet if they find out about his role in Marilyn's coma and Denny's death they'll still just give him a hug and say it's okay.A massive cop-out.

 

Frankly, Hunter's worse than Tank.Tank did a robbery in which no-one was hurt, was a bit mean to Evie (who did more damage to him than the other way round) and nearly killed one person who's now fully recovered. Hunter did a robbery that left someone in a coma, was a bit mean to VJ (who did about as much damage to him as the other way around) and nearly killed four people who are now fully recovered. Tank was messed up because he witnessed his mother being murdered.Hunter was messed up because he wanted more attention from his dad.Yet which of them is in jail?

 

Zac refers to Olivia as Olivia Richards, same as it was the last time her surname was mentioned.So what's all this "Olivia Fraser Richards" nonsense in the end credits?Kind of like the way they still credit Leah as "Leah Patterson-Baker" when she dropped the Baker about two years ago.(She should be Leah MacGuire of course but that's another discussion.)Even when she's supposedly being nice, Olivia's still a little madam.So, is Skye meant to be in the same year as them after all?Or was that not a real lesson?

I'm really not sure how old Billie's meant to be.I keep meaning to check the dates:She was in a relationship with Dean when Ash went to jail and he served, what, seven years?So she must have been in her mid-to-late teens at least then, so 20-24 seems a decent guess.Andy and Ash were on a hiding to nothing with the bank, good of Kat to help them out and Dylan's reaction indicates his controlling streak has not gone away.If Kyle's telling the truth, it was pretty dumb of him to keep the phone rather than throwing it away, even Irene showed more self-preservation than that.As with Irene and Hunter, instead of following through on a line of enquiry Dylan moves to another one.It did look like Zac on the CCTV but there'd have to be something pretty damning for him to suddenly be prime suspect ahead of all the other people hanging around the pier that night.(Did it back up Kyle's story?)

[TessyBear]

4 hours ago, atrus said:

That said, I didn't like how we skipped to the boys relaying their decision to make an effort with each other to Zac and Leah, without actually seeing them talk it out between themselves. A tricky scene to write perhaps, but it would have been a worthwhile one, I think, if viewers are really expected to get on board with this forgiving Hunter lark.

Agreed atrus!

OK so I know it's been a fair while since I was last in this thread but I just really felt like I needed to come in here today.

No one's commented on Kat and Dylan (surname?)'s untimely visit to Angelo's at the end of the episode. First of all I don't understand this. I mean Kat on one occasion sticks up for the ex crim. and insists on his innocence but the second she spots Zac (it took me a second by the way to realise it was Zac. Coulda been Kyle).on the CCTV she finds that suspicious?? I thought Zac was her friend?? What's up with that?? 

So there's Zac having an important family dinner with Hunter, VJ and Leah and it gets interrupted because why?? The police see Zac heading in the direction of where Charlotte King was shot dead. That's it. And then the police are like "We have to go and talk to him tonight". Sorry WHAT???? 

Correct me if I'm wrong but have they not talked to Zac yet? I mean we know for a fact that he was out looking for Oscar and Evie. Maybe the police didn't know that. No but besides that I don't know why the police had to desperately talk to Zac that very same night?? It's dinner time. The CCTV footage wasn't exactly proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Talk to him tomorrow.

OK so it's happened now, let's think about it... OK I have to admit that I've been worried about what TPTB will do to Zac ever since this whole thing happened with Charlotte. I'm worried TPTB are gonna use this as an excuse to get rid of Zac and leave Leah husband-less yet again.  I mean let's face facts: That does unfortunately seem to be the format for her marriages/other romantic relationships no?  Also I actually really like Zac and I see a lot of value in him. So I'm worried about that.

I think it would be wrong for TPTB to reveal Zac as the killer after he calmly sat with Hunter and told him about Charlotte's death. That's what I've been using as my rationale as to why Zac didn't do it. He would never treat Hunter that way. I mean that's bordering on psychopathic behavior is it not? Or certainly not the loving, well rounded, present father to Hunter whom Zac has become.

I'm just really shocked at the fact Kat and Sgt? Dylan (argh!!) showed up to take Zac to the station off the back of pretty much nothing. Unless I've missed something?

Elsewise:

Yeah Phoebe shouldn't have been teaching that class because she's not a qualified teacher. I think she got off very lightly from Zac.

I was very very disappointed and shocked by VJ's treatment of Hunter of late. Skye gave a very good speech to VJ though! And what the girls told Hunter and VJ together was cool too!

Had a lovely shipper moment with Zac and Leah in Friday's ep!!   Aw!!  

I just want to check some facts: How long has this murder sl been running? 3 weeks is it? That's way too soon to wrap it up right? Where was Charlotte shot? I thought it was by the pool? What is the proximity of the pool or where Charlotte was shot to her place? 

Look I know no one's out of the running until the killer's actually named. This isn't my first long running soap storyline or whodunnit storyline for that matter either. I know in the finale they left all the options open on purpose. I know just because one character says this thing that seems to be a giveaway or looks a certain way that seems to be a giveaway that doesn't mean they're the one that "dunnit". I just think it would be a big mistake if they were to reveal that it's Zac who's the killer and I don't understand why the police felt the need to jump on the information they saw on the CCTV footage straight away. try as I might I cannot work that one out.

ETA: Re: the quote below I completely agree with you there Red! In case I hadn't made that perfectly clear already. And no it didn't even back up Kyle's story. They've dropped that in favour of Zac being... I don't even know. I think Kat and Dylan are being pretty dang incompetent right now.

It did look like Zac on the CCTV but there'd have to be something pretty damning for him to suddenly be prime suspect ahead of all the other people hanging around the pier that night.(Did it back up Kyle's story?)