Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

Okay, I'm kinda liking how this is going with Maddy.There's still far too much emphasis on her relationship with Matt in my opinion, but I guess if the show had given me a reason to invest in the relationship I might feel different.I do however like that Maddy is willing to go with or without him: That's the Maddy I know and love, the one with a bit of get up and go, not the feeble princess who can't cope with living in a caravan.I'd query Matt saying she's made a lot of bad choices lately:Okay, running away from the hospital but apart from that?But the relationship stuff gets in the way of the important questions like where is Maddy going to be staying?And why is everyone acting like as soon as she leaves town they'll never see her again?It sounds like she's gonna be in the city just down the road for months.What, is Roo never going to visit her and see how rehab's going?At least Matt explains that long distance won't work for why this is now or never for them.The episode struggles to squeeze in more characters, with Alf and John taking it in turns to be the elder statesman advising Roo.But then...Andy was literally the last person who should have been Matt's confidante.Use Josh, use VJ, use Leah...don't have Matt sitting down for a beer with Andy as if the last month never happened and he didn't just kill one of his friends (and a woman he vaguely knew).Their scenes at the garage on Friday worked because there was a reason for them both to be there but this?As has been pointed out in Oz thread, you can bet no-one would be sitting down for a beer with Tank if he'd accidentally caused the explosion.Heck, they're not sitting down for a beer with him when he hasn't killed anyone.

When the episode opened with Tori being shown from behind, I thought she was Phoebe so the episode instantly became 100% better when I realised she wasn't.Nice to see her wearing something informal at last.And another hint of her Big Secret with her reaction to the gunshot victims: Has she seen something similar before?I'm probably saying the same things about Nate and Ricky: He might feel it's too soon but if they need marriage guidance counselling, they need it.(It's not like there hasn't just been a big change in their marriage.)It seems like he's taking the attitude of ignore the problem and it'll go away, while Ricky appears to be making the effort but is perhaps just going through the motions.There didn't really seem to be any reason for Nate to stay on.One thing I forgot to mention: "Coop" is being treated as Tori's private nickname for Nate, yet Phoebe used it last week as well.How did she know?

[H&Alover]

No problem with Maddy going on her round Europe/the world trip, but when exactly is this happening, she hasn't even started her rehab yet, yet the way she's talking rehab will take of couple of weeks and then she's off!  From what I gathered with her talk with Roo, she'll be staying at the rehab centre.  Big shock fro Roo when Maddy broke her news and while I can understand her concerns, Maddy isn't stupid so if she finds it too much she can always come home, not to the bay maybe, but she'll have given it her best shot. It's not much of a consolation but it was better she lost her left arm, if it had been her right she would have had to learn to do everything with her left. I wouldn't think they'd all cut off contact with her just because she's in the city either.

Evie and Josh (who once dated Maddy) and Leah are very close to Maddy so perhaps Andy was the best person for Matt to confide in, he could give a more unbiased view. Matt was right about long distance relationships Sash only went to another state and it fell apart. 

Ditto with Tori advising Nate about his doubts to having counselling she doesn't know either of them, Ricky less than Nate, so she could give, like Andy, an unbiased view. Like you Red I thought that was Phoebe from behind.  Why is he being such a numpty over it all, better to try and get it talked through now than letting it drag on, it's no reflection on him and at least Ricky is wiling to discuss it and what impact not being able to have more children has had on her and consequently her and Nate's future. Very convenient that couple being brought in so he  of course he has to treat them thus having a very good reason to miss the meeting. All it did though was make Ricky decide there really was no point in her trying anymore.  Very neatly, I think, telegraphed that Tori knows more about either the shooting or the couple than meets the eye.  Not something that usually happens with an experienced doctor.

[CaptainHulk]

Finding it a struggle to give a toss about Nate/Ricky (what's new). Wake me when it's over.

Seems like Maddy's made her mind and wouldn't change it at gunpoint.

Saw the previews Tonight's gonna be Pheobe/Dom/That Blasted Kid heavy , Maybe I'll tune their scenes out and pay attn to The Maddy Saga.

 

16 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

How did she know?

Well, she's always in everyone's biz to a degree. Needs to be more like Kermit and his cup of Lipton...

[Red Ranger 1]

2 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Evie and Josh (who once dated Maddy) and Leah are very close to Maddy so perhaps Andy was the best person for Matt to confide in, he could give a more unbiased view.

Okay, but what about Ash, Phoebe, Ricky, Nate...

Ricky and Nate was nothing new but we got a bit of an insight into Tori.Assuming that her story about her parents dying four years ago is true (and I'm assuming it is), that would explain why the siblings are all living together.Were they killed in a similar manner?(If they died together, we can probably rule out natural causes.)Meanwhile, Dom still seems curiously besotted with Phoebe but looks like she's going to go into a sulk.Dom's wife turns up and my reaction is "Er, that's Nurse Veronica."(Old conquest of Sid's.)

But the main event: Goodbye, Maddy. I'll miss her even though I haven't been entirely happy with the way she's been used this year.Kassandra acts her socks off as usual, I hope she's got a good career ahead of her.Another subtle little moment:Matt puts his arm round Maddy as they walk away but she can't do the same because he's on her left.I was surprised to see Tanya, it felt like her storyline had concluded last week, but a few gaps get filled in.We get told Maddy's going to be in rehab for three months.Matt mentions living next door to her mum: Possibly talking figuratively, meaning she'll be close by?I'm wondering if Roo is helping out with fees, a far more sensible arrangement than the lawsuit (I am not a fan of the compensation culture).Talking of which:Roo and the pills.I'm still unsure about the sinister music playing whenever she gets them out, they were prescribed by a doctor and she seems to have not taken more often than she has.But here we see she's run out, the first indication that she may have been overusing them since it seems she only got them a few days ago.Then again, maybe that's normal?Anyway, decent farewell party.Shame that Evelyn, as usual, makes it all about her while Josh makes a promise he can't keep. Maddy gets the necessary farewells with Alf, Roo and her friends and her "sand from home" was a nice touch.I'm not convinced that anything at the party would make Maddy think Matt didn't want to go:He'll probably give up the apprenticeship when he leaves anyway and I think this is his first proper scene with Leah since he moved out.But it did seem Matt was going more for Maddy's sake than because he actually wanted to leave and I wonder if his comment about her needing him tipped her off to the fact that him going with her was a bad idea.Sadly, her farewell note completely fails to provide closure, with her talking as though she'll see him again in a few months(I've a horrible feeling they're setting things up for Matt's departure which I'm not in favour of).As noted above, Matt running after the car as if if she leaves he'll never see her again is patently silly;he could be on the next bus to the city.I'd loved it if they addressed that next episode, but the promo leads me to suspect we won't see Matt again until next week.

And this is the last chance to say that Maddy suddenly wearing baggy shirts to accommodate the prosthetic feels a bit weak.

[Brian]

So it's all about Maddy from you people. What about Matt????? I feel very sorry for him. He came from Mangrove River school with the other pupils in their blue shirts and was the only one who tried to fit into Summer Bay.  He actually talked to the locals and was the first to change into a white shirt to blend in with them. Then he got into a relationship with Sasha, which went well. but she left him for uni and he could not do the same. Then he started punching way above his weight with Charlotte, yet she kept on taking him back.  How mature must he have been to do that??? Got into another relationship with Maddy, which went very well, moving into a caravan and then with Roo and now she has done the same to him and walked out on him, because he was not the sort of guy to want to go round the world. How could he have afforded it anyway? She lied to him and now he is left heartbroken again. He has tried to support himself. First as a pizza delivery guy, which Josh stole from him, and now as a mechanic. Well done for trying!

Can he survive in Summer Bay on that and still live with Roo? Will he go after Maddy in the city? I doubt it. A great lad who has been unfairly treated by the locals, except perhaps Leah, who saw the good in him.  

[Slade]

I'm so sick of the smug expression on Tori's face it's good to see that she isn't infallible.  So I'm glad she freaked out and Nate saved the day with regards to the gunshot victim.  I do find it funny that she is the one that is always offering her advice on his marriage like some sort of expert.

So Nate and Ricky have been married less than two months and they are already getting counselling - What an absolute sham of a marriage although at least Ricky is making an effort now.

First impression of Bella's mum is that I don't like her although I may enjoy seeing Phoebe get wound up by yet another person.

So that's the end for Maddy.  It could have been a lot worse I suppose.  At least there's a future to look forward to.  I did quite like the fact that Evelyn said she was losing her best friend which shows how far they have come since they were arch enemies.  I also liked the scene with Roo when she acknowledged everything she had done for her and their mother/daughter relationship.  Thought she was quite selfless with Matt.  Whilst she needed him, she decided that his happiness was more important than hers so had to let him go.  Who knows, perhaps one day they will meet again...

[KIMIF1]

The whole marriage has been a complete sham,  Ricky is just trying to save face -  she knows she made the wrong choice but just doesn't want to admit it. It was so obvious how she felt when Brax returned,  but through stubbornness she  took the easy road and look where she ended up, certainly not paradise. 

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, disappointingly but predictably, Matt's angst at the end of the previous episode gets dismissed with "Matt's staying."I'm assuming that he decided to respect Maddy's wishes and not go after her but it'd be nice to hear it from him.I can understand Roo missing her, especially since it's robbed her of her distraction from her guilt, although she really should be visiting her.You'd think in retrospect at least she'd twig that Maddy was saying goodbye to her the previous night.I found some of Alf's attitude rather frustrating, when he had a go at Roo for getting the pills: They were prescribed to her by a doctor, after Roo had taken his advice and spoken to her, does Alf really think he knows better than the professionals? But taking someone else's prescription medication is obviously a no-no.(Still, given that Maddy only seemed to be home from hospital about two days before leaving again, how much time did she have to bring medication home and stop taking it?)

I loved Leah and Zac's handling of VJ and Billie, they're all dealing with this with a decent amount of maturity and common sense.Much like Irene, Leah flipflops wildly on how liberal she is about teenagers having significant others sleep over, but as Zac points out, that ship's well and truly sailed.Phoebe's doing her best to support Billie but chose the wrong point to press: She should have stuck with the reasons she should tell VJ about the rape rather than bringing up the paternity again, which was always going to get her defensive.Nice to see Terri Garner using the gym again (um, except she didn't because they were out on the headland).It wasn't entirely clear what Billie did to the computer but I think she changed the date of when she saw Samantha (which would make sense: if that was the same day she first slept with VJ it would probably be too soon for her to be pregnant).I have every sympathy with Bill but she needs to stop and think, she's going to make herself look like the bad guy again when the truth comes out.

Struggled to maintain interest or concentration in the storyline of Phoebe and a bunch of people we don't really know.This relationship with Dom has just come out of nowhere so the importance being attached to it is rather baffling.

[Blaxland 89]

Did you hear Leah today. She said she had no one to help her with VJ. what a lie. 

[Slade]

Whilst I don't have an issue with sleepovers as such I do think it would have been common courtesy to at least ask Leah if it was OK first.  Especially given that Billie is the older one.  I think Zac did the right thing from his perspective.  His son in law is having a baby so it would be better for him to been in a committed relationship.  This is all a moot point as far as I'm concerned though as the baby is not VJs.  I'm convinced she's using him now.  Being very affectionate to ensure VJ stays in love with her.  I wonder how long before she says she loves him.  And stealing the doctors ID card to alter the pregnancy dates on the computer shows exactly what sort of person she is (I'm assuming she used the ID on the card to log into the system which would be ridiculous as if the doctor left it lying around the hospital anybody could pick it up and use it - really bad security).  And it's pretty reprehensible that she's prepared to ruin the live of a 16 year old just because she can't tell the truth.  Why did Phoebe have to drop the matter with regards to the dates?

I'm actually glad Dom wants to have a relationship with Phoebe.  it will make it all the more sweeter when he decides to give his wife another chance for the sake of their daughter and Phoebe will be all on her own again.