Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[c120701]

I like that they seem to have replaced the caravans with ones more in the style of the original caravan park.

[Brian]

Slade, are you sure that Billie's baby is not VJs? I still hope it is, but how will we ever find out? Billie is getting herself into deeper and deeper water having meals with Leah and Zac and having to listen to Leah's ravings. OK so she had a hard time bringing up VJ, but she doesn't have to burden Billie with that. Back off Leah!!! Even Zac had a go at VJ when he found out. Aren't there any good parents around in Summer Bay??? Look at the mess that John has made with Sky. No wonder she took off. And Tank's father was no use when he was growing up. Where on earth do all these teenagers get their sense of responsibility from? I suppose that's what makes the series interesting to watch.     

[Red Ranger 1]

Watching Billie and VJ here, I really wish this was real.(Not the relationship, which I'm convinced is real, but the rest of it.)I think they could make a brilliant storyline out of a 17-year-old boy getting an older but emotionally damaged 20-something girl pregnant and the two of them and their families struggling to deal with it.They could even make a good storyline out of VJ discovering his new girlfriend is pregnant as the result of rape and struggling with the dilemma of whether to do the "right" but difficult thing and help her or whether to get out.But instead, we're basically following a fake storyline where everyone's making choices based on the wrong information and somewhere down the line it's all going to change.It's frustrating rather than entertaining, however well-acted it is.I'm not sure if that's the first confirmation that Billie's mother is dead, even though it's been clear for a while that she and Ash are the whole family.While I understand Zac's point of view, I thought it was cruel of Leah to offer Billie a home and then retract it.She probably shouldn't have made the offer in the first place, but given that she had she should have sat down, discussed the pros and cons with VJ and Billie and them all make the decision on whether it's the best thing or not, rather than unilaterally withdrawing the offer.

I get the feeling we were all meant to go "What a guy!" at Saint Hunter waiting half an episode before rooting Olivia again.Frustratingly I think I might quite like Olivia by now if she wasn't being used as a plot device to make Hunter seem normal.Which is kind of undermined by the fact he keeps giving her a Psycho Killer Smile that makes him look like the Joker.Plus he was a jerk about Skye here and...

Woah, what just happened?Skye's in the promo so it's obviously not the last we see of her but she didn't seem to be doing much and there was a worrying finality about her last chat with Olivia (very worrying, given that this was before Skye found out Greg had said no).Not so much the very perfunctory farewell note she left John, but maybe someone was worried about repeating Maddy's farewell.The town's treatment of Tank continues to be appalling and there doesn't seem to be any consistency about it: Tank gets his car vandalised, Andy who was more responsible gets bought beer.Skye continues to have no filter, blurting out that she's slept with Tank to John.There was no way this was going to end well with neither of them willing to back down.It does feel like Skye has latched on to Tank but I'm glad someone has.I do feel sorry for Greg, I'm not sure there was much he could have done when Tank was growing up given the way he was when we first met him and he did seem to be trying his best here.His and Tank's chat seemed to get heated very quickly, almost as if part of the scene was removed.I don't blame him for not considering taking Skye, it's a big ask, but the decision may have cost him his son and in terms of practicality if she wanted to live with them I don't think they'd even need permission.I don't know how much of a chance they've got, Skye's dismissive attitude towards Tank breaking his parole ("Your dad won't dob you in and you can check in at a police station anywhere") felt like the show had written itself into a corner and was hoping no-one would notice it didn't make sense.Maybe losing Skye is the price the town has to pay for their treatment of Tank.

[atrus]

Done Monday to Thursday, and some great acting from Kassandra, as well as Georgie, as Maddy departed. Given how quickly it happened afterwards, I wish the writers hadn't amputated her arm first. On reflection it feels like an even cheaper ploy than it did at the time. Still, at least they didn't kill her off in the explosion, and she ended up getting a relatively upbeat ending which I was pleased about.

However, much as I like Maddy's independence as a character, as somemone who's as invested in Matt as Maddy, I didn't at all like the way she disappeared off without telling him. He was prepared to throw out all the cosy certainties of life in the Bay (okay, we know there's nothing cosy or certain about the Bay, but let's suspend disbelief here) to go with her, and I think he deserved much better than to be discarded in the way he was. Maddy knows better than anyone how down Matt gets on himself, and the effect this was likely to have. So I just find it baffling that she'd do what she did without at least explaining herself to him first. Then to add insult to injury, the next episode made it all about Roo, without even a sight of Matt - instead inflicting another day of Phoebe and the guy whose name eludes me on us. And the day after was all predictably samey stuff with Tank/Skye and Hunter/Olivia, when really Matt should have been in focus.

At least Billie and VJ were there to break things up a bit. I think Tessa is playing the part excellently although I do wish it didn't all seem so inevitably doomed for her. I'm not sure she's wise to rely on Phoebe's confidence, given that her secret-keeping record is barely upwards of two scenes. Perhaps that's why she broke into the hospital to alter the medical notes - although this did seem excessive. Surely a quiet chat with Terri Garner ought to have assuaged her fears about confidentiality - whereas now it seems like Garner may be suspicious.

Nate and Ricky's neverending argument continues.

And still with Josh. What on earth is Kat playing at?

[Angelica]

Having not been a fan of her in the past, I am sad to see Maddy go. I do feel that they could have given us a bit more time seeing Maddy adjust to the amputation prior to shipping her off. For instance,if anyone should have had a prescribed drug misuse problem, it should have been Maddy. How she could she possible be off the pain killers so soon after being discharged? Chronic pain is such a big part of having an amputation. The whole thing felt like a bit of a cop-out. Why bother giving her an amputation anyway if it was only going to be dealt with for few episodes. 

I did like Matt's mention of his difficulties of a long distance relationship with Sasha. Although he is a much better place than he was then. With Sasha, she was the only good thing in his life, and he became a little dependent on her. At least now, he has a built up a support network of sorts, and has some thoughts to a future. And I do think it was brave and unselfish of Maddy to decide that she couldn't ask him to give that all up for her. I still felt Maddy disappearing with a note and Matt running after the car was unnecessarilu melodramatic  given that she is only going to be a relatively short drive away. And I feel cheated that we saw no impact on Matt in the next episode (surely that was more important than the Phoebe/Dom or Ricky/Nate stuff). 

Skye continues to be disappointingly frustrating. I still can't buy into the Skye/Tank relationship - it feels that they have both just latched onto the first available person. Skye may profess to love Tank - but she was willing to throw him to sharks when she thought he was responsible for the accident. In fact, it is partly her fault that the town are struggling to forgive Tank after she was so quick to tell everyone the accident was his fault. It seems silly for her to expect everyone else to give him the benefit of the doubt, when she, the person who supposedly loves him, wasn't going to do so at that time (after all, regardless of who is blamed, it was ultimately an accident). The other thing that annoys me is that this is basically turning into Evie/Tank part 2 including the running away except it is even more ridiculous this time round. Again, Skye was frustratingly blase about Tank breaking his parole, and also about leaving John, someone who stepped up to help her with her mother even though he didn't need to. Especially given that she is no longer with Jett. I just feel that this Skye is so far removed from the mature quirky girl we were first introduced to, I can't remember the last time I ended up being so disappointed with a character. 

Billie is taking this too far, but I am kinda relieved that she is as as much as I like her character, and love the way she is played, I was struggling with the new Saint Billie. So it has been good to still some glimpses of the messed-up vulnerable girl who would go to great lengths to keep hold of the people she loves (or whom she hopes will love her). 

[Red Ranger 1]

I don't think Billie's thinking rationally enough to rely on patient confidentiality.I think this is about more than just keeping the truth a secret, I think she's in a huge state of denial, trying to bury what happened to her and pretend it didn't happen.In a way, she's almost trying to convince herself that VJ's the father, so the last thing she needs is Samantha working out the truth and being another constant reminder.

Alf's episode count this week: Three, and he was credited on Thursday for no appearance.Andy and Kat only appeared in one each, although Kat was credited on Tuesday for no appearance.

Opening with the annoying airhead curled up in bed with the creepy psycho wasn't the best start, especially since Hunter spent most of the episode talking as if he'd swallowed a load of helium, just to be as creepy as possible.Olivia finally acknowledging she's self-absorbed was off-set by her calling a sociopathic arsonist the best guy she's ever known.She must have met a lot of really bad guys, because he wasn't even the best guy she met that day.At least her more annoying moments seemed to have been cut, judging by earlier promos.I continue to sympathise with and to a degree support Skye, even though John and Greg's chat made it clear this isn't going to be as simple as she thinks.I do think it's not going to go the same way as Evie, judging by her chat with Tank.I don't think Skye's to blame for the town hating Tank. (She did, essentially, try to tell Olivia in private only for Hunter to overhear and rush to tell everyone at a completely inappropriate moment, resulting in Skye being dragged in front of an impromptu kangaroo court and forced to tell the lynch mob what she'd heard.)If anything, it's the other way round: She's had everyone dripping poison about Tank in her ear, so when she heard he'd caused the accident she started to believe what she'd been told.Perhaps that's why she needs to get away, before she gets brainwashed by the town even more.I do think she's grateful to John, but no-one was going to respond well to his approach. Chris is turning into a regular good samaritan at the moment, helping Olivia with her self-harming and now being there for John.(Still, the frequent offhand references to Irene are getting ridiculous.Maybe if nothing was happening in Summer Bay but given that we've had a pretty seismic time, with two people dead including Chris' girlfriend and numerous other major events, you'd expect them to a)try and contact her and b)wonder why they hadn't heard back.)

Josh continues to be a cowardly scumbag, using Evelyn's grief as an excuse to avoid the consequences of his actions.Kat has just lost her already feeble excuse for keeping quiet and she'll be even more of a joke if she doesn't go round there and slap the handcuffs on him, Evelyn or no Evelyn.Evelyn's comments here show just how flawed their strategy is: If Kat had just arrested Josh, Evie would have had the rest of her friends and family supporting her.Instead she's come to rely on Josh who's going to then be taken away.

Ricky, Nate, blah blah. Ash and Tori's involvement (and another hint that Tori's hiding something as she blusters her way through a conversation about her past) managed to raise the interest level slightly but only slightly.How could this get any worse?Oh, wait, here's a promo with Brax in it.For goodness sake, why?

[KIMIF1]

The only reason to sit through Kyle Pryors abysmal acting in this episode - whats new - was to see Steve back, it might have only been for a second or two but it was well worth it  as far as I am concerned.

[Slade]

On 21/07/2016 at 8:00 PM, Brian said:

Slade, are you sure that Billie's baby is not VJs? I still hope it is, but how will we ever find out?

Positive.  Even if I wasn't you have to ask yourself if the baby is VJs why bother editing the medical records on the computer?  I'm just curious as to why you want VJ the be the actual father Brian.  Do you not think he would be throwing his life away raising a kid with her given that he's pretty much still a kid himself?  Also bear in mind that the supposed mother of his child tried to frame the person who saved her life for rape.  So you would have to question the judgement of someone like that even without knowing the other stuff.  Does VJ not deserve to have the freedom that some of the teens in the past and present have?  Does he not deserve to live his life first before raising offspring especially with someone who is unworthy and undeserved?

Well Billie looks set to have her feet well and truly under the table.  Until Zac talked her out of it Leah was prepared to accept Billie wholeheartedly into their home.  It's a shame Billie isn't showing VJ the same grace that Leah is prepared to show towards her.  Objectively I do believe Billie wanted to move in because she quite enjoyed the family unit with VJ/Leah/Zac, which she obviously lacked when her mother died.  I think I'm really going to enjoy it when this all comes out which will reiterate what a selfish and manipulative individual she really is.  Really, really hope there is some serious backlash.  And deservedly so.  So I hope she does move in and gets on really well with everyone and then the s*** hits the fan.  It will be interesting to see how this all comes out.  I suspect someone will discover the truth, give Billie and ultimatum but VJ will find out anyway.

Skye is just coming across as childish and ungrateful and her attitude stinks.  She even admitted in the episode on Thursday that she was treating John badly.  So he is never allowed to discipline her now.  What exactly is he supposed to do when she steps out of line?  I think her goodbye note to him summarises how little she thinks of him anyway.  Any person should be raising serious concerns about it given Tank's history.  So less than 3 months after he's released he elopes with another girl.  They seem to be getting on fine but what if Skye has a change of heart about the relationship.  It may trigger a relapse with Tank.  Personally I would rather Tank stuck around and earn the respect from everyone and really prove that he has changed.  And I would like to see how things progress with Skye so hopefully they will both change their minds and return to the bay.

I did find the argument with Nate and Ricky about her hiding the birthday card Brax sent to Casey mildly amusing.  I think when Tori took Nate home and he was mumbling, that was actually very telling.  He was simply saying what he knew all along, what he knew when he was going out with her and what he knew when he married her.  She will never love him the way she loved/loves Brax.

Still finding Tori's smug expressions annoying.  And once again she is involved in Nate's marriage.  I'm now even more suspicious of her given as I've mentioned a couple of times the way she was cagey with Alf when she asked about her brothers and when she was having a conversation with one of her colleagues and he was simply asking her about where she worked last (you know questions where most people who work together will ask each other at some point).  I am also wondering if her offering to taking Nate home was because of how uncomfortable she seemingly was and wanted to avoid a social gathering where she will be exposed to more questions about herself.

[CaptainHulk]

Ugh, I want Ricky gone so they can finally wash the Braxton stink off this show. Maybe Nate needs a short break too , pack him off London or something

The Irene BS is stretching credibility. It'd be more believable if Irene took off around Oz to find her kid. It's like no-one bar Chris and Alf gives a stuff.

There's a lot of stuff in this show at the minute that's giving me "WTF face"?

 

 

[KIMIF1]

Don't know about the 'Braxton stink' as I haven't got 'smellyvision' ,  but at least they could act and were very popular and still are from what I can see - apart from on this forum of course - but then I have suddenly realised why that is.  Still only two more episodes and that's it,   people can moan all they like about it but Brax will hopefully get the happy ending I wanted for him and they cant change a thing.

Its  no wonder so many people are  saying the show has no where near the draw it had and that they are looking elsewhere,  that is not just teenagers or tweeters  as has been mentioned before on here, its people who have watched the show for years and are giving up on it due to dullness of characters and storylines.