Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Psychic Wombat]

Yes, I can't say I'm that intrigued by the reason the whole of Tori's family are living together, they're not in witness protection so it can't be anything that can't be fixed. 

Guys, it's a soap, of course the chef would walk out of Angelo's just as one arrives in the bay! Just the same as when someone is offered a job they have to start the next day even if it's in Perth.

I missed the mention of Skye living with Greg, so much for a future Bonnie and Clyde storyline!

[c120701]

How odd that as Leah's off visiting Alex, Alex (well, Danny Raco) is busy directing the episodes he's being mentioned in.

[CaptainHulk]

I'm actually liking H&A this week. First time I've said that in a while. Even Phoebe is tolerable (mainly in Morgans scenes0

[Red Ranger 1]

I did love that the show was self-aware enough to give Phoebe that "Oh boy, here we go again..." reaction on realising that three brothers with a tendency for hitting each other have just moved to town, even if the show is doing a fairly good job of making them the anti-Braxtons.Their mantra of "Family first" doesn't help though.Nice that Justin's attempt at intimidation really didn't work and am I alone in suspecting/ hoping that Mason was just feeding him a line when he said he'd break up with Lara?Nice to finally get confirmation of what ages they are.

Oddly, I found my attention wandering during Alf's storyline, possibly because it felt like we were watching the same scenes as the previous episode.And even with his habit of appearing in more episodes than most, I suspect that's the last we'll see of him until next week.I'm not sure what the point was of Tori falling asleep at Nate's, I assumed she was going to be there for the night but then she just turned up at home.

I can tell that the Barrett storyline is deeply unpleasant when the most sympathetic character in it was Hunter.I still don't get why Andy's bail hearing has taken so long: It's not just Carter being zealous, Andy was in court the morning after he confessed to causing the explosion as well.Much as I hate to admit it, I wasn't impressed with Zac here.Objectively, I get that Zac has no reason to think Josh was involved in Charlotte's death but you'd expect him to be a bit sensitive to Hunter's feelings.(Evelyn selfishly parading her killer boyfriend about, only caring that she gets what she wants, is at least in character.)And then he sits him down and gives him a meaningless speech where he apparently expects him to just get over his mother's murder.(Is anyone going to give Josh a lecture for going psycho on Mason?)I can't help feeling that if it was Leah that had been murdered Zac would be a lot less happy about the brother of the guy that's confessed to it hanging around the house, but because he hated Charlotte he isn't bothered.I also can't help thinking that, although it'll probably all be blamed on Charlotte, there was as much of Zac's influence in Hunter attacking Andy: Zac did, after all, go to attack Tank when he confessed to causing the explosion and nearly did the same to Andy.Well, at least the show's admitting what Hunter's really like rather than writing him as Saint Hunter. I'm not expecting there to be any consequences, there never are for him, but at least I got to see him manhandled to the floor and handcuffed.Still not quite seeing the logic that Hunter and Charlotte fought Andy was "one of the good guys" because he helped them cover up a crime (and let someone else be blamed).Should have turned him in when you had the chance, Barrett...

[c120701]

I think the reason for the wandering attention in the Alf storyline is because every storyline he's had for about three years has been/become about his health, one was even pretty much the same situation - the poisoning from Chris's mushroom risotto hitting him whilst out on the Blaxland. Then we had him admitted to hospital due to his panic attacks (with the generally brilliant Anzac day story) and now he's back in hospital again.

It didn't help that Justin swimming from the boat to the diner was so reminiscent of Brax swimming to Jett's dinghy from the diner.

[CaptainHulk]

^ That boat is cursed! They need to Valhalla that deadly s*** heap!

Maybe these are signs Alf/Ray are getting older and we're in for a lot more stories like this 

9 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I did love that the show was self-aware enough to give Phoebe that "Oh boy, here we go again..." reaction on realising that three brothers with a tendency for hitting each other have just moved to town, even if the show is doing a fairly good job of making them the anti-Braxtons.Their mantra of "Family first" doesn't help though.Nice that Justin's attempt at intimidation really didn't work and am I alone in suspecting/ hoping that Mason was just feeding him a line when he said he'd break up with Lara?Nice to finally get confirmation of what ages they are.

I think we need start worrying when we see the following:

Justin: Take this! *pokes Brody in eye*

Brody: Take that! *bops Mason on the head*

Mason: Woop Woop Woop! *slaps the other two*

(Three Stooges reference)

[H&Alover]

That was a big jump from Justin just happening to land at Phoebe's feet to Alf being trollied into ND hospital,  did they send out a dinghy, launch to pick him up?  I didn't like Nate's questioning why Justin didn't call an ambulance, I thought that is what he did do, if the radio had been working he'd have called fro help a lot sooner.  I like how John and Matt have rallied round Roo to support her, John and Alf have had their moments in the past but he's a big enough man to out that aside.  I thought Nate and Tori did very well in relaying the news of Alf's condition to Roo and the others.  Nate of course knowing them so well was able to be the professional as well as being sympathetic and although she doesn't know them as well Tori was just as empathic, they didn't fudge the seriousness of the situation and for once you didn't get the usual cries from those being told "Why can't you tell us, there must be something  you can do"!  'Talking' as we (and Alf and Justin) were earlier about sisters will someone think to let Morag (and maybe Celia) know?   I thought it was  a nice little scene between Nate and Tori when she turned up at his and they talked about how hard it can be when the patients are also friends.  Very brief discussion about readjusting to a small town hospital (which isn't always as quiet as you think it may be) after working in the city.  I'd forgotten Nate didn't really want to be there when he first arrived and at one point couldn't wait to leave. It was a bit odd Tori having a kip in the sofa then going home.  Did she wait until Nate fell asleep then sneak off?

OK so WPP is out of the running, but although I don't believe they are criminals  their constant moving has to mean whatever they are running from has to be deeply, deeply serious and potentially life threatening, another reference it had to do with their parents death again and how it has been the best thing for them all to stick together.  I must admit it has me intrigued.  Mason, I'm guessing wildly here is early 20's so his letting his girlfriend Lara know where they were is down to his youth.  Should I skip over how she managed to track them down when as they have only just arrived no-one would know where they lived?  Justin warning her off is typical big brother stuff (did we get confirmation of their ages, I thought all we found out was Justin is the eldest, then Tori, Brody and Mason).   Sometimes it is the loose thread like Lara that can be the undoing of a family in hiding, they casually mention it to a friend who.... you can see where I'm going.   The invisible chef has gone and we have a flesh and blood one  - two cases in as many days of the right person being in the right place at the right time.  Brody nearly made a slip about their past  life, but Justin stopped him when he mentioned to Phoebe about a supplier he knew. Ironic that Phoebe now seems to be in charge, all arranged off screen I guess, because when she first arrived she resisted every time Kyle tried to get her a shift there!!  Phoebe certainly has been there, done that, got the t-shirt about  warring brothers.  Echoes of Heath and Kyle or Casey there with Justin and Mason and Brody being the Brax brother.

I wonder if we, the viewer, were meant to pick up on the Greg, Tank and Skye throwaway as it was so casually done or were we meant  just forget about them all.

As we have now seen Hunter was a powder keg just waiting for someone to light the blue touch paper. He had as Zac said being a different guy of late, he's had Zac, Leah and Olivia as an influence rather than his psycho mother. Josh, was kind of, telling the truth when he told Hunter he wasn't covering for Andy over Charlotte.  No-one else knows Josh is a killer boyfriend. To Charlotte and Hunter at the time Andy was a good guy, he treated Hunter like a normal guy and was nice to Charlotte so no reason to think otherwise.  Evelyn was being her off and on selfish self, she really could have been more tactful in bringing Josh home.  She wasn't that observant either as you would expect a loving girlfriend to be by not noticing how down Josh was when he came back from visiting Andy and she light-heartedly suggested they go and see a film. We heard Andy say he'd been in custody for a week, but of course if he had been packed off to chokey we wouldn't have had last nights scene.  Josh's reaction to seeing Mason drawing horns on Andy's photo was as you would expect from a brother, Mason wouldn't have any idea who was who and at least he didn't hit him. At least as a brother Mason understood Josh's reaction.  I may well be reading far too  much into an innocent apology from Evie to Mason on Josh's behalf but if Josh does go down at sometime for Charlotte's murder and his involvement in Pitrovic's death as in accessory after the fact, there will be an available young man for her. He, Josh, certainly loses it big time with her tonight.

 

[Brian]

Well Phoebe must ne in charge at Angelos if she can hire staff. Looks like her new chef knows what he is doing, but his big brother (Justin?) must get off his back and get a job. Shouldn't be difficult if he is a trained mechanic, but not with Ash. I like Mason of all three brothers, must be difficult for him changing universities in the middle of his course, with him getting straight As, as Lara said.

Sorry about that folks - it disappeared 6 minutes ago and I could not retrieve it!!!! So here goes again. About Lara. yes, she looks much older than Mason, but I can see why he does not want to give her up. Will he really do what he promised Justin? I think it might be "family first" except for Lara with him. Nice to see a new family in the Bay, but a bit like the Brennans in Neighbours. Do they have the same scriptwriters? Will we have a snake in H&A soon?

The  Barretts drama over the two murders is playing out very well with plenty of twists and it can go several ways. Be interesting to see how it develops. Will both brothers be charged with both murders and Kat lose her job? This new sergeant seems to be on the ball and will surely smell a rat, especially as he is new to the station. Is this also to be the break up of Josh and Evie, as was suggested today. Can she ever put that past her love for Josh? Did anyone notice, when they were talking in the woods, that Josh called her "Phoebe" once?   

Another strange thing was when the two doctors were trying to resuccitate Alf yesterday that they allowed Roo to stay in the room and pull awful faces. Normally visitors are sent out of the room in such dramatic cases. Will we see the same old Alf again? I think not.

Then there were the lovely scenes between VJ and Billie today. They do make a great couple. Zak just does not get it, does he? And where can you buy a book that thick about babies?  No wonder VJ is falling behind with his studies! That gave Billie a scare, didn't it, when she saw it? How much longer can she keep that secret? What about the advice she gave to Ash, about how much worse it will get the longer you leave it? "Grow a vagina" Billie - or whatever the equivalent of "balls" is.         

[CaptainHulk]

Yes, Justin needs get off his arse and do something. Tori's at hospital, Brody's in the kitchen at Angelo's  and Mason's at Uni. He can't just sit around drinking beer/playing guitar hero/pulling it (delete as applicable) while everyone is doing what they gotta do. Swallow your pride, Justin and work alongside Man-Bun @ the garage! 

This week's eps have been great as it seems an era is coming to an end (Braxtons/Barretts) while a new one is starting. 

I agree, this sarge seems to be a lot more competent than his predecessors. Almost Hale-level.

I also agree about Roo, be this Neighbours, Emmerdale or real-life she'd virtually be shoved out of the room by medics

 

3 hours ago, Brian said:

Then there were the lovely scenes between VJ and Billie today. They do make a great couple. Zak just does not get it, does he? And where can you buy a book that thick about babies?  No wonder VJ is falling behind with his studies! That gave Billie a scare, didn't it, when she saw it? How much longer can she keep that secret? What about the advice she gave to Ash, about how much worse it will get the longer you leave it? "Grow a vagina" Billie - or whatever the equivalent of "balls" is.         

 That shouldn't be making me laugh so hard.

The Palmer/VJ exchange reminded me of how Vinnie was to a degree.

Long may the best week in a while continue

[Red Ranger 1]

10 hours ago, H&Alover said:

(did we get confirmation of their ages, I thought all we found out was Justin is the eldest, then Tori, Brody and Mason).    Echoes of Heath and Kyle or Casey there with Justin and Mason and Brody being the Brax brother.

Yes, sorry, I realised after I wrote it that that I'd phrased it wrong. I wouldn't describe Brody as the Brax brother, I think the Brax role seems to be shared between Tori and Justin, although on the whole they do seem less hierarchical than the Braxtons.Brody, if you stretch the comparison, seems closest to Kyle.

3 hours ago, Brian said:

Did anyone notice, when they were talking in the woods, that Josh called her "Phoebe" once?   

Well, the subtitles said "Phoebe" but that's because subtitles are written by people who probably needs subtitles themselves.He actually called her "Evie".

Why exactly is Kat trying to keep Hunter out of jail? Apparently the episode couldn't work out a way to make him being let out straightaway plausible, so we get another huge narrative leap from "I'm not sorry and I don't care what happens to me" to "Thank you for your co-operation, we'll just sort out the paperwork and you're free to go." I can understand Zac being deluded about what Hunter is and convincing himself that he's made a lot of progress, but why is Kat letting someone who stabbed someone (sorry, "assaulted", which is a euphemism if ever I heard someone) while out on bail for putting someone else in hospital for months and nearly killing her and three others back out onto the streets?Does the concept of "ongoing threat to society" mean nothing to her?Seemed to be some confusion with McCarthy saying he'll have Murray's badge for what happened: Murray is the semi-regular officer who wouldn't let Hunter see Andy on Monday, it seemed to be a different officer in charge of the transfer.Does he think Murray mishandled Hunter's original visit, was he in charge of the station at the time even though we didn't see him or did someone get their officers confused? Hunter's speech to Andy was presumably meant to be empowerment or closure or something but was in fact supremely pointless: He's making the speech to the wrong person and Andy quite clearly couldn't care less.

Zac really isn't coming over well this week.Maybe he's being given scripts that were written for Leah but here he has the opposite problem.Whereas his defence of Josh was based on him not knowing what we know, here what could mitigate against his attitude towards VJ and Billie we know but he doesn't.We know that VJ probably isn't the father but as far as Zac's aware he is.So, yes, VJ should do his best at his HSC and did seem to be a bit too casual...but getting a job to support his assumed child actually seems like a good thing that should be encouraged.(Loved John's reaction to the news.)Wasn't too keen on Ash bullying a schoolkid while not doing much to support Billie himself, he's the one that was so keen to track her down last year.

Kat accusing Ash of compromising her continues to be absurd: She compromised herself by keeping quiet about Josh's confession, then compromised Ash by telling him and expecting him to keep quiet.Evelyn finds that sleeping with a killer isn't as easy as she thought it would be.The ending sums up what a complete dumbass Barrett is: Everything Charlotte was threatening to do, he's basically done himself! He's dobbed himself in for Jake's murder and dobbed Josh in for covering for him, meaning Josh basically killed Charlotte for nothing! They'd have been better off letting Charlotte go to the police, then they'd be charged with one less death, maybe three less if Andy hadn't been around to cause the explosion!