Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Two (and he was credited on Monday for no appearance).

Irene's proven many times that she'll forgive Olivia anything, so it was hardly a surprise that all was forgotten by the end of the episode.I will say though that Olivia's reminiscing about Chloe (even if no-one used her name) was the first time that sort of thing has really resonated with me since she's been back.Anyway, it was ultimately a decent compromise on Irene's part to put up her own money to help out.

Mason was on a hiding to nothing with his phone call to the transplant co-ordinator (did he really think they'd make Beth a higher priority just on his say so?) but it was understandable in the circumstances.He seems to be making Beth's life better anyway and he's clearly willing to stick in there whatever happens.

Well, nice as it is that the earth moved for Ash and Tori, they haven't really solved the logistics so I guess they'll have to settle for afternoon delight.Slightly weird that they relied on a mother and son as their respective confidantes.But really, Mick? Again? I really hoped we'd heard the last of him after that failed paternity application.It does seem like no-one realises that the rewriting of Irene's history with the ridiculous "She had a son she never mentioned who turns out to be a psychotic serial rapist" plotline is something that many of us would like to pretend never happened, and it's a bit difficult when they insist on dredging it up every few months.

[CaptainHulk]

The Chloe ref was kind of nice. That's the kind of thing she'd totally do given her generally good-hearted nature. 

Ah, yes. Mick who was mown down 25yrs ago in Melbourne as a Teenager, came back to life as a Tomorrow Person and lived in London for a bit, relocated back down under and became a Seaman before coming to Summer Bay out of the Blue... 

(In all seriousness, Kristian plays the psycho reasonably well, it's just the poor writing That lets it down)

[Slade]

This time I sympathised with Beth's parents.  I think Mason's actually being quite selfish and I was glad Beth's mum told him to let them spend time with Beth by themselves.  It's not too much for them to spend some time alone with their daughter.  I think it was quite telling even Justin could see things from their perspective.  I guess he would be the same if it was Ava.  I'm undecided about Beth.  I don't particularly like the way she seems to prefer spending time with Mason than her parents who have looked after her her whole life but she is dying so can't really fault her.  I wasn't surprised when Mason called the organ donor people and asked/demanded/begged that they move Beth's name up the waiting list.  Tori annoyed me when she covered for him again.  And this once more proves he's not fit to be a doctor.  He just doesn't have the right temperament.  And he's said the L-word.  The only surprise is that it took him this long.

Scarlett seemed to luck out at court although I did think she was making a mistake.  Given the honchos Caleb sent to find her, the fact that she paid a substantial amount of money to ensure Bruno "forgot" that he saw her and the effort she and Justin went to make her disappear, Caleb actually came across as quite reasonable (Part of me can't help think that the writers changed the storyline slightly as he needs to be gone completely for Scarlett and Justin to be together).  I was expecting him to be a deeply unpleasant individual.  Scarlett doesn't want to be with him fine but I do think he was quite correct in there needs to be some sort of resolution, not just for the closure element regarding their son but for them to get divorced and go their separate ways.  I did actually quite enjoy their scenes.  Looking at them I do think it's shame as if their son had still been alive then perhaps they would still be happily married.

I enjoyed the fact that Raffy was being "violent".  Jen's been picking on her, like she picked on Coco so I'm glad Raffy stood up to her.  I also really liked the way she spoke back to Maggie in front of John and Marilyn.  When I saw the preview I was really looking forward to seeing Maggie suffer but now it's happened it's not as satisfying as I thought.  Perhaps that's because Maggie was vulnerable rather than being her usually arrogant self.  I did like Raffy donning the all black look like an Antifa member though.

I think most people would have guessed that Ziggy was involved in the incident which originally triggered Maggie to act like this when Raffy broke into the school.  I do think it says a lot that Raffy called Coco immediately and was genuinely remorseful even though I did think she was very lucky Maggie didn't involve the police and it did feel like Ziggy had a point about her apology even though she was only acting like that out of guilt.  I don't think Coco should keep quiet about this but rather than going straight to Maggie and Ben I do think she should give Ziggy the opportunity to come clean first.  I think it's probably for the best Raffy moving back in with the Morgans as she is deeply unhappy at John and Marilyn's.  I'm actually glad she acknowledged Coco wasn't being a particularly good friend.

I wasn't sure at first about Leah following Coco into the toilets like that just before she caught her throwing up.  But thinking about it I suppose from Leah's perspective she saw her eating then she looked like she was about to be sick so she was genuinely concerned.  I didn't however buy the fact she automatically assumed Coco was forcing herself to be sick.  For all she knew Coco simply ate too much and threw up as a result of that.  I think it was plausible she figured it out after VJ told her about being ill before and fainting (As an aside I really liked that scene especially the way Hunter was talking about all the times he has food poisoning was grossing VJ out but at the same time the camera was on Leah's face showing her figuring out what was wrong with Coco).  Regardless, Leah has really impressed me how she's gone out of her way to help Coco.  The scene when Coco confided in her, the way she got Tori to help, going to check up on Coco afterwards and giving Coco her mobile number in case she needed to call her.  I don't think Coco will get in touch with her because as she said in her own words she's VJs mother.  I'm surprised Leah didn't ask if she was sick after VJ told her he just wanted to be friends.  I think Leah has made the right decision agreeing to keep quiet.  It was the only way she could get Coco to talk and I feel the trust element in this is very important.  I am concerned Leah's going to get the blame because of that when this comes out.  Ben will probably have a go at her like he did before and Maggie will guilt trip her by asking her how would she feel if it was VJ and somebody else knew but didn't say anything.

I know Ash has gatecrashed John and Marilyn's dates a couple of times so there's an argument he deserves it but John and Marilyn annoyed me again when they gatecrashed Ash and Tori's meeting at Salt.  They did the same thing to Kat and Robbo the week before last so it's not as if it's a one off for them although they do both like to get involved in other people's business rather than focus on themselves.  I thought Ash could have had Tori on the first date but he was playing it safe because he didn't want to ruin it although it didn't matter in the end.

I started off annoyed with Olivia again not because she committed fraud as I was already aware of that last week but just her attitude when Irene confronted her about it.  I do think though Irene was right to let Olivia pursue her dream.  She's seems prepared to put in the work, is committed and determined.  And I think it was very sensible for Irene to get a second opinion from Leah about Olivia's business model.  I do have to admit, my jaw dropped when Irene said she was prepared to invest $20000.  I don't think that was sensible at all.  Not this early on.

Looking forward to seeing the return of Mick.

[CaptainHulk]

I'm waiting for the Day those bitches giving Raffy and Coco all that crap finally get theirs but in a show like H&A it takes a goood while...

[H&Alover]

While I can understand why Mason is so desperate for Beth to get the next available heart he did totally overstep the mark and he was very lucky Tori managed to placate the HTCT.  Even when a heart does become available - see next week - Mason overstepping the mark again - it doesn't automatically follow it will be a perfect match for Beth, the next recipient may be the better match. Do they have the system in Australia we currently have here  regarding organ donors?  Beth loves her mum and dad but her time with Mason has been a breath if fresh air for her, until he discovered the truth she was treated as your everyday young woman by him which has been missing from her life since her diagnosis. As aside Tori and Ash's date got interrupted thanks to Mason.

Funny that Leah was giving Tori the same advice VJ was giving Ash as to they'd know when it was right, mother and son agony aunts! Well they certainly did know it was the right time. By the ways guys best tell Kat you two are an item before (a) someone else tells them or (b) she catches you having a passionate snog on the beach. That was kind of unfortunate Ash taking the call from the prison where Mick is banged up, he can't be eligible for parole already surely?  He was let out too soon last time.

As for Leah following Coco VJ did the same thing which I would have thought would be more suspect young man following a girl into a  loo.  Leah is in a tricky situation by promising Coco she'll keep silent and the fact she is VJ's mum shouldn't come into it, what Coco told her was in confidence and if VJ asks which he might she'll find a way to deflect him. Matters seem to be moving on in respect of Coco's problems this week anyway so we'll soon find out if Leah gets any blame.

Very good idea for Irene to get a second opinion from Leah about Olivia's business plan she's bound to be biased.   Once Olivia had stopped being so single minded and convinced Irene she was committed she came across as a lot more reasonable.  One question wasn't it only a short while ago Irene backed out of Alf and Leah's plan to buy the pier and Diner as she didn't have the cash but now she's got $20,000 to invest in Olivia's business? I'm like you Slade I think that is far too much, $10,000 maybe or match the amount Olivia 'borrowed' from her trust fund. Anything could go wrong then Irene would be left broke. Neat little mentions of Hunter and VJ doing their HSC's soon.

Caleb seems a reasonable bloke now he's having counselling but back when it happened he did blame Scarlett for Max's death and sent three guys to get her to go back to him by force. I have the feeling even if they did get back together it'd still be between them so perhaps a clean break is better for both of them.

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, best thing about the episode was how great it is to finally have Raffy back among her family again.Her teasing of Justin and Tori about their respective love lives shows just how much she's been wasted not being included in scenes like that for the past couple of months especially their feeble attempt to use a blatant euphemism.And she's back to being 14, so I guess the prosecutor read his notes wrong.I'm not sure her advice to Justin was particularly helpful though.Scarlett did indeed look nice dressed up for her dinner at Salt and the stuffed monkey (Max's, I presume) was a nice motif.

Unfortunately, we then have the other storyline in which the only good thing was VJ.The episode can't even be bothered to work out the logistics of Tori staying over with Ash, with the result that I was left with the bizarre mental image of Irene sneaking past them to get Luc in the morning.(Okay, Ash probably brought her out but it just looked odd.)But still...why is Mick back?Again? They kill Billie and keep thrusting this disgusting character at us.Ash finally got to lay hands on him, which probably wasn't a sensible move (and again leaves me thinking that this is what he should be like towards Hunter, who did just as bad to Billie, but I know I'm flogging a dead horse there), but then Irene manages to beat him in the "What the hell are you playing at?" stakes by actually going to see the creep.Honestly, Mick's just scum and his attempts to act the victim just makes him even more repulsive: There's no attempt to take responsibility beyond banal apologies, he doesn't see any of it as his fault, mainly because he's got quacks telling him he's ill and that makes it okay because letting him out worked really well last time.He's never even tried to be a son to Irene, just bullied her and hurt her and harmed innocent people, she owes him absolutely nothing and she's a fool if she thinks otherwise.

[harrietjames]

Mick is a good character. BECAUSE he's scum and repulsive and that makes him interesting to watch. He's played by a talented acted - we can all name characters who are played for someone chosen more for their attractiveness than their acting skills - which also makes him good to watch - as does sharing scenes with Irene.

 

 

[Slade]

One good thing about Mick returning is that it means we get to see Ash lose it.

Again enjoyed the scenes with Scarlett and Caleb.  To me it does feel as though they still care about each other but have to go their separate ways because the pain of losing their son is too much.

An immediate change in Raffy as soon as she moved back into the Morgans.  Instead of being rebellious and petulant she is back to being the witty, feisty little girl.  Will be interesting to see how she now deals with Jen should Jen continue to bully her.

[H&Alover]

It was good to see Raffy back in the bosom of her family, well two of them anyway! Loved the yuk look on her face when Tori said Ash was into yoga!  Her and Justin certainly spent a long time at the surf club, went off in the afternoon and still there when it had gone dark and Scarlett turned up for her dinner 'date' with Caleb.  Would have been a surprise for her to realise Caleb was Scarlett's husband, she had been out of the loop for a while. I think Justin got it right by not following Scarlett, she needs to keep a clear head and he would have just muddled things.

Scarlett and Caleb's lunch didn't go so well, he seemed to want to needle her with his comments. Dinner was better, more relaxed, talking about their early days. Mr. Mushy was Max's, it just threw her, she was more OK with it next day. I don't think Justin should read too much into Scarlett and Caleb's hug.

Should Irene have mentioned before that Mick had tried to contact her, I don't know? She had refused to take his calls so hadn't actually spoken to him.  VJ was just as shocked and angry as Ash that Mick had been trying to contact her. Then his shock that Mick was applying for Parole! Ash had all night to stew on it so by morning he was fit to bust!  Not entirely happy with the facilities security, no checking Ash was Mick's brother just let him into see him.  Mick obviously hadn't meet Ash before as it came as a real shock to find out who he was. Tori has seen a whole new side to Ash, yes she's seen him angry before, but not like this. He was lucky the hospital just let him walk out. I guess in one way with Irene speaking with Mick she was hoping it'd stop the phone calls. I was with VJ that he can't be eligible for parole already.  The so called experts made that mistake before. Yes, Mick is  on meds, seeing a counsellor but once out what's to prevent him stopping the meds because he feels 'better'. As for he 'knows' he'll never be a part of Luc's life.  OK what Hunter did to Billie was bad, but he never raped her, then try and kidnap her daughter. Very telling, imo, Irene's comment she hadn't said yes to speaking in Mick's favour at his parole hearing... yet which VJ picked up on. Mick is a vile character but as Slade said the actor who plays him looks such an inoffensive guy, not your atypical rapist, kidnapper so you wouldn't be wary of him if you meet him in the street.

My question about organ donors is answered, the patient that is brought in is on the donor register.

[Red Ranger 1]

I have two, ironically conflicting, problems with Mick turning up.Because yes, he's well-acted and I don't want to see Kristian Schmid out of work, but it feels like there's nothing new to say about him.He just turns up, creeps everyone out and then leaves again.His first stint should have been it, that should have been the resolution: Irene finally finds the child she had taken away from her all that time ago only to find he's past saving and not worth finding.Having him constantly turn up in increasingly contrived ways is just milking it, and also making the authorities laughable in that they lock some people up for years, give others slaps on the wrists if anything for serious crimes and let scum like Mick out every few months to reoffend just because he knows the right things to say.(The parole hearing was typically farcical, with no-one questioning the logic of Mick supposedly taking responsibility for things while at the same time playing the mental illness card to get a free ride.)My other problem is that it's hard to shake the feeling that the more they bring him back, the more they're going to go to the opposite extreme and have him end up playing happy families with Irene and Luc which would just be a travesty, but if the show can try and make someone as creepy as Hunter a sympathetic character then anything's up for grabs, especially when they've got history with  "rapist turned good" storylines.I didn't mind Mick being Luc's father in the abstract, when he was locked away and not an issue and we could concentrate on the idea of Irene and Leah sharing a grandchild (which has largely been wasted in favour of them taking it in turns to babysit off screen when Ash needs to do something without her), but as a father on the show with the child he conceived by rape..? No. The one good thing is that they didn't wreck Irene by having her fall for Mick's excuses.Ash was spot on, if a bit aggressive, and thankfully Leah saying the same thing in a calmer way got through.

Meanwhile...Caleb's come out and declared his interest in Scarlett, which leaves Justin struggling to be the reasonable one.Shame we only got one brief scene of Raffy.Meanwhile, Mason was well-intentioned in trying to keep things light with Beth but it's reached the point where it's not funny for her.And just then, a potential solution offers itself...