Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Slade]

First of all I wasn’t sure about Ruby (Brendan’s one) as it seemed she was controlling him and I understood Hugo having reservations but she did seem really good with Brendan and seemed to understand him. After some gentle persuasion from Martha, Hugo seemed more open minded to the idea of them being friends. When Gina turned up out of the blue I ended up feeling quite sorry for Ruby. Even though Gina was trying to be pleasant Ruby could immediately tell she had a problem. I actually thought Gina was quite cold TBH and she caused me to raise an eyebrow. I think Martha thought so too. I loved Ruby’s comeback about Gina doing the right thing for her rather than Brendan. Not sure if he should move into the house but as Hugo said would it really hurt to at least have a look?

The other Ruby (the selfish, self-centred one) annoyed me again. Just the way she spoke to Xavier when all he tried to do was ask her how things were. I really hope they break up soon because I’m so fed up with her whole attitude towards him. I agree with what she said she does suck as a girlfriend.

Even though the relationship between Geoff and Aden is the best it’s ever been I feel there’s still tension. I think they’ve kind of buried their past differences but I would eventually like to see them be more pleasant to each other. I thought Aden could have done a lot better when offering Geoff advice rather than telling Geoff anything he said wasn’t going to help or telling Ruby to dump Xavier (I’ll let slide his bible remark as I assume he was joking). Perhaps Geoff should simply be honest and tell Ruby how he feels.

I’m guessing John Palmer had something to do with that note Hugo received at the end. Or would that be too obvious?

[Baja]

It was really interesting seeing the different arguments for where Brendan should live and I could see both points of view. But I thought Ruby's comment to Gina about how the decision should be right for Brendan not for her to be very compelling. I think Brendan has been Gina's life for such a long time now that she may be as dependent on Brendan as she thinks Brendan is on her. Ultimately it should be the goal of all parents that their children should be able to lead independent and fulfilling lives and I don't think it should be any different just because your child is handicapped in any way. I think Gina should definitly be open to the idea of social housing for Brendan even if ultimately she decides he's not ready for it yet. There is certainly no harm in looking into it and seeing if Brendan is ready for it now or as an option for the future. However this story plays out I think H&A should be congratulated for portraying people with conditions such as autism and Downs Syndrome in such a positive light and focusing so much on what they can do rather than dwelling on the disability.

[alreetlike]

I won't go into too much detail as don't want to ruin it for anyone, but today's episode on Fiver was just lovely. Brendan. :wub:

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm very undecided about the whole issue with Brendan.Some characters made some good points, others less good points.For the umpteenth time, I was very unimpressed with Gina, who came across as domineering and dogmatic and uninterested in what anyone else thought or wanted.She was listed as main cast for the first time today and if they're keeping her around then I think it's a very bad idea, she's the most unmotherly mother character on the show.On the other hand, I was less than won over by Martha's comment about Brendan being more independent;I think in effect he'd just be swapping one set of carers for another.I actually agreed most with Xavier, who made some valid points about how Brendan would be dependent on Other Ruby and it could go wrong.(Although oddly, he seemed to have done a backflip by the end of the episode.)I just don't see why there can't be some sort of halfway house here, that Brendan could continue living with his family without losing his friendship with Ruby.Not sure about Gina or Xavier's comments on Ted, he seemed perfectly fine with Brendan from what I saw.I really don't think that note's from John Palmer, death threats aren't really his style.Maybe someone whose "livelihood" would be threatened by a sunken wreck in the middle of the bay?

Ruby wasn't as irritating as she has been although she was still a bit snappy towards Xavier and didn't really seem to want to be around him.I thought Xavier was talking about their relationship when he told Gina that trying to force a relationship makes it worse but unfortunately it seems he seemed to have had a brain amputation by the final scenes when he didn't seem to notice how uneasy Ruby was around him.Geoff thankfully has more sense than to listen to Aden:His advice was as appalling as you'd expect from someone with his relationship track record, acting as though Geoff's somehow in the wrong for not wanting to pursue a girl who's already in a relationship(which Aden's proved in the past he doesn't have a problem with...).Geoff walking in on girls in the shower:Either he needs to learn about that one or they need to get a better lock, he walked in on Belle once as well.(Pray he never walks in on Annie, that really would scar them both...)Seems it's not just Belle/Ruby's room, the whole house has suddenly had an extension, the kitchen at the beach house was twice as big as it normally is.

[Miranda]

I think Home and Away is doing brilliantly showing disabled people and a storyline about them. Well done HAA! It is also a very relevant topic: should a disabled person live with his mother/parents or be more independent and live in sheltered housing? I am on the side of sheltered housing. I don't think its good for Brendan to live alone with his mum, he needs friends, mental stimulation [he is obviously a bright boy], time out from being with her [as we all do from our parents!]

On another note, I just love the way Aden treats Geoff like a girl. Cos lets face it, Geoff is basically a girl, isn't he? Even when he had that love/hate relationship with Lucas, Geoff was the girl, wasn't he?

Poor, poor Xavier. He is trying so so hard with Ruby B and she just doesn't love him anymore. I was trying to think of another girl he could get together with but there isn't one. I thought he and Annie might make a good couple, they are a bit like Lucas/ Mattie aren't they? I wondered if he and Nicole would be a good couple as he seems to like fast women like Freya, but I think Nicole is destined for Liam, who might help her.

Come on Red Ranger, I don't think Geoff walking in on Annie would scar them They are brother and sister, he probably helped change her nappies and saw her as a toddler, they probably had baths together when they were little. I'm sure it wouldn't be a big deal.

[Lesley Bee]

I'm loving Brendan having a storyline, he is such great character who always makes me smile credit to Kain O'Keefe he plays the part amazingly

[H&Alover]

It was really interesting seeing the different arguments for where Brendan should live and I could see both points of view. But I thought Ruby's comment to Gina about how the decision should be right for Brendan not for her to be very compelling. I think Brendan has been Gina's life for such a long time now that she may be as dependent on Brendan as she thinks Brendan is on her. Ultimately it should be the goal of all parents that their children should be able to lead independent and fulfilling lives and I don't think it should be any different just because your child is handicapped in any way. I think Gina should definitly be open to the idea of social housing for Brendan even if ultimately she decides he's not ready for it yet. There is certainly no harm in looking into it and seeing if Brendan is ready for it now or as an option for the future. However this story plays out I think H&A should be congratulated for portraying people with conditions such as autism and Downs Syndrome in such a positive light and focusing so much on what they can do rather than dwelling on the disability.

Completely agree with you Baja. I was wondering if the fact that Gina doesn't want Brendan to live apart from her was because as she has been his sole carer (with help from Xavier) for 21 years she will be totally lost without him. Why couldn't they try it out for a trial period? Ruby (L) was spot on I think when she questioned Gina saying she wanted what was best for Brendan. You could have bet a pound to a penny (or should that be a dollar to a cent?) that when Martha and Hugo were deciding to let Gina get used to the news gradually before she came back she would turn up! Her saying to Martha that some parents may be happy puting their children in community homes but in her mind they were shutting them away hardly seems the case with her - Brendan has been with her 21 years! I think it was Xavier)?) who said to Brendan that Ruby (L) wouldn't be able to spend every moment of the day with him, but there are others there and carers too (assuming Darryl is one) who he can turn to. Have to disagree you with Red I had the feeling that Ted wasn't that comfortable around Brendan and although he had the same idea about community home he probably didn't put it very tactfully. I also agree that the whole thing has been handled very well without being patronising. Well done HAA!!

The number of times people have walked in on other people in the bathroom at Irene's is amazing - as nobody locks the door so what do they expect!!

Aden was right in a way about what he said to Geoff re consulting the Bible - he has done so in the past - so I don't think he meant it in a nasty way. The only thing that occured to me thinking about it after was the commandmant 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife'. Not exactly the same thing but near enough.

The look on Geoff's face when he saw Ruby kissing Xavier said it all. If she doesn't feel the same any more she should tell Xavier. BTW did I imagine it or did Ruby (B) say to Geoff on the night of the dinner party with Ruby (L) that it was Grant's funeral that day? I only ask because the very next day she told Xavier the funeral was that day!!

Yes, way too obvious Slade for it to be John and was the person who left the note the same person who made that silent call that Xavier took? John is opposing it so Hugo couldn't sink the boat until (and if) it is approved. So who has what hidden down there?

[Brian]

Very good episodes so far this week. I agree with many of you that the Brendan/Ruby L storeyline has been handled very sympathetically and I'm sure that there is more to come.

Very sad today, I thought, was Ruby B breaking up with Xavier. Especially as it is only a few weeks ago that they had declared their love for each other and Ruby had encouraged Xavier to make love to her. I couldn't understand whay she had told Nicole that she would make more of an effort to get on with Xavier and the next minute she rebuffed him! They made a great couple and I shall miss them together. Perhaps they will come back togeher again when Ruby gets fed up with Geoff. Things could have gone so different :

Xavier could have made more of an effort to help persuade Charlie to let Ruby stay at his place

Ruby could have asked Xavier to go away with her to find her father

Xavier could have let Ruby explain when she returned with Geoff

Ruby could have moved in with Xavier when she left Charlie the second time

Alas! Such is life.

However I think that Xavier's acting has improved considerably in the last few weeks, much more clued in to other people. Anyone agree?

Ruby

[Slade]

I was quite pleased we actually had some stuff with Nicole and Ruby. The friendship (or rather their scenes) seemed to come to an abrupt end a while back. Then they were both involved in their own storylines i.e. Nicole with Roman’s departure, having to cope in a new environment, having to deal with Belle’s illness and her death then her infatuation/obsession with Sid. Ruby had the stuff with Xavier and losing her virginity then the stuff with Charlie/Grant etc.

Anyway I liked their scenes. Nicole seemed more like herself, down to earth, level-headed and offered really good advice regarding Geoff, in stark contrast the advice Aden gave yesterday regarding Ruby. Being an old flame of Geoff and Ruby a good friend of hers, I did wonder how Nicole would take it when Ruby told her but she was fine. It was really good of Nic to sort of admit her faults or mistakes rather. It’s a start anyway. I knew I was right about her sleeping with Liam. And she seems to have acknowledged that she was obsessed with Sid and made a fool of herself.

I didn’t find Ruby as annoying today as she was last week although I was still irritated by the way she was with Xavier in the Diner. I didn’t mind her opening up about her feelings for Xavier and how she didn’t feel the same. TBH following on from what Miranda said previously and Brian mentioned above, I'm still having a hard time myself trying to understand how she’s gone off him because she was just soooooo obsessed when Freya was around it was bordering on pathetic and not forgetting how she felt when she slept with him a few weeks ago. I was actually quite pleased when she dumped him though. She definitely did the right thing, didn’t cheat on him and I thought to myself it’s finally over. Just a shame he appears to have suffered memory loss so now she’s trapped between a rock and a hard place and we’re a back to square one.

Brendan the man. I think because Gina spent so much time taking care of him she underestimated his ability to cope in certain situations. He was quite the hero jumping in to save Xavier like that (great acting BTW). I’m glad Gina’s had a change of heart about him moving to the house now. Or at least she’s opened minded enough to give the idea a try. I actually thought it was pretty brave of Xavier to go to Hugo’s aid like that and Ruby was quite gutsy too. Was Xavier psyched up because Ruby had just dumped him or did he remember how Hugo saved him from Gardy. I think the actor has definitely improved from when he first started but for me one thing that indicates good acting is the ability to express different emotions and I’ve yet to see evidence of that from the actor who plays Xavier, although I found his interaction with other characters a lot better because as mentioned earlier on in the thread he hasn’t been with Ruby.

I’m pretty sure the guy that broke in and attacked Hugo was the same person Nicole and Geoff encountered on the island a while back after they returned to celebrate when they first hooked up, although I had to rewind a couple of times. The only reason I know that was because I recognised him from OOTB.

Looks like Angelo is going to be back on Hugo’s case again.

[Miranda]

Yes I recognised him too Slade, glad it wasn't just me imagining it!

I checked his name later and it was definitely him, our dear Stephen from OOTB