Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Rooster]

I haven't been watching H&A for long, so I don't know any of the old history. One thing that puzzles me - what relationship is Irene to Ruby and Annie? I know Charlie is Ruby's mum, but how come the two girls live with Irene?

Also Alf - he is Martha's Grandad, but what happened to his children, and his wife?

[Red Ranger 1]

^Okay.Irene isn't any relation to Ruby and Annie, she's often referred to as their foster mum but even that's debateable, she just seems to always have some teenager or other live with her.Annie's parents are dead, she and her brother were taken in by Irene after their grandfather died and the farm they lived on(the one Martha just gave to Alf, coincidentally)was repossessed by the bank. (Annie had actually lived with Irene for a bit a few weeks previous when she and her grandfather fell out.)Ruby didn't find out Charlie was her mother until last year and didn't take the news very well(she thought she was her sister, long story)so she ended up moving in with Irene as well.

Yes, Alf is Martha's grandfather.He's got far too complicated a family tree to go into here so just the bits pertaining to Martha:Her grandmother, also called Martha, died prior to the series when her mother was in her teens, possibly of cancer.Martha's mother, Roo(Ruth), Alf's daughter, was a regular on the show in the early days and now lives in New York.(Oh, okay:Alf has three other children, all with different mothers.Owen Dalby was the result of a teenage relationship who was given up for adoption and died of a heart attack before Alf could meet him, he's the father of Alf's other grandchild, Ric.Quinn Jackson was the result of a relationship he had whilst serving in Vietnam, he didn't know about her until she was an adult either and they didn't really get on well. Duncan is his son from his second marriage to Ailsa, who died of a heart attack, and he lives in New York as well now too.Or possibly Las Vegas.)

[Rooster]

Thank you! They certainly are a complicated bunch!

[j.laur5]

^Okay.Irene isn't any relation to Ruby and Annie, she's often referred to as their foster mum but even that's debateable, she just seems to always have some teenager or other live with her.Annie's parents are dead, she and her brother were taken in by Irene after their grandfather died and the farm they lived on(the one Martha just gave to Alf, coincidentally)was repossessed by the bank. (Annie had actually lived with Irene for a bit a few weeks previous when she and her grandfather fell out.)Ruby didn't find out Charlie was her mother until last year and didn't take the news very well(she thought she was her sister, long story)so she ended up moving in with Irene as well.

Yes, Alf is Martha's grandfather.He's got far too complicated a family tree to go into here so just the bits pertaining to Martha:Her grandmother, also called Martha, died prior to the series when her mother was in her teens, possibly of cancer.Martha's mother, Roo(Ruth), Alf's daughter, was a regular on the show in the early days and now lives in New York.(Oh, okay:Alf has three other children, all with different mothers.Owen Dalby was the result of a teenage relationship who was given up for adoption and died of a heart attack before Alf could meet him, he's the father of Alf's other grandchild, Ric.Quinn Jackson was the result of a relationship he had whilst serving in Vietnam, he didn't know about her until she was an adult either and they didn't really get on well. Duncan is his son from his second marriage to Ailsa, who died of a heart attack, and he lives in New York as well now too.Or possibly Las Vegas.)

It's a bit harsh to say it's debateable if Irene is Annie's foster mother because Irene looked after Annie for three years! How is it debateable?

[alreetlike]

I'm pleased Red turned up in the thread before me to provide Alf's family tree, I don't think I'd have managed quite as well.

[Wopunga]

That clears up some of my confusion as well - thanks!

Yesterday's eppy was quite good I thought, I am feeling a bit sorry for Gina and Xavier losing Hugo like that again, shame they didn't get the chance to say goodbye. Nice of Angelo to let them go. Was a bit confused about how Angelo rescued Charlie from Eaves, they did seem to cut a scene out somewhere there . Was starting to get annoyed at how many people kept turning up at the farm that Eaves just didn't spot. Or didn't seem to care. Just felt a bit weird to have people constantly turning up. And Tony's practise at hitting Killer on the head came in use again

Can't think what else happened - was there more Liam/Ruby stuff? I think I'm tuning those scenes out because I'm finding them a bit boring and repetitive and not really going anywhere. How can Ruby seriously not know how to handle a teacher crush - I fail to see why there's all this deep pondering. I've not been watching long but she must have had a crush before?

[H&Alover]

Glad to know that I wasn't the only who thought what happened there then? Say one thing for Eaves he certainly had a thick skull having been hit over the head twice by Hugo and Charlie. What happened to the back up and the ambulance BTW?

Personally I'm glad Angelo let them go (in return for Hugo saving his life perhaps)? Do agree though Red Eaves isn't really likely to spill the beans, though perhaps the threat of being sent to prison will be enough to make him talk. It is well known cops don't get a easy time of it in prison and probably wouldn't last long. The choice of WP is going to seem a good option. Hugo seemed to have recovered from his leg wound pretty quick don't you think seeing as he was driving the car. I should imagine TPTB will 'believe' Angelo's story about being overpowered as they now have someone further up the chain than Hugo was. I think it was only because Hugo was in the bay that his family were under threat, once it gets out he has gone it's now been lifted. Another thought struck me seeing as neither Hugo or Martha had any money on them how are they going to flee the country?

Xavier seemed to be talking a lot of sense when telling Gina that at least Hugo and Martha were together which is all they both wanted. I did feel sorry for Alf when he went to the farmhouse and said goodbye to Martha's picture. Are they just going to ignore the fact that Martha has disappeared to the rest of the bay (especially Colleen) or tell them what happened?

Oops, Liam now knows for sure how Ruby feels about him, thanks to him overhearing her and Nicole's conversation. I think until now he has been able to pretend it wasn't really happening. It was a good girly chat Ruby and Nic had (and Nic made reference to that fact she had been there, done that as regards an obsessive 'crush'. I don't think a hot shower would have helped much Red (though as Ruby said a cold shower or two) didn't either. Yes wopunga Ruby has had a crush on a teacher before, Miles, but he picked up on it quickly and defused the situation before it got too serious and without her knowing her knew.

Thanks for that Red as regards Song, I must have blinked and missed him walking through the kitchen.

[Wopunga]

Thanks H&Alover. It was mentioned in today's episode about the Miles crush. Further adds to my annoyance that apparantly Ruby can't recognise what a crush is even though she's had one in the past

[Red Ranger 1]

It's a bit harsh to say it's debateable if Irene is Annie's foster mother because Irene looked after Annie for three years! How is it debateable?

Although Home and Away seems to lose the term fairly loosely, I believe a "foster mother" is someone with some sort of official standing, who has been through various clearances and is approved to look after childs of the state as it were, who is contacted by Social Services and has children placed with them(ie Pippa).In fact, in the early days they always made it clear who was officially fostered and who wasn't.(Both Sophie and Fin weren't actual foster children until they'd been living with Pippa and Tom/Michael for several months.)I don't believe Irene has ever had any sort of official standing, in fact I think she's actually ineligible to be a foster mother on the grounds her own children were taken into care.Most of her charges have been older children(16+)who have a certain degree of autonomy and so can stay with whichever adult they like.Annie was a bit younger than most and it seemed to be an awkward situation where she was staying there with her official guardian's consent: When Annie was staying with Irene while Bruce was alive, he made it clear that if he wanted Annie to live with him Irene didn't have any say in the matter.Michael(er, other Michael)was awarded guardianship in Bruce's will and presumably gave permission in the same way.I guess the best description would be "primary carer".

Anyway, my inability to tell the difference between hot and cold aside, I really enjoyed that episode, a lot more than the whole guns and fisticuffs stuff, it had good humour and good characterisation.Seems Nicole's the new "go-to" girl, I loved the bit where she was simultaneously playing agony aunt to Romeo and Ruby until Miles threw chalk at her.("Did you just throw chalk at me?Who does that?")Although why was Ruby, who's in Year 11, in a class with Nicole and Romeo? Nice to get a reference to Ruby's crush on Miles.Nicole's increasingly insane attempts to help Ruby leave her thinking her life is ruined:I loved the moment where Nicole saw Ruby in the corridor and started walking in the opposite direction.I have to say, I'm actually quite liking Ruby now she isn't stringing Xavier along any longer.Not sure if Liam's going to regret deciding to work around her crush or not.

Alf and Marilyn's date seemed to get dismissed rather quickly, I'm not sure why they bothered bringing it up at all.Colleen was actually quite amusing in this episode and seemed almost friendly towards Marilyn.Nice to get a reference to, I assume, Romeo sleeping on the couch while Jill stays, although they still seem to be one room over if Alf, Miles, Jill, Marilyn and Nicole are all having their own rooms.Not so sure about this plotline, I quite liked the stuff with Jill and John and Jill and Marilyn (she offered to help her detox...)but Romeo perhaps seems to be expecting a bit too much, as Miles said it's going to be a long road.

[H&Alover]

Funnily enough Red, I was reading Irene's character profile yesterday and in fact she does have official foster care status.

After all the drama in the previous episodes it was good to get back to normal (well what passes for normal in the bay). Poor Nicole, if she had more time to think what to say to Liam she would have come up with a much better 'lie' than Ruby doesn't like your music. Pretty good aim there Miles with the chalk! Did have to smile when both Ruby and Romeo were bending her ears.

At last she has admitted to Liam she has a crush on him, is it a wise decision (albeit reluctantly) on his part to carry on now he knows for sure? After all what would be deemed inappropriate behaviour between two people in everyday life wouldn't be the same between pupil and teacher. Liam may know the difference but would Ruby?

Why is Jill so reluctant to go to AA meetings, is she thinking of trying to beat her drink problem alone? It wouldn't be very fair to let Romeo think she is going to go and doesn't.

Like the reference between Alf and Colleen about Martha leaving the bay, I suppose he had to tell her, seeing as she is her half aunt. Wonder how many other people know? Seems a shame Marilyn and Alf aren't going on a date, couldn't they just go for a meal as two friends?