Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[superman's girlfriend]

Yea they really changed their point of view alot till the last minute what is it now wrestling their way out of the bay1

one more weak point of Rachel loose from whether it's Lucas or Gina's ex to say something she's calling for help, She Tony and Harry are a household, don't go behind your husband back to force him change his mind because you got that's right a deadline

Glad she turned to Leah one last time a almost thought she forgot her bestfriend the one who let her in to her house welcomed her into the bay, finally she remembered!!!! that's true friendship goodbeye present from Rachel to Leah

[Red Ranger 1]

When I first heard about the "Romeo announces he's a virgin" episode, I was dreading another tedious and wooden scene like when he was banging on to Annie about how he always used to be uncomfortable around girls.Thankfully the writers seem to be noticing just how dull they've made Romeo this year and trying to bring him back to the character he was when he first came in.So instead of an angst-ridden shy boy, it was played as a confident and flirtatious person who just hasn't found the right girl.I liked the two scenes of him telling Nicole and Indi.And I'm glad he did tell Indi because I was worried we were going to get weeks of him and Nicole keeping it from her.Shame Nicole gave Penn the time of day and seemed to fall for his sob story.Given how protective he seemed earlier, Romeo seemed to drop the ball, firstly by taking so long to notice Penn was about and then by just walking off and leaving them alone.

Guess if Sid isn't sharp enough to notice Indi's dating Romeo it explains why he hasn't realised what Dexter's intentions are towards Marilyn.Is Marilyn starting to twig?She seemed very uncomfortable on her "date" with Dexter and is maybe beginning to feel he isn't quite as sweet as she thought...

I started off a few weeks ago feeling a lot of sympathy for Rachel, who seemed to be genuinely torn between wanting to be with Tony and wanting a fantastic new job opportunity.But now, it really does feel like she's decided what she wants and she just expects Tony to give up everything he knows and goes along with her.(It's all right saying he can teach in the States but by the same token they have hospitals in Australia.Tony's gone to a lot of effort recently to set up schemes in Summer Bay.)So while Tony's being a bit petulant and childish, it does feel like Rachel isn't interested in discussing it either, just in Tony agreeing with her.Wasn't happy when she seemed to be preparing to have Lucas ambush him so I was glad when she told him about it.I liked the scene between Tony and Leah, even though it didn't really resolve anything they both stated their point of view in a reasonable manner and made some good points.

[Slade]

I can understand why Ruby feels apprehensive and doesn’t particularly want to be around Bianca. Regardless of whether Bianca was right or wrong if someone spoke to me like she did with Ruby last week I would probably try to avoid them too. I’m glad Ruby spoke to Leah about it although she should probably mention something to Irene as well. I do want to see more Charlie and Ruby stuff but I hope she doesn’t move out because I would like to see how things pan out at Irene’s. I actually felt a bit sorry for April. She looked a little upset when Ruby made an excuse to not have dinner with them (or more to the point not have dinner with Bianca or eat her food). I’m glad April went to the Diner to clear the air. I absolutely loved the interaction between those two and think they would make really good friends and let’s face it they both need one. I just hope Xavier doesn’t get in the way and really hope he is completely over Ruby. He was still asking after her but with any luck he’s simply trying to be there as a friend as he still cares. Didn’t really get much interaction with April and Xavier in today’s episode but I still liked the stuff between them not to mention April kind of looked hot in a bikini. I was actually expecting to see some John/Xavier stuff today.

In yesterday’s episode I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes when Penn apologised to Nicole, came across all sincere and Nicole fell for it but today it was even worse. Initially I thought Sid was being a bit over dramatic when he said Penn had done some appalling things. I mean as far as everyone’s aware all he’s done is lie. Admittedly the level of lying has been pretty bad but that’s it. Even though we knew about the break-ins and framing Coleen that still pales in comparison to stuff other characters have done even fairly recently. However when it was revealed that he hid the syringe (which ultimately led to Nicole getting pricked and having to go to hospital for various tests) I thought Sid had a point. I think Sid even knew something was up when Penn kept insisting Nicole have an HIV test. It’s pretty obvious Penn’s unhinged and as I mentioned before at first I thought he was simply a pathological liar but now I’m seriously starting to wonder if he’s bordering on sociopathic. I really hope they don’t drag this storyline with Nicole out for 3 months. What I’m more interested in finding out was what he actually said to Nicole on the beach, why he set the whole thing up and his main motivation for coming to Summer Bay in the first place.

It’s funny, someone in this thread a while back said they wanted to deck Dexter. I’m really starting to see why. He’s not a particularly bad person but he’s just so incredibly annoying I find him worse than some of the characters that actually are bad. I really don’t think his character brings anything to the show whatsoever and really want him to simply disappear never to return. I’m glad Marilyn copped on that he liked her though.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm glad the writers aren't painting Nicole as a complete idiot, like they have been doing the past few weeks, but it's still frustrating to see her get sucked back in by Penn and even more frustrating to see her cuddling up to him instead of letting Miles and the others support her.At least she listened to Sid.I think Penn told her his father was a drug addict?(Which may explain the attraction to an extent, if it reminds her of Aden's family history..?)It was so obvious that Penn was doing his utmost to convince her she might have HIV, despite Sid stressing the risk was minute, that it would have been a bigger surprise if he hadn't planted the needle.Unless he has HIV, knows someone else who has or was able to infect the needle in some other way, that presumably means Nicole's in the clear.So presumably he just wants her to think she has it and/or take the preventive medication and get sick because...um, he's bad.(I'll try and ignore the fact his plan seemed to depend on putting her hand in that exact same spot.Not clear from the flashback but I think it was meant to have been there some time, rather than her putting her hand on it right after he planted it, since she pricked herself a long time after the first section of conversation we saw and Romeo and Indi had already gone by then.)

The scene between Ruby and Leah felt a bit random at first, as if someone realised Ruby doesn't have any friends apart from Nicole who was otherwise occupied and just picked a character out of a hat for her to rant at, but it did actually serve a purpose in the end by having her ask to move back in.She does seem to have, hopefully, acquired a new friend in April and I'd quite like to see some more interaction between them.Although I can understand her being uncomfortable, it does seem like Bianca's actually make an effort and Ruby's the one causing waves.And yes, I too appreciated the Xavier/April scene and the quite high preponderence of girls in bikinis lately.(Guess someone's redressing the balance for the mandatory male topless scenes...)

Although Dexter comes across as a bit creepy, he's probably harmless.I have found his behaviour very annoying lately though and when Marilyn made that comment about not wanting to date little boys who think they're grown ups I was punching the air.

[H&Alover]

Right two days to comment on!!

Monday

How sweet was Romeo's confession, bless him. It just goes to show we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Well done to both Nicole and Indy for not laughing at him. and at least Indy didn't take offence by Romeo assuming she wasn't a virgin!

Wonder if Penn's 'story' has any truth in it at all, he is very good at lying after all. I thought the same as you Red, he was relying on the fact that she would put her hand exactly on the same spot where he had planted the needle! It did appear (to me at least) he planted it when she looked away at Indy and Romeo walking along the beach, he also took a chance taking it out of his pocket when she could have turned round to face him at any time!

O.K so I got it wrong and Lucas is coming home. Guess he must be doing alright for himself that he can afford the flight from (somewhere) in the US to Australia at the drop of a hat. Do we know what he does for a living BTW? Was that the first time we have heard why he didn't want to come home (Jack dying)? Clever move that Rachel telling Tony about Lucas' 'surprise' visit. In Tony's eyes that is gong to look like a conspiracy and make him dig his heels in even harder. At least Tony and Rachel are agreed on one thing, they did keep going round and round in circles.

Tuesday

At last Marilyn has twigged that Dex has a crush on her! Not sure if her remark about the fact Sid was a man not a little boy pretending to be one was such a good thing to say to him though! Myself I think she will keep that news to herself, not wanting to cause bother between Sid and Dex. I do hope you are right Red about Dex being harmless and doesn't take the crush to the next level and starts stalking her now he has been 'rejected'.

Penn did seem very supportive towards Nicole after her 'accidental' pricking by that needle, and if we didn't know any different seemed very genuine when he apologised to Sid, who wasn't fooled, but decided to keep his thoughts to himself for Nicole's sake. He is obviously doing for his own reasons, maybe to look like a 'hero' in everyone's eyes?

It may be that we will have to wait three months Slade (unless Penn fesses up that the needle was clean before that). If you remember Robbie had to wait that long when he stood on that needle way back.

I wasn't sure how to feel about Ruby last night, first her little talk to Leah, where she actually really didn't say anything, other than ask if she could move back in, and why would Ruby have to ask Charlie if it was OK, it is Leah's house? I can understand she is feeling awkward about living with both her ex's new girlfriend and her teacher who knows about her and Liam and blew up at her about it, but I thought she was quite rude to Bianca actually after she went to all that trouble to cook a meal (which according to April doesn't happen often). She could have asked for some to be kept for later rather than storming off. Nice scene of her and April in the Diner, hope Ruby is sincere about being friends with April, who doesn't seem to have many girl friends herself.

[KirstyEkua]

:( :(

That's all for now. It's like the end of an era..

[Slade]

And yes, I too appreciated the Xavier/April scene and the quite high preponderence of girls in bikinis lately.(Guess someone's redressing the balance for the mandatory male topless scenes...)

I take it another one of your jokes. April, Indy, Nicole, Ruby, Charlie, Leah it’s only Bianca and Rachel left although with the latter I doubt we’re ever going to see her in a bikini.

Significantly more April/Xavier stuff than yesterday. I think their scenes emphasise exactly why they are good for each other or more to the point April is good for Xavier. When Xavier’s with her he’s so much more likeable. TBH April’s sweet and likeable anyway so she doesn’t really need Xavier but I do like this couple. I liked the way April was joking around with him about Ruby. I also liked the way she was talking to him on the beach, Xavier’s mind was elsewhere and she made a remark about talking to herself.

Regarding this whole Rachel/Tony thing I think they’ve both been as bad as each other. Rachel has been effectively manipulating the situation by trying to use emotional blackmail i.e. Lucas but on the other hand Tony has been acting like a bit of a stubborn, spoilt kid, although with good reason. I actually think he’s made the right decision going to the US with her. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and they can always return if things don’t work out but I do have to say that scene where Rachel suddenly realised why Tony didn’t want to go with her because of Jack, told him that she wouldn’t leave then Tony immediately said he was going with her I felt could have been done a little differently. I know Jack was the reason but having that made it feel it was more like a pride thing i.e. Tony agreed because Rachel backed down first. Anyway I thought the scene at the end when they were at Jack’s grave was a nice touch. I’m not sure who left or whether both actors decided to leave at the same time but they’ve hardly been in it and to me it did feel as though Tony was effectively there mainly in a support role. Probably going to miss his scenes with Xavier as I quite liked those and I also quite liked the feuding with John Palmer and the way John used to rub him up the wrong way. Initially liked Rachel then spent a lot of time quite disliking her when she was with Tony but didn’t mind her towards the end although because of the nature of her storylines for the most part felt indifferent.

[Red Ranger 1]

I think that episode showed everything that was wrong with Tony and Rachel's departure storyline: Some good ideas but terrible execution.The plot's been running on the spot for about two weeks and for most of the episode we just get more of the same, as they carry on saying the same thing to each other and other people.I wasn't really expecting Lucas to turn up and I wonder why they even bothered to bring it up, except as a belated acknowledgement that he exists.(I think, H&Alover, that Tony mentioned to Angelo that Lucas didn't want to come back to the Bay because of the bad memories just before their clifftop scuffle last year.)Then, finally, we get the pay off.Rachel realises Tony doesn't want to leave the town where Jack's buried.Why it's taken her so long to work that out when he told her two weeks ago that part of the reason he wanted to stay was because he felt close to Jack there is anyone's guess.So she goes home and tells him she's not going to risk their marriage for a job.Even though that's exactly what she's been doing.And straightaway, with barely a pause, he changes his mind and says he'll go with her.What?!Why?!Even if they'd just had him wait until the next morning and have time to realise how unhappy Rachel was given up the job it might have been believable.But straight away?!Why squeeze all this into the last five minutes of their last episode?Why the heck weren't they in the previous episode so they had time to play it out?

I can't quite decide if their farewell scene was poor or if I was just too annoyed by the previous scene to enjoy it.It just felt like a bunch of perfunctory "Okay, bye then" exchanges and I only really began to feel it with Tony's farewells to John and Xavier.The last scene of them visiting Jack's grave was a perfect finale.Shame about what came before.

Elsewhere, I enjoyed the stuff with Xavier, April, John and Gina even if Xavier's commentary on Tony and Rachel felt very forced.And he really does need to start to understand April's sense of humour.Twice in one episode he gives her a look of horror before realising she's joking.

[KirstyEkua]

Given the terrible departures we've had this year i have to say as a Tachel fan i was actually quite happy with it. At least they go to say goodbye to people and i loved the last scene at Jack's grave. I think the writers/producers have treated them shockingly this year and it's pretty obvious they just didn't really care what they did with them. Their leaving story was so badly done and so rushed at the very end. With regards to them leaving i think the production team just ran out of ideas for them and simply didn't want to renew either Amy or Jon's contract. It's a shame they've lost their only real family unit and two of the best actors on the show. I don't really have an interest in Home and Away anymore.

I did think it was funny Harry changed from Rachel leaving the house to turning up at the Diner

[alreetlike]

I have mixed feelings about the departure of Tony & Rachel. The right thing happened, but I don't get why they squeezed it into about a third of an episode. It's dragged on for so long anyway that an extra day wouldn't have hurt. And of course it only takes a second to pack up a load of stuff at short notice.

Kirsty - I too was amused at the Harry change, it was so noticeable in such a short period of time.