Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:One!(Although he was credited on Thursday for no appearance.)Roo and Harvey didn't appear at all(although Harvey was credited on Wednesday).

Well, still no definitive confirmation that Neil was the one who knocked Sid out although it's hard to see who else could have done it:Lisa herself?!Indi was pretty hard on her and I'm glad Sid went after her and found a way to help her while keeping his family out of the firing line.Nice that she seems to be working on independence and being financially self-sufficient as well.Disappointed by his reaction to Casey and Sasha dating although I guess it was kind of inevitable.Also in character that he makes a fuss and then gives his blessing:How many time has he done that with his children now?April was back to being annoying with her "Why didn't you tell me?" strop:She and Sasha are hardly bosom buddies and her involvement in their romance so far has hardly been helpful, with her and Dex's appalling matchmaking act then throwing a tantrum at him without actually knowing what he'd done.Dexter's initial reaction was rather amusing, perhaps showing again that he's more charming when April's not around.

So, Brax finally works out that you shouldn't listen to Natalie as Kyle casually mentions that Tamara's real.At least he had the decency to apologise to Casey for thinking he was delusional, here's hoping Natalie does the same.As Casey said, Kyle's suddenly being very accommodating:He did seem genuinely hurt when Brax told Emerson that Kyle wasn't his family, maybe Mack was right and he is trying to prove himself despite all the smug remarks?So, are we meant to assume Something Happened between Casey and Sasha on the beach?It seemed to be what Sasha was aiming for when she asked Sid if she could stay out.And Tamara's back!Oh dear.I loved her on her first stint and was looking forward to her returning but in the space of about ten seconds I suddenly find I don't like her.I can't see any possible justification for her punching Casey without any provocation(although I guess it strengthens the similarity with Bobby than someone highlighted when she first appeared, another character who was a fan of pointless violence).I'm not even sure why she did it.Is she jealous of Sasha, as that angry look across at her suggested?Even if she is, why does that give her the right to go around thumping people?It's not like anything's ever happened between her and Casey, they barely qualify as friends, more like strangers bonded by adversity.

[H&Alover]

Even the police seemed to think it was Neil who knocked Sid out considering it was only half and hour after they issued the AVO on him. Quick thinking on Indi's part to work out Sid hadn't 'fallen over'. I'm glad she waited until Dex had left the treatment room to ask Sid about it. OK maybe she was a tad harsh on Lisa, but next time it may be one of them, the rest of them could look out for themselves, but it's Dex who would be most vulnerable, even Sid agreed about that. Yes, well done for Lisa in setting up a new account. That motel, if it is the same one, does a good business with the folks from the bay. Well according to the Aussie thread it is indeed the same place that is used whenever anyone from the bay tends to use to 'get away' from it all.

I'm guessing the reason Kyle didn't mention Tamara before is because he thought they'd already explored that avenue. Good that Brax had the decency to apologise to Casey for doubting him and yes let's hope Nat does the same. Pretty obvious that with all these mentions of her she'd turn up! Two questions though, how did she know where to find him and why now? I'm puzzled too as why she hit him. I don't think anything happened between Sash and Case, but I could be wrong. I'm not sure if Sash is going to be more upset that Tamara does exist that she was when she thought she was just a figment of Casey's imagination. I suppose there are three reasons why Sid was so angry about Case and Sash geting together was his past treatment of her, he's a Braxton and he could be going to jail for a long time which would mean she may feel she has to stay loyal to him. Nice little chat Dex had with him, you'd think he would have learnt from his demands that Romeo and Indi stay away from each other and we all know how that worked out each time. Banning your kids from seeing someone usually has the opposite effect, better just to let them go ahead and just be there for them if it should go pear shaped. Whoa Dex, they had only just decided they were going to be a couple.

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, I think there was a sort of explanation for Tamara's violent outburst buried in there:She obviously resented being bundled onto a plane and basically forced to come to Summer Bay, although that was hardly Casey's fault.I don't know if it's the circumstances of her return or the way she's being written but I'm really not liking having her back, it's already having a negative effect on Casey and there's only a faint trace of the caring, empathetic person she was before, instead she comes across as pretty messed up and self-centred.Although I can see that Casey needed to talk to Tamara, I really didn't like the way he basically told Sasha to go away and, while I'm glad that he realised he was out of line and went to apologise, it's hard to shake the feeling that he was just using her as his back-up plan since Tamara walked out on him again.Given that they spent all night together, it seems a bit remiss of him to have apparently not mentioned she was real.Also disappointed that, while we saw Natalie's reaction to the news Tamara's real, she didn't go and apologise to Casey:Maybe it'll come tomorrow but I doubt it.

It's odd that, even with evidence that Jamie's a bit disturbed, I still find myself mostly annoyed with Leah and thinking that she's overreacting.I mean, what planet is she on that she thinks keeping VJ off school is a sensible idea?And then she finds Jamie chatting to VJ at the Diner and asks "Why did you tell him you weren't at school?"Er, he's there on a school day, out of uniform, being a skivvy.I think Jamie knows what two and two make.So, we now know he's had a key cut to her house:After the previous night or earlier?Natalie's blind belief that telling Brax will sort everything continues to frustrate, especially given his myopia concerning Adam.

God bless April, which I don't say very often.I wasn't too keen on the way she ignored Sasha but Sasha seemed to understand and actually gave her good advice.(I actually had a very hard time recognising April in that scene, her hair seemed straighter than usual which made her even less distinctive.)I thought when she turned up at Casey's place that she was going to have a go at him about Sasha and Tamara but it turned out she had more important things on her mind, although I'm disappointed we missed out on the opportunity for some Heapri interaction.I think I mentioned last week that April turning up in the middle of Adam's place would be the perfect wake up call for Bianca but turning up at one of his parties and hanging out with his dodgy friends was even better and it finally seems to have had the desired effect.

[Slade]

The two storylines I'm paying particular interest to at the moment are regarding Casey/Sasha and the whole Leah/Jamie thing.

I feel really torn about Tamara turning up. I really liked the interaction with her and Casey when she saved him from Kyle. And after she disappeared part of me was hoping she would return. The way they were talking about her on Friday and Kyle mentioning that he saw her, there was no doubt in my mind that she would return. In today's episode again I really liked their interaction with Tamara acting like a total drama queen and Casey laughing at her. On the other hand I've really enjoyed the scenes with Casey and Sasha and thought the were really sweet together so don't know what to think now. If Tamara does help Casey and if he gets off and the Braxtons help her out and she decides to stick around this could cause problems for him and Sasha (all assumptions). And this could eventually only serve to reinforce Sid's concerns about his daughter getting hurt especially when you consider that Casey only really likes Sasha whereas Sasha is head over heels. I dunno, I know Casey really cares about Sasha but part of me wonders whether he wanted to go out with her simply because it was on a plate so to speak and he's hoping he will feel the same way in time. How would he have been with Sasha if Tamara had showed up earlier? I was kind of glad Sasha wasn't pregnant. I think it would have been an interesting storyline but don't feel the character is ready for it right now.

The Leah/Jamie stalking storyline to be honest I've found hilarious. Every time Jamie turns up unexpectedly I can't stop laughing. Especially last week when Leah came home and found him playing video games with VJ. The way Leah's been as of late it reminded me of the time when she treated Miles like absolute cr*p so (and I don't care if I get flammed for saying this) but part of me wants the stalking to continue if anything to teach her a lesson. She led Jamie on slept with him and acted like a total cow. I was hoping nobody else would get dragged into the crossfire which unfortunately hasn't happened now. But it is providing me with great entertainment.

Natalie is doing my head in. She dismisses Tamara as being fake, sticks her nose and gives bad advice IMO re the Sasha/Casey relationship and hasn't really helped out with Bianca either. What is her purpose exactly?

[H&Alover]

Nat did have the grace to look suitably ashamed when Brax told her Tamara was real, I'm waiting for the apology too. Talking of whom (Tamara that is) how long ago did Kyle reveal she was real, a couple of days, if that? If so those lawyers acted bloody quickly tracking her down to that place in the middle of nowhere, persuading her to come back and installing her in Summer Bay's very own motel and all they had to go on was a vague description and her first name. Her flying at Kyle made me wonder if she knows someone like him in her own past, she is running or hiding from something or someone. If she'd given them a chance to explain why he was at the house maybe she wouldn't have stomped off. Idiot Casey just side lining Sasha like that, though I guess he wanted/needed to talk to her to be sure she was real! He did have the guts to go and apologise to Sash and she did take it well, very mature of her.

I can kind of see why Leah kept VJ off school, though what she told Gina is anyones guess, the way Jamie is he'd 'bump' into him on the way or back. At least being at the Diner she'd be able to curtail any contact. Yep, blindingly obvious he wasn't at school! Couldn't have been the first night, he didn't know then she would want to stop seeing him. If it was the previous night, when Leah's keys 'moved' he got them done pretty damn quick. Adam wasn't too happy about Brax fronting him about Jamie, he nearly let his mask slip. That scene when Bianca saw him slap Jamie, imo, got her thinking about him in a different light. Just knew he'd come out with that well known line "I'm sorry you had to see that". I bet he was!!! Wonder how good a father he has been to Jamie, didn't sound like the first time something like this had happened.

Great advice from Sash to April even though partly due to her feelings about Case and Tamara. Well done April, her making Bianca look at that photo of Rocco, triggered something. Everyone, so far, has been tiptoeing around her, it was time to be cruel to be kind. Casey seems as much in awe of Adam as Brax but he did give April the idea of going to Adam's party which really freaked Bianca out and forced her into realising what she was doing. She said she had pushed everyone who did care for her away, including the man who loved her and she was scared of falling apart, so she well might, but then she can start to put herself together again. It's going to take time and it'll hurt but she'll get there. As to how Adam will feel about losing his power over her awaits to be seen.

[Shibs]

Friday

Casey/Dex/Sasha/Tamara – So Casey and Sasha are now official, Sid is not happy but respects Sasha’s choice and Casey once again smiling. Their scene on the beach when he dragged them towards the water was sweet and it’s a refreshing change to see Casey acting like a normal teenager and having fun for a change. Also very sweet of him to give her a lift to the hospital even though he knew the reaction he would get from Sid! Dex reaction to the news of them being back together was the best though; he cracked me up so much!! And then came the final scene and Casey and Sasha were sweetly sleeping on the beach, only for a silhouette to come along and hit him. Tamara has certainly made a dramatic entrance into the Bay; I wonder what will the others think of her? Casey is obvious head over heals, we saw that in the reaction he gave to Kyle when he mentioned her, now I’m left wondering where does this leave Sasha?

Sid/Lisa/Indi – Indi was bit harsh but spoke some truth. Sid needs to open his eyes, he got hurt, but he’s still protecting her. I know he wants to keep her safe but I think he made the right decision in the end by telling her she had to move out of the Farm House. That motel room has been home to many of Summer Bay’s residents over the past couple of years, so I’m sure Lisa will be fine there. Loved Indi’s direct approach at the hospital regarding who knocked Sid out, no beating around the bush, and I think that’s when Lisa realised how serious the situation is. Sid and Sasha’s scene was a bit intense but after his chat with Dex I’m glad he gave her the choice of seeing Casey or not.

Brax/Kyle – Happy to see Kyle taking the time to help Casey and I’m glad that he made his statement to the police. I like Kyle, and I think his character could bring a new dynamic into the Braxton family. Also very happy that he mentioned Tamara. I wonder how Natalie will react to this news, her being the one that convinced Casey that she didn’t exist. Despite his statement though the Constable didn’t believe him, and I can understand why, it would’ve been better for all involved if Brax had taken him down to the station first thing when they got back, maybe then they would’ve taken his statement with no questions or doubt?

Monday

Casey/Tamara/Brax – So Tamara is back. I wasn’t too keen on her last night; much preferred her in the desert. Although I bet I would be cranky as well is someone dragged me somewhere against my will!! I enjoyed her chat with Brax and I hope he got through to her. I doubt she will be one to mess with if she sticks around though, she looks pretty wild. As for Casey, he was so smitten you would’ve thought that she was his girlfriend and not Sasha. It will be interesting to see both girls meet for the first time, and I’m looking forward to Natalie seeing her. Loved the Brax and Natalie scene last night as well, they are such a sweet couple!

Adam/Bianca/April – I really enjoyed these scenes. First of all I’m glad Bianca saw Adam hit Jamie, maybe now she’ll open her eyes to the kind of man he is. As April, it did seem a bit harsh that she bought Rocco into the conversation at a party, but with the way Bianca has been going lately I think a chat in a quiet room wouldn’t have worked. The heart to heart they had outside was sad, but it’s nice to see Bianca finally facing what has happened. As for April, loved her in the party mood, she was enjoying herself to the point where you thought she was Adam’s guest rather than Bianca!

Leah/Jamie/VJ – Creepy, which is all I have to say on the matter. He really freaked me out last night watching her sleep like that, and where on earth did he managed to get a key from? I did feel sorry for him when Adam slapped him in the face, and I’m glad Bianca saw that opened her eyes a bit to the kind of man Adam is. As for Leah I think she would’ve been better off sending VJ to school, at least there he would’ve been around kids, and Jaime would’ve looked a tad out of place. I thought at first she was being a bit too paranoid but after seeing that final scene you could why!!

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, they had to find an excuse for Ada Nicodemou's maternity leave from somewhere, wonder if there are any viewers who haven't noticed she's pregnant.I had my doubts about the stalker storyline, wondering if I'd be left with the same reaction as her breakdown after the race riot, namely "Why now, after she's lived there through a decade of explosions, shootings and terror campaigns?"But seeing Jamie losing it after VJ told him a few home truths and realising he really could be a danger to her son?Yeah, that would do it.Mind you, even though I suspect we were meant to see him as unhelpful, Stevenson pretty much said everything I've been thinking by pointing out how much Leah has been misleading Jamie.Nice touch that absolutely no-one was fooled by her "sudden holiday" story.

So, as I expected, Natalie says absolutely nothing to Casey along the lines of "Sorry I convinced you you were crazy when you weren't", instead just giving him patronising advice.I pointed out her pointlessness in the character discussion section a while back, as Slade pointed out above:Since she broke up with Brax, her function is reduced to wandering around giving often dubious advice.Loved the way Heath kept undermining Brax's pep-talks with blunt honesty, although you get the feeling Brax would have punched him if Casey hadn't been there.Still, nice to see the two younger Braxtons on the same wavelength.Loved too that Sid went along to support Sasha despite his reservations and his pointed observation that if this goes wrong Sasha could be left waiting for Casey for a long time. The two witnesses seemed to give a fair account of things despite the prosecutor's grandstanding.And those of us still importing DVDs of what ex-HA actors did next can look at Casey's solicitor and go "Oh look, it's the policeman from Crownies."(Or is it just me that does that?)

[Shibs]

Tuesday

Braxton Court Case – This dominated the episode, and with good reason. This storyline has been going on for so long and it seems a bit odd that it drawing to an end. So Brax’s positive speech wasn’t going anywhere at the start, and I’m glad Heath was there with them, otherwise that would’ve been an awkward breakfast. I liked the fact that Sasha turned up to support Casey against Sid’s wishes, but my heart did melt when Sid walked in to support his daughter, and good thing that he did, especially when Casey had the panic attack. Can’t say I was surprised with that, the way the prosecutor was going about things, boy was he good!! Casey is really depending on Kyle, Tamara and Natalie, and two out of that three doesn’t look very promising. Casey’s lawyer looks a bit innocent though, being the Braxton’s I would’ve thought they could’ve gotten someone who looked a bit more convincing!!!!!!! Did enjoy this and I’m looking forward to Kyle taking the stand tonight.

Leah/Jamie/VJ/Liam – Felt sorry for VJ in all this, not being able to say goodbye to his mates. I liked the fact that he confronted Jamie and told him to stay away. Very interesting that Jamie turned violent, we haven’t seen this side to him before last night. He’s never seem that aggressive just creepy, but he looked capable of anything the way Liam was having a problem dragging him away! The Police were a bit casual but I guess they couldn’t do anything without any proof. One thing that did bother me and always seems to do is the way Leah treats VJ. She hides stuff from him like he’s about six years old. She needs to give him a bit more credit than that, he is a bright 13 year old, who understands a lot more than she thinks! It was a nice touch having them saying goodbye to Alf and Irene, trust Irene to figure out that everything wasn’t peachy!! The final scene was pretty sad with VJ asking if they’ll come back and her telling him ‘maybe one day’, before looking back at the Bay. I will miss Leah and VJ. I have enjoyed his friendship with Jett recently and it’s a pity that had to be cut short. Can’t see them returning any time soon though but I’m glad Ada hasn’t decided to leave all together, and that the character is open for a return when she’s ready.

[Red Ranger 1]

On yesterday's episode:

So, both Kyle and Tamara came good on the witness stand and Casey’s lawyer actually seems to be doing a good job.Heath was as entertaining as ever with his reaction to Brax’s instruction to “Be polite” and his first meeting with Tamara.It’s frustrating because I think I’d have really liked Tamara in that episode if it wasn’t for the effect she’s having on Casey and, by extension, Sasha.Once again, Casey’s leaning on Sasha and treating her like she’s his rock, then as soon as Tamara appears it’s like he’s forgotten his girlfriend even exists.Back in the desert, I was really open to the idea of something happening between Casey and Tamara but the fact that he hooked back up with Sasha and the way they’ve both been written this week has completely turned me off the idea.Got a perverse pleasure from seeing Natalie torn apart on the stand:Shame no-one blamed her for compromising her professionalism by dating a client’s brother, although to be fair it was Casey’s history and her unsubstantiated claims that he wasn’t violent anymore that did the damage.Given Casey’s used up his episodes for this week, I imagine it’ll be nearer three days than one before we hear the outcome, I was expecting it to be in that episode.

Oh.Roo’s back.The way that Alf, Marilyn and Harvey were sat around calm and relaxed until she came in and turned the house upside down felt like someone was saying “We know Roo’s beyond annoying but we’re going to carry on writing her like that anyway.”Appreciated the mentions of Lottie and it’s perhaps not surprising that Harvey doesn’t have any friends to ask to be best man.The people he’s spent the most time with(John, Sid, Romeo)have all hated him at one point or another and probably only just tolerate him now.

Sid seems to be being rather blind when it comes to Neil although you can’t fault his intentions.The fake message should probably have been thought out better, rather than just standing there so Neil could see him and avoid him.When Neil was sitting in his car watching him, I wondered if Sid would learn to regret his claim he’d notice someone following him(although to be fair, he was going to work so even if Neil had followed it wouldn’t have done him much good).Despite being scarily intense, Neil didn’t really threaten Indi when he came to the house although if he hasn’t already crossed that line at the end he’s close to it.(Mind you, we know Sid’s on his way to collect her and the promo shows that he gets there more or less on the time so it’s debatable how much tension there is in the moment.)

[H&Alover]

At last afer what seemed for ever the trial started! The hostage appeared to scupper the prosections case somewhat by insisting Casey saved his life. Heath was only being realistic which Casey appreciated, but I can understand Brax wanting to tell him everything would be OK. Sasha nearly submitted to Sid's reasoning but she did turn up, and Casey certainly looked happy to see her. As did Sid which, as Shibs said, was handy when Casey had his panic attack. Kyle certainly surprised the whole of the Braxton clan when he revealed Danny had started planning his scheme to get Case involved while he was still in prison, not to mention the fact he suddenly decided his surname was Braxton! Btw just where was Cheryl, you would have thought she would have been there? a tad, just how early where they filming outside the court house, it must have been cold, when Case and Heath were talking you could see their breath! It was mentioned that Tamara didn't have a mobile so why was Heath keep trying to ring her? Glad she decided to change her mind and turned up, her testimony must have helped, I hope. I don't think Case sees her any other way than someone who got him out of a very dark hole. It certainly got the charges of evading his last court appearance dropped, which also gets Brax out of a financial fix. Wonder if that is the last we'll

see of her, I did notice her last name wasn't used by the defence or prosecution, does it say on the credits? As in the Charlie/Brax relationship being brought up in Case's last trial they tried it again with Nat, her having to admit he was sent to her for anger management may not have helped things a whole lot, but she had to tell the truth. I spotted the non apology to Case, unless it happened off screen. Now all they, and we, have to do is wait for the verdict.

Shades of going into a witness protection programme with Leah and VJ having to suddenly leave town. I got the feeling the cop wasn't taking it too seriously either, just because she had invited Jamie into her home, didn't give him the right to let himself in and take a secret photo of her! I'm with you Shibs and I've said it before she doesn't give VJ any credit for being wiser than his years. It was sweet, though foolhardy, of him to go and confront Jamie about it, shows how much he loves her. Thank goodness Leah and Liam turned up when they did and Liam was able to hold him off while Leah and VJ were able to get away. He, Jamie, showed just how menacing he can be in that scene. Not only Irene but Alf twigged there was something more to her than just getting a sudden invite on 'holiday'. Sad little scene indeed at the end, but at least this time she treated him less than a child by being honest about how long they might have to stay away. As she didn't know herself where they were going she has saved the rest of them having to lie to Jamie about her whereabouts.At least there will be no more hiding behind the diner counter, big bags, boxes, shots from the chest up etc. :wink:Good luck Ada for the birth, wonder if she will return or change her mind once the baby is born.

Brief appearance of Roo & Harvey, thankfully. I see Marilyn had her hair down again, and I repeat it suits her. Nice little chat between Harvey and Alf about him getting a groomsman (best man), why does he have to have two? and him admitting never having been one. There's not many blokes in the bay he could ask.