Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[jasonm]

Recently started watching it again and I've loved it ever since I watched the Australian newer episodes online and its a brilliant storyline coming up

[Red Ranger 1]

Well.I'm glad that Bianca has decided to support Heath, since it looks like he needs it.Not so sure about Brax, I can't quite decide if he's giving Heath a dose of reality or just putting him down like he usually does.(His suggestion that Heath was trying to replace Rocco was seriously out of line, however;Heath only started this because Darcy asked him to.)It was good to see Irene chipping in and helping Bianca out but I really wish April was still in that house:These are the scenes I want to see her in, not being shoehorned into Dexter's episodes.Despite that, I did rather like Liam's description of Heath's version of working at Angelo's.Surprising that Kyle turned out to be quite a competent worker and nice to get an acknowledgement that he's still got a trial coming up and needs a new lawyer;I was half-expecting it to be quietly dropped but no doubt he'll get the usual Home and Away standby of community service if it does get to court.Funniest moment of the episode:Brax breaking off in confusion during his rant about video games and Kyle helpfully providing "Russian ultra-nationalists."

Spencer and Maddy's disappearance feels a bit abrupt but perhaps it's necessary:Their scenes have been becoming a bit repetitive and removing their physical presence gives the characters a chance to do some digging and realise how little they know about them.(Indeed, the viewer knows a bit more, so we're aware that Roo's looking for the wrong thing.)More good use of Irene in her reflecting on all the troubled teenagers she's known.So it seems that Irene believes the pair are 16:Spencer at least looks older than that(although that doesn't necessarily mean anything)but unless they're meant to be twins shouldn't there be some sort of age gap between them?Meanwhile, Alf comes up with a theory to explain the disappearing and reappearing money that's so convoluted you wonder why he doesn't guess the other half of it:Since he's already worked out that Celia returned the money(and that she went from being flat broke to handing out presents), why doesn't he twig that she took it rather than thinking that her con artist ex is hanging around town taking it?

[H&Alover]

Good that Bianca has come round after giving it considered thought, Heath did take her by surprise and he took her asking to think about it well and understood. My take on Brax's words to Heah was that they were more helpful than put downs. Heath has only looked after Darcy on the occaisonal day/weekend. Whole new ballgame having her full time, he will need to pay for food, clothes, shoes, school gear, school trips etc. Brax has been there and done that for both Heath and Casey so he does know what he is talking about. An aside, does Heath contribute at all to Darcy's upkeep while she is living at Connie's? While it is true it was Darcy's idea to want to live with Heath, will she want to move school? I thought Bianca might think Heath was wanting to replace Rocco with Darcy, so not surprising it has crossed Brax's mind. Now he knows he is serious I think Brax will be behind him, Heath will need a proper job and just the odd shift at Angelo's. It's not going to be an easy ride so perhaps he should warn Darcy it might take some time and while he would love her to live with him others e..g Child Services might have other ideas as will Connie. Would they take Darcy's wishes into consideration?

I loved Brax's rant at Kyle when he came home aand found him doing a Heath, lolling about. Agree, nice to see the trial hasn't been forgotten and the mention he'd already done time. Made me chuckle when Liam asked if Kyle was doing Heath time or normal time! Enterprising of him getting the customers to order more food and cocktails. To be honest I couldn't hear everything that was being said between them as the 'background music' was too loud. Liam seemed to take Bianca's news she was filing for divorce pretty well, too well?

Spencer and Maddy gone again!!! That is getting tiresome. Where did Irene get the idea 'they' were 16 and if they are wouldn't someone, more likely Alf, wonder why they were out of school? They could be twins but I would have said Spencer was older. Roo's remark about dishonesty and stealing hit a nerve with Celia which is why she is fessing up to Alf, more tonight red!

My theory was right, well the first part of it anyway.

[SurfsUp]

Just starting to get back into it after a very long, long break and have a few questions. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute once I get to know the current characters. At the moment I only know Alf, Irene and the returning Celia. (Shame it's a stint Fiona Spence is a legend!) I gather Leah is still there? Is she on a break or something? The new dinner was setting up on some sort of pier? Is it still in the same place?

I can't even remember the last time I watched it. I watched from the start up till ITV here in the UK stopped showing it and it was then very on/off since the noughties (2000 onwards). It's been I guess several years now, last time I tuned in for a regular stint was just for the Milko story line with Sally and then Sally leaving just for those reasons.

[c120701]

The Diner is still on the pier, yes. Ada who plays Leah is on maternity leave. Marilyn is back too as is Roo Stewart (or it might be Roo Ryan now) but she is now played by a different actress.

[James Martin]

Diner's had a massive revamp since 2008 though, as have most sets. The Braxtons now live in the old Hunter household, which has been considerably refurbished. The Palmers live in what was the Holdens, then Jack and Martha's house. The Farm is obviously a new set. Beach House and Summer Bay House you know about. Noah's has gone, as has Summer Bay Super Bods gym, and it's now gone back to a surf club and kiosk downstairs a la 1988-2004 with Angelo's (a bar/restaurant) above it.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm possibly going to need to look at old episodes and check but I thought the Braxtons' house, set dressing aside, looked exactly the same as it did when Tony was living there in 2008?(And technically, we saw the farm in 2007.Although that probably has been refurbished since then.)Roo's still Stewart according to the end credits.

Anyway, today's ep.Well, for the second episode running I thought Brax's attitude stunk, first with the way he initially refused to help Tamara and then with the way he started playing the big man by practically trying to form a posse to hunt down her boyfriend.I actually felt sorry for Tamara having Brax charge in trying to run her life and Natalie's obviously wondering why she hangs around with this lot, Brax didn't even acknowledge her token "Why don't you leave it to the police?"(Mind you, it's only a couple of weeks since she was throwing herself at him so mixed messages?)Personally, I'd have preferred it if Tamara had stayed away and the whole "My parents hate me" thing feels rather forced, I really hope we're going to get a resolution further down the line and it's not just going to stay like that.It's frustrating because when Casey and Tamara was in the desert I quite wanted them to hook up but now they have I don't really like it.Possibly because Tamara seems to have transformed from a wise and caring young woman into a moody cow.(But then on the rare occasion she smiles she seems like a different person, which is even more frustrating.)And also because of the way they've both treated Sasha:I get that Tamara's got more on her mind than Sasha's jealous rants but her superior attitude annoyed me and her "It's not my fault Casey's involved in my problems" was positively laughable.Right, like she didn't come back to town, make a beeline for him and start crying on his shoulder about it?I'd like to think their sudden obsessive infatuation with each other is meant to come off as unhealthy but we're probably meant to see Tamara's talk of being drawn irresistibly towards him and Casey begging her to stay as romantic.Also confused by Brax saying her ex is wanted in connection with her brother's death.Didn't he drive off after an argument and crash his car?Even if Nelson injured him in their fight beforehand and that contributed to the crash, you couldn't really charge him with murder or manslaughter, it's not like he forced him to drive a car while injured.

Heath's fumbling with the social worker was actually rather sweet and he looked pretty good, if uncomfortable, in that suit.I wish he'd had a chance to give a fuller explanation for why he didn't take custody of Darcy after Tegan died, then again "I only found out she was my daughter a few weeks earlier" probably wouldn't have sounded too good either.Was that an adult movie Brax was rescuing from Heath's clear up and taking off to his room?Didn't think he'd need that...

Nice to fill in some of the blanks about Celia's return from Africa.Her explanation for her gambling addiction was a bit simplistic but sometimes that's all it takes.(Although if Sheldon exists but isn't a conman, who is he?A bookmaker/casino owner?Fellow gambler?)Marilyn and Roo annoyed me slightly, especially with the way they assumed Alf was in the wrong, but we all know Alf's a caring bloke and isn't going to see Celia out on the streets.

[Slade]

When I think back to the scene where Sasha told Ruby to stay away from Casey and the way she supported him at his trial, the way she argued with Sid to let her go out with him, I guess it's a shame it's ended up like this. I'm even more disappointed that Sasha doesn't want to be friends with him as I still liked the scenes when they weren't together although TBH, it's perfectly understandable. She needs to get over him and move on and it won't do her any good hanging around him when he's all loved up with Tamara. I'm hoping in time she will change her mind about the whole friendship thing, perhaps when she's found someone else. As she mentioned, in her heart of hearts she knew that Casey wanted to be with Tamara and was just in denial and hoping. I think it was pretty much over the moment Kyle confirmed Tamara was real and they started looking for her. Tamara saved Casey's life and there is absolutely nothing Sasha can do to change that. This kind of reminds me what happened with Xavier, the relationship obviously ending for different reasons i.e. they spent months building up what could potentially be a good thing then just threw it away like that.

With regards to Dexter, I can't really fault him for the way he was with Casey. If that had been my sister, I wouldn't have been too happy - Not sure given Casey's track record, I would have wanted him with her in the first place. And as I suspected from the outset looks like Sid was right all along.

I actually don't really have a problem with Casey and Tamara getting together. Granted Casey has been out of order, stringing Sasha along and like Dex said using her (he practically admitted a while back that he only got with her because he thought he was going to jail for a long time and Natalie convinced him Tamara wasn't real). But at least he finished with Sasha before starting anything with Tamara. And I think I was already resigned to the fact that Casey wasn't into Sasha they way she was into him.

April annoyed me at first the way she tried to lecture Casey and Tamara about what they were doing and came across as completely hypocritical but at least I think when Tamara was telling her how she felt about Casey the moment she met him and she didn't plan to hurt Sasha (OK well she sort of did coming back but let's face it Casey wasn't into her like he was Tamara) I think April thought back to her and Dex getting together and sort of acknowledged what Tamara said.

Really, really can't stand Jett. I've never liked him. Not particularly keen on Romeo either but the way Jett stole his wallet (which let's face it comes natural to him, stealing that is) and locked him in the shed really annoyed me. If it was me and I caught up with Jett, I would want to wring the little f****r's neck.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm really finding Casey and Tamara hard to get behind and I think April was quite right to say what she did, even if she did seem to realise she did the same to Xavier.If Casey wants to keep it secret, he shouldn't be fooling around in public and the fact that he needed April to get him to do the right thing by Sasha doesn't say much for him.(Oddly, the scene was almost identical to Dexter seeing Romeo and Ruby together last year.)Tamara saying she didn't plan to take Casey off Sasha is clearly a lie.And Casey's kidding himself if he thinks he can dump Sasha in a cowardly manner, start sleeping with the girl who caused their problems five minutes later and then carry on using her as his personal sounding board.(Let's not forget, he did kiss Tamara while he was with Sasha, even if Tamara did initiate it.)I'm glad Dexter kicked him out and wish he'd gone further.Casey even seemed to be a bit of a jerk towards Tamara at first, up and leaving after they'd slept together and actually being a bit cold towards her at breakfast.I'm not sure if it'll last but that might be wishful thinking on my part, I'm not sure that being grateful to someone for saving your life is a good reason to start sleeping with them.I recall Kelly Paterniti saying in an early interview that when you join Home and Away sooner or later you end up in a bikini:Looks like the day arrived.Interesting that she kept Nelson's message from him, but the implication seemed to be he was on his way back to the big house so maybe she didn't want him having it on his mind while he's in there.Liked the interaction between Dexter and Sasha, wish we saw more of this.Even April didn't seem too out of place in that storyline.

Jett, oddly, didn't annoy me as much in this episode, possibly because his stunts seemed a shade more pathetic.Nice subversion that Gina thinks she's forgotten something as well when John turns up with flowers and a dinner invite.I did find the idea that Jett could outstrip Romeo over any real distance somewhat laughable;maybe Romeo's knee's still not right but half the time it looked like Luke Mitchell was just about to catch him when they hastily cut to a different shot.He seemed to grab his top before running after Jett, which explains its sudden reappearance, although why he'd bother I don't know.Where was that shed meant to be?It looked like the caravan park and there certainly seemed to be people nearby, so why didn't they hear Romeo's calls even if they didn't see what happened?

[Psychic Wombat]

Well I have to disagree with you there Red Ranger 1 lol. I think Casey is being given a hard time by his friends over his relationship with Tamara. It's not like he's ever declared undying love for Sasha, in fact he's been pretty evasive every time Sasha has tried to force a relationship on him. And just because someone 'cares' about you doesn't mean you are bound to them, the fact is Casey doesn't want the same knid of relationship with Sasha as she does. I reckon Casey and Tamara have more of a connection and Sasha should now bow out gracefully by staying on speaking terms to both of them. As for OCD April after some of the things she has got up to (Re Heath/Dex) I don't think her opinion carries much weight in this type of situation. But you can bet there is trouble ahead for Casey as he is made to pay for his pleasure!

Liking the scenes with Jed and Romeo, very funny.