Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Slade]

After having to put up with Maddie strutting around like she's the bees knees yesterday baring Natalie (who I thought only turned up to the party to bump into Brax) it was a much better episode today.

Quite liked the Tamara/April scenes. It's good to see Tamara interacting with more females rather than being stuck between the Braxtons. I thought she looked really pretty when April spruced her up. I found the whole thing at the engagement party extremely amusing. Kyle's reaction when he saw Tamara and then Tamara's reaction when Cheryl blurted out that he liked her.

It's hard to know what to make of Cheryl. I liked the scene where Tamara was mouthing off to Casey, Cheryl was standing right behind them, they realised Cheryl was there, Tamara turned round apprehensive and Cheryl said she was the only girlfriend of the Braxton boys she didn't feel like strangling. I also found her reaction funny when Casey punched Kyle. On the other hand she still has quite an unpleasant side. I'll excuse her attitude towards Kyle because I don't think I would be on good terms with someone who tried to kidnap and kill my son but I hated the way she was with Bianca. And although I found it funny when she was trying to stir trouble, objectively speaking it wasn't particularly pleasant.

I was very impressed with Heath. The effort he made with during the whole engagement, trying to calm things down with Kyle and Cheryl and making an effort with Liam when Liam came to say goodbye, telling him to look after his kid, leaving him and Bianca alone to say their farewells.

Will be sorry to see Liam go. Whilst by no means my favourite character, he's been someone who I've always liked during his time. I've liked his calm, cool non-threatening nature. Really liked the goodbye scenes with Irene, April, Heath (as mentioned previously) and especially Bianca.

Actually quite liked Ricky. Interesting that despite everything there was no awkwardness whatsoever with her or any of the Braxtons's when she initially saw them. Good to hear her acknowledge what Casey did for Jamie and I suppose consistent that they spoke about Adam. Didn't mind her hooking up with Brax. Just a shame Natalie wasn't party to it.

[Red Ranger 1]

Maddy (just how are we meant to spell her name btw, I've seen different versions by the site)

It's spelled Maddy on the closing credits and both Aus and UK official sites(although curiously the Aus site spells her surname differently to everyone else).A lot of people do seem to spell it Maddie, I've seen it spelt like that in subtitles and listing magazines, especially when she first came in, but they slowly seem to be settling on Maddy.

Anyway.The Romeo/Indi stuff did at least seem to be hitting the right notes a bit more here although I still found it hard to get interested and still find their romantic dialogue the most stilted outside of a George Lucas script.(And judging by the promo it's only going to get worse.)Indi unknowingly twisting the knife by suddenly wanting to start a family just made me roll my eyes, it's a good job he is dying.Not sure what to make of the ending, see how it plays out.

And more of the Heath Appreciation Society.Things to love about Heath here:He calls Tamara an angry gnome, the casual way he chooses between Bianca's outfits after Brax flounders, his telling Kyle to look away when he's staring openmouthed at Tamara.Did April smirk at the idea of Heath turning up naked?(Sometimes it's very easy to put my shipping glasses on.The fact she's holding up one of the outfits she wore when they were together helps.)I still find April and Tamara suddenly being BFFs incredibly forced and I just can't believe it.But then it's reached the point where April doesn't really work for me with any characters apart from Bianca, Heath and possibly Irene.Her hanging around Casey and Tamara just made me think "Why are you there?"Not sure why Cheryl was apparently taken with Tamara, although knowing her she probably only did it to wind up Bianca.Conversely, she actually seemed too pleasant with Kyle, it seemed like she was off with him because he's Danny's son rather than because of what he did to Casey.Interesting that Cheryl and Heath, the supposed liabilities in the family, were the ones to pick up on Kyle liking Tamara.Casey punching Kyle, not sure.If it was just because of him fancying Tamara, that seemed like an extreme reaction but Tamara's expression did suggest something else had happened so fair enough.Guess Natalie deserves credit for turning up.

Ricky...Well, her and Brax seemed a bit quick, even if they are supposed to have known each other for years.Good to get an update on Jamie and hear that there is still someone looking out for him. Bit surprising that Heath was so pleased to see her given how much he hated Adam.But mainly I'm wondering how old they're all supposed to be.Adam seemed to be in his 40s and was kind of a father/big brother figure to Brax.Jamie, his son, seemed to be about Kyle's age.And now we've got Ricky, who's apparently Adam's sister but seems to be closer in age to Jamie, about the same age as Brax or possibly even younger given his remark about her having grown.Weird.

I'm not really feeling Liam's departure which is a shame because I do actually like him.Maybe it's because he hasn't really had any function on the show since he and Bianca split up but it feels like it's being overshadowed.We've had two episodes now where he's just popped up for one scene to say goodbye to someone.As glad as I am that he and Heath parted on good terms and that he seems to be making steps forward with Ash at last, I wish they'd devoted an episode to his exit rather than making it a C-plot at best.

[Blaxland 89]

These previews have got to stop. At the end of the episode I was left thinking "ooh, I wonder how Romeo exactly leaves" only for 5 seconds later to be shown. Now I am not going to bother watching because I already have seen it, which is, I assume the opposite to what they intend to do.

I get it if its a weekly drama and the don't give too much away but for a daily show it is ridiculous, and counter productive. Also suck all the drama and tension and of everything. Please stop them.. And maybe give us some decent credits to replace.

[Brian]

Great episode Tuesday with the engagement party. Plenty of drink to loosen tongues. It didn't take ma Braxton long to see that Kyle had the hots for Tamara. I loved her "real party" bit when the fight started. Although it was a one-sided fight. Still doesn't seem right for Bianca marrying Heath. Can't see any chemistry there and, as I said before, she's come down a long way from an Italian prince she nearly married. Mind you, April went there as well. Perhaps those sisters have a rogue gene in them!

Felt sorry for Kyle - Tamara did look WOW. Pity they didn't talk when she came back to see him - could have helped, but probably all he would have been able to say was "I love you". Brax playing the big daddy again getting Casey and Kyle together ; Kyle apologises but surely Brax should have made Casey apologise for hitting him - it wasn't necessary. Wonder how that triangle will resolve itself - Kyle does seem to go better with Tamara, but will the scriptwriters go there ??????

As for Romeo, I think he should have manned up and told her - not easy I know.

[Red Ranger 1]

I really liked that little scene between Kyle and Tamara and really do think they'd make a better couple:The moment where he indirectly told her he loved her was a zinger and far more subtle than her and Casey's wild declarations after a week together.Although Casey and Tamara's scene at the end of the episode was one of their better moments.Brax's resolution to stay out of it didn't last long and not really sure what his intervention achieved:All he did was get Kyle to apologise to Casey, which he probably would have done anyway.Ricky's smirk while Brax was threatening Kyle was curious:Is she bringing out his more hardline side?Heath being Cheryl's favourite is a bit weird;mind you, from Ricky's description it doesn't sound like he's her favourite in a good way, more of a "He's the one who'll do what I tell him" way.Which made his standing up to here all the more fantastic.Continue to love the byplay between Heath and Bianca, with her noting it was the engagement party she expected and him asking her for money for breakfast.

Well, again I didn't find the stuff with Romeo as annoying as I thought I would.But that's because I pretty much feel...nothing.That might be partly because the impact was lost a bit after the promo showed some of the key points(although to be fair, all of that was in the first five minutes anyway).And it might also be a personal thing that I don't really feel any emotional connection to most of the characters involved:I don't hate Romeo or feel sorry for him, I don't really feel sorry for Indi either, I feel sorry for Sid a bit because he's having to deal with the fallout.But it's also partly down to bad plotting that means everything's happened in the wrong order.By the time Indi finds out that Romeo's dying, she's already spent an episode mourning the end of their marriage and his disappearance from her life, so it really doesn't change anything:It's not so much the final nail in the coffin of their marriage as the last shovel of dirt filling in the grave.It takes some doing to make a young person suffering from terminal illness seem devoid of emotion but they pretty much manage it here by putting all the focus on Romeo leaving Indi rather than the fact that he's basically gone off to die.Frankly, the part of the storyline that most held by attention was Sasha talking to Rosie on the phone!

[H&Alover]

Thanks for that DanF, I thought I had seen it from the scanning shots we see. Also thanks Red, I thought it was me, think I'll stick with Maddy.

The engagement party was great, Cheryl's sharper than she looks, picking up on the look Kyle was giving Tamara like that! Brax, who's meant to be the smart one hadn't noticed and he's spent more time with them both. I think Cheryl approved of Tamara because she was swigging out of a bottle and being lippy. Tamara did look good after that make over by April, not too OTT. It wasn't really a secret as such, Tamara probably didn't tell Casey as, in her eyes, there was nothing to tell and it wouldn't have served any purpose other than to cause trouble needlessly.

I suppose I can understand Cheryl's point of view Bianca effectively abandoned Heath after Rocco died and if he is her favourite as Ricky says (she did say it was because he did as he was told) she would be protective. I loved how he stood up to her after Bianca revealed he was seeing a counsellor. I liked how he wished Liam good luck then walked away so he and Bianca could say goodbye.

I would put Ricky in her late twenties/early thirties maybe.She doesn't appear to bear any ill feeling towards Brax or the others about Adam's death, perhaps being his little sister he was overbearing with her too. I can see him having vetted her boyfriends very carefully. Interesting that she had met Bianca before when Adam took her (Bianca) to a party in the city. Of course Bianca was off with the fairies at the time so wouldn't remember.

I thought that scene of Romeo's silhouette against the rising sun was beautifully shot and Liam driving up and not a word spoken (just Romeo's voice reading his letter to indi) was very well

and so poignantly done. Nicely bookended, I thought, they came to town together and left together. I would imagine Liam will get Romeo to a hospital when the need arises. I did worry that Romeo had left Indi stranded, then Sid turned up. I guess he, Romeo, must have taken the car back to town then met up with Liam. I felt for Sid as well having to tell Indi the news, will she blame him for not telling her earlier? I guess he will then have to tell Dex and Sasha. Wonder how the rest of the bay will take the news? Only Irene, I guess, will really understand.

[Red Ranger 1]

Wow.Well, Rosie's storyline has taken a pretty dark turn.Lovely that Sasha was there with her throughout, spending the night with her at the hospital and helping her through the nightmares.I really do like their friendship.Mullens is coming over as a pretty manipulative individual who's very good at making people do and think what he wants, leaving Rosie convinced he's a nice guy who made a mistake and doesn't deserve to be punished.It was only when Sasha helped her face up to him and she realised he saw what happened between them as normal and "fun" that she realised he really doesn't care and went to the police.Surprised that there was no adult present when she gave her statement but I guess that's just suspects.Guess her foster family will have to find out now.

They did the best they could to cope with Indi having used up her episodes by having Sid talk to her on the phone and say she's sleeping in the next room but that's the second episode in a row where the cliffhanger has involved someone being told something the audience already know.Personally I'd have preferred if Sasha had been kept in Rosie's storyline rather than being dragged into this.That might seem strange given that I complained not so long ago about her absence from Walker scenes but Sid's breakdown was something that affected her and, no matter how much the show tried to show otherwise, I never felt Dexter and Sasha were that close to Romeo.

Chris definitely seems to be trying to influence Spencer and I think Harvey's right to be worried about him and Roo shouldn't have dismissed it so easily.Not sure if he wants to take Spencer home or if he wants to turn him into his sidekick drifting from place to place.I was surprised no-one seemed to mind the two of them suddenly taking off when Spencer's got school but I'm guessing they're meant to be gone for a weekend or something.

[Slade]

I was disappointed with Romeo for walking out on Indy like that and taking the cowards way out. Fine if he doesn't want to stay with her to watch him die but he should at least have faced her and been honest. Sid shouldn't have been the one to tell her. Was glad Sid told Sasha and Dex what happened. I was willing him to do it shortly after he found out.

My first reaction upon finding out Rosie had been raped was oh no, not again, yet another rape. I have to admit a small part of me initially wondered whether she was making it up as an excuse the get sympathy from Sasha. From the flashbacks and how upset she was it's safe to say she was telling the truth. I do hope Sasha feels a small amount of guilt as it was her blowing out Rosie previously that indirectly led to this. Regardless I liked the way Sasha was there for her. No chance of Sasha ending the friendship now. I wonder if we are going to see this foster family of Rosie's at some point.

[alreetlike]

My first reaction upon finding out Rosie had been raped was oh no, not again, yet another rape. I have to admit a small part of me initially wondered whether she was making it up as an excuse the get sympathy from Sasha.

Those were my first thoughts on reading the spoilers about this. Actually, on watching the scenes play out, I'm not minding the storyline at all. In fact it's probably the one I'm most interested in. I really like Sasha and Rosie's friendship so I'm looking forward to how this develops.

Quite frankly I'm pleased to see the back of Romeo, but I think his exit was handled badly. I've never been fond of his and Indi's relationship and the whole thing just seemed... rubbish, to me. The only part I liked was him leaving with Liam and I'm pleased they got their friendship back on track. I feel sorry for Sid having to cope with the fallout.

[H&Alover]

True Dex and Sasha may not have been that close to Romeo, but Indi is their sister and she is going to need them for the foreseeable. It doesn't look like anyone else knows about Romeo's departure yet.

Rosie's rape (and at least 'they' have not fudged it and called it an attack) did come out of the blue. At least she told someone right away and that must have taken a lot of courage. She could have easily run off when Sasha dismissed her but she told Roo. Sasha does feel guilty that she was partly to blame, but she had done all she could to warn Rosie about Mullens and she couldn't be with her all the time to keep him away. The flashbacks had me abit confused, it looked dark, but perhaps it's becasue they were parked under the trees and it made it look darker. That was lovely for her to stay with Rosie overnight to be there for her. Is it because Rosie is over 16 that Sid is not allowed to inform Rosie's foster parents what has happened? Anyway I don't think I'd like to be told news like that over the phone. I loved how she faced up to him when he said 'we had fun, didn't we?', she replied 'no, we didn't' and he slunk off. I was wondering about the interview, but I think she will need to go into the station to give a formal statement which is when she'll need an appropriate adult. The whole thing did answer an earlier question of mine as to whether they give out helpline phone numbers for anyone who had been affected by the storyline.

Talking of rape, was the guy who raped Bianca ever sent to trial?

I think Harvey is right to be worried about Chris, he does appear to be a bad influence . Maddy won't be happy he's gone off, but I get the feeling he (Chris) feels she's a bad influence on Spencer.