Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Jezz]

What else?Oh yeah, Adam's alive.Presumably it's meant to be a shock but actually it's more of a disappointment.His exit was very affecting and effective but now he's been brought back in a manner that completely undermines it as well as defying credibility.Brax and Heath got a good look at his body and clearly believed him to be dead, his death has been discussed openly enough for us to be able to safely assume he's been legally declared dead, Jamie seemed to believe he was dead and mentioned a funeral...Even with a lot of dramatic license, we need a better explanation for all this than "I got hit by a car but I got better", yet I suspect that the throwaway lines of dialogue at the end, which seem to suggest Brax and Heath just left him lying there and he got up after they'd gone, are all we're going to get.(Actually, the whole thing makes much more sense if you assume that Heath knows he's alive.But they wouldn't go there, would they?)

I'm unsure of whether Jamie is aware that Adam is really alive or not, but I do know that he said he couldn't go to the funeral which already cast some doubt amongst a few viewers that maybe Adam didn't die after all.

[Psychic Wombat]

I love it when they bring people back from the dead in soaps :-) I'm not sure Adam is a fair enough trade for Gina's clumsy rushed departure but I'm looking forward to Adams scheming in the coming episodes.

Not sure about Indy in the last episode, she seems to be like her dad in the romance stakes just using sport sex to solve any underlying issues - only marginally better than drinking vodka under the pier (are you listening Ruby? hey Ruby where are you!). I guess Chris is a good target for her, but we all know he's going to have a heart after all and by having it broken he'll understand his brothers hurt over Maddie. All good stuff. April and Dex need to go on a placement to Perth I really thought we'd seen the last of their tedious on/off puppy love. Luckily Sasha is not in a relationship yet so her storyline is interesting with Rosie's assault and the build up to another attack I suspect. :-/

[alreetlike]

I've been quite far behind due to being busy with other things recently (think it was 8 or 9 episodes at one point) so I'm only just getting caught up.

I think RR1 summed up April & Dex's reunion perfectly. Annoying, sickly, just about everything was wrong with it and it made me almost wish I'd just deleted the episode without bothering. I really hate these two as a couple.

Edited to add.. Don't even get me STARTED on Adam being back from the dead.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm unsure of whether Jamie is aware that Adam is really alive or not, but I do know that he said he couldn't go to the funeral which already cast some doubt amongst a few viewers that maybe Adam didn't die after all.

Okay, so it means there's no witnesses to Adam's funeral and savvy viewers might have twigged that this is Home and Away and dead characters get resurrected in contrived ways all the time.But in terms of actual plot logic, it doesn't make much sense.If Jamie's in on it, then it just about makes sense he'd invent a story about a funeral for Casey's benefit so the Braxtons go on thinking Adam's dead and we can assume the story about the authorities freezing Adam's assets on his death was a lie(since we've only Ricky and Jamie's word for it).But if he isn't, then we're left with the implication that there was a funeral and Jamie applied to the authorities for permission to attend.It only makes sense if Ricky went to see Jamie and told him that Adam was dead, she'd asked if he could go to the funeral and he couldn't and, by the way, Adam's money's gone so it's off to jail.As evidence goes, it seems to raise more questions than it answers and requires the viewer to take a lot on trust and think about it more than the writers seem to have.

Anyway, Adam's back and pulling Ricky's strings and I guess we're just going to have to accept it.It's hard to see how much of Ricky's words here were true, she seems torn between her loyalties to Brax and Adam.Still, looks like Kyle and Casey are in the firing line now.Got a bit confused with the time scale with Ricky indicating it was still before breakfast after her, ahem, session with Brax:I assumed at first it was the next day but I guess she just met Kyle and went round Brax's really early.She seemed surprised at Kyle's willingness to give all his money to Brax.Kyle and Tamara working separate shifts didn't last very long.

So, Lachlan probably has more lines in this episode than in all the previous ones put together.Sasha, Zac and Rosie's assumption that he's supporting Mullens seems to be a real case of barking up the wrong tree given his hurt denial, I could understand Sasha getting all aggressive but Zac probably jumped to conclusions a bit too much.At least they got a few extras to fill out Zac's self-defence class this time round.Tamara getting involved makes sense too.Nice to see Maddy hanging out Sasha and Rosie as well.

[Psychic Wombat]

_{When Lachlan was watching the self defence class I was surprised Zac went to confront him I was expecting Natalie to go.}

_{That Ricki is more trouble than a rattle snake in your bed to quote an Arizonan friend of mine! I don't think you are supposed to take into account anything that might go on off screen in soaps, the only thing that's irked me recently is Gina's unlikely death. The trio of John, Gina and Jet was one of the better relationships in the bay - but I was thankful it wasn't cancer for once.}

[H&Alover]

Adam being alive does raise many questions. Brax felt for a pulse and I'm sure Heath stayed with him until the ambulance arrived, even if he may have departed before it actually turned up. I'm sure Heath isn't involved, there wasn't any love lost between them was there? It seems likely the paramedics were able to revive him after that. He certainly doesn't look fully recovered. I, personally, don't think Jamie does know he's alive, be typical of Adam to let his own son think he's dead, especially as he was getting close to the Braxtons. We do know Jamie wasn't allowed to go to his funeral so perhaps that was part of Adam's plan. He had the clout to get people to 'arrange' for all of that to happen. When Ricky got involved we don't know yet, but it did look like she'd been caring for him for a while. Adam may have decided to cut Jamie out of his life and his legal people told him there was no money and he couldn't go to the funeral which would explain that part of it. Adam seems to have been brainwashing Ricky over Brax, something he's very good at, but having got to know him (in more ways than one) again she's having second thoughts. Not too sure how much of her 'confession' to Brax was true, but I do have the feeling some of it was. Perhaps it was a late breakfast, it looked like it was light when she showed up at Brax's and later when she told Casey she was looking for coffee, another instance of people not locking their door to their later detriment. Ricky definitely was surprised at Kyle giving all of his ill gotten gains to Brax, she doesn't know them well does she? Just what has she planted at Casey's and when does Heath get dragged into it?

I'm going to go against the flow and say I'm glad Dex and April are back together (ducks to avoid things being thrown in my direction). They were absolutely miserable apart and now April has time on her own she can see Dex as her boyfriend again and not as someone who needs looking after, so Indi's plan worked after all. Talking of whom it'll be a switch for Chris to be on the receiving end of a casual relationship and he did seem very interested to see Indi again which must be a first for him. Small point I know but I'm assuming Indi phoned Sid/Sasha/Dex to tell them she wouldn't be home?

Was nice to see a few more recruits at the self defence classes. Lachlin hasn't really done anything sinister and of course it'd look like he was always about he does go to the same school! Nice to know he can speak and doesn't have to be glued to the other three. Had to smile then Sasha said to Zac 'Don't look now' and that is the first thing he does!!!

[Red Ranger 1]

The more I try to puzzle out "How the flip can Adam still be alive?", the more confused I get.It all makes marginally more sense if we assume that only Brax, Heath and those close to them think Adam's dead and the rest of the town haven't heard about the accident, because the more people know the harder it would be for no-one to have noticed they never found a body.The only question then is why did everyone expect Ricky to know the full story?The only explanation I can think of is that Heath actually called Ricky, told her what had happened and where Adam's body was and expected her to sort it out, she turned up and found out Adam was still alive and got him medical attention(almost certainly unofficial since it seems unlikely the Braxtons wouldn't have heard if Adam turned up in hospital somewhere)and he convinced her to pretend to the Braxtons he was dead.That's my working theory until it's contradicted...

Still, we got a rest from all that, more or less(although Adam's schemes seem to indirectly affect Heath's storyline).So it's back to the more affecting storyline surrounding Rosie.Zac seems to jump back and forth on whether he views Lachlan as a threat or a potential ally but nice to see him finally tell his side of the story.I expected to be disappointed that we didn't see Mullens arrested but actually I don't think we need to:That scene between Rosie and Lachlan where he basically tells her that she's right completed her emotional journey in an appropriate manner, as she has someone she thought was on the other side tell her she's right, apologise and offer his help.I'd be intrigued to know exactly what Lachlan said in his initial statement(surely not "I was there and she gave consent")but I'll buy him keeping the evidence.Sasha was a bit too antagonistic towards him but nice to see Bianca and Zac step up to the plate and go the extra mile to help a student.And then astonishingly the whole thing was almost derailed by the show's most pointless character, Natalie, ranting at Bianca about how she's the only one that knows how to help Rosie and everyone else should stay out of it.This from a woman who's a total joke as a counsellor, who mishandled Rosie at every turn and whose advice to stay away from Sasha and find some new friends was directly responsible for setting in motion the chain of events that led to her rape.I guess that it was meant to highlight Natalie's resentment at Zac succeeding where she failed and give Bianca a few insecurities about the job but I'm with Heath:Sack her.Nice that Heath finally got to speak to Darcy, even if she didn't exactly give him good news.Loved his "What?" as Bianca seethes about Kyle threatening Mullens.

Nice to get a reference to Xavier from Jett.So John finally tells Jett the truth about the adoption and, surprisingly, it wasn't the delay in telling him that upset him but John dwelling a bit too much on the negatives.Hopefully they manage to find and talk to him soon.

[H&Alover]

I suppose as far as the rest of the bay are concerned Adam has just left, no other mention of his death has been talked about, a Braxton secret? But, of course I guess maybe Zac may/must know taht's he is dead considering he must have spoken to Jamie in prison? I'm sticking with my theory that the paramedics revived him after Heath had left. Adam contacted Ricky from his hospital bed and he formulated his plan to get revenge. It's starting to come together after Darcy's call to Heath about Connie calling him a thief and as we saw from the trailer he's demanding Kyle give him the password to the account. Once he sees the $100,000 transferred Brax is going to be the first one he tackles, who of course as we know, knows nothing about it.

One minute Lachlin was saying the others weren't his mates, then he couldn't dub Mullens in as he was his friend, make your mind up lad. At least Rosie admitted Lachlin hadn't actually done anything threatening, him just being there was enough to spook her. Sasha did at least come down off her high horse after Lachlin 'confessed' to Rosie. Mullens was one sick puppy texting all the gory details to Lachlin (and the others?).

It seems this isn't the end of the story though.

Glad I wasn't the only one to be gobsmacked by Nat's reaction, jealous that Bianca and Zac succeeded where she wasn't able to maybe? Hadn't Rosie been unwilling to talk to her about it anyway, It been suggested she have counselling about and she said no choosing April and Sasha instead. April even suggested her talking to Bianca, though her name wasn't mentioned. Can't blame Nat for leading Rosie into Mullens' path that was just bad luck on Rosie's part.

Lovely scenes of Casey and Jett on the beach with Casey being 'big brother' in the absence of Xavier. I liked that John felt able to confide in Casey about the problem with the adoption. Shame John didn't get to finish what he was trying to tell Jett and he, Jett, jumped to the wrong conclusion that John wanted to give up. I'm sure they'll find him, I reckon he went to Casey's, he trusts him and I think he'll talk to him and persuade him to go home and talk to John to get the full story.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three.Irene was only in one(although she was credited on Friday for no appearance).Pretty sparse week for everyone really:The only other characters that managed three episodes were John, Marilyn and Roo.

Spencer was extremely cold towards Maddy at the beginning and I'm not sure it was really justified so I'm glad Harvey had a talk to him about it.Really not sure about Spencer and Maddy's reunion. While her arguments make sense, Maddy seemed to have to talk herself into it and it felt like she was doing it mainly for his sake.In which case, it was probably ill-timed, because it seemed like he'd just about accepted them being apart before she changed her mind.Even he didn't seem entirely sure about the idea.

Nice brainwave of John's working out where Jett was.I'm kinda left with the feeling that while their scenes are well-acted and quite sweet, there's very little to them in plot terms.I'm not sure after their discussion if they've decided not to go ahead with the adoption or just that they'll be a family whether it gets approved or not.

Heath's storyline seemed to be on hold for most of the episode, probably because it can't go too far without Brax appearing and he's not in this one.He seemed surprisingly quick to jump to the worst possible conclusion about Brax, which was presumably the idea.I do wonder if he's come up with the right conclusion but the wrong culprit:Is it actually Adam/Ricky that's paying Connie to keep Darcy away from him?Guess time will tell if Connie's in on it but it might explain her blasé reaction to Darcy being "kidnapped"(if she knew she was safe with Adam all along)and the fact that the plan seems entirely dependent on Darcy overhearing Connie and suddenly being able to contact Heath when she hasn't managed it before...

[Slade]

Had to smirk at Natalie's I'm redundant line. Love you've always been redundant. And even though I didn't agree with the way Zak and Bianca handled things with Rosie and Lachlan, she annoyed me when she confronted Bianca just because her feelings were hurt that she was excluded even though she said she was OK with it initially. Maybe Bianca should have taken Heath's advice and sacked her.

I was almost over the moon when Maddie and Spencer broke up last week but at the back of my mind I had a feeling they would get back together and unfortunately they have. Shame as I quite enjoyed seeing Spencer sulking, him snapping at Maddie then her running off crying. She still annoys me with the butter wouldn't melt act. The way she came down in the middle of the night and told Roo she couldn't sleep and snuggled up to her like an 8 year old. And she was going on about how it was the right thing breaking up with Spencer but she wanted to get back with him for 'him' almost making herself out to be totally selfless. Would prefer if they remain apart but just hope they aren't one of those couples who are on and off all the time.

Not really sure what to make of Adam not being dead after all. I think it's good for Jamie. With regards to when Ricky transferred the money initially I thought she was doing it because she had serious money problems with some of Adam's associates. Then when it was Connie I couldn't understand why. But given how Heath reacted when he got the password of Kyle and checked the accounts is it really just to cause trouble between Brax and Heath? Surely not.

Seems as though now Steph was a plot device to facilitate an April/Dex reunion...