Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[H&Alover]

I loved Jett and VJ's apology to Pippa, they obviously weren't forced into it as it came across as heartfelt. It'll be nice for her to have someone to turn to at school, she may get teased (or bullied) about not doing certain things like PE (do they still have classes like that)? Glad VJ tackled Leah about not telling him the truth. Giving her the benefit of the doubt I suppose Sally doesn't want to tell Pippa the whole truth just yet. Lovely chat between Pippa and Alf on the beach, in the absence of Martha she is a surrogate granddaughter to him.

It was sad seeing Irene at home all alone, she's shared her home with so many recently it must seem so empty. Hope she doesn't start not bothering looking after herself, so easy to with no-one else around to cook for. Wasn't the reason Leah cutting back on shifts to look after VJ, but now she knows he's OK she can come back, can't she? Still be interesting to see how John makes out.

Surprising it was Irene that finally changed Heath's mind, he does scrub up well doesn't he? Though of course you could see what was going to happen a mile off! Not sure if Bianca feels anything for Zac, but going by the look he gave her as she walked away, he might have for her. She did look lovely though, I reckon he could have bluffed his way through.

It's Ricky's trail next week, and something amazing happens!!!

[Pierced Musie]

Is it bad that my favourite scene of the week was Heath enjoying ringing the bell in the Diner? I've now seen that more than once and I still laugh !

[Red Ranger 1]

Again, I really liked all the Spencer and Maddy stuff, it's nice that they're in the know about Pippa now.Shame that the spectre of Sasha continues to hang over them.She really is no better than Maddy now, acting like she's got a say in who Spencer spends time with even though she broke up with him and scowling when she sees him with Maddy.When she tells Indi she's going back to Broken Hill, my main thought was "Yes, please!"In fact, Maddy comes across better since at least she realises that it's up to Spencer who he wants to be with.

I had a feeling John's stay at the Diner wouldn't last long but I'm disappointed all the same.I thought Irene was rather harsh sacking him, which isn't the first time this year she hasn't really given someone a chance, but I can't fault it after he lied to her like that.It's a shame because the byplay between him and Marilyn was nice, I loved the way she didn't want to look round when she heard the coffee machine explode.So, is the fact Irene was snowed under just going to be ignored now or are we meant to assume Leah and Sasha are back working there?

The Heath/Bianca stuff felt like rather forced drama.Why didn't Heath go over to Bianca and Zac at the function?Why didn't Bianca tell him Zac was there?Why has Heath abruptly decided that one of them must fancy the other?Didn't really ring true.

[Slade]

It's Ricky's trail next week, and something amazing happens!!!

Yep and you just had to tell us didn't you?

Trust Maddie to make Pippa's tragedy all about her. I was a bit disappointed with Sasha for acting like her when she threatened to leave although tactically speaking it was perfect because it seems to have now put serious, serious doubt in Spencer's mind.

Quite liked Indy yesterday. Being objective with Spencer but at the same time being there as a big sister to Sasha and offering fairly decent advice.

Found the stuff with John slightly amusing. Working at the Diner was never going to work. And I don't blame Irene for sacking him even if he did try the reverse psychology approach. I do like John but I think he would be an absolute nightmare to work with. Still I do like the fact it meant he and Marilyn spent more time with each other.

Didn't really like the way Heath was towards Zak but was glad he apologised. I actually thought he had a point when he arguing with Bianca right at the end of the episode.

[H&Alover]

One very good reason Heath didn't go and join them was because it was Heath! I suppose Bianca could have said 'Oh, by the way, Zac turned up so I wasn't on my own', but she was rather tiddly so I guess it wasn't in the forefront of her mind. At least he only got confrontational and didn't hit him. I personally think Heath isn't wrong and Zac does fancy her. Bianca got the wrong end of the stick thinking Irene meant Zac and not Heath. Three weeks to the wedding ah, well things can go wrong in the three days before soap weddings let alone three weeks.

Sasha going back to Broken Hill, don't see it happening myself. Spencer was just being Spencer when he was comforting Maddy after she told him about Pippa. True what Indi said about having someone you care about leaving, but he can still be in touch with Sasha unlike her and Romeo. Maddy did say to Roo Pippa's illness put her fretting about her and Spencer into perspective. She wants him to be happy and if it means being him with Sasha so be it.

Oh John, running the diner is not like running the juice bar, as I mentioned before. I suppose the coffee machine blowing up could have happened to anyone not used to operating it, but he should have come clean and maybe kept his job. Not a bad idea dashing off to get supplies. Maz did feel awkward with she was alone with him and soon made an excuse to leave.

Ricky's trial was no secret it was in the trailer.

[Red Ranger 1]

Again, I liked seeing Spencer and Maddy together, even just as friends, and I'm disappointed that, with him and Sasha back on good terms(although apparently not back together), we're probably going to go back to him spending all his time with her and ignoring his surrogate family.It's telling that this past week or so is the most I've enjoyed watching him since he and Sasha first started making eyes. Sasha being a cow towards Maddy annoyed me but I can accept that it's fair play for Maddy hurling abuse at her last week.But it was hard not to hate the smug look on her face when she gets her own way at the end.And then we get that terrible scene between Roo and Maddy, which is the sort of thing that always gets the anti-Maddy fans' backs up:Instead of the audience being allowed to recognise for themselves that Maddy behaved selflessly, they get it drummed into them.Same as we get it drummed into us that Sasha and Spencer are really into each other instead of us being shown any actual evidence and being allowed to make up our own mind:Apart from the afternoon of hot sex, it's hard to see how Sasha makes Spencer happy and frankly if she hadn't come back, or if she'd gone away again, he'd probably have carried on with his life as if their five minute fling never happened, in stark contrast to his shutting himself away and refusing to get out of bed when he broke up with Maddy.

So, I guess we're meant to assume Heath was right about Zac liking Bianca, giving his depressed look at them making out.Very disappointed it's going in that direction.Having seen 2000 Leah and 2013 Leah recently, I'm curiously left thinking that she's hotter now than she was then...If Sally is going to sell the caravan park, and I'm still hoping she doesn't have to, then there's no-one else I'd want to buy it other than Alf.(Shades of him leading the consortium that bought it back in 1999...)I loved Sally's bemused reaction at Marilyn trying to sell it to the Braxtons(a dig at all the fans claiming they dominate the show?)but Kate Ritchie seemed to be struggling with how to play Sally's poorly written reaction to Alf's offer, which oddly managed to be both too emotional and not emotional enough.

I get that Kyle's just trying to protect Tamara but encouraging her to keep her memory loss from the court is the wrong thing to do.(Is it just him and Ricky that know?)Nice to find out what happened to Adam, even if it was a bit infodumpy.Brax thinking he can do whatever he wants to get his own way is just frustrating:Loved Kyle rolling his eyes at older brother's latest stunt.Annoyed to look at the credits and find that once more they've hired that same actor to play the prosecutor and then given his character a different name.Then looked further down, saw Ricky's solicitor was played by Charlton Hill and went "Charlton Hill?!The same Charlton Hill who used to be called Andrew Hill and played Sally's stepbrother Haydn back in the 90s?!", watched the scene again and went "Good grief!"Getting a former regular back to play a random guest character is pretty rare, offhand I can't remember it ever happening in Home and Away before.

[H&Alover]

So Maddy wants Spencer to be with anyone who makes him happy even if it is Sasha, even though she still wishes it was her. I like that Spencer wants to take it slowly with Sasha, it did jump from just starting to going out to jumping into bed without much dating in between.

Makes a lot of sense Alf along with Marilyn, Roo and Harvey buying the caravan park, though it does look like that could be harder than they thought. Alf never really broke free of that place did he? They can't let Pippa go on thinking she and Sally will be going to the States soon after being told that's where she'll be 'made better'.

You've got a very good memory there Red, I'd never have recognised Ricky's solicitor as once having been Haydn, usually it's part bit actors who become full time not the other way round. I think it was only Casey, Kyle and Ricky who knew Tamara's memory had started to come back. It certainly helped a lot in Ricky's favour as did Casey's testimony. Will Tam tell Kyle she remembers her time being with Casey? Can understand Casey's reaction, it'll just be too weird for them to be as they were.

So it looks like VJ was right all along about Nina, pity as he had just decided to put his resentment of her behind him. At least Jett came to the conclusion by himself and not had the idea planted in his mind by VJ.

[Psychic Wombat]

Maddy has become a total PITA, I wish she would get some friends and a life instead of moping and pouting around all the time. Let's face it, she could do better than wet fish Spencer who is probably not suited to either her Sasha. I'd like to see Maddy hook up with Casey.

The court case was a let down as usual, I think if I ever chose a life of crime I'd move to Australia as you only get a suspended sentence for blackmail and kidnap with firearms. Ricki was a willing accomplice to her brother it was only towards the end that he turned sides. I feel sorry for Casey, I would have left the bay by now with all the pressure he's had to contend with. e.g his own kidnap, mighty mouse leaving him for his half brother and pressure to testify in Rickis favour by Brax.

[Red Ranger 1]

Most court cases in Summer Bay are foregone conclusions and this was no exception.We know Ricky isn't going to go for jail, at least not for long, and so it turned out.It did seem like people were sugar coating things in their testimony, especially Casey:Adam may have resorted to threatening Ricky in the end but for much of the time she was helping him of her own free will.Maybe he manipulated her but that's not quite the same thing.(I don't think she ever kidnapped anyone though, she was a prisoner herself by the time Tamara was abducted.)Telling that Brax didn't seem to have any sort of plan other than going to jail(which kind of defeats the objective of keeping Ricky out)and it was left to Kyle to get him out of trouble.Kind of demonstrates that the family don't really need him anymore.My biggest worry is that Tamara seems to be keeping the fact she remembers Casey from Kyle.I think Kyle should have taken a step back when Casey was questioning Tamara about what she remembered but Casey's attitude at the end, making out like he'd have done Tamara a huge favour by taking her back, was totally arrogant.

I was annoyed at Alf lying to Sally and Pippa about getting the money(Roo seemed to mostly just stand there).At least Sally worked it out quickly since she's not daft.(In fact, I'm not sure she was ever taken in at all.)Disappointed that she seems set to move out, she feels like she belongs in that house, probably more than Roo and Harvey do.Having said that, while Sally's desire for a "nice little apartment" isn't very encouraging, Irene's got an empty house at the moment and having one of her oldest friends and a moppet for her to dote on stay with her is probably just what she needs.

VJ may well have taken the coveted award of most annoying person in these two episodes.It was hard to shake the feeling that he was using an opening to turn Jett against Nina(his comment about her "life of crime" was particularly ridiculous)and actually, for a while, I thought he might have taken that stuff himself to set Nina up while they were alone on the beach.Fortunately I was wrong but his constant badmouthing her was largely responsible for this mess and it'll be a shame if that's the last we see of Nina.I thought John might have moved Jett's stuff but I never once thought he might be selling it.Isn't that, like, stealing?

I'm getting ready to duck for cover here but Maddy's actually one of my favourites.I have a soft spot for deeply flawed characters with good hearts, who no-one pretends are better than they are:It's why I like Heath, why I like Kyle, why I like John, why I liked Ruby when it was no longer fashionable to do so.I thought the scenes between her and Casey were great and I'm beginning to wonder if Maddy's one of those characters who has chemistry with everyone.I think Roo's pretty hopeless when it comes to handling her, she starts the episode basically telling her it's okay if she wants to carry on moping and ends it treating her like an alcoholic because she got drunk once.(And saying it'll depress her when she was sat there giggling.)I don't think Maddy even liked it, she only seemed to be drinking as an excuse to hang out with Casey.Casey is another matter:The fact he seemed to use it as a pick-me-up suggests he actually can't function without alcohol.(Straight vodka in a water bottle?Really?)

Already loving Doctor Peta Bradley With An A for making April do some actual work rather than being allowed to prance around pretending to be a doctor.It's part of the job and she's been given an easy ride for too long out of sheer nepotism, with Sid and Gina letting her do whatever she wants because she dated their sons.It's a relief that there is someone who doesn't think she's wonderful. And she was expecting George Clooney...

[Psychic Wombat]

I must admit in last nights episode we saw Maddy interacting with more people and no pouting which is promising. I think they could use her lifesaving role in a storyline, maybe she save tourist from drowning and have a romance or something... Roo can be a pain for sticking her beak in all the time, but I think she's trying to do the best she can with her.

I wonder whether OCD April has the mental strength needed for medical training could be a bumpy ride ahead. Shame Dex couldn't have become a doctor and follow in his fathers footsteps.