Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

I actually really liked the stuff at the commune here.The opening scene was comedy gold as ever with Zac's weary "You called Heath?" and Heath congratulating him on being served an AVO.I think this episode firmly cements the Braxtons' transformation from ruthless criminals to lovable rogues, even if they can still be a bit ruthless at times:Basically, they're used as the hired muscle to sort out any random villains.I was actually cheering when Brax knocked the cult leader down, after seeing him bullying Hannah it's nice to see him get a taste of his own medicine.Similarly Zac scuffling with Ethan and expressing his disgust at what his brother's put his family through was a good moment and yet we also get a possible moment of sincerity when he insists he was trying to protect them:Perhaps underneath the sinister behaviour there's a man who's been hurt so much by the world that he just wants to hide himself and his family away from it.Despite her moaning, there's more interesting characterisation of Evelyn in the way she goes after Oscar herself when he tries to run away instead of alerting Ethan, possibly realising, despite her parroting, that if he gets involved it'll mean another beating.Brax leaving Zac and the others to fend for themselves because he's got to be in another storyline next episode didn't really ring true though.Maybe he didn't anticipate Oscar being that badly injured and he does seem to want to bring Hannah there but Zac needs to come up with a proper plan fast because at the moment it seems like he and Brax haven't really thought things through.

Irene and Chris living together continues to be a brilliant idea with Chris' desperate attempts to curry favour and Irene's pained look as he insists on washing up a single dish then leaves her with all the drying.Curiously, after their chat Chris does seem to be genuinely impressed with Irene, as indicated with the way he seemed more interested in chatting to Indi about her than getting the ban on her visiting lifted.Of course, the ban then got lifted anyway so job done.I'm glad that Chris is keeping his spark despite being in a stable relationship, unfortunately it seems to be at the expense of Indi, who despite agreeing to a full relationship is coming across as very shallow.

Maddy might have been a bit abrupt at times and those glasses she's looking at Josh through are a bit too rose-tinted but it was actually Alf that I ended up severely disliking in this episode, disappointingly.Despite being quick to tell tales, Roo has finally learned from her mistakes and realised that anything she does to try and keep Josh and Maddy apart will just force them closer together.But then here's Alf, looking after teenagers for twenty-five years and he still doesn't have a clue.At best, he did the right thing for the wrong reason.At worst...if anyone was genuinely interested in justice, they'd have reported the Barretts a week ago.Instead, Alf seems to report Josh purely in order to keep him away from Maddy(the fact that he was giving him a hard time before he even knew about his involvement in the accident doesn't say much for him), as exemplified by the fact that, although he mentions Andy in passing, he seems to be focusing on the boy who committed the lesser crime of being there and not doing anything to help rather than the guy who tried to kill two teenagers.Has Andy been taken in for questioning as well or are they just interested in bullying someone who's a coward but clearly not the monster Alf tried to paint him as?

Incidentally, we've ended up with two characters called Murray.Sort of.In addition to cult leader Murray Granger, the policeman who arrested Josh has been identified as Ben Murray in the past but here gets relegated to 'Police Officer 2' in the credits to avoid confusion.

[Brian]

Folks, you may like to see some background on the Barrett brothers. There are 3 short videos on you tube, entitled "Home and Away Extras - Meet the Barrett Brothers. webisode 1, 2 and 3". I found them interesting about their background and why they came to the Bay. These is not spoilers, as they won't be shown.

[Red Ranger 1]

Yeah, I heard they had those webisodes in Australia.Personally I'm of the opinion that if they can't bother including something in an episode, I can't bother watching it, but that's just the luddite/canon freak in me.

Anyway, found today's episode a bit of a letdown.Zac's plotline felt like it was killing time just when things seemed to be moving and at the end of the episode nothing's really happened.And now they've used up their three episodes we're not going to see them again until next week.Zac's lack of a plan is frustrating and it seems like he's doing everything wrong.Why are they hiding away and making themselves look more guilty than they already do?Having Leah smuggle Oscar in and out of the hospital anonymously was the complete opposite of what they should have done, they need to show the authorities what's been done to him so that even if Zac faces charges, they won't be sent back to Ethan.Evelyn does nothing but whine and spout nonsense and it's a shame Zac got interrupted when he was telling her to shut up."Evolved"?Really?Some of us would say that beating up your children because they don't agree with you is pretty much the opposite of being evolved.On the plus side, while some people might be frustrated she's not getting storylines of her own, I think Leah has been turned into a pretty good supporting character with the way they've created a bond between her and Zac and involved her with his family and problems.(By the way, Odd Pronunciation Take 2:Even though Evelyn pronounces her name strangely, when people call her Evie they pronounce it the normal way when logically it should be pronounced like heavy without the h.)

Up until now I think Casey's storyline has been progressing well but since about halfway through Monday's episode it's fallen apart.Maybe it's unfair since he doesn't know he's in Home and Away and will probably be right as rain in a couple of weeks.(No-one ends up in a wheelchair permanently in soap unless they're leaving.Except Chris Tate off Emmerdale.)But we've seen him wallowing in self-pity far too much in the past to care about more of the same.The script seems to suggest that Brax can't order Casey around anymore and therefore can't help him, even though as far as I can see Brax is handling it all right and Casey just won't see sense.The upshot is Ricky tells Brax to leave town because he's used up his three episodes as well...then goes to the hospital and carries on doing exactly what he was doing.

The whole thing with Spencer continues to feel desperate, as if someone realised that he and Sasha haven't really gelled as a couple and instead of admitting they made a mistake and breaking them up they're completely changing his personality.To be fair, they're explaining it instead of it just happening but the explanation is just full of holes.So Chris knows he's on medication and presumably he was before he came to the Bay.As H&Alover said, that raises the question of does Maddy know, given how many years they've known each other.(And I hope the show answers that question instead of just ignoring their history.)But the bigger question is what did he do when he and Maddy were on the run?Are we meant to believe he had enough medication to last him?They couldn't even afford food so he was unlikely to be able to get more pills and filing a repeat prescription would have let people know where they were.At best, it seems their plan was doomed to fail sooner or later.Sure, Andrew J.Morley's having fun doing something other than playing a straight arrow but I'm not sure that really justifies it.Still, it seems to be giving Chris something more to do and he and Indi work better when the focus isn't solely on them.That said, I liked their first scene with Indi noting people like Chris in spite of his "charm".(Who exactly was running the gym while Indi was AWOL though?She didn't seem to expect Spencer to be there.Was John keeping an eye on it from the gelato bar?)

[H&Alover]

You took the words right out of my mouth Red, about Ethan beating Oscar hardly being 'evolved' but just the opposite. Sanctuary Lodge may be more sophisticated than Momma Roses but only in appearance. One possibility for Ethan being there is he hasn't yet faced up to his wife's death and this is one way of escaping it. Evelyn does look like she may have doubts, but wants to be loyal to her dad. For once the Braxtons used their muscle for a good cause and Heath seemed to be enjoying himself getting into a scrap. Liked it that Brax wanted to keep Kyle out of it because of him being on probation. I had to smile when I saw that motel room once again, just one point how did Leah know where to find them, had Zac rung her? Her argument about getting involved was justified, but caved in anyway. Seemed odd to me that the hospital gave Oscar the all clear, maybe they scarpered too soon. Just how long is Zac going to hang out with them, Bianca will be bound to wonder where he has disappeared to.

I'm wondering if Casey is scared of physio because he may find he won't get better? Ricky may have more luck as she isn't Brax.

Agree Alf was totally out of order, it will make Josh seem more attractive to Maddy and he's hardly likely to turn in Andy. At least with her seeing him openly Roo could keep an eye on them.

Chris does seem to be making an effort, though I'm pretty sure Irene wasn't fooled in the least by Chris's and Indi's chat with him thinking she didn't know what they were up too. Amongst the things she told him wonder if her being an alcoholic was mentioned? There is a good heart in there somewhere.

Spencer did say to Sasha the other day he'd problems in the past. The way he was acting made me wonder if he's bi-polar, he was very hyper which is a symptom, then they come crashing down. In answer to your question Red it depends on how long he and Maddy were on the run. If they were a new lot of pills he seemed to have filled his prescription whilst in the bay with out any problem. If he decides to 'fess up to Sasha will she be able to handle it? Good question about the gym, someone with knowledge would have had to be there.

[630si]

Really like Ricki's final line of the other nights episode when trying to get Casey in the wheelchair "come on mate, get in, Ricki's driving" thought it was a great end to the episode. I do hope Casey starts to accept his position and does the physio! Brax's trip was a bit abrupt but more concerning is how quick Spencer has changed! I'm glad we are learning more about him though.

I see doctor evil Bradley is on the war path again. Good on April and Dex though for sticking it out with that one.

Leah being involved in the kidnapping in any way was rather uncomfortable yet it's good seeing her doing something other than opening the fridge! I hope she doesn't get into any trouble as that could harm her counselling career. I also share the above feelings that Irene and Chris are making great scenes living with each other. I think it's cute that a young newcomer is looking upto an oldie!! Hope they become real close. Another on screen partnership with John and Jett is at it's very best right now, there's great chemistry with them too and good comedy for the episodes. I just wish Marilyn and her feelings for John would just seize this opportunity now that she knows johns interested!!! I guess that may happen with Winston leaving the bay now. Speaking of which I felt really sorry for him when he left Angelo's and said this was his last chance. ( don't go Winston!

[Red Ranger 1]

I was pleased that Ricky trying the same thing as Brax did went as well as you'd expect it to, April kicking her out of the room was pretty much the only time in that episode I liked her.(Well, almost:See below.)I had two minds about Ricky going to Tamara for help, it's a good tactic, as was proved with the success she had with Casey, but it confuses the boundaries.I really didn't like the way Tamara snapped back to acting like a proto-girlfriend, they seem to be falling into old habits without thinking which isn't necessarily a good thing.And I really hated how smug April looked.Odd that Dexter seemed to empathise with Kyle, who I don't think we've seen him talk to before, but I guess he's seen the ex he still loves getting close to someone else.April's superior attitude towards him was as expected but I like that Bianca continues to be more sympathetic, counterbalanced by Kyle's empathy towards Winston.I'm glad that Peta does seem to be treating April and Dexter equally now but I found her reasoning a bit bizarre.Okay, maybe they shouldn't have been having private chats about Casey's love life instead of working and there was another case of PDAs in the workplace but I really don't see what was wrong with Dexter's chat with Kyle that made Peta give him the evil eye and getting rid of one of them won't stop the other one being personally involved.

I think we're meant to see it as being mostly an act but Winston was a bit too cartoony, and a bit too obvious a plot device, for me to really sympathise with him.I was disappointed that John let Jett drag him off to spy on Winston and Marilyn again, although at least they weren't too intrusive.Even though his motives were probably self-serving, John actually seems to have had a point about Marilyn leading Winston on.

Loved April cringing when Jett called Bianca "Mrs.Braxton".It's an interesting point to raise because no-one on the show seems to change their name when they get married apart from Gina:Bianca's still a Scott after two marriages, Indigo's still a Walker, Roo's still a Stewart, Sally's still a Fletcher.And aside from Sally, it never seems to get addressed, it's just accepted.Is this a cultural thing?In UK soaps, women always seem to use their married names, even when the marriages doesn't last very long.(Neighbours seems to be about 50/50.)So it's nice to see them explore it rather than just treating it as normal.

[H&Alover]

Ricky is just a female Brax which is why it didn't work I guess! Wasn't anyone else she could go to but Tam in the end. April and Dex's joint throwing out of Ricky was neatly done. Dex out of everyone Casey has had contact with is the only one who has been where he is, plus Dex had a brain injury which would have made things more difficult. Whatever Tam said to Casey certainly worked. Peta may have come across strong, but she was right just because April and Dex know Casey they shouldn't be discussing him in the corridor, he is still a patient therefore entitled to his privacy as such. Ditto with Dex's chat to Kyle. Maybe her reasoning behind sending one of them away is because of just that. Going by the trailer it looks like it will be April.

Poor Winston, he really got it wrong as regards Marilyn. His OTT behaviour is just the way he is. I don't think she meant to lead him on, she doesn't like to hurt anyone's feelings. She let him down very gently though, but then that is Marilyn all over. Hope John doesn't move in too quickly otherwise it will come across as gloating.

Good point about married women not changing their name, apart from Gina, which could be down to her being a different generation to Roo, Sally, Indi and Bianca and more sure of her own identity. Bianca seems to be having doubts the way she was quizzing Irene. The kids are bound to address her as Mrs. Braxton, I'd like to see how she explains she is still to be addressed as Miss Scott and why. She could always opt for Braxton-Scott, the surname they had for Rocco. Wonder if Peta is Miss or Mrs. Bradley or even Ms?

I've mentioned before Irene has had plenty of people staying who have disruptive at first, Belle for one springs to mind, before and they've usually come round and been the ideal house guest.

[630si]

Tonight's episode was quite heart warming I felt. Stand out Scene between Dex and Winston on the bench discussing true love and it's sacrifices. I like Winston as a character and his naievity towards love. Brings a bit of innocence back to the bay and a nice break from teenage romances. I do feel for him as it must be heart wrenching and lonely for him and then the one woman he lives doesn't love him back.

Tamara and Kyle just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on. I can only guess over the next few weeks as Casey's recovery speeds up that he and tamara get closer and hopefully this whole limbo triangle thing can come to a close once and for all.

I don't usually say this bit I was also sympathetic towards John tonight. In the diner when he looks over at Marilyn whilst giving advice to Bianca. I can't help but think now though it might be too little too late. Was Marilyn right to say to Winston that he put her in an awkward position? I just do t know. It's like she's not taking his feelings seriously.

[Brian]

Poor Kyle. he always tries to do the right thing and look where it getrs him!

[Red Ranger 1]

Wonder if Peta is Miss or Mrs. Bradley or even Ms?

Dr Bradley.I get your point though:Whether it's her married name or not, or whether she's even married, references to having a family aside, is anyone's guess.

Alf's episode count this week:Four.Roo was also in four.Jett was only in one.

Hmm.That episode had some good comedy moments but a lot of it just left me cold.I'm really not sure what Peta's doing by demanding either April or Dexter resign.Is this meant to be another test?And is it even remotely necessary?I mean, unless I've missed something, April isn't actually a qualified doctor so presumably at some point her placement will end and she'll leave?Or is she going to stay on that ward for the whole four years of medical school?It's always fun to see the smile wiped off April's face so I loved Peta turning round her argument about not being able to fire Dexter but the scenes that followed were very awkward.I saw Dexter get a lot of criticism in other threads for not supporting April when she insisted Peta was a bully and that time I thought the criticism was unfair and Dexter's stance was right.Here...April's just been sacked(from a job she doesn't actually have but we'll gloss over that and take the situation at face value)and Dexter didn't seem to particularly care or to be interested in helping her in any way whatsoever.When he does eventually do the noble thing and give up his job so she can stay on, Peta treats him like an idiot for doing so even though she didn't give him much choice and then we get a promo that suggests April's going to do the same!What are the rules here?(Does Peta want them to fight her on it?)

Loved Harvey's behaviour towards Winston as he plays the part of reluctant best friend perfectly:His "Pretend we haven't seen him" on finding Winston on the porch and the subsequent conversation, his trying desperately to get out of talking to Winston and "All I said was 'Do you want something to eat?'" at Winston's outpouring of emotion.I was fully expecting Winston to leave this episode but then he didn't so I'm somewhat at a loss as to where this is going.I'm wondering if John's misinterpreted Marilyn's feelings when he saw how upset she was about Marilyn leaving and thinks he missed the boat.Nice brief chat between him and Bianca:The episode's triumph was the number of pieces of rare interaction like Roo/Bianca and Dexter/Winston.

Bianca did have a point about Heath not making any allowances for her but it mostly came across as ranting for the sake of ranting and the whole thing was just awkward.Her barmaid comment was completely unnecessary and I hope she's not going to start dragging that up to win arguments(especially when they weren't even arguing).Also some weird timescale where they talk as if the Braxtons' visit to the commune was the previous day when we're at least two days on.Heath did at least get some good comedy moments with his "Pretty girl asks him and he's straight in the chair" and exasperated "No-one tells me anything!"I loved Kyle and Tamara's chat at the house, it seems like they only get good screentime together when they're not dating and once again the dialogue between them was very natural.But then they start arguing again for no reason.It actually seems like Kyle's pushing Tamara towards Casey by treating it as a done deal, not that she seems to need much encouragement.Glad Dexter told her about Kyle's visit while April jabbers about the great love story of Casey and Tamara which most of us missed.