Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[Red Ranger 1]

I was very disappointed with the way Josh and Maddy running away consisted of them disappearing for a week then just coming back without any explanation of where they'd been.And the way that Alf, Roo and Maddy just mouthed platitudes at each other, half of which seemed to be culled from internet rants about how much Roo has done for Maddy and how little thanks she gets, didn't feel like any sort of pay off.It would have been nice to see any evidence that Alf felt guilty about Maddy running away rather than just hearing about it but that may be down to cut scenes.Roo deciding Josh can move in when she's not even sure if he needs a home anymore was very strange, although now his entire family's under arrest I guess he needs it again.And looks like Alf's off for a bit.I'd say there's going to be no-one left in Summer Bay but actually they seem to be haemorrhaging new characters all over the place.

I found Brax being stipulated as 30 faintly ridiculous:So what, he was four years younger than Charlie, even younger than Angelo?Can't help feeling they've just made it up in order to make him a juvenile when Johnny died because in all probability he's going to be let out of jail in a lot less than ten years and they'll need grounds for an appeal.That was one reason why I found the Braxtons' trauma yesterday a lot less than effective(not helped by the Braxtons' lack of screen time...Cheryl had no lines, not that that's a bad thing, and all we saw of the two solicitors was the backs of their heads!).Today thankfully handled it a lot better, with the little scenes of Brax's new life hammering home just where his life has led him:Heath and Casey ended up in jail through following his example so in a way it's right he has to go through some of the same.And it did make me believe a lot more that he's gone.Nice little bit of Kyle extending an olive branch to Casey and Tamara.

Josh really should have kept running since his family only wanted him back to make him an accessory to murder.I found Debbie's actions a bit unbelievable and I think the role was badly miscast, with Olivia Pigeot being too mummsy for the "tougher than Cheryl" character that was written.You could see Cheryl playing assassin but this felt like Irene or Roo suddenly acting like a gun-toting psycho.(Interesting subtle point though that Josh seemed to give her the idea when he said Andy would never get close enough.)I also found the way Andy suddenly turned nice when he caused Josh to be injured a bit of a cop-out.Heath, Roo and Maddy all showed him far more compassion than was believable or than he deserved:Josh got treated like a pariah but when they meet the guy who actually tried to kill Casey and Maddy they do nothing at all?Lovely moment when Andy stormed off in one direction and everyone else in the other and Heath was just left standing there realising it's up to him to sort these things out now.That said, I wasn't happy with the way he seemed to eschew personal responsibility in favour of blaming it all on their dads, an argument which is especially flawed when you realise that Josh shared the same upbringing as Andy and turned out all right.Also wasn't happy with Ricky making out that Josh was better off than Brax when they still didn't know if he'd pull through:Andy could easily have turned the argument around and pointed out Brax will get out of jail eventually but Johnny will still be dead.At least Andy's finally been arrested:Were the police even looking for him?I know they had other things to focus on but he didn't even try and hide when Josh was shot.

The John/Marilyn stuff dragged badly yesterday with only Alf and Jett's brief bonding moment standing out.But today's was another episode where what started out as Jett being annoying turned into a heartfelt conversation.I genuinely had tears in my eyes when John admitted he wasn't ready to move on from Gina and Jett said he could see how lonely John was behind all the joviality.And then the casual "Found 'em."So okay, the show has come up with a legitimate reason to keep John and Marilyn apart for now.I'll buy it.

Only in Summer Bay would you go for an interview at a hospital and end up treating a patient.Interesting glare Hannah gave Nate when he was making jokes about shooting someone outside a court house being like being run over by an ambulance:Are they setting up romantic complications?(Love quadrangle!)Jake Speer wisely seems to have started playing against the lines and lightening Oscar up so what could be played as rudeness comes across as playful sarcasm.It did make Zac calling him moody seem out of place though.

[Brian]

So the great climax was April and Dex's engagement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Where are you lot going to post for the next 4 weeks?

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Two.Heath was in four, Bianca was only in one for the second week running.Josh and Evelyn appeared in two but had no dialogue on Thursday:Josh was mostly comatose and Evelyn only appeared in one brief scene.

Some more lovely byplay among the Walkers but I wish Nate hadn't sent April home.I know it's a personal thing but she always feels like an intruder when she gets shoehorned into Walker family scenes, she just dilutes the family chemistry.Indi and Dexter play off each other well and it was good to see Indi letting Chris support her, I loved that little hug after she told everyone else to leave her alone.Whilst it was probably down to actor availability, having Dexter read Romeo's goodbye letter in a faltering awkward manner rather than having a moody voiceover was a nice move.A bit of a rose-tinted view of their life given how little of their marriage they actually spent together but I guess when you're dying you have to grab the positives about your life where you can find them.

Hannah in a nurse's uniform:Just give me a moment to reflect on that.Okay, back now.The Leah/Oscar stuff was actually pretty good and I'm glad they avoided the lazy cliché of having Leah improbably turn out to be a pool shark and instead had her lose but bond with him in the process.I think any possibility that Evelyn's genuinely back in the cult has been dispersed by now:The way she was giving Murray scornful looks shows just what she thinks of him and his potentially dangerous advice to Spencer.I was worried Murray was going to find that letter given that Spencer didn't seem to be making any attempt to hide it or even realise that he was meant to.I know Oscar isn't a particularly common name but Evelyn is possibly asking a bit much expecting Spencer to find him with just his first name and the name of his sister to go on, rather than giving him useful information like a surname or an address or the fact that he's Zac's nephew.

So, even though there's seven weeks of the 2013 season to go, Channel 5 decide to take it off for a month.(In contrast, Neighbours only has three weeks left of the 2013 season and is still going.)And what do they choose to go out on?The prospect that when it comes back we might have to endure a wedding for possibly the most twee and annoying couple in the show's history.That final image of them cavorting on the bed probably marks the point where half the audience decided not to bother tuning in next year.

Brian:Given that there's no re-runs to talk about, we're probably not going to post regularly but keep an eye on the Christmas Break 2013 thread just in case.

[H&Alover]

Not sure why, but I was booted out and only just twigged.

I thought the ceremony with Indi scattering Romeo's ashes at the spot where they were both last really happy was very moving. Not everyone would agree, but it was right that April was there, she knew him just as well as everyone else.

That seemed odd to me as well, Hannah goes for an interview and gets roped in to help tend to Josh!

Actually I thought the scene where Heath confronted Andy and instead of thumping him talked him down showed how much he has matured. Could be a bit of a cop out blaming their respective fathers on their way their lives had turned out, but Heath and Andy are a similar age I'm guessing and were more influenced by Danny/Jonny than Casey and Josh were.

Evelyn definitely seems to have fallen out of love with the cult sanctuary going by her behaviour. Spencer is vulnerable enough to be taken in by it all, is that how they do it, treat newbies to day courses then 'suggest' they move in to avoid being influenced by 'others'? I didn't like the way Murray was hovering around Evelyn, it was almost as if he spying on her waiting for her to make some sort of admission. It was worrying when Murray slithered over just as Evelyn gave Spencer the note, but perhaps it was Spencer's casualness that threw Murray off the scent. Of course Spencer will track down Oscar, it's soapland!!!! He'll just walk into the Diner asking about him and wouldn't you know it Oscar will be sitting there.

So part of John would like to move on, but part of him doesn't and I suppose until he feels fully ready it's best for all of them they just stay friends. I'm sure he'll know when it's time.

Nearly forgot apart from the debacle after Brax's trial with Debbie shooting her own son, we saw him enter proper prison for the first time in his life. It's going to be a huge learning curve as most of the guys in there I guess already know who he is and why he's there. Old friends of Jonny and Danny who would love to make his acquaintance. Both Casey and heath are old hands at it, but he's completely out of his depth. Seemed odd that none of his family were allowed to see him before he was carted off, Heath could have given him some tips as to how to look after himself.

[H&Alover]

Not long to wait now!!!

[Red Ranger 1]

Not everyone would agree, but it was right that April was there, she knew him just as well as everyone else.

Well...she knew him but I don't know about well.Suppose they both lived with the Walkers but they were in and out so much I'm not sure how long they were there at the same time.Alf's away but I'd say that Roo, Marilyn and even John knew Romeo a lot better than April, maybe Casey as well.(Objectively, I get she was there because she's Dexter's girlfriend, like Chris was there because of Indi.I just wish she wasn't.)

Talking of which, sadly our last image before the break wasn't a flash in the pan.One episode in and I want to strangle April and Dex already.I don't think Nate could have been less grown-up than them at their age, no-one was.And then we're treated to April getting worried that she's marrying a guy with the mind of a child only to be run round by a couple of sappy and childish lines.Unless we're treated to the blessing of the wedding being called off and them never having a scene together again, it's going to be like this for weeks if not months now, isn't it?(And then it cuts to a Channel 5 trailer saying "They might be marrying young in Summer Bay but here's a documentary about people getting married in their teens!"Er, Dexter might just about be twenty but April's definitely still a teenager.)

I do like Josh but found his scenes a bit dull here.It's right that he shouldn't be taking his anger out on Ricky but I wonder if she still thinks he's better off than Brax.

So, pretty much got confirmation that Evelyn hasn't been sucked back into the cult with her warning letter to Oscar.So Spencer didn't even need to bother to try and find him(and apparently didn't), he just came up and introduced himself.Nice to see Oscar getting involved with other characters and teaming up with Sasha.Spencer seems to have started spouting Murray's doctrines remarkably quickly given he only went to one seminar, unless he's been having private meetings like the one we see here.Then again, he's probably desperate for any belief to cling on to, no matter how insane it might sound.

[Brian]

Not everyone would agree, but it was right that April was there, she knew him just as well as everyone else.

I like Josh but found his scenes a bit dull here.It's right that he shouldn't be taking his anger out on Ricky but I wonder if she still thinks he's better off than Brax.

I agree about liking Josh, but I think his scenes were good. When Nate told Ricky, you're all he;s got, I thought what about Maddy and the arrangement that he could stay in Alf''s house until there was a caravan for him? Where is Maddy anyway? Shouldn't she be the one staying outside his room all the time? Has she given up on him that easily?

Good to see H&A back anyway. Hope there's some good storylines coming up.

[630si]

So were back! And right into the cult. Which I'm happy about as it's kinda been around for a while now but not really got into the thick of it. I also found the note situation a bit odd. If it was a warning to spencer then just give it to spencer? Surely?! Although now at least oscar and Sasha have been alerted to it.

A lot of the episode was centred at the hospital which was okay but I always find scenes there quite boring. Josh seems to be making a speedy recovery despite a bullet wound to the chest and much as I like Ricky looking after him it feels disjointed. I think she is probably keeping busy and her mind away from the fact that brax is now gone. This was evident when she got home to an empty house and broke down. Josh could be a good distraction for her.

Am I the only one who likes April and Dex?! Really happy they're getting married after everything they've been through with his accident. Their relationship was formed from a very good friendship (ignoring the betrayal of Xavier) and it's just a really nice story that they're finally making it to the aisle. April seems to display doubts after doctor sexy and his cryptic words which could be worrying!

[H&Alover]

Although they can be really OTT soppy at times I'm glad April and Dex are together, they are so sad when they are apart and bring everyone else down with them. Dr. Sexy did sound like Peta when told the 'happy' news but not so scathing. It's not as if they are getting married next week is it?

So someone, Oscar, finally came out and said it - cult! Spencer does seem to have been sucked in very quickly, but perhaps that's because he's vulnerable and that's just how Murray likes them. As you said Red, Spencer is desperate enough to try anything. I said in my 30th Dec post Spencer would just happen to run into Oscar at the Diner and voila!!! Maybe Evelyn gave Spencer the note to give to Oscar so he would be away from the Lodge when it was read, we know it was a warning, but not a lot Oscar and Sasha can do about it, however much they try and dissuade him the more determined he is going to be. I hope in that little chat Spencer had with Murray he didn't drop Evelyn in it and mention the letter. Talking of Murray I have the most horrible feeling about what happens to the barely legally aged girls that go on this Discovery weekend and what they will be discovering. The blonde girl Murray suggested Evelyn talk to seemed scared of him, though she did warn Evelyn not to go.

Can understand Josh reacting the way he did with Ricky, she is the girlfriend of the guy who killed his dad and consequently is responsible for his mum being banged up and I guess Andy being back in jail. I guess Maddy has done her three day stint and we'll have to wait to see her again. Give it to Ricky for not giving up on him, she'll wear him down. He did look pretty bad, but knowing the miracles they work in the NDH he'll be out and about next week, just look at Casey if you want proof.

[630si]

Looks like this discovery weekend has something in mind for Evelyn and spencer. And with the mysterious dissappearance of the blonde girl it cannot be good.

Nice to see the Braxton lot as a unit and discussing their future wih Angelo's etc. All they're fighting seems to be on the back burner (in reference to Kyle/ Casey/ tamara) and they are showing a real family spirit that when times are tough they pull together. Ricki is still at a loose end and I feel it won't be long until she feels she doesn't fit in anymore. I think she may be at the start of a dark place.

Bianca learning about Heath and making her realise she was being judgemental over mangrove river kids was heartwarming but looking at the trailer she may regret it tomorrow. I hope they don't have a blazing row and she lets slip that she knows about heaths text book. It would be really nice for him to tell her for the right reasons, just like the new Heath should! On the other hand, I kinda think Heath should credit Bianca more. They've been here before, he's a nobody she's a somebody and he's insecure about. Just hope they can be passed that now!