Latest UK Episode Discussion (2006-2017 Seasons)

[H&Alover]

Actually I'm not revealing anything that hasn't been shown in the trailer for this week, so I'm not spoiling it for anyone Slade. I knew what Jess was really doing in the bay but kept quiet about that.

Was it being with Phoebe making Kyle happy or playing music again, if the latter than he should stay.

[Slade]

Hilarious. Chris was so funny the way they so didn't want him to stay for the family lunch but he grabbed a seat anyway and helped himself completely oblivious. The guy often seems incapable of getting any hints. Really enjoyed the scenes with him and Denny and they almost kissed but Alf had to ruin it. Still they way things are going it won't be long especially she was mentioning how she liked the fact that he wanted to spend so much time with her but her advice to Hannah about Andy sucked.

I find Evelyn quite annoying to be honest. She just comes across as a little brat making her childish remarks.

Had to smile at Nate getting his feelings hurt because Ricky didn't tell him first about her taking the job offer in London. Nate really, really annoyed me opening his big mouth and telling her about Jess's illness just so he could stay in Ricky's good books. Strictly speaking isn't that breaking patient confidentiality? Ricky annoyed me even more when she went straight to Bianca and told her though.

And Bianca's how long are you leaving me for line to Ricky, please...it's not all about you.

[Red Ranger 1]

I was left thinking that Ricky and Brax probably are suited after this performance:They're both equally self-absorbed, sharing the same desire to interfere in other people's lives rather than sorting out the mess they've made of their own.I really disliked the way Ricky forced Nate to apologise, then told him she went and apologised to Brax, even though he was the one being a jerk, and told him her news first.Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I was strongly reminded of Brax stirring up trouble with the way she was going "Do you mind that I spoke to Brax?No, really, do you?You do, don't you?":It felt like she was trying to get him to be angry with her so she could make him out to be the bad guy.And then she decides to throw a hand grenade into the middle of Heath and Bianca's marriage just for the heck of it.Nate holds some responsibility by breaking Jess' confidence, but what earthly good did Ricky think telling Bianca about something that in all probability Heath himself doesn't even know would achieve?All it was going to do was kill their fresh start stone dead.

As for Bianca, I'm on the verge of giving up.I'm aware of all the arguments about it being different for women but Heath lost a son as well and he's come out of it pretty well-adjusted.Bianca can't keep hiding behind Rocco as an excuse for not being able to accept Heath's son:"I can't" she insists today when what she really means is "I won't."What would she have done if Ricky had gone to term, hid away every time the baby was in the room?And then she decides to cheat on Heath which is arguably worse than what he did to her:Heath slept with Jess because he thought Bianca had dumped him, Bianca decides to sleep with Zac knowing full well that Heath is planning their future together. Classy.

Yes, Zac, I said hook up with Leah, not hook up with the married woman whose relationship you came close to destroying once before.I actually enjoyed Evelyn's digs at Hannah:She's perfectly right, Hannah's either ashamed of Andy or ashamed of herself and should be both.I also appreciated Evelyn taking the trouble to talk to Zac.Still, I'm not sure if it's Hannah and co or the writers thinking that if they say something enough that'll make it true but honestly, they give all these speeches about how Hannah and Zac dating would risk breaking up the family but Hannah dating Andy is on the verge of doing that anyway, Zac's already considering moving out because Hannah insists on either spending all her time bunking up in a caravan or sneaking an idiot into the house.And she massively overreacted to Zac picking up her phone:Not looking through her messages, just picking it up.I'm kind of glad Evelyn and Oscar heard that comment, since they have played their part in this:They could have had a family, instead they've got a mess.It's reached the point where I'm finding it hard to like any of the MacGuires aside from Denny and, while I appreciated the idea of their girls' chat, she must have rocks in her head to think Andy is in any way, shape or form good for Hannah.Actually, given that she couldn't think of anything positive to say about him except "He's hot", she was probably just buttering her up.

But yes, Chris and Denny are the saving grace of the episode.I loved Chris inviting himself to the MacGuires' family lunch and saying all the wrong things without even realising.And the comedy of them trying to spend the day together only for Alf and Irene to get in the way was great.Alf becomes possibly the first person to address Denny as "Denise":For a second I wondered who he was referring to.

Actually I'm not revealing anything that hasn't been shown in the trailer for this week, so I'm not spoiling it for anyone Slade.

At the risk of pouring salt into this wound, here's what was in the promo, in spoiler tags to avoid drawing attention to it:

Andy and Josh look at photo in Angelo's with Brax listening in. Josh: "Is that a picture of me as a baby?" Andy: "Yeah, probably."

Brax to Cheryl: "Why did Johnny Barrett have a picture of Casey?"
Cheryl to Brax: "Can you keep it to yourself?Please?"

Now you can draw whatever conclusions you like from that, but nothing was said outright and there was no revelation so it's a bit premature to comment on it.

[H&Alover]

Nothing was admitted, but it does involve Casey.

I wondered about Nate revealing Jess's news, but as he isn't her doctor, even if he did help her give birth, he didn't break patient confidentiality. He did however break her confidence by telling Ricky. I suppose her telling Bianca could be argued as forewarning her as to what may/will be happening in the near future and Heath having to be even more involved in Harley's future. Does Jess not have any family who could look after him once she's gone? Maybe Jess wants Heath to get to know and love Harley because he wants to not because he feels he has to before she has to tell him, ditto like in Emmerdale with Donna, Marlon and April. Another argument in Bianca's favour, sorry, but although it would have been hard for her to see Ricky and her baby, had it happened, he/she wouldn't have been Heath's. Who's going to regret what has (obviously) happened more Bianca or Zac? A case of the wrong two people being in the wrong place at the wrong time of their lives and her solution is to accompany Ricky to London, just like that! Is it really that easy to book a flight, apparently like most soaps it will be done.

I would be miffed like Nate when he found out she had told Brax her news first rather than him, especially as he was instrumental in her even being considered for the gig in the first place. Just makes me even more convinced she is still in love with Brax and would get back with him given half the chance and the fact she has told him she has moved on and doesn't want to lose face. I think Nate knows this and he was just a rebound.

At least Zac was honest with himself and the others to admit he wasn't happy with Hannah dating Andy, though she is an adult and can do what she likes. Oscar and Evelyn do now acknowledge they overreacted over Hannah and Zac getting together, which of course Chris in his own inimitable way told them at the family lunch he invited himself to. It all washed over him the fact he wasn't really welcome. At least it didn't spoil things with Denny and ah their near kiss , bad timing by Alf, it'll be worth the wait guys. Does Alf call anyone else by their full name or is it just Denny?

:offtopic:Does anyone else have trouble telling Denny and Hannah apart or is it just me?

[Brian]

Good analysis Red and H&Alover. I agree with most of what you write and am finding it difficult to add much more and get to 1000! I certainly didn't agree with Denny regarding Andy as "hot". To me, he's just a thug. Zac got it right, when he told Hannah that she could do much better. Andy didn't impress today with being so unconcerned about their father's remains and what to do with the contents of the envelope. Not much help to Josh, who wants to do the right thing, but doesn't know what that is. Are the ashes really in that envelope? In a separate bag, which we did not see? Or somewhere in the back of Andy's car? And where did Andy get that car from? Has he earned so much in working at the gym, that he could afford to buy one? He already had an advance on his wages to get Josh ready for school. Disappointing that Hannah was there to support Andy, but no Maddy for Josh. i thought that he would be round for her as soon as he came back.

Surprised as you were, H&Alover, about Bianca being able to leave so quickly. The same day!!!!!! perhaps she could book a flight, but getting leave from school as a principal (there is still admin to be done in the holidays and no vice-principal that we know of yet) would be impossible, especially as she has not given a return date. What i still find hard to understand is how everyone accepts that Harley is Heath's son. As has been mentioned before, there could be many other possible fathers around. Why did Banca not insist on a DNA test? Same with Denny, as Zac once suggested, but that is not so important. I also agree about Hannah and Denny looking so similar. How are Bianca and Ricky going to check in 2 hours before at whatever airport they have to get to, when they are still swimming and arguing in the afternoon? Ah soaps!!

Will be interesting to see what happens next with that picture that Brax took. He only had a chance to casually glance at it from the side and yet he was interested enough to steal it.

As for spoilers, i think that we should keep our comments to what we have just seen that day, or the previous one. That makes our reactions more spontaneous and interesting and gives us an insight to a particular part that we may have missed.Every Tuesday, you can buy Soap magazines that tell you what is going to happen the following week, but i deliberately keep that information out of my posts.

[Red Ranger 1]

I can only assume that someone is trying to make us hate Bianca so much that we'll think Heath's better off without her.I'm pretty much there already as she acts like an abject coward, running out on Heath without any explanation.Despite calling her out on sleeping with Zac(sadly sleeping with one guy to get back at another is pretty much Bianca's stock in trade), Ricky mostly just functions as an enabler:Not only did she put Bianca on this path in the first place but she helps her with her escape plan.I wasn't too fond of Ricky's blatantly shoving herself in Brax's face either, making loaded comments like "Nothing to keep me here" as if she's forgotten she's still technically with Nate and then throwing his present down.

It's telling that I actually scoffed when Bianca called Hannah "one of the good ones", it shows how far downhill she's gone.She's seriously kidding herself about Andy:He might let his guard down occasionally but he's only interested in her for one thing, he's not going to "talk to her".His acting like a macho idiot when Zac was trying to talk to her didn't help either.Evelyn pushed things way too hard with Zac, who obviously didn't want to talk about his night away, but otherwise she's right, their family is falling apart and Oscar burying his head in the sand isn't gonna help things.The twins' suggestion might have had Zac and Hannah giving looks of horror but frankly, given that they can't talk to each other, using them as a buffer seems pretty sensible.

Andy once again treats Josh like someone he'll only spend time with when Hannah isn't available.For a moment, I thought Andy's suggestion they consult Debbie was reasonable but ultimately it just came across as him trying to pass the buck.We got a partial explanation for Brax's actions in the promo but still not got the full story.

I can't say I've had much trouble with telling Hannah and Denny apart but Bianca's hair has got so dark I did briefly mistake her for Hannah in yesterday's episode.(Incidentally, I've seen people on other forums insisting Denny looks like Sasha.)

[haaf14]

Well junior Braxton is no longer a Braxton but Barrett. Well at least Casey stayed when his dad's ashes got scattered. Finally Chris was able to take Denni on a date after both struggled to find time for each other. Heath was livid with Nate about Bianca finding out that Jess was sick and I don't blame him. Brax gave Heath money to fly to London to fight for Bianca but I wasn't able to see if he took it. He did agree to the idea though.

I agree with you regarding spoilers, I did used to stumble from time to time but I look to avoid them as much as possible because for me it just ruins and I also agree that people should keep what they have seen to themselves.

[Eleri]

I doubt Ricky was over the moon to have Bianca and all her emotional baggage sucking the excitement out of her trip to the UK but she's only got herself to blame for meddling. The best she could hope for would be that they aren't sitting together on the flight and Bianca decides to visit April and Dex in Paris leaving Ricky free to enjoy London and her new job.

Frankly, Bianca doesn't deserve a loving husband, responsible job or loyal friends like Irene (to do her dirty work).

Sometimes it takes concentration to stick to the no spoilers rule but I think it's important to make the effort because it maintains the focus of the discussions.

[Brian]

Entirely agree about spoilers Eleri.

Did anyone notice the mistake today? Casey and Andy were talking in the gym and Andy calls him "Brax"!!!

Good episode today - no John, Marilyn, Ricky, Bianca or Tamara to spoil it. Nice place Brax's mum has , river frontage and all. What does she do for a living?

[Eleri]

Mangrove River suddenly seemed a whole lot more attractive (than its reputation) from Cheryl's back garden though it's John's front porch that really bowls me over. He must be forever watering those gorgeous plants.