1991 Episode Discussion

[j.laur5]

I was taken aback today by Debra's Pippa as she didn't go up to see what was wrong with Sally right away, if that was Vanessa's Pippa she would be up there like a shot to give her a hug and heart to heart chat.

I'm starting to think Vanessa was the more 'mumsy' Pippa!

[rachel1990]

Its funny. Ben and Carly only left a few weeks ago and yet its like they were never there. I feel it will be the

same with Karen

when that happens.

[Red Ranger 1]

So, enter Evil Karen.She takes dope once and suddenly she's acting like the town bad girl.Going to be a long fall.

Although I think Blake does continue to mention her.

It's interesting because it's actually come across as Alf and Ailsa being rather intractable and judgemental and the audience could well be on the side of the forbidden young couple.But then the show twists it and shows us that, for all his good points, Revhead really isn't the sort of person you'd want your daughter hanging out with.

It's slightly bizarre the way Sophie's attitude towards Blake and Haydn has gone, it feels like she's suddenly the irritating sister to her two exes with her reaction to their car antics.Heck, everyone's even calling her Haydn's sister.

Ah, Sally going through some body changes.I seem to remember a teenaged Kate Ritchie recalling with some embarrassment that she was the only person ever to have that storyline, possibly because she's the only girl to ever go through puberty while on the show.Kind of nice how she went from being mortified to kind of proud while everyone else was doing their best not to mention it.Shame that it's obvious no-one's ever sat down and thought through what Sophie's backstory is though, as she reminisces about her dad being too drunk to notice she needed a bra.Wouldn't he have been in jail at the time?

I'm finding it interesting the way Adam's suddenly being written.I noted when we had that year-a-day repeat run in the UK a few months back that he seemed a lot more likeable in the 1991 episodes than the 1990 ones and it feels like someone's noticed that the loveable rogue act was getting a bit too roguish and not enough loveable.So after Blake and Haydn's payback, it seems he's reined back a bit and, even though he's still a bit of a rogue, it feels like he's actually being a good friend to Marilyn and Bobby and they're being a bit more tolerant of him in return.

[Natasha]

Go Ailsa! Karen totally deserved that slap, she is acting like a spoiled brat lately. I guess she's becoming Bad Karen now. I've never seen these episodes and I'm finding them interesting.

I still don't like Nick Parrish, he's just so....boring. I just can't seem to warm up to him.

[beau_t]

I remember the Ailsa-Karen slap! But I always thought it was during Karen's return in 1993.

[Natasha]

I'm guessing this is the beginning of the end for Karen Dean. Her attitude is so bitchy and bordering on childish. I'm interested to learn how she eventually ends up leaving.

And David Croft must be on his way pretty soon.

[beau_t]

I'm guessing this is the beginning of the end for Karen Dean. Her attitude is so bitchy and bordering on childish. I'm interested to learn how she eventually ends up leaving.

And David Croft must be on his way pretty soon.

I was actually on Karen's side until recently. She had a very valid point regarding nobody giving Revhead a chance despite them giving Rachel a chance when Blake kept insisting she was ok. But after what she said to Ailsa and her subsequent treatment of her despite Ailsa's humble apologies, has made me switch sides and now I agree she is being very childish.

Meanwhile it looks like the female Dodge has arrived in SBH.

The new teacher Margaret Lynch is funny in an "I don't like her" way. I love how standoffish she is. Pippa's face was priceless when she took up her offer of paying for the out of pocket expenses. Well, she did offer! It's funny that she has the same name as 1995's Teresa Lynch who was also a teacher who also stayed at the Beach House who also didn't get along with Donald and also left because Donald didn't approve of her teaching methods. I wonder if they were originally supposed to be the same character that somewhere along the line got changed...

[Red Ranger 1]

Hmm, slightly worrying but schedules are often messed about with over the Christmas period so I'm not going to hit the panic button just yet.Hopefully it'll be back in the new year, although as Andrew said, a polite enquiry to 7Two about their scheduling plans probably wouldn't hurt.

Regarding the episodes up to 785:I was on Karen's side up until the "smokes dope and instantly turns into a bad girl" incident.There is a kind of double standard around Blake and Rachel being given a chance and her and Revhead not being but, at the risk of being fatuous, I think the difference is they're right about Revhead.Everyone kind of assumed Rachel was bad because of who her brother was, which would be like everyone turning on Julie, whereas I think they've seen enough to recognise Revhead as trouble.(Incidentally, Julie seems to have disappeared rather abruptly:When she said she was leaving the next week, I thought we'd get a proper departure scene then and Revhead even referred to her as still being around after her last episode but it looks like she's gone.)

Although she's not quite in Dodge's league, Tracey's arrival does seem remarkably similar:Pippa pressing ahead with taking on a new foster child while ignoring Michael's wishes just as she did with Tom, then prematurely pronouncing it a success story, Sally being all eager about the new arrival when you just know she's going to wind up regretting it...

At least it doesn't take them quite as long to figure it out this time.

The appearance of a second(or rather first)Mrs.Lynch is slightly confusing:Did the other Mrs.Lynch stay at the beach house, I thought it was just "a house...somewhere" that we never saw on screen?She did have a teenage son who'd have been in Year 7 at this point, not sure how that would fit in with Margaret, she pointedly failed to answer when Sophie asked if she had any children.Kind of interesting that Sophie seems to have a small case of hero worship and thinks she's cool whereas Margaret probably couldn't care less.

[Natasha]

Kenny Gibbs is nasty. But what I don't buy is that two guys who are bigger than him won't fight back. Its two against one. And I'd wish Blake and Hayden would stop being wimps and tell Fisher about letting them do his job.

Karen is turning evil. Despite this, I'm rather enjoying the fall of Karen Dean and that Blake is oblivious.

[beau_t]

Marilyn's search for her parents has been a bit of a letdown... probably the most "background" of all the current storylines. Maybe it's just a slow-burner. Hope it picks up steam soon (well, when the show returns that is!)