Oscar MacGuire - Jake Speer

[Homeandawayfan.]

I find Oscar a very dull and boring character TBH.

[Angelica]

I think he has the potential to be a good character, but I don't think he has been used properly. As we have seen previously with characters such as Robbie or Dexter, male characters don't have to be reformed bad boys for audiences to like him. I agree with those who feel that pairing him with Maddy has ruined his character to some extent. The problem is that their relationship is so one-sided, and I think Oscar moved from being a nice guy to being rather pathetic as he follows Maddy around like a puppy dog. I just feel there have been so many scenes where Maddy has knowingly or unknowingly lead Oscar on, and Oscar keeps giving her more chances and keeps holding out for more. I think the other problem (and I am not sure how to phrase this well) - Kassandra has quite a voluptuous kind of look - it makes the age difference between Oscar and Maddy seem so much greater than it looks.

When Oscar was first introduced, I always thought he was either assexual or gay. I always felt it was a shame that he turned into the cliche boy lusting after the popular girl. I think H&A could do with a permanent character who was either homosexual or bisexual, and I think Oscar would have been the perfect character to have been that person. I think Jake Speer could have done the storyline justice.

[dee123]

I find Oscar a very dull and boring character TBH.

He's yet another wasted opportunity. Thanks writers!

Edited March 7, 2015 by dee123

[homeandawayroxsomuch.]

For a long time, I disliked that Oscar followed Maddy everywhere, and in a way, I still do.  Maddy was so selfish and didn't really seem to care about the consequences of her actions for so long.  She stole from Roo.  She used and slept with Oscar as a way to get back at Evie and Josh.  She played some sort of part in Oscar's body image issues.  She was so annoying and unapologetic about her actions.  She also wouldn't get over Josh.

Then somewhere between the beginning of the cancer storyline and her running away to the city, I started to warm to them being friends.  To me, Oscar is still a wonderful and loyal character (loyalty goes a long way with me), and he has been a loyal friend to support Maddy through her treatment, with and without being in a relationship with her.  Can't we agree that Pink Ted was so cute (what's happened to Pink Ted anyway?) and Oscar is the most adorable character in a while (I can't watch a scene with him without squealing or going "awwwww")?  I'd really hate for Maddy to go back to her old ways and I'm not entirely on board with them being together as a couple again, but I can bear for them to be friends now (I couldn't last year).

When Oscar was first introduced, I always thought he was either asexual or gay. I always felt it was a shame that he turned into the cliche boy lusting after the popular girl. I think H&A could do with a permanent character who was either homosexual or bisexual, and I think Oscar would have been the perfect character to have been that person. I think Jake Speer could have done the storyline justice.

​Yeah, this is a shame.  I'd say that Oscar is the character who would be most suitable were H&A to go down the route of a character coming out as gay, but I don't know if I want that (and also then introduce another strong male character to eventually be his partner) or the introduction of a girl like Tasha or April (or Peta, if we go back even further) who is plainer and would go quite nice with him.  As an ace myself, I'd like asexuality to be explored on something like H&A, and Oscar would also be ideal for that.  But how would they portray it in a sustained way?  Even if Oscar was asexual, they could still explore if he was heteroromantic, homoromantic, biromantic, panromantic, polyromantic or aromantic (or anything else on the romantic spectrum).  But would they also need to introduce a new romantic interest who respects that sex isn't really on the table?  Cos sex seems to be a big thing with these teens when it doesn't need to be.  Just a question.

[kmp1963]

Wow, who knew there were that many forms of romanticism. Colour me confused.

 

However I totally agree that Oscar would be an ideal character to explore something other than rampant heterosexuality.

It would be nice to see him be more than the nice guy who (like his uncle before him) always loses the girl to the bad boy. Or only gets the girl because the bad boys have already had her.

I also think Jake would do a good job with a gay storyline.

[homeandawayroxsomuch.]

Wow, who knew there were that many forms of romanticism. Colour me confused.

 

However I totally agree that Oscar would be an ideal character to explore something other than rampant heterosexuality.

It would be nice to see him be more than the nice guy who (like his uncle before him) always loses the girl to the bad boy. Or only gets the girl because the bad boys have already had her.

I also think Jake would do a good job with a gay storyline.

​Haha, I didn't know about it either until I actually realised I'm asexual and started reading more about it.

I asked my mum what she thought about the idea of Oscar being gay, and she said "He has other problems, but he's always been running after Maddy."  People who are gay can be involved in heterosexual relationships before they question their sexuality and find they could be gay, can't they?  Or he could be bisexual?

[Angelica]

Wow, who knew there were that many forms of romanticism. Colour me confused.

 

However I totally agree that Oscar would be an ideal character to explore something other than rampant heterosexuality.

It would be nice to see him be more than the nice guy who (like his uncle before him) always loses the girl to the bad boy. Or only gets the girl because the bad boys have already had her.

I also think Jake would do a good job with a gay storyline.

​Haha, I didn't know about it either until I actually realised I'm asexual and started reading more about it.

I asked my mum what she thought about the idea of Oscar being gay, and she said "He has other problems, but he's always been running after Maddy."  People who are gay can be involved in heterosexual relationships before they question their sexuality and find they could be gay, can't they?  Or he could be bisexual?

Happens a lot or alternatively people being aware of their sexuality but still getting involved in hetereosexual relationships because of fear of society/family's views.

The thing about Oscar chasing after Maddy is that it is so overdone and cliche. I struggle to think of a teen drama or film that doesn't involve the geeky guy pining for popular girl trope.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Angelica

[KittCatt]

I think the writers made a mistake not utilizing him very well.

Jake Speer is a great actor who deserves to have storylines centred around him for once, though I fear this will never happen. He did a great job in 2014 with his anxiety and body issues storylines but this past year hasn’t done much but be Maddy’s boyfriend and be involved in a love triangle for which he’s the single one at the end of it.

I enjoy his friendship with Skye , Josh and his family, though it will be interesting to see how he continues his friendship with Matt and Maddy. Hope it continues, even though he is still insecure and basically doubting Maddy ever loved him, which is a fair point considering what she said to him before he went missing after the formal last year, and how quickly Maddy has moved with Matt. 

He always seemed to get the short end of the stick- though I didn’t necessarily want him and Maddy together that doesn’t mean I wanted him to get hurt (even if it wasn’t totally intentional). His parents died separately as well as Denny, which I don’t recall him reacting to at all this year, which is a shame.

[Red Ranger 1]

I agree entirely. It feels like Jake Speer has been stuck with a thankless task and risen to it, managing to inject Oscar with personality and likability when it’s clear he’s another one that’s not on anyone’s list of priorities. He was great dealing with Oscar’s guilt complex over running over Tamara and the friendship/ embryonic romance between him and Maddy was built up nicely. Yet suddenly everyone lost all interest in them: They should have been as big as April and Dexter (they were certainly more believable and likable) but instead they were treated as supporting characters. And then suddenly Oscar has to be made to look like the bad guy to justify Maddy picking Matt over him, which results in everyone, including himself, accusing him of things he didn’t actually do. Words get put in his mouth, with Maddy making out that he called her easy when he didn’t, then him being accused of not thinking her nursing career is important. Yes, he should have discussed the Perth move with her, but if it is the best course for him and she really can study nursing just as well anywhere, what’s wrong with saying so? Matt buys Maddy a violin like some distant uncle who hasn’t seen her in two years but knows she was into that once, and it gets hailed as a sign of his deep understanding of her. Oscar buys her a nursing textbook, which shows far more understanding of the person she is now, and no-one says a word, with Maddy suddenly refusing to talk about Perth anyway because she’s too busy planning her escape into the arms of another guy.

Sadly, the show has a habit of writing off characters, resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy where they don’t get any storylines or characterisation, so the audience dismiss them as dull and pointless, so they get written out. A shame.

[Slade]

At UK pace have recently seen the episode of Oscar cheating on Maddy with Asia and you know what - I'm proud of him!  I absolutely loved the spontaneity with which he grabbed Asia and just went for it.  It was beautiful.  I just wish we'd seen more of that from him with other girls previously rather than wasting over a year of his life on Maddy.  I was actually disappointed that Oscar didn't want to take things further with Asia but it's hardly unexpected.

I do not believe that Maddy ever loved him and TBH she deserved to be cheated on.  She only slept with him initially to get back at Evelyn for stealing Josh and she only starting going out with him because she was grateful that he supported her when she thought she was going to die.  The minute a perceived higher value guy started to show some interest she fell for him.  And rather than end things then and there she was quite prepared to string Oscar along.

I'm often very wrong when I predict things in Home and Away but there are two things I called a long time before they actually happened.  The first was Nate being in love with Ricky despite apparently moving on.  The second was that Maddy would end up hurting Oscar.  And I knew she would hurt him because she wasn't in love with him but he was head over heels in love with her.  This was pretty evident when she attacked him just as she ended things "You're only holding onto this because of some pathetic nerd who got the girl mentality you have going on.  But I'm me, you're you it was never going to last".  This was actually incredibly frustrating for me as a viewer because I knew this would happen even after he finished with her the first time (the right choice IMO) and he started to fall for her again.

See the problem with girls like Maddy is they tend to be very shallow and they don't normally go for guys like Oscar (this obviously changed when she had the big C and survival was priority).  They primarily select guys on appearance, confidence and charisma.  Physically there's nothing really wrong with Oscar's but he isn't particularly high on the last two.  There's also the issue of him letting her walk all over him.  TBH I always felt he was punching way above his weight when he was going out with her.  And he should actually count himself lucky he was able to date her for that long.  This will surely be one to tell the grandchildren.  Although he can spin the story slightly.  "When I was in highschool I was a nerd and people often picked on me but I managed to seduce a hot blonde into sleeping with me and we went out for months.  I got fed up of her but didn't have the heart to break up so I copped off with another cute girl and let her tell my girlfriend about it so she would finish with me" (He can leave out the parts that Maddy wasn't in love with him, her feelings were the cancer talking, she fell for someone else and the breakup was her choice).

I think Oscar should learn from this and count it as a blessing anyway as it will give him an opportunity to seek out someone who genuinely loves him for him.  And doesn't pretend to be in love with him out of gratitude.  I said a while back that you should never be friends with someone that you fancy and sadly Oscar's proof of that.  See the problem was I always felt she saw him as a friend not really a lover whereas it was the reverse for him so the minute he got involved with her he was in deep water emotionally.  Although he's proven already with Asia that if he can build his confidence up and meet other females anything can happen.

Personally I'm glad he and Maddy are over as maybe we will have a chance to see some storylines with him which don't revolve around her.  I'm looking forward to seeing a (hopefully) improved Maddy-free Oscar.  Let's hope the writers get it right this time!