2018 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Little bean]

I was thinking exactly the same thing about Colby using a laptop at the hospital. No need for a dramatic self-discharge! Now he’s all fired up and totally focussed on finding Bella I guess he’s not going to try to bother remembering that Ebony told him Robbo wouldn’t be rescuing him because he would be “a little bit busy” or that he heard her make the fake call to the cops. Maybe the drug paralyses your hearing too?

H and A Lover, Tori said they had video of Ebony stealing “the meds”. She didn’t mention the poison. I’d love to know what that poison was though, and if it’s readily available......and if the cops are trying to chase up the source of it.

[Red Ranger 1]

On ‎08‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 19:45, c120701 said:

I think it was just 4 when Raffy first arrived as I’m sure someone gave up their room, but then it was quickly forgotten about.

Yes, checked the episode where she first stayed over and Justin says she can have his room and he'll sleep in Mason's (who was on night shift). I'm guessing they turned one of the rooms into a fifth bedroom once she was there permanently, in the same way Sasha went from sleeping on the Walkers' couch to having her own room without explanation.

So...Justin seems to think Willow selling her car is the worst thing that can happen as well, although to be fair he doesn't know what the alternatives are.Dean gains back a bit of respect by his willingness to be self-sacrificial with regards Willow, his breaking up with her really did seem like being cruel to be kind.Disappointing that Willow was so quick to go back to the skimmer to fund her gambling, although at least Justin got through to her.Unfortunately, it's hard to see how Dean offering to work for Brett is any better than stealing from his neighbours to pay off the debt: After all, it seems unlikely that Brett will ask him to clean windows.

It was a bit of a cliche to have a never-before-seen mean girl start giving Raffy a hard time because, shock horror, she broke up with her boyfriend.Ryder, frankly, put in a pretty poor showing as her friend, just standing there for an age while Abbi had a go before saying anything, then apparently just letting Raffy run out of school upset instead of making sure she was all right.While it was a brave thing to do, I can't see Ty telling everyone that he's gay making the bullies go easy on them.

And the "evolved" Hunter and Olivia continue to look for excuses to pointlessly flirt with each other.

[H&Alover]

The annexe in the garage at the Morgan's appeared out of nowhere too, I think when Willow first showed up, though we caught a sight of it this week when Robbo left and Tori followed him down the drive.

I guess being in a coma for a few days/week would mess your memory up, though Robbo being a bit busy could mean absolutely anything!

Before we get more into the Willow story, I'm  guessing she doesn't know Colby is out of hospital and back at the flat.  

Dean went up in my estimation again, he really swallowed his pride there by going to Justin and telling him Willow trusted him, Justin, and listened to what he said.  I had to smile when Justin commented about he hoped Dean had stopped Willow selling her dad's car,  first thing they've agreed on, even cracked opened a couple of beers. Must have really broken his heart by dumping her, but he's doing it because he  loves her and if he is going to be Brett's slave for the foreseeable, he won't want her dragged into that.  She does love Dean, but she's not in love with him and I think he's just realised that. Won't get Justin & Willow back as a couple, there's still Nina to get round. Maybe Brett likes any windows he gets people to break to be clean first!

I see Nina is still being difficult even though Hazel is no longer a threat and Justin would be more than happy to visit Ava in the city. he has tried every other avenue so I don't think he has any other choice but to go down the lawyer route. Is Nina not taking Ava's feelings or thoughts on the matter into consideration? 

Justin must have  learnt from his experience with Brody on how to go about tackling someone with an addiction, I thought he dealt with it very well and just gently cajoled her into telling him what was wrong and she finally said the magic words 'I have a problem' which is the first step, they have to admit it, no good you telling them.  he did well not to let on Dean had told him which would have blown it. 

Wow didn't see that ending coming!  If Abbi has only just joined SBH she sure got herself a little gang pretty damn quick.  A new generation of bullies to replace Jenny and her lot.  Call me thick, but I thought Raffy and Ty as boyfriend and girlfriend was pretty much a secret so how did new bully, sorry, girl Abbi know about it/them?  It seems Ryder makes up for his lapse with Raffy tonight by doing what Ryder does best and I liked how he told Ty he'd have his back.  Nice confidence boost talk by Marilyn to Raffy she doesn't have to prove herself to anyone.  I did initially think how come Roo knows about Ty through Alf then it clicked he would have told her about Ryder's part in it all.  Is Roo still stand in principal btw as she seemed to be in charge?  I was expecting Ty to tell Abbi and the rest of them Raffy dumped  him but that was certainly a way to get it out there!  He won't have to worry about someone overhearing the news any longer.

[atrus]

On 08/08/2018 at 19:25, Red Ranger 1 said:

Well it'd be nice if Ty got the nod but I'm not holding my breath...

How could I forget Ty? Yes, absolutely. I'm not holding my breath either, but it would be brilliant to see him stick around. 

Speaking of... I'm on record as saying that I've really enjoyed and appreciated the Ty storyline so far - but I'm also keen to point out areas for improvement, and there were a few in these two episodes.

Ty's coming out at school felt like it was being made a bigger deal than was warranted - although that's only because the only three pupils with any human characteristics whatsoever - Raffy, Coco and Ryder - already knew about his sexuality. (Though it should be said that this is a problem with pretty much every school storyline H&A has ever done, and not just this one.) Cookie-cutter bully Abby, the only other speaking character to hand, was supremely slappable, without even any pretensions of adding anything other than the thinnest of plot devices to be resolved. She was a cliché, and Ryder promptly calling her one didn't alleviate the problem. How would I have done it differently? Well, we all know that the dreaded school guest characters are sometimes required to make things difficult, but I often find myself crying out for one with at least a modicum of motivation for their behaviour other than "I'm a nasty bully, so there". Kids tease other kids because of their own insecurities, and it's always good if we can find a way of interrogating those hang-ups, even with walk-on guest roles. I wish they'd brought Jennifer back instead, to bring some colour and nuance to those scenes. And preferably ditched half of the guffawing extras, too. That said, I loved Ty for his decision to intervene on Raffy's behalf, outing himself in the process. It's sad that he wasn't able to say the words in a more positive context, and he may not find that what he did helps either of them with the teasing; but in any case, he did it with the aim of defending Raffy, and that was noble.

The second episode had its problems too, particularly in some of its attempts to be right-on. Ty's problems with being gay seemed even more deep-seated than they had before with the onset of the panic attack, and in that context it was lovely to see his friends showing solidarity by staying with him. But when the resolution came later back at school, I felt like everyone telling Ty to 'own' his coming out ended up ringing hollow, when Ryder essentially made the decision for him, by going ahead and playing the song despite Ty expressing doubts immediately beforehand. I was left with the unfortunate impression that it didn't matter whether Ty was ready; the straight guy said he was, and so that was that. I'm possibly being overcritical but the whole scene felt like the heterosexual character was the one showing all the agency, while Ty just stood back and let Ryder do the honours (even though he'd outed himself to a few people the day before). Plus all the extras looking mildly impressed at the song and swaying along was the cheesiest thing ever. But the crux of it is, I think for this to work, we really needed to hear Ty speak for himself over the PA; the song in itself wasn't clearly enough about the gay thing to hit home, and it just came across as everyone clapping Ty for his musical talents, which are kind of beside the point here. The rainbow cupcakes (and sticker on the diner door) then felt like the icing on the gateau of worthiness. Don't get me wrong - I know all this stuff is very well-intentioned; and gosh, it still represents a marked improvement on most of the stuff that's gone before. It's just that it came across as trying a little bit too hard at times in these episodes. But ending on a positive note...

ROO: As far as we know, he's the only kid to come out at Summer Bay High. But he won't be the only one.

Possibly I'm over-reading, but that felt suspiciously like meta-commentary from the powers that be to me. I really hope it's heartfelt.

Elsewhere, Willow learns the hard way that dumping someone for selfless reasons doesn't make it any easier on the dumpee; while there was some career-related miscellany from Olivia and Hunter, which at least meant they were thinking about something other than each other. Well, for some of the time: namely, when they weren't busy chirping to each other about said miscellany for want of any other characters to interact with. And light at the end of the tunnel for Maggie? Here's hoping so.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Four.

I'm...undecided about the way Ty's storyline came across here.It was hard not to have sympathy for Ty, having to deal with everyone's reactions to something he hasn't quite processed himself and the probability of negative reactions.I just about appreciate Raffy, Ryder and Coco's show of solidarity: It was a nice idea that didn't quite hit the right note, they were good friends in refusing to leave him but it was slightly undermined by the fact it was his choice and they didn't quite seem to be trying to convince him that he was better off facing it than running away, although they did get there in the end.Incidentally, although Ryder was the noisiest in some ways, I think Raffy came across best: It seemed like she was the first one to be there for Ty every time, from realising he was in a panic at the start, to being the first one to join him on the beach, to being the one to take his hand and convince him to go to school.Ryder playing Ty's song is the sort of thing he'd do, and the rest of the school probably just liked the tune.I winced a bit at the rainbow cupcakes but again, Marilyn's heart was in the right place.Roo telling Maggie no-one's ever come out at Summer Bay High before mostly felt like a damning indictment of the show ignoring the idea for so long.On the whole, I think it was handled in a positive if somewhat idealised and slightly patronising (although I think that's partly the result of the characters not quite knowing the right way to react, which is realistic) manner.

I can't quite work out if Hunter and Olivia are flirting or if their continuing to be joined at the hip is a sign that Hunter really needs someone other than his ex-girlfriend to talk to when Mason's at work.But really, it needs to stop.Not too bothered about whether or not he gets to be a basketball coach, although Christina seemed to be giving him a not-entirely-tutorly look after seeing him with his shirt off. And nice for Maggie to get some good news, although it's no guarantee...

[pembie]

I don't quite get it when Ty says his made a song does he mean he wrote the lyrics or mixed the track or what? Anyway his better than any so called rockstars we have had in the past haha

Would people really be that bothered that he was no longer dating Raffy and that he was gay like in high school I thought you would be more mature by then 

I liked the look of those rainbow cakes very brightly colored That's how I do my shopping the brighter the packaging the more chance I will get it I'm a advertisers dream customer though haha

[c120701]

On 09/08/2018 at 20:27, Red Ranger 1 said:

Yes, checked the episode where she first stayed over and Justin says she can have his room and he'll sleep in Mason's (who was on night shift). I'm guessing they turned one of the rooms into a fifth bedroom once she was there permanently, in the same way Sasha went from sleeping on the Walkers' couch to having her own room without explanation.

I suppose it’s possible those extra bedrooms were always there and they just only had beds for the rooms that were occupied. 

[CaptainHulk]

 

On ‎11‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 12:44, pembie said:

 

Would people really be that bothered that he was no longer dating Raffy and that he was gay like in high school I thought you would be more mature by then 

The thing is High Schoolers aren't that mature.

 

[H&Alover]

True enough Ty didn't intend to out himself the way he did, he was standing up for Raffy who was taking the flak and probably he felt he owed it to, but it has put stopped to any rumours.  I liked the way Raffy, Ryder and Coco who still it appears hasn't revealed to Raffy she already knew followed Ty out of school.  Ryder was wise  to call for John when Ty had his panic attack not a surprising reaction to suddenly blurting a shock revelation like that instead of it being released slowly. As an aside I saw Ty was wearing his uniform the traditional SBH way with shirt untucked.   I thought it was very touching Raffy, Ryder and Coco were insistent they were showing their solidarity by staying with Ty despite the threat of detention.  I loved how Raffy took his hand. The longer Ty left going back the harder it would have been for him and with those three behind him it was easier.  As I said in my previous post Ryder's solution was typical Ryder and with Roo's approval this time.  I don't think the song needed any explanation, the kids got it, Ryder did. Ty said earlier to Raffy & Ryder he wrote it.  I did notice Abby was strangely - um - absent  when it was played, the support Ty got when he exited Roo's office certainly cheered him and he walked by with his head up.  Of course there are going to be a few kids who will make jibes, more than likely influenced by their un enlightened parents. Surely most schools will face this problem and not just with a pupil being gay/lesbian, how about gender identification?  I guess it depends on how each school deals with it and what backing they'd get from their school board.

I did like the 'outing' of each character in the Diner, Raffy admitting she's a nerd, Coco - no you're not, Ryder - yes you are.  Coco owning up to her eating disorder then their looking at Ryder who looked puzzled until Raffy's 'Mr. sleeping disorder', and chucking in a couple more of his failings. Only Ryder could get away with saying to Ty about his coming out more often if it meant free cakes.  Maz dealt with it as only Maz can making her own statement in her way.

I was thinking the same Red about the way Christina was 'admiring' Hunter when he stripped off his top. She can't be that much older, she did say it hadn't been that long since she'd been a student.  I think it's good Hunter has decided where his future should be and is looking forward,  made me wonder what would have happened to him if Charlotte had still been around, not as positive that's for sure. 

Fingers crossed that this stem cell transplant works for Maggie - I don't think the Astoni's could take much more. Just as well Diana didn't get her wish to whisk Maggie away, she'd have been overseas and would have missed out.

So Ebony hasn't vanished off the scene entirely then.

 

 

[Slade]

So this time it's Mason's turn to provide information about confidential patient records to somebody who doesn't work in the medical field.  Lack of professionalism obviously runs in the family.

Now that Jasmine's spending time with Colby 'helping' him, I'm assuming she's going try and sleep with him again at some point.

I initially thought once again Raffy gets the raw end of the deal for being loyal but Ty did the right thing intervening (I think).  I have to admit it took a lot of guts to do what he did and out himself like that although he was very much acting on impulse.  Still it just goes to show what sort of person Raffy is.  She's the one that's getting picked on but she feels guilty and blames herself for Ty telling everyone he's gay because of it.  I don't think she owes him one at all though.  I would say they're quits.  The over positive reactions from various people haven't been realistic IMO.  I would have expected there to be some level of indifference.

Even thought he didn't actually mean it, Dean's right that Willow is high maintenance.  I wasn't sure whether he dumped her because he didn't think she was into him at first but it appears as though he thinks Justin can do a better job helping her with her addiction.

I actually quite enjoyed the scenes with Hunter and Olivia.  I don't mind them when they aren't a couple.  I wouldn't mind being mentored by that lady Hunter was with.  Him taking his top off when they were training by the beach seemed like on massive revelation to her.  But they appeared to have immediate chemistry when they met and it permeated throughout their various interaction on Friday's episode.  Regardless of whether anything happens, Olivia's NOT going to be happy when she sees them together.