2018 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[c120701]

3 hours ago, H&Alover said:

I know I'm nit picking but Summer Bay doesn't have any police it's Yabby Creek where the station is located. 

If you really wanted to nitpick, it’s Yabbie Creek.

[Red Ranger 1]

On ‎17‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 15:43, H&Alover said:

To be fair the police did know where Ross was so why didn't they move in sooner, they could have nabbed him when he went storming back to the house after he got Bella's call.

That's the whole point: The police didn't know where Ross was.Colby deleted the message from Chelsea's phone to stop her telling the police.When she got it from Neil, Willow (on Colby's instructions) stopped her passing it on.Colby didn't call Chelsea until long after Bella had texted Ross to let him know Colby had found him, and after they'd passed Ross who seemed to be quite near the house.(In fact, given that he only told her Bella was with him because she already knew he'd gone to the house, I have to wonder whether he'd even have told her to let the police know then if he'd managed to hide it.)

Saying Ross could have hurt Bella if he'd been cornered seems like retroactive justification given that Colby was all for charging in while Ross was there, which was equally likely to result in Bella getting hurt.I know this is also being wise after the event, but assuming they're as smart as Dean, the police could easily have waited and grabbed Ross when he left the house without Bella, or got Bella out and then waited for him to come home.As it is, Colby and Dean are coming across as jerks and, worse, self-righteous jerks.Their keeping Bella away from the police seemed to be at least partly to cover their own backs as much as protect her.I couldn't believe the hypocrisy of Colby saying Bella lying to the police was a sign of how Ross has affected her when that was what he wanted her to do and he's been consistently lying to them pretty much as long as we've known him.It feels like she gets it from her brother as much as her father...and given that Ross raised him for ten years or more, I wonder how much influence he's had on Colby.Colby's way of dealing with Bella's brainwashing seems to be to brainwash her back, isolating her and feeding her the refrain of what it was "really" like.And I'm not saying he'd cave someone's head in and bury them in the garden if they left him, but he really doesn't seem to like Chelsea thinking for herself.She's covered for him more than she should have done, yet still he harangues her and bullies her for not covering for him enough.His speech about it being her fault Bella found out about her mother's death in a police interview was ridiculous: Leaving aside the fact Bella pretty much worked it out last week, he had plenty of time to break the news to her after Dean told him if he really cared.So I'm left thinking he said it purely to hurt and punish Chelsea, and frustratingly it worked and she was left feeling she'd done the wrong thing.And I'm afraid Bella feels so much like an accessory of Colby's I can't bring myself to care about her that much.I really wish McCarthy had called Colby's bluff and arrested him after all the interfering in a murder investigation he's done.His cover story's horribly flimsy, relying on the police not knowing Neil called Chelsea with the address long before she called the police and "coincidentally" around the same time Bella supposedly contacted Colby...and on the evidence here, I wouldn't put it past Colby to throw Chelsea under the bus and say he didn't know about Neil's message.It still hasn't sunk in for him that there's a murderer on the loose who'll probably be coming after Bella, and every time someone tries to point it out he just makes dogmatic declarations about how he won't let it happen, even though his form's pretty bad.He screwed up trying to protect Bella and his mother six years ago, getting a friend killed in the process, and he's now screwed up again and she's still far from safe.It's like he's so determined to play out his fantasies about having Bella back he just won't face the facts.

Meanwhile, Dean is pretty much proving John right, ditching his job for River Boy business, and is lucky to still have a job.Not much to add on Raffy and Ryder, although it was interesting to see the contrast between Marilyn revelling in having a girlie chat and Alf clearly wishing he was anywhere other than talking about a teen romance.

[D.B]

On 17/02/2019 at 17:52, atrus said:

While I wouldn't normally condone abduction of any kind, obviously these were difficult circumstances - and given Ross had already killed two of Colby's family already, who's to say he wouldn't have killed Bella (and then possibly himself) as a final rebuke to the world, if he'd found his house surrounded by police? When the stakes are potentially so high, I tend to have sympathy with the maxim that if you want something done well, it's maybe best to do it yourself; therefore I can kind of understand Colby shunning official channels and taking her against her will, for her own safety. 

Usually I would had the same opinion as you have here, that if you want something done, you should do it yourself, given that when people have done exactly like Colby has before (e.g. Robbo when rescuing Colby from Ebony, or the Braxtons and Zac saving Oscar and Evie from the cult) and in my opinion, they had been right to do so, because the stakes, as you said, have been very high. The problem that I have with it in this situation is that it didn't seem that necessary. I do believe that the police understand just how dangerous Ross is as Colby and Dean understood it, and I doubt they would just go in guns blazing, instead perhaps using sneak tactics or getting Bella out of the house and then arresting him (Like Red suggested). My main problem with it is Colby's attitude that his way is always the right way, even though him doing it on his own in the past has led him nowhere to finding Bella, almost got him killed, and actually got someone else killed. He really should have caught on by now, in my opinion.

[H&Alover]

It seems we are never to agree over Colby and his actions.  Why didn't Neil let the Yabby Creek or whichever cop shop was nearest to where Ross was now - he is a wanted man?  It was Chelsea's choice not to tell the cops where Dean and Colby were once she did get the message from her dad and found out what had happened, we saw her wavering on the beach.  I don't think Colby had any idea of what Bella was going to tell McCarthy and her story of 'finding' Colby on his social media was very plausible he had been posting asking  for info about her.  Hope Bella 'loses' her phone 'cos she's got that message to Ross on it.  Colby did tell SG he'd grown used to lying to the police when he was living with Ross, it would have got to be second nature and seem normal as you said Red,  he would have been young and easily manipulated and bullied. Bella had been alone  with him for five years so much easier for Ross to work on her. That must have been shattering for Bella to have it confirmed her mum was dead, before Colby and Dean only had Karen's word for it based on what Ross had told her five years earlier, they didn't have any proof. The police have now of course have found a body and identified it as  Michelle as SG told Dean last week. The fact Bella  now blames herself isn't going to help her readjust, which Colby did acknowledge is going to take time. She must have felt really torn, loving her mum, knowing what her dad was like and being scared of him but in  a perverse way loving him too. I'm guessing at sometime Colby told her about SG as when Bella saw them together on the pier she asked Dean if that was Colby's fiancé.

Dean helping Colby & Bella didn't have any connection at all with the River Boys, he said it was family business, which he counts Colby and Bella as being.

Loved the shy, awkward breakfast with Ryder and Raffy and Marilyn having suspicions about their sudden closeness.  Well the 'let's keep it between just us two for now'  didn't last long did it. Alf did ask Ryder to 'cough' so he got more information than he expected, Roo where are you when Grumps needs you,  but he was pleased for Ryder who is nervous about it being the right time what with Raffy's epilepsy and if she is in the right mind set.  Marilyn seemed very pleased for her, and Justin seemed to  be OK with it guess the rest of the Morgan's will be once they know, but from what we saw John isn't.  They just need to take it slow no rush, typical Ryder wanting to go overboard for a first proper date - hot air balloon!  I have noticed Raffy seems to be doing a lot better on her new meds, bit more confident, happier, so let's hope the docs have hit on the right dosage and combo this time.

John & Ben appear to have found common ground, thumbs up to Ben when he turned John's 'not my business' statement against him.

[Red Ranger 1]

Bella seems to have quickly been reduced to another Mangrove River brat insisting their way of doing things is right.Just about everything she said to Chelsea was a dogmatic statement about "Colby and Dean are the ones in the right here, m'kay?" with absolutely no evidence or logic to back it up."They saved my life." Er, how?I mean, I get that Ross is a dangerous individual and he could have turned on Bella at any moment, but she'd been with him for years without him apparently laying a finger on her, so I wouldn't say she was in immediate danger. "If Colby and Dean had done things your way, they'd be dead." Again, er, how? If they'd left it to the police, they'd surely have been in no danger at all and probably wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the situation. "Ross had a plan for if the police showed up." Okay.So, er, what was it?If it was some sort of murder/suicide pact with Bella...well, that's bad news for Bella, and may even justify the "saved my life" claim, but doesn't really hurt Dean, Colby or anyone else.Or are we meant to believe he had machine gun turrets and minefields set up (in which case, why didn't Bella use them instead of a crossbow)?Or was his plan just "Get away from the police and then go kill Dean and Colby because it's bound to be their fault"?Of course, if Ross is that crazy prepared, then he'd probably have a plan for if Colby took Bella while he was away, which he's now free to carry out... Either way, I think Chelsea's right to get away from the situation: Colby will never be a straight cop and Chelsea will never be comfortable with the values he and his friends live by.

To continue banging on for a bit, Bella's suddenly reduction to just another sulky teen obsessing about her brother's love life underlines how rushed and sketchily drawn this whole long is, as if someone suddenly realised how near finale week was (it's the week after next) and so they need to get everything in place and Bella with Colby.So someone thinks it'd be cool to have a big cliffhanger of Bella aiming a crossbow at Colby... except they can't carry on with that so one scene later she throws it away for no reason, runs off and is generally helpless, then two episodes later she's playing happy families with him.There's no real reason for her to have been hidden for so long (or any explanation as to how Neil found her when Colby didn't): The place they were was isolated but not that isolated and Ross has a car and phones which he must pay for somehow even if they're going hunter-gatherer to feed themselves. (Is he working cash in hand?Stealing to get by?) Are we to assume Bella wasn't allowed off the property and if so what level is her education?Maybe we'll get answers to some of it eventually but Home and Away does have a tendency to go for big dramatic reveals ahead of well-thought-out back stories.

Meanwhile, I'm afraid my reservations about Raffy and Ryder are resurfacing.It is all a bit Ryder and Coco Redux: Cute getting together scene, uncomfortable reactions from parental figures, first date...and then nowhere to go really except carry on as before with more holding hands.So I'm hoping there's actually a reason for them to be a couple beyond he's a boy and she's a girl.I'm also hoping, after Justin's involvement last week, we actually see some reaction from the Morgans and it's not just all about John's "funny" complaining.I'd like it if Coco's fine with it and Raffy's worrying for nothing but time will tell...

[Razabaza]

I never realized until now how much Brody looks like Robin Thicke (blurred lines singer)

That kissing/sex scene with Colby and Chelsea in the caravan was badly edited, poorly choreographed and just plain awkward, far too drawn out.

Just realized, Raffy looks like one of Brad Pitt's kids.

[Red Ranger 1]

I was pretty much nodding in agreement with Chelsea at the start: Colby will always be a River Boy and never change his way of doing things.So I was somewhat frustrated that his childish tantrum and borderline sexual assault won her over.I can't deny they seem happy and I imagine Colby meant his promise that things will be different in the same way he meant what he said to the police tribunal, but I also suspect he'll forget it as soon as it gets in the way of doing what he wants.

Tori's blinkers remain firmly in place.She was warned that using Robbo as a donor was risky but she ploughed ahead and now she's refusing to accept the outcome, even using an out of context comment from Maggie as proof she's doing the right thing.Justin's banging his head against a brick wall but I'm not sure if he's ever managed to convince Tori that one of her bad ideas is a bad idea.

[D.B]

And what I exactly feared would happen did happen: Chelsea had to apologise for doing her job without Colby ever apologising for putting said job at risk, lying to her when he promised her not to, and he was still able to convince her to stay with her! It's a very ridiculous situation, and I thought that Chelsea would be very much in her rights, and would be very smart, to leave for good; Colby has already proved that he wasn't trustworthy as either a cop or a future husband. And Bella's attempts to sway her just didn't ring true in my opinion, because as Red said above in great logic and detail, things would have been far better off if they went with Chelsea's way. That said, I'm actually liking Bella. Yeah, the transmission from a brainwashed teenager to a pushy sister does appear rather quick, but she's very feisty and fierce-minded, it's even making me enjoy her scenes with Colby. 

The only highlight from these two episodes have really been Raffy and Ryder, who continue to be sweet together and much better than Ryder and Coco, but I'm hoping there will be more than holding hands and awkward scenes with Alf and Marilyn, (or with the Morgans if the writers cared enough to include them with their half-sister's life). 

And Tori has just been unbearable recently. I know it's probably harsh, considering what she's lost, but she's completely ignoring all the good points that Justin raises: she's only doing it for herself and doesn't care about what consequences there would be for others (*cough* Colby *cough*). The Robbo and Jasmine scenes continue to be cute but I can't help but feel a bit of despair with the upcoming train crash of Tori's schemes that will through a dent in their relationship. Justin's ultimatum was a strong one, but will he be able to go through it?

[H&Alover]

As we don't know that much about Ross, apart from we've heard from Colby, Willow & Dean I think it's a given he's one hard nut, makes you wonder how he charmed Michelle into marrying him, he buried her in the backyard FGS.  Whose to say the car is in his  name or even taxed or whatever they do in Australia, as for phones, always ways round that.  I think Bella meant Ross meant to bolt to another hideaway, bound to have one. Ross doesn't appear to have physically hurt Bella, she hasn't said either way, but mentally he's hurt her. She, Bella, turned into a right bossy boots, I bet she was like that as a kid.  Surprise, surprise Colby didn't have her locked in the flat so she wasn't isolated, he even let her talk to three of the locals, then later she re-met with Raffy and met Ryder.  So she's got attitude, hardly surprising, she's not been mixing with normal people all these years. Considering she hardly knows SG she was mighty determined to get her and Colby back together. I realise the thinking now is Colby will be after Ross, but he was never the focus of his hunt it was always Bella, Ross hardly got a mention.  Colby must have been doing something right in his job, wouldn't have made senior constable otherwise, still been an ordinary plod.

Tiny niggle but someone needs to take Bella clothes shopping, she's only got what she was wearing when Dean and Colby rescued her.  Also it seems Robbo still hasn't met her, it didn't appear he'd been away from what I could gather with his talk with Jasmine and he didn't mention her. 

No-one forced SG to go back with Colby, she has a mind of her own, a very strong one, needed it with her dad. I'm willing to believe, even if no-one else is, that he's willing to let the police deal with Ross, he's got what he's been wanting for years -  Bella back in his life. That was a pointless caravan scene.

Was Dean working when Robbo, Jasmine, Colby, SG and Willow were having lunch?

I liked how both Ryder and Raffy were panicking over what to wear for their first date and Ryder overdoing the splash it all over with the aftershave.  Justin kind of knows about Raffy & Ryder, though the rest of them don't, Tori is in no state to care at the moment anyway, she just fixated on her own baby making plan.

Justin tried really hard to be the voice of reason/sanity, she just wasn't in the mood to listen. If that had been someone she knew who was planning to do the same thing, she'd eb trying to make them think, really think, about what they were doing.  It's not all about her, it's Robbo, Jasmine, the rest of the family.  Good to see she did look uncomfortable when Jasmine was asking how things were going, but not enough to stop her. Her  argument that if it doesn't work Robbo would be none the wiser was totally illogical. What if, highly unlikely though it could be, Robbo did change his mind further down the line and agreed to try again what would she have told him?

What freaked Robbo out when Jasmine told him about her planned break for them in Fiji?  Had he been there with Lauren or had planned to go there?

 

 

 

[D.B]

11 minutes ago, H&Alover said:

 What if, highly unlikely though it could be, Robbo did change his mind further down the line and agreed to try again what would she have told him?

What freaked Robbo out when Jasmine told him about her planned break for them in Fiji?  Had he been there with Lauren or had planned to go there?

I hadn't actually thought about that scenario. You're right, it would be an extremely awkward conversation for Tori to have. And to answer your question, Robbo said that he and Lauren had their honeymoon at Fiji.