2020 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[CaptainHulk]

*Elmer Fudd impression* "Be vewwy vewwy quiet... I'm hunting Pawatas!"

Well, Colby does have a gun as we all know...

Yep Tori's back was against the wall and was really left no choice to slap her with the AVO. Jasmine is in DIRE need of professional help and may wind up in a city psych ward if she's not careful.

[H&Alover]

Marilyn will always care for John, but sadly the love has gone.  

I like Bella and Nik's friendship and it was her that instigated the kiss and the rather shy hand holding after.  On that point and completely trivial but when Belle took Nik's hand he was on her right but then they come across Colby they were the other way round - continuity error?  Anyhoo I think she may have been trying to be too eager to appear 'normal' when she agreed to go to Nik's for dinner as she thought Ari would be there.  Has to be confusing for Nik, it had been going well and it didn't help Colby had had his two pennth. 'warning' her to be carful around Nik making her unsure of herself.  I get he is doing as a  brother as she is  vulnerable but she is now 18.  I like to think Nik was there to see if Bella was OK. 

Does Colby know Tane isn't in town?  

We all know Nik was involved in the car jacking it's the Diner there are doubts about, but there is no proof evidence wise on either to allow for Colby's hounding. 

Still no sign of Bella and Irene knowing the  other is around. Though Irene does have her hands full with Jasmine  at the moment.

I believe  not crazy Jasmine believes she is sorry each time she says it, but it doesn't stop her making the same mistake again and again, it's like she's in a loop she can't get out of.   Tori has been pushed to the end of her patience, her gratefulness for what Jas and Robbo did while she was in a coma can only be taken so far.  She's going to be scared to leave the house in case Jas is there waiting for her, scared to stay home in case she turns up.  Jas was trying to stay calm but the tension in the air unsettled Grace but I do believe Jasmine when she says she would never hurt her.   Sorry Irene, like your well meaning but not wise advice to Marilyn you and Willow can't get Jasmine through this, it's too deep rooted, she needs professional help.  It's getting Jas to recognise that that is going to be the problem unless she does something  and there will be no choice but to have her sectioned.  

Haven't seen that window being used as an escape route for a while and did Irene make the right decision not to let Tori know Jasmine was on the loose?  I know it was academic  in the end but a heads up may have helped. 

Guess Jasmine must have finally fell asleep hence her stopping texting Tori!   

After me mentioning what Robbo's reaction would be Jasmine herself brings it up by ranting at Colby that if Robbo was here he'd be disgusted by the way he, Colby, was behaving towards her.  The irony of course is if Robbo was here, none of this would be happening Robbo, Jasmine and Tori would be happily bringing up Grace, Jasmine may even be pregnant for real.  I feel so sorry for Jasmine despite all the chaos she's causing.  Why is Jasmine still Delaney, I would have thought she'd  have taken Robbo's name.

I believe Sam Frost was a reality star and presenter before becoming an actress which doesn't always work, but Sam has been very believable  as Jasmine and her slow breakdown has been very convincing and has us, well most I guess, on her side wanting  her to be well and happy. 

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by H&Alover

[Slade]

I find Irene's shocked/horrified/worried facial expressions quite amusing.  Crazy Jasmine again clearly seems to have a problem with boundaries.  I think it says a lot that Tori was still feeling guilty after telling Jasmine to stay away from her and Grace.  Jasmine was always going to ignore Tori's request which is why I agreed with her not taking the AVO out straight away when Justin suggested it so at least she knows she tried to not involve the police officially first.  If I was Justin I would have been tempted to march Jasmine out the house when she wouldn't leave but I think he was smart to restrain himself and threaten to call the cops (I'm assuming it was Justin that called them when Colby got the request to deal with the dispute when he was at Irene's) so when Colby turned up with her still there it supports pursuing the AVO.  Even after that she was still bombarding Tori with text messages.  I believe crazy Jasmine is still 'fit' to go to work so presumably Tori will getting the AVO so will support working separate shifts with her.  I do have some sympathy for her.  She's basically lost everything and feels she has nobody.  I just don't think Grace is the way out of her problems.  Really, she needs professional support and to move on and start again but that's easier said than done.

Given what Nikau did you can argue that dating Bella is a mistake.  He and Bella sort of mirrors Ari and Mackenzie i.e. someone Colby cares about who is involved with a Parata.  I do think that Colby's real issue is with Ari and Nikau is just a way of getting to him.  It's going to come out eventually that Nikau took Tori's car so it will be interesting to see what happens, especially with Bella.

[Red Ranger 1]

Oh dear. I know Tori said she didn't want to give out mixed messages but that's pretty much what she did.I cringed at her turning up with the mental health plan and I'm surprised Jasmine gave it as much consideration as she did.But being served with the AVO was obviously going to destroy any progress on that score.I winced that Jasmine went straight round to the Morgans' after getting a restraining order, but it did seem as though it was just a parting shot rather than the start of a new round of harassment.Whilst leaving town for a fresh start isn't a 100% bad idea, Jasmine needs people around here at the moment, otherwise there's a danger no-one will ever see her again.

I guess I need to give credit to two people I'm not too keen on.Colby told Bella about Nikau's visit when he didn't need to, and Nikau seemed to accept her wish to take things slow without suggestion.If they are going to do this, and I'm still not convinced it's wise, then this is the way it needs to happen.To be honest, on recent evidence, I wouldn't be surprised if Nikau stealing the car remains a secret for a long long time if not for good. Ari was very much Nikau's last resort for advice, with both Gemma and Tane absent, but didn't do too bad a job.His behaviour towards Mackenzie was less well-measured. She'd have been top of my list of anonymous benefactors if he hadn't told her not to, but I don't think she'd go against his wishes and I definitely don't think she'd lie about it, and he should have asked her instead of going in with both barrels.I guess Tane's got to be a likely candidate.Gemma might have wired money from somewhere and even Marilyn would probably help out if she knew.

[UK_fan]

Jasmine is NOT crazy.   She is mentally/emotionally not well and needs to seek proper help to deal with everything she's gone through.   She's still dealing with her grief about losing Robbo and also that their plans for the future were obviously cut short, she'll never have the dream of having Robbo's child that she desperately needed and baby Grace is the last proper memory of Robbo that she has.   Grief affects people in different ways, the signs do get missed.

Jasmine isn't doing herself with any favours with the way she behaves, it's wrong, but I do genuinely believe she has no malice and is just such in a messed up state emotionally/psychologically.

I really don't like Tori, but can see how her patience has been stretched, of course she had a past with Robbo and he is Grace's Father.   Tori is also in an awkward position because Jasmine was her best friend and when Robbo was alive, they somehow made an awkward situation work, she's also got her maternal instinct kicking in.

Tori hasn't helped Jasmine either IMO by sending mixed messages.

I hope this SL ends on a good note with them both.   Jasmine seeking proper help and then the slow steps of rebuilding trust with Tori, so she can be a part of Grace's life and be happy again/move on with her life. 

  Reveal hidden contents

Which obviously it does LOL....

 

[H&Alover]

Slade, Please STOP calling Jasmine crazy! Would you want to be labelled crazy if you had the mental/emotional problems Jasmine has?   And yes I do know it's not real, just proof of Sam's acting  that makes it seems so.  As UK_fan said Jasmine hasn't fully dealt with her grief yet and she has been very good at hiding it.  She did seem to be coming round when she found she was 'pregnant' but it's all come back. 

I wasn't as convinced about Jasmine accepting the mental health care plan Tori had outlined  for her, she appeared to be taking it all in but was that more for Irene and Willow's benefit?  Of course it didn't help that we knew Tori had taken out an AVO on Jasmine so was she trying some damage limitation in advance?  It kind of gave Jasmine false hope that it she got help she'd soon be able to see Grace.  

Naturally it had to be Colby, no other cops around? to serve Jasmine with her AVO, he could have explained to McCarthy it was a bit too personal for him as he knew the person it was to be served on. To be fair he did ask if they could go back to Irene's or somewhere quieter so he wasn't doing it in public but Jasmine didn't want a bar of it so her clients were given a ringside seat to the whole shouting match which will sure be good for business.  It was pretty much a given Jasmine would storm round to Tori's, which may not have happened if Tori hadn't seemed, in Jasmine's eyes, so caring that very morning.  Colby must have been half expecting that call.  She certainly told Tori what she could do with her plan! Thing now of course where has she gone,  Irene's first thought is she is going to do something stupid as in top herself. 

On a lighter note Nikau and Bella, good move btw Colby telling Bella about Nik's visit, she is an adult so treat her like one.   I'm glad she decided to tell Nik about why she had  ducked out the night before  and explained that if they were to be a couple she wants to take things slowly, very slowly which he was fine with him, loved the way he asked if he could hold her hand and he looks so good when he smiles, really lights up his face.   Liked the dress she was wearing.  She felt relaxed enough with him to have a lark about in the Parata's pool.  Nice bat back from Nik when Ari mentioned him dating the cop's sister and he replied he was sleeping with his ex!  They are getting on a lot better too which is a relief, I'm not sure if Tane's advice would have been the right advice, he's not over fond of Colby either. 

I can see why Ari turned down Mac's offer even if was a loan, he's a proud man and having your better off girlfriend bail you out would dent it.  Not knowing Mac as well as he thought he did he would jump to the wrong conclusion, which I would have done, she had gone behind his back her reaction though would have/should have told him he was wrong, hope she forgives him for that.  I'm guessing Gemma doesn't know about the shortfall in the rent so that does only leave Tane and whatever he had in mind. 

[Slade]

It seems as though Nikau's bluff worked with Bella.  I do agree about him being oblivious to why she freaked out the first time without him even considering the possibility of it happening again when she went round to his.  If they're going to take things slowly, then I suspect the relationship will get serious relatively quickly so even if she does find out about the car jacking, it probably won't make any difference to her.  Bit surprised she would want to have fun with Nikau in the swimming pool like that though.

I was very surprised Tori went round to see crazy Jasmine after pursuing the AVO with the police.  It does give off mixed signals and I don't think she should have done it after going to the cops.  Although, you can see crazy Jasmine doesn't want help as she only even entertained the possibility if it meant she could spend time with Grace.  Justin's reaction when she burst through the door (Completely ignoring the AVO she literally just received) made me laugh.  With her scarpering, can't wait to see what she does next.

Ari's reaction when he thought Mackenzie paid his rent was amusing.

[Red Ranger 1]

We were told there's two sides to the story but it did feel like no-one was trying to see Justin's side.His period as the one who was right really didn't last very long! I can understand why he'd be glad that Jasmine isn't bothering Tori and Grace anymore, but at the same time I can see why Irene and Willow would be concerned about Jasmine being out there on her own. As it turns out, she's with Ian and Wendy, which is where she was planning to go a while back, and a bit of distance is definitely a good thing for her. Justin was ultimately rather diplomatic on the subject, despite having to spend a night on the couch because every other bed in the house had apparently dematerialised.(Was Tori on night shift again?)

Well, Ari eventually apologised to Mackenzie.Tane scaring Marilyn off with stories of his supposed conquests was slightly amusing.It would probably be easier for him to get a job rather than waiting until the money runs out and then doing something dodgy.Ari's comment about what it would do to Nikau if something happened to him did at least give him pause.

[Blaxland 89]

Forgive if I'm wrong but has Alf, Martha and Roo all gone off somewhere leaving just Ryder in that house running the caravan park?!!

[H&Alover]

No Blaxland it does appear that way!

Maybe it was because Justin isn't as diplomatic as he could be when it comes to Jasmine, but he could have phrased what he said a lot differently. He could see how worried Irene and Willow were,  guess Tori was at work while this was going on,  his "I'm glad she's gone" comment would have upset them.  Leah made him pay for it though.  He also got short shrift in the Diner next morning.  Colby was right - though we didn't hear conversation - Jasmine is an adult so couldn't be classed as a  missing person until she'd been gone 48 hours, but could she have been classed as vulnerable due to her mental state?  We do now know she is at Wendy and Ian's, how long did it take her to get there, it's in the middle of nowhere?  More importantly than that though what will she them about the whole Tori/Grace situation?  Dollar to a cent it's all going to be Tori and Justin's fault, she's done nothing wrong, all she's tried to do is look after Grace, Tori is a bad mother, left Grace alone in a car that got stolen, they won't let me see her etc.  Don't forget Wendy isn't a fan of Tori's, she wasn't happy that Tori was going back to work so soon.  She did also say to Jasmine she was to focus on Grace which she's taken literally. 

Marilyn did kind of ask for what Tane told her/ hinted at.  She scuttled off very quickly, leaving him very amused.   Big bag of dosh, some of which has paid the rent, more on groceries, he's part domesticated at least, seems he can cook too. Oh no one of those phonecalls/texts 'the one more job, it'll be easy, no risks' type. Will Tane be dumb enough to fall for it?  Snowy eh? Did I hear Ari say Nik had gone off on a job for Alf?  Big, big apologies and with grovelling thrown in from Ari got the result that Mac forgave him, properly forgave him.  Though I liked her dig about 'other rich girlfriends'.  Touch of awkwardness at the breakfast table between Tane and Mac and in the trailer she admits to Dean she does fancy Tane.  Oops!