2021 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

I feel this episode was a huge backwards step for both Chloe and Mia.I quite liked them both last week when we just got to see them hanging out as a family, but pitting them against Mackenzie has just underlined the fact that she spent most of last year standing by Ari and his family and helping them out with their problems, and now these two cuckoos have swooped in and taken her life off her.I can understand Mia going mama bear over Chloe, but I was cheering Mackenzie on the whole way and felt Mia just came across as bitchy: Her describing Chloe as "collateral damage" was massively hypocritical, given that that's how Chloe treated Mackenzie.Similarly, Chloe seems to be rewriting history with her claim that she hasn't done anything: She's got what she wanted and now she's acting like the victim.And worse, we have her going full-on high maintenance and constantly barracking Ryder when he hasn't really done anything wrong at all, to the point that he's quit his job in a pointless show of solidarity.I guess Mackenzie's line about Chloe being a casual was meant to cover the legality: Presumably it was a weekly contract deal or something which Mackenzie could end whenever she liked.

And, to go back to last week, yes, it seems Ryder and Chloe haven't slept together which is fairly bizarre, given all the "alone time" they had at hers and they spent the night at the cabin together: He's not entirely inexperienced and, whilst I wouldn't like to make assumptions, she doesn't exactly come across as shy either, but it's as if the showmakers think that because they haven't written a big Their First Time episode then it can't have happened.

Detective Leah has seemingly swung from one extreme to the other, but I can kind of see her point that it's hard to just shrug their shoulders and accept Susie's got away with it. That said, she's a bit too focused and should really be keeping a closer eye on Justin...

[Slade]

21 hours ago, H&Alover said:

OK Chloe did set Ari and Mia up but there was no guarantee  it'd work.  Besides, no-one 'stole' anyone, people aren't inanimate objects that can be picked up and run away with so why do people use that inane expression.

Splendid!   I guess ignoring certain terms/labels didn't really work out for you then did it?   I'm dismissing the ethics of firing someone for personal reasons in this particular scenario.  I was just glad to see some sort of payback for Chloe getting her mum to steal Ari off Mackenzie.

Wow, even the presenter said yesterday evening it was hard to feel sorry for Mac.  So we should feel sorry for the brat instead rather than the person who miscarried and had her boyfriend stolen.

One downside to Chloe not working at Salt though is we don't get to see that cleavage of hers in her uniform.

You can see Ari realises he's partly responsible and still has a guilty conscience.

I really didn't like Alf having a word with Mackenzie about Ryder and even though Dean was mostly right I wasn't too keen on his approach either.  If Mackenzie doesn't want to be stuck at home all the time and wants to go back into work, she shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable about being in her own work place at Chloe's presence.  And I agree with her that the Paratas et al all effectively come as a package.  For the most part I'm actually glad she wants to be rid of them although it is a shame about Tane as he genuinely cares about her as a friend and has tried to look out for her.

Mia cements her status in prick mode.  I wonder if she would have confronted Mackenzie if Mackenzie hadn't been eyeballing her when she gave Ari a goodbye kiss on the beach.  Mackenzie didn't roll over like I thought she would and she kind of stood her ground.  I didn't like the way when she tried to walk off and Mia put her hands her Mac just before she asked Mia to leave Salt.

I think it's a shame about Ryder quitting.  He and Mac get on quite well and she was sympathetic towards him even during the stuff with Jade and he's been there for her more often than not.  Can't really blame him.  He's someone who's normally quite sensible but the heart wants what the heart wants.  Perhaps he would be more understanding if Mackenzie told him about the circumstances that led her to fire Chloe.

I find myself enjoying some of the Lustin scenes.  This is when I prefer Justin the most.  His cynicism, particularly with Leah's obsessional pursuit of Susie.

One thing I forgot to mention was that I'm quite liking the interaction with Dean and Roo.  Dean really seems to be settling down into things.  Stark contrast to how he was just after Ziggy finished with him.  Although this really does emphasise just how toxic Colby was.

[H&Alover]

 At the risk of boring you Slade, I'll repeat Chloe hasn't done anything wrong to justify Mac firing her for purely personal reasons.  Like when Tane was there and things got awkward between them, she could have arranged they work different shifts so they didn't have to work together.  Chloe had worked out it   out it was because she was Ari's step daughter but couldn't understand why now and of course Ari couldn't tell her the real reason.  Ari didn't cheat on Mac with Mia, he had asked for time on his own while he worked out his feelings and once he had he finished with her. 

Alf was only doing what Mia did, defending their child/grandchild, though neither needed it, they are well capable of looking after themselves. It was unreasonable of Chloe having ago at Ryder, he was only looking out for her. Going back a bit, Mac acted very unprofessionally firing  Chloe in front of the other staff and customers. Mac told Dean Ziggy had told her to do whatever she had to do to get through it, but I'm not sure that is what Ziggy had in mind. 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree  about whose 'side' we are on.  

Justin and Leah got off lightly compared that guy on the forum he lost $845,000!  How much more info does Leah need, her finding  more and more victims is delaying the police taking it up and doing their job.  At least Justin managed to distract her for a while and his back obviously wasn't playing him up while doing it.  It's definitely getting worse though, not a return of the original   problem is it?

 

 

 

[c120701]

I’m amazed at this Surf Comp in COVID times.

[Sally Keating]

3 hours ago, c120701 said:

I’m amazed at this Surf Comp in COVID times.

According to Lynne McGranger, COVID doesn't exist in Summer Bay world because viewers want an escape from real life. I am left to assume that explains their approach to LGBTQ+ characters and ethnic minorities as well.

[Red Ranger 1]

I found Chloe increasingly infuriating and high maintenance here.She just seemed to want to take everything out on Ryder, who just took it all, convinced he was somehow in the wrong, and has now lost his job out of misguided loyalty.(Well, unless he ever bothers to answer Mackenzie's text.)Ah well, he got the big First Time scene out of it. So the show decided they hadn't slept together just so they could show them doing it less than a week later.Okay.

I was pleasantly surprised by Dean and Ziggy though.I was expecting them to spend their time pressuring Mackenzie to take Ryder and Chloe back but instead they accepted her decision, even though they probably don't agree with it, and helped her on her terms.It's a shame Amber seems to be getting so insecure about them because I'm not sure she really has anything to worry about.Ziggy's moved on and, while Dean's been giving her interested looks lately, I don't think he'd go there.

Leah's attempt to recruit John went down like a lead balloon but I liked John's little bonding moment with Alf.

[Slade]

21 hours ago, H&Alover said:

 At the risk of boring you Slade, I'll repeat Chloe hasn't done anything wrong to justify Mac firing her for purely personal reasons.

I'm dismissing the ethics of firing someone for personal reasons in this particular scenario.  I was just glad to see some sort of payback for Chloe getting her mum to steal Ari off Mackenzie.

Couldn't believe Chloe had a go at Ryder after he told he resigned in protest for Mackenzie firing her.  In saying that I am glad they've made up as despite the fact Ryder isn't my favourite character, he's done very little wrong and I don't think he deserves to lose both his job and his girl.  I guess he can be thankful for Mackenzie firing Chloe in one sense as he's got to sleep with her a lot quicker than he would have done otherwise.  Whilst he probably doesn't want to see Mac right now, I do hope he can sort things out with her and start working at Salt again.

It wasn't pretty seeing Mackenzie miserable at home so in this instance whilst it's against the doctors advice, I'm glad she's going out.  I would prefer to see her at the Surf Comp just in case there is any drama but I'm guessing her day off equates to the actresses day off.  I am actually glad she's not backing down re Chloe although it remains to be seen whether she will change her mind as I'm expecting this feud with Mia to go on for a bit and Ari to try and reason with her eventually.

Not sure how I feel about Dean and Ziggy being "chilled" to quote Mackenzie.  Something doesn't feel right.  Just feels like Ziggy is going out of her way to say all the right things to emphasise they are no longer a couple.  I also found it very unnatural when Amber told Ziggy it was nice to see her.  If Mackenzie hadn't been there and been the main focus, I would have probably gone as far as saying that scene would have felt awkward.

Don't really blame Leah for being obsessed and trying to push things with John.  She's lost a lot of money so I find her actions very understandable even though I like the way Justin is trying keep her in check.

[H&Alover]

13 hours ago, Sally Keating said:

According to Lynne McGranger, COVID doesn't exist in Summer Bay world because viewers want an escape from real life. I am left to assume that explains their approach to LGBTQ+ characters and ethnic minorities as well.

I have noticed there is no s-ding, wearing face masks at all.  I  think that is treating their fans as snowflakes who can't handle the real world. 

There will always be characters some of us will hate/love/be indifferent to at first then change our minds about.  We do that with regulars often enough.

I see Chloe's character and her attitude to Ryder's intervening on her behalf down to the fact Mia likely brought her up to be independent, she was a single mum, before and after Ari and taught Chloe how to look after herself.  It was Roo who encouraged him to go and explain why he did what he did.  It could be seen as presumptuous for him to speak on her behalf, she's an adult after all, but he was just looking out for his girlfriend.  She had calmed down enough to accept she was also in the wrong and did appreciate what he had done.  Spooky TPTB deciding now was the time for Ryder and Chloe to sleep together, just as it had been mentioned on here.   Good to know though young people can show restraint and not leap into bed the moment they meet.  It only took Roo a nanosecond to work out why they were looking so out of it and let him off Marshalling duties. 

At least Mac was appreciative of Dean and Ziggy's help and listened, even if it didn't go as a far as reinstating Chloe.  Ryder would be a dolt to cut his nose off to save his face and not go back to work for Mac, Chloe didn't want him too and I think she'll encourage him to go back.  Mac's triumphant "I've got a Parata free Salt" was a tad childish, are Tane, Ari, Mia and Chloe meant to not eat in Salt just so as not risk upsetting her? 

Mac's little talk with Amber and being second best has now planted a little seed of doubt in Amber's mind about Dean and Ziggy's friendship which is good to see btw.  The looks she is giving them when they are just chatting and having a laugh is making her wonder if she is second best when is it entirely innocent.  Ziggy's comments about her and Dean's doing surfing comps bothered her too, but  again it was in the past and Ziggy only mentioned it in passing. Seemingly, Amber's now passing on her doubts to Tane.

Good on you John, shutting down an ultra pushy Leah, once she gets a bee in her bonnet she's a real pain and needs telling very firmly to back off!   Perhaps now you can focus on Justin and his pill popping and the fact he's in pain but won't admit it and has passed out at home.

Loved Marilyn doing her Marshalling duties and at first it did seem she was getting ignored but once she blew that whistle, they soon took notice.  Folk shouldn't underestimate our Maz. 

Nice touch John saying it was the President's job to start the whole thing off, meaning Alf.  I guess we take it as read Alf was reinstated without another vote? 

Love seeing how excited Jai is watching  his dad.  Has Dean hurt his left shoulder, it looked a bit red to me.

 

 

[CaptainHulk]

3 hours ago, H&Alover said:

I have noticed there is no s-ding, wearing face masks at all.  I  think that is treating their fans as snowflakes who can't handle the real world. 

 

Ironically, About 20-odd years ago Neighbours was accused of doing the same thing  but have since "Gotten with it" (Best way they can anyhow)

[c120701]

I don’t mind that COVID doesn’t exist in Summer Bay, I just didn’t understand how they managed to have that many people on set/location.