2021 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Slade]

Yes I'm familiar with lying by omission, however not the same as outright lying!

I take onboard the point about the number of rooms.  It's not something I really think about but I accept there are posters that are meticulous at keeping count.  Granted.  I do still think that Leah wasn't happy about Theo not being able to move in though.  After Justin removed Ryder from the Diner, during the talk with Leah which followed, he was adamant Theo wouldn't be living there.  So by now doing a U-turn on his original argument it comes across as though he's being disingenuous.  I actually don't blame him and given how annoying Theo is I can't imagine living with the guy.  I don't think it's a matter of if Theo moves in, rather when.  Although, if he is a regular cast member presumably they will have to tone him down eventually.

 

[H&Alover]

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas And A Happy and Healthy New Year.   Hope it is a better one for some than it was last year.  xx  See you next year. 

[Helena]

Happy Christmas to everyone.

[Red Ranger 1]

And welcome back to the last nine weeks of the 2021 season! We've still got four weeks until the show returns in Australia, so we'll get the premiere five weeks behind them.

I found that more frustrating than exciting. Cash came across as at best a jobsworth more concerned with rules than protecting people, and at worst as criminally negligent. Why on earth shut a bunch of people, some of them already ill, in with the toxic fumes? His "quarantine" excuse didn't really work. Justin and Jasmine were locked out on the balcony, so why not send the most affected and vulnerable out there with them, where they'd at least get some fresh air and also be the first rescued? Even worse, John and Roo were allowed to just wander around freely, even though John left after Martha became ill. It just came across as a way of dragging out the danger. Even at the end, he seemed more bothered about the possibility Felicity was responsible than the people involved, and she probably isn't so that's kind of a dead end...

Having been completely absent last episode when Tane was having to deal with the consequences of the trouble she'd stirred up, Mackenzie suddenly appears out of nowhere, and doesn't even cross over with that storyline at all, to the point of spending her time being pretty pally with the people who've been giving Tane a hard time. And who are probably now going to go from one extreme to the other, judging by Cash's behaviour in the promo. I guess Jasmine redeemed herself a bit by rushing to help with Tane. (Wouldn't the ambos have been more use though, rather than standing around doing nothing?)

But yeah, so much for mental health awareness. Most of the characters look to be all right: Aside from Tane, Martha, Irene and Leah seemed to be the worst hit, and possibly Marilyn (we saw someone that looked like her on a ventilator near the end but it was hard to be sure). Hopefully, now the stunt's out of the way, we can get back to the good stuff!

[Slade]

I was quite into the storyline when the break came along but after a week and a half I got used to the show not being on and had other things to keep me occupied but I am glad it's back.

I guess you could argue there were a couple of similarities to the current pandemic with the quarantine and face coverings although for different reasons (Covid doesn't exist in Summer Bay).

Mackenzie I felt was being professional and playing the host for her business.  I admit she isn't always like that i.e. Felicity but her being friendly is understandable especially given how large the function was.

Leah was annoying harping on about Theo so I was glad Tori's call interrupted her argument with Justin and when Jasmine wanted to speak to Tori as well Leah was effectively sidelined, although Leah was still going on about it afterwards.  I did quite like the scene where Jasmine was telling Tori how wonderful Cash was, Justin was standing next to her smiling before they both got locked out on the balcony.

Whilst I can't fault Jasmine for helping Tane, part of me wondered if there was a sense of satisfaction given that she's team Felicity.  Hats off to Logan especially for being the first to put himself at risk to help Tane.

I wasn't sure what to make of Cash.  Part of me did feel he was doing his job but I do think he was doing it for the greater good.  I was in two minds at the end of the episode when he saw Tane (and everybody else) at the hospital whether he did think Felicity was behind it or whether he genuinely felt guilty for not taking Tane's allegations more seriously so it got to this point.

[H&Alover]

Now where we before we got interrupted?  

The lockdown word was mentioned for the first time ever in H&A, but not in the context we've come to know it as. 

I'd forgotten Leah  had been  banging on about Justin not letting Theo move in. 

I noticed Mack suddenly popped up out of nowhere.  Never mind what she may have thought of some of the guests, she was being the hostess as she should be.  She dealt with the later chaos very well, keeping people calm, organising her staff.  

Near little dig by Justin  at Tori's expense at being useless at time differences.

I'd say Cash was just doing his job and he must have had some knowledge of pesticide to recognise  what it was coming from the vent and what protocol to follow, he was trapped there too.  I wondered why he didn't just leave the doors to the balcony open, but as the gas was toxic it would have been released into the atmosphere  and infected more people, same as with letting those already infected go and risk others getting infected.  

Stands to reason Martha would be the first one to be affected seeing as she was sitting directly under it, the signs were there, shots from above of Martha through  hazy lens, then shots of her sitting at the table looking a bit woozy but she felt it was down to all the stress she'd been under, then Irene collapsed which alerted Cash to the danger and then the other guests. 

Did notice they had to do the slo-mo when all the techies turned up and were advancing on the Surf Club/Salt.

I suppose there had to be some who were safe from the fumes to carry the story on. John, Roo, Justin and Jasmine who handily enough is a nurse so was able to assist Logan  tend to Tane later. I'm not sure if paramedics are allowed to perform trachies unless they have been trained to do so?  John did have a use knowing his way about downstairs and guiding the suited and booted guys around.   Prior to that John had no reason to think anyone was in the gym, the doors were shut and it was dark inside so answered the medics question if there anyone else here correctly.  Justin and Roo seemed to be the only spare parts.  

It didn't sit well with  Alf being told no, he couldn't do this and no they couldn't risk Martha being let out earlier than the others as he is usually used to getting his own way.  The toxic guys, not them, but their job, do what they do and the way they do it for a reason even if it must seem harsh for those involved. Hell of  a shock for all of them though finding Tane like that with the container next to him, John being there meant they knew who he was and he wasn't  a random stranger.  Wouldn't have mattered whose 'team' Jasmine was on, she's a nurse so ergo a professional who would or should treat everyone the same. 

It wasn't  until  Cash saw that rose being carried in the plastic bag giving him  those flashbacks he even thought of Felicity.  But surely even with Flic's past history he couldn't possibly think she would contemplate doing something like that.   I for one don't, it's not her style, where would she get hold of that much pesticide in the first place, not to mention whatever she drugged Tane with.  When they test Tane at the hospital they ought to find it in his system unless it's GHB or ruthy. The door to the office where Tane was found was shut so was it just him meant to be affected/killed, not knowing the air con vent was there so would carry the fumes elsewhere?  Not only not looking good for Martha, Leah and Irene it didn't look good for Tane.  Seeing as Tori isn't there it looked like it had fallen on Logan to be the one to do the saving of them all. ED was certainly packed with lots of random people coughing away. 

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm still not all that impressed with Cash, despite him being labelled a hero. Okay, he identified the problem and summoned help. But he pretty much admitted he bent the rules to keep Jasmine out of danger, yet kept people who were worse off than her inside without any real logic to who was okay to move around and who had to stay in a toxin-filled room. And he then bends the rules again to tell Felicity to get her story straight instead of conducting a proper investigation. I mean, she probably didn't do it, but he doesn't seem very convinced of that!

Otherwise, not really a lot to say. Tane and Martha continue to be the worst off, with everyone else seemingly over the worst of it. There continued to be something oddly satisfying about Mia's complete failure to get her own way. I don't blame Alf at all for saying "Stuff this" and going to Martha's side when she was distressed. A nice friendship moment between John and Irene.

[Slade]

I didn't think Tane was going to die after Monday's episode as Ari and Mackenzie weren't really acting like they'd lost someone during the preview for Tuesday.  Don't think Jasmine deserved getting praise from Mia and Ari for helping Tane.  She was the one who gave up on him and it was Logan who wanted to continue trying, like a true soldier and brought him back.

Really didn't like Ari in that episode.  I'd completely forgotten about the adoption storyline and much like Ari is feeling right now I don't really care about it but I thought he was out of line when he snapped at Mia and I actually found myself feeling a bit sorry for her.  I also hated the way he spoke to Cash who was being very sympathetic with them.

I accept Cash has shown bias certainly re Jasmine effectively choosing her over the others.  I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt because I do think that's what he does and he is fair i.e. Justin/Leah and even trying to be friendly with Tane initially.

After Cash went to see Felicity in the middle of the night he obviously at that point thought she wasn't responsible, which was presumably is why he didn't ask her where she was.  It was obvious she'd been asleep, also her asking him about the medical garment he was wearing suggests she was unaware that something had happened as she was expecting him to be in a dinner jacket.  But the next day he was questioning her whereabouts so I'm still not sure how convinced he is about her guilt.  I'm curious to know more about Felicity's backstory.  The fact that Cash is even contemplating it's possibility she is behind this means she must have some sort of form.  I don't have as much of an issue with Cash being biased towards Felicity as Jasmine as he just told her to get her story straight which is fair enough acting as her older brother.

Yep, Martha's in deep trouble...

[H&Alover]

Don't forget Justin was also on the balcony with Jasmine so Cash wasn't being biased towards keeping her out of danger.  I get the feeling he  must have had experience in dealing with this sort of thing by the way he handled it. 

It was a bit of a tease by TPTB letting us think Tane had died, maybe Ari was referring to the help Jasmine gave with the trachie? He did thank Logan later.  I didn't like the way he responded to Mia either, he did ask what the call was about.  I'm not making excuses for the way Ari spoke to Cash, but seems to be an automatic reaction when it appears the police aren't doing much, the investigation hasn't even got started yet and it makes a change for the doctors not getting harangued when they can't tell the relatives what they want to hear. I'm guessing as the bottles of water were taken away they will be tested once they have been given the all clear.  We have to hope Tane doesn't have any long lasting side effects who knows what breathing in those fumes could do to your system, he is a young and fit guy which is in his favour. 

OK maybe Alf  shouldn't have gone into Martha's cubicle but him being there did calm her down so the nurses could do what they needed to. 

Tane was the most affected as he was in  a closed room with the toxin next to him and out cold from the sedative making him breathe more deeply and Martha as she was right underneath it. 

Cash wouldn't or shouldn't be allowed to question Felicity due to her being his sister.  She did look genuinely shocked when she found out the next day about what had happened, but then she made that panicky phone call and we saw in the preview her asking that other woman for an alibi so what was she up to? I think Cash only started to think it could have been her when he heard Tane had been drugged first and he had been witness to the arguments between them.  I think whoever did it didn't intend anyone else to get hurt as they didn't take into account the toxin getting into the ventilation system and being spread around like it was. 

The way Jasmine had a go at Cash for doing what he did was obviously a flashback to what she had gone through with Robbo, so would have brought back bad memories. 

Some light relief, which was needed, with Logan and Mack.

 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, Nikau quickly managed to surpass Cash as the most annoying person this week (even though he has a point about Cash keeping quiet about the obvious suspect). He was such an obnoxious twerp that he actually managed to make Theo look good, at least until the last scene where Theo showed his sleazy side again.I get that Nikau's worried about Tane but it's a shame the police weren't called when he started threatening Felicity in public like that.She does seem to be more worried about looking guilty than actually guilty, but arranging a false alibi is asking for trouble.

So Ryder and Chloe end up with a whimper.Her citing Mia and Ari as a couple that don't doubt each other was slightly bizarre: Except when she cut all ties with him and didn't see him for ten years, eh?I can't say I'm that heartbroken, but it's a shame that it means Theo basically gets what he wanted.Still, I did enjoy the moment of him going to crack onto Chloe only to find Ryder there.He also gets a room at Leah and Justin's, but to be honest I think I've stopped minding about that over the break, and Justin had pretty much invalidated his reason for not letting him stay.I did like the little moment of Leah and Justin carrying the giant bear together. Hopefully Bernice will stick around longer than the much lamented Pink Bear...

I'm not sure Ari needed to apologise to Mia, but I guess she deserves points for not even considering his suggestion she adopt without him. Still no good news for either Tane or Martha...