2022 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[pembie]

Alf is so proud of the community yet nobody let Martha know that he got poisoned or had chest pains 

[CaptainHulk]

Ah hell, wrong thread!

Didn't realise till now that I had posted this here than the Classics thread

I feel like such a goose!

 

[Slade]

So another episode of pandering and apologising to Marilyn.  A little while ago, shortly after Marilyn told Leah about Heather, Leah questioned whether Heather was OK with Marilyn wanting to keep things quiet.  I actually think Leah didn't agree with it but unlike Nikau because she is good friends with Marilyn didn't want to say it directly.  Similarly today when Leah asked Marilyn if she regretted not wanting Heather in her life, I believe Leah doesn't agree with what Marilyn is doing again but isn't actually saying that as she wants to be supportive but I don't think Leah would have done the same thing if she was in Marilyn's position.

When Heather first came and she started doing the mind games with Marilyn I felt she should have been more upfront.  One of the reasons was, I could see Heather was unhappy and I thought the only thing that would resolve that was reconciliation.  Despite my dislike for Marilyn I was OK for her and Heather to bond as I felt that would make Heather happy however having watched these last couple of episodes I do believe that Marilyn never wanted Heather in her life.  Firstly, if she did she would have sought her out previously, especially given that she adopted Jett.  When she discovered who Heather was she was put into a situation where she was forced to accommodate her and she obviously felt obligated to meet her out of guilt.  I do think Marilyn is sorry for how Heather turned out but she doesn't want anything to do with her primarily because she's a constant reminder of the biggest mistake in her life.  She was so ashamed that even when Alf was struggling with chest problems, she didn't say anything until she was forced to.  And now she's so ashamed that she's left town.  Her note seemed to imply it was permanent but I'm sceptical.  It wouldn't surprise me if we see bubbly Marilyn walk through the door in a couple of weeks.  Very telling how she refers to Alf and co as family but wants nothing to do with he own flesh and blood.

When I saw the preview I was annoyed with Eden for not keeping her mouth shut but given how Jacob was constantly trying to goad and belittle Remi, I don't blame her for asking if he was going to hit her when Jacob switched his attention her way.

[pembie]

The reason I think we have missed chunks of the Bree and Jacob story is I don’t think we have seen enough of Jacob and Bree together and I don’t remember Bree telling Remi that Jacob hits her 

Yet again Lyric sing the same old song I’m not sure what band they really want to be but what on earth was Edens outfit she was dressed like a peacock 

[Red Ranger 1]

So now it's Roo's turn to parrot Marilyn's contradictory excuses that Heather's father took advantage of her and that leaving her with him was the right thing to do. Marilyn's right that this isn't the same as Roo giving her daughter up for adoption: Roo did it the right way, for the right reason, and did everything humanly possible to make sure Martha went to a good home (and she did), while Marilyn just left Heather with people that she and everyone else is quite happy to demonise to suit her narrative just because it was the easy thing to do and made no real attempt to make sure she was all right. Alf was his usual blinkered self, dismissing Roo's own regrets about not having Martha in her life in order to make out favourite "daughter" Marilyn's situation is somehow worse: It's like because he's only just found out, he's forgotten Marilyn's known for 27 years and coped pretty well (inappropriate behaviour towards children aside). Marilyn will never be able to take responsibility, because even when she tries, she's got her cheer squad mollycoddling her and telling her it's everyone else's fault. I'd be quite happy if she's gone for good, but I couldn't be that lucky.

(Still no firm word on whether or not Heather killed her stepmother or even mention of it.Until we get more evidence than Rose guessing she did it, I'm assuming she didn't.)

Onto more likable characters: Lyrik. (And I'm not even being ironic.) The music video was actually quite fun and I'm glad Remi and Eden have cleared the air and he apologised for breaking her confidence with Cash. And also that Eden confided in Kirby. Jacob's behaviour at the end was seriously disturbing, with him acting as though Eden was Remi's property: Is that how he views Bree? Her rising to the bait is unlikely to help things though.

The actress playing Minnie has made two appearances over the previous two seasons as journalists, possibly the same one.

[Antzz]

Jacob seems like a monster I hope Remi and Eden haven't made it worse for Bree , even though it was Jacob being the aggressor.

[H&Alover]

Marilyn wasn't to blame  for the way Heather  turned out and ruining her life  it was the Frazer's treatment or rather mistreatment of her that had twisted her.  What kind of people do that to an innocent baby/child, I'm guessing they fed and clothed her but otherwise neglected her needs, as leaving her crying, ignoring her, then got rid of her as soon as they could.  Did we hear her say it was after he dad died  and that is when she went looking for Marilyn?

I've said before the Frazer's caught Marilyn at her most vulnerable just after she'd given birth so not in the best mind set to make sensible decisions which  back then  weren't Marilyn's strongest point.  I'm sure the Frazer's were very persuasive.  In the real world as in LLF people give up their chid thinking it would be better for them then finding out years later they didn't have a good adoption. 

I did have a way out there thought, maybe they were looking for a young lone woman who had no family, no friends nearby who they could have a child by, persuade her to leave him/her with them promising her they would love and care for them, they did make Marilyn promise not to try and contact Heather so she wouldn't know what they did in the future. Maybe it didn't work out like they thought and they both resented Heather not helped by the fact she was blonde and blue eyed reminding Mr. Frazer of Marilyn and Mrs. Frazer of the fact she couldn't have children.  Marilyn was a bit ditzy back then and she was hardly a femme fatale so not likely to seduce him  so it would make more sense for it to be the other way round. 

I think Marilyn made the right choice this time, she can't give Heather the help she obviously desperately  needs, the way Heather feels about Maz would always be in the way.   It didn't come across to me as her being ashamed of Heather more the fact she'd hid it for all those years, this was 27 years ago so different attitudes back then.  What was she supposed to say "Hi everyone I'm back and I've had a baby and put her up for adoption". 

You could tell Alf was well on the road to recovery by him moaning and groaning  and wanting to go home and griping about the food.  Did they find out what caused him to have such a bad reaction to the drugs.  Was it mentioned if Martha had been told about it, did Roo say? 

Was a huge clue that Maz was going when she said goodbye to Leah and Justin. 

A minor quibble about Nik not being charged about giving Heather a false alibi what with bigger things going on.  He wasn't to blame for what happened, nothing could have stopped her.  We haven't heard if the cops near Heather's home have come back with any more info as to how/when Mrs. Frazer died.  

Once Theo had got over his nerves and Remi and Eden had made peace the video all went swimmingly.  Couldn't take my eye off Eden's outfit and her hair though.  The way she was behaving earlier had me shouting "Oh grow up woman!"  OK she was annoyed about Remi telling Cash how she felt but surely now than later when she got really, really -  in her words -  intense.

Remi in turn confided in Eden how worried he was about the way things were between Bree and Jacob,  he did see the  cut lip on Bree  when they last met at the hospital.  I don't think Eden would have blurted out about him hitting her but she was goaded by what Jacob said, people like him get off on that.  He was goading Remi earlier in the day when he was busking and made  a big deal about throwing a coin in his guitar case, but Remi let it wash over him though it must have been hard. 

Jacob has no reason to think anything is going on between Bree and Remi other than as friends, but guys  like him don't need a reason.  Girls too for that matter.  He certainly has a misogynist attitude to women the way he was 'hinting' how Eden should listen to Remi.  

[Foellfan]

Agree totally about Jacob, though I did chuckle at Eden on one hand, had to give her her dues for that!

[Slade]

I had no idea Mackenzie was such a popular character until recently.  I found the shift in her facial expressions quite amusing today every time Tane tried to talk to Felicity about the wedding and Felicity tried to avoid it.  Sadly, he seems to have figured out something's wrong.  I'm not sure what to make of him and Dean getting on quite well.  Naturally they should be mates having not too dissimilar backgrounds.  I did find Ziggy's BFF question regarding that really funny.

It was obvious there were going to be repercussions for what Eden said to Jacob.  Again, feeling very sympathetic towards Bree who is in a very difficult position.  Remi has got it for her BAD.

 

[Red Ranger 1]

Marilyn neglected Heather even more than the Frazers did and palmed her off on someone else a lot sooner. The point is she didn't give her up for adoption, she just left her there. What she should have done is take her back to Summer Bay with her and said "This is my daughter. We need somewhere to stay." There'd have been a pretty big queue willing to throw open their doors but nope, too hard.

Well, onto the happier subject of today's episode. Definitely the week for people clearing the air with Eden and Felicity making up and exchanging apologies. Remi is in a very difficult situation here: He knows something wrong is going on, but unless Bree's willing to make a stand, there's nothing he can do to help.The approach he went for, with a bit of pushing from Eden, was probably the best he could do.

Ziggy and Dean were more than a little freaked out by that childbirth video but it seems to have strengthened Dean's resolve.And it is good that Dean and Tane are getting on better.Felicity really couldn't have made it more blatant where the wedding was concerned, so it's no surprise that Tane twigged she wasn't that keen.