2024 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Foellfan]

Valerie whining 'Let me live my life'; by all means dearie go crawl into the gutter but don't drag everyone else with you. I think Kirby did the right thing telling Justin because it does affect everyone sadly.I think I would've reacted the same way Justin has, can also understand both his and Kirby's POVs re: Leah, Rock meet hard place.

I'm glad Rose did mention that the Mum doesn't atuomatically get her baby back and that she has to be assessed first in both mental capacity and money/support as, though the fairytale is Mum and bub together. there can be scenarios where Bub is better off elsewhere, I don't know about in Aus but I know in the UK  on occasion abandonment of a minor can be sometimes investigated as an offence.

[H&Alover]

Dana wasn't thinking, she let her heart rule her head again.  Pretty sure she shouldn't have taken that photo of Maia which she gave Tane but then she  went  a step further and let him  stay behind with her alone, btw isn't there any CCTV at ND's?  I saw the light come on in his eyes when he got the not-so bright idea of snatching her.   He's so not thought this through either, where and how is he going to look after her, feed her etc.  I know Rose's hands were tied, the AVO order came from above her pay scale but to me the most logical/sensible  thing to do was to let him visit Maia  one more time but under police supervision, but hey what do I  know about Aus law on this subject.    The mythological Sarge didn't show  again leaving Rose to break the news to all and sundry that Maia was going to be fostered.  Actually Rose, imo, was the best choice  to tell the locals, she is one of them and she knows how much it has affected all of them so could emphasise  better.   Roo did better than I thought she would having to say goodbye to Maia.  

Then the bombshell, mum  turned up!  First DNA will be need/have to be taken to prove she is actually Maia's mum, look what happened last time someone turned up claiming to be someone's mum and it wasn't, she will need health checks, mental and physical, the police and health officials will want to know why she did it,  she isn't  a young kid, looked as if she could be in her 30's and  she had  looked after Maia for three months.  Said before but we don't know her circumstances.  If Tane hadn't gone walk about with her, Maia would stay with the emergency foster parents  until mum's been assessed and  even then she'd be supervised for  a suitable period.  

I feel Justin did the right thing but not letting Leah in on the Valerie/Theo drug  taking debacle.   Leah, being Leah would have postponed the wedding  again to go and sort it out.  As it turned out Theo rang her himself, after I'm guessing getting  about a million calls from Justin and Kirby, to let her know he and Valerie are in the city.   Yep the WEDDING of the  Year is next week.    Oh Leah got her dress and she's being traditional about Justin not seeing it until the day and staying with Irene the night before.  I did have the jitters when they were laying it on the counter  in the Diner, could just see someone knocking a cup of coffee over it. 

Did love Justin's wind up about the dove being sick. 

It was quite a turn around for Irene to be backing John, I think she saw how much it means to him to get it right.   I can't wait to see Alf's face when he realises who the celebrant is and hope he feels suitably abashed when John does a marvellous job of it. Just hear him saying "You did pretty good there Palmer" which for him would be high praise. 

 

 

Edited May 26 by H&Alover

[Red Ranger 1]

What the hell is Mali's problem? He was utterly odious here and I really wish Mackenzie and Rose had reined him in more than they did. He's pleasingly had Rose's back when she's had to take action against Tane before, accepting she was just doing her job, and now that Tane actually has done something to warrant the police going after him (and pretty much proved Sarge and Dodgy Journalist Peter right to characterise his attachment to Poppy, as I guess we now have to call her, as toxic), Mali has suddenly snapped into some childish "police bad" mentality. Is he seriously arguing that it's okay to go around kidnapping children if you don't hurt them? I'm not even sure he was right to demand a warrant: Mackenzie's the lease holder and she'd given permission, do the police really need to ask everyone that lives there? And having thrown down the gauntlet like that, is he seriously going to throw a tantrum when Rose does exactly what he demanded she do? What was he expecting, that she'd just go "Oh, okay, I won't try and find the kidnapped baby if it upsets you so much"? If she's treating Tane like dirt, it's because he's behaved like dirt.

Dana wasn't much better, with her constant whining like she's the victim, not helped by Harper and Xander enabling her with "You couldn't have known it would happen" nonsense. I wonder if she's told Xander the same half-truths she told Harper, because his "Tane shouldn't have put you in that position" stuff suggests he's ignorant of the fact that she was the one yapping around Tane like a puppy trying to get him to be her friend again and it was all her idea to break the AVO. Harper gave her a serve at the end, but I wonder if she'd do it if it wasn't behind closed doors. Then again, maybe having to sit across from Sonia and realise how much she'll be devastated if Tane's stolen her chance to be a parent from her rammed home just how much harm they've caused. Whilst it's not entirely clear, I'm guessing Poppy was born in Perth and that's why Rose couldn't find her registered locally.

It's always amusing when Felicity has to try and be the grown-up despite really not being suited to it, and here she manages to muff up big time by trying to force Xander and Bree together only for Bree to decide she's going to avoid Xander even more.

The one thing Mali got right was that it would be better if Levi just disappeared but nope, we couldn't be that lucky, and he and Mackenzie are back in their "We want to be together but instead of doing that we're going to sneak around behind his wife's back" holding pattern.

Edited May 27 by Red Ranger 1

[c120701]

On 12/05/2024 at 00:59, Red Ranger 1 said:

To be fair, Roo probably hasn't seen Pippa since 1989 and they were never especially close, so I doubt she's on her speed dial!

Yes, that’s why she was towards the end of my list.

Catching up… there was a weird scene which started with Cash rolling off of Eden clearly supposed to be post-coital after he rolled but they had the covers between them. It was hilarious.

[Slade]

I enjoyed the showdown with Kirby and Valerie and especially liked it when she told Kirby to get over herself.  I hate to be on Kirby's side but it was really low of Theo to accept Justin's money for Lyric and use it to help Valerie score some more gear, so I'm glad Justin knows, although I'm not sure keeping it from Leah is the right choice as it feels like he doesn't want to risk Leah postponing the wedding.

I can't really add much to the negative on what's been said about Dana.  It's really sad she is so desperate for friends she put the baby in a scenario that allowed Tane to take her and I wasn't happy about her attitude towards Rose either.  I also didn't like it when Harper stuck up for Dana when Rose was having a go at her but Harper did slightly redeem herself when she called Dana out afterwards on the fact she's been problematic regarding the baby multiple times.  To me Dana doesn't seem professional enough to be a nurse and I actually think there's a strong argument she should be fired from her job (although she probably won't be) and if not fired, at the very least there should be some sort of disciplinary.

I was actually pretty disgusted with Mali hindering Rose's investigation and it actually didn't really achieve anything.  I also wondered whether Mali's original tendency to be against the police instinctively kicked in.  I guess Rose will reassess the relationship after this.

I do find Bree funny when she's been drinking, whilst it is a bit cringe, but I did enjoy how Dana didn't like it when she kissed Xander.  It would be a shame if she moves out but I understand how awkward it is with him now.

Again really liked Felicity.  She can be like a dog with a bone when she wants information although she didn't really have to press Xander too much for him to tell her about Bree.  I did like the part where she was trying to get Bree to talk to Xander, Bree tried to get out of it by saying she would talk to him when she next sees him and Felicity wouldn't let her.

It seems as though Mackenzie's conscience after meeting Imogen was short lived.  As expected, no too much guilt about meeting up with Levi.

Edited May 28 by Slade

[pembie]

I’m not sure it was worth Mali throwing away his relationship with Rose over Tane but I guess he had to do something because let’s be truthful he is bit pointless 

Xander and Bree they seem bit to old for each other Plus I don’t think Bree would even be my last option 

[H&Alover]

That certainly was a switch from the usually affable Mali we know and love, I had the same thought  Slade suggested maybe  a throwback to police tramping round his home when he was a kid, those things would stick with you. But also it is Mac's house so she could have said "I'm fine with it" when Rose asked to see Tane's room.  I didn't think she answered Rose, Mali just jumping in? The police at this point can only look, they can't go opening drawers or opening cupboards.  An actual warrant does give them the right to rummage around.  Besides it was obvious he and Maia/Poppy wasn't there, I think they would have noticed a baby crying.   Poor Levi, OK maybe not the best title for him, but he has got caught up in a whole situation he didn't see coming.  Thought on his feet as usual by telling Rose he was calling on his outpatient to see if she enough meds..  Would a top surgeon actually do that? 

Yes, yes it doesn't excuse  Tane for snatching Maia/Poppy but he isn't going to hurt her.   Jasmine snatched Gracie when she was having her problems letting her go. Unlike when Mick grabbed Luc we didn't know if he'd keep her safe.  Sadly I don't think Rose and Mali can come back from this. Could Tane be in the famous motel where everyone goes, he would have to buy stuff for her. 

Give Dana a bit, only a little bit mind, of credit she went straight to the cops and owned up to Rose, at least, that she let Tane in to see Maia/Poppy - oh and ND's does have CCTV!  We'll excuse Harper blasting off at Rose as she didn't know the full truth then, that only came out when they made the second visit to Yabbie Creek.  Harper has covered for Dana a lot, OK the drugs thing wasn't anything to do with her, but she had covered for other things.   Then when it did come out she got all she deserved, even if it was from a  good place, she could have stood outside the door to prevent him doing what he did, seeing someone would I hope have given him pause for thought.  

Then Sonia - mum we hope - turns up!  Wonder where she works/worked? Seems from what was said in the interview between Harper, Rose and her the correct procedures are being  followed.  DNA, then health assessments, financial help, somewhere to live, someone to help her cope.   It was her then who dropped off the POPPY bracelet - if The Surf Club had CCTV maybe they may have spotted her back then. Whose instinct was right on that, Harper, Roo, Dana?    Rose did what she hoped it pricked her conscience  and that little add on of Rose's about knowing your history tipped her the right way.  I can see, kind of, why Sonia isn't happy about Poppy being called Maia but on the other hand I think I'd prefer my baby was called by a proper name rather than BABY X which seems rather cold and impersonal.  At least giving them a name shows that the people looking after them  care.  

We did need a bit of light heartedness and we got it with the Xander/Bree/Felicity comedy.  That is so not gong to work Bree wanting to avoid Xander by wanting to know his shifts so she doesn't go in Salt, but as they live together if he isn't there he'll be at home and she can't be at the hospital all the time.   Actually there isn't any need for her to avoid him they are both grown ups, she made a drunken pass, true it was  on a good friend and so could make it awkward but he's a big boy and he's accepted it as that.  What if it had been the other way round  would we  be seeing that as something completely differently?   Felicity did get it right Bree can't avoid seeing Xander, she tried that with Remi, it's a small town. 

Flick as per normal lately is behind on what is going on with Tane, has she not clocked he hasn't been in the gym? 

Edited May 28 by H&Alover

[Foellfan]

Agree, wondering if in part it's Mali's, though valid, inbred prejudice to the police in general at play there.

I don't condone Tane's actions at all but do agree he wouldn't hurt the little one, (I can't call her Poppy, my Mum's cat was called that and every time I hear it I think of a grey and ginger ball of fluff!)

If Sonia is Bubs mum I would hope that social services do keep a monitor on her for a while, in some ways, because although she's changed her mind now, she's still in the same position as she was when she left her i.e. working and no emotional support also if there is an element of postnatal depression too and it wouldn't take much sleep deprivation for her to feel trapped and possibly consider the same thing again.Always what's best for Bubs first, whther it's Mum or foster, as long as she would be safe and cared for would/should be priority. 

[Red Ranger 1]

Whilst Leah was being a bit irritating and catastrophising somewhat, it feels like Justin's making a rod for his own back here.He's actually keeping a far bigger secret from her than just a hitch with the wedding, and she's obviously picked up on it.

I wasn't keen to see Irene join the queue of people making excuses for Dana.Yes, Tane's responsible for his own actions but so's Dana: She was the one that decided to encourage and enable Tane to break the law just because she thought she knew better. I guess at least she did let Rose know about the contact with a bit of prodding, although I can't see it doing much good.

That was a pretty extreme reaction from Stevie, but I guess she's at the end of her tether and almost feels like she's got nothing to live for if she's just going to be hiding away indefinitely.Not sure if we're meant to take the coroner's findings at face value (as Cash seemed to want to) or not. I did like seeing a more caring side of Felicity.

They probably should have done it an episode ago but at least Xander and Bree finally talked like adults and sorted everything out.

[Slade]

"Xander and I have hit the end of our housemate road" - That's an interesting way of Bree putting it when asking Alf if there were any caravans available.  However I am glad they've sorted things out.  I wonder what Bree would have done if Xander had reciprocated the kiss.

Don't have one iota of sympathy for Dana and found her crying quite annoying.  Part of me does like the way Irene takes people under her wing and looks out for them but saying this wasn't Dana's fault was ridiculous.  There was an AVO on Tane seeing the baby and she still let him see her anyway.  Tane wouldn't have been able to take the baby if Dana hadn't provided access, not to mention the other things she did.

So the police have not announced the fact that Tane and the baby have gone missing as Irene had no idea and neither did Felicity, Cash, Alf or any of the other characters apart from Dana.  Even Bree didn't mention it and she works at the hospital, although it looks like she was off.  I guess it's only been a day  Perhaps with Dana telling the cops she's been in contact with Tane, Rose will try and talk him into giving himself up but even saying that if his phone is still on they should be able to track him down.

I'm still not sure about Justin marrying Leah so wouldn't mind if the wedding got disrupted.  Maybe Vita Nova can gatecrash it.

I can't really blame Stevie for not wanting Cash's services any more as her lifestyle goes against being trapped 24x7.