2024 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

So, pretty much as I thought. The whole "I want to die" thing was an off the cuff, light-hearted comment in a brief Q&A interview long before she was actually leaving, not some deeply thought-out desire, and despite Digital Spy's clickbait title, her actual comment on leaving the show was simply "I wanted an international career, so I had to make the decision to leave and take the plunge", with no mention of asking to be killed off (which is what she said in Inside Soap as I recall). All of which people have built up in their heads into more than it is, pretty much putting words into her mouth, or at least taking the words that were there out of context.

[pembie]

1 hour ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

So, pretty much as I thought. The whole "I want to die" thing was an off the cuff, light-hearted comment in a brief Q&A interview long before she was actually leaving, not some deeply thought-out desire, and despite Digital Spy's clickbait title, her actual comment on leaving the show was simply "I wanted an international career, so I had to make the decision to leave and take the plunge", with no mention of asking to be killed off (which is what she said in Inside Soap as I recall). All of which people have built up in their heads into more than it is, pretty much putting words into her mouth, or at least taking the words that were there out of context.

If I got to play a main character in a show I would want to get killed off probably in a blaze of glory but that’s down to the writers Also because I think I’m friendly in real life I would like to play a villain 

So I can understand the wanting to die thing it’s exciting to play and means you’re character is remembered 

[CaptainHulk]

Most people who suggest/choose being killing off feel like:

A)It'd cement their character's legacy

B) Bored, Had Enough and Want Out (Nicola Duffett and Linda Hartley of EE and Neighbours fame, respectively for example)

C) Freed up to do other things w/o the temptation of returning

D) Think it's the only *realistic* end to their character's arc.

[Foellfan]

^

Hit it on the head, thank you! (Always seems on the soap charts the memorale moments are the deaths or villain comeuppances! Though you always know on a certain soap if they leave in a 8lack taxi they weren't liked! )

Thinking as well of Jacqui's final scenes, not necarsarily with the vent, I know some actors have said they didn't mind 'cause they'd actually fall asleep or in the case of one American soap actress, Jessica Tuck when she was doing her terminal exit storyline she is quoted as saying; 'It was great as I could come in two hours later as I needed no make up, could nap after lunch and I didn't have to wash hairspray out of my hair or at all for a whole week!'  

Three things struck on yesterday:

1. The organ donation question and they all said the same; 'We never talked ao8ut it'. It's still kind of an uncomforta8le su8ject and can feel like a 8it of minefield for even the person when they have a card, also I guess it can e a religous/cultural choice too and it isn't something I think anyone does lightly. However I think, regardless of feelings on the storyline, I kind of hope it helps start those conversations, I'll freely admit, I would e happy to e a donor at the end, it's just living donation I haven't quite settled, still having the convo though with family and friends, it's a great gift to give and a massive one.

2. The fact that Remi sought Eden out and put her top of the priority list for 'Are you okay?', everyone I think would e hyper-focused with Cash (not wrong), sadly Eden's world has come crashing down too in exactly the same depth of Cash despite a different relationship and she's trying to e super-strong she's just as destroyed and needs the same TLC and thankfully he saw that and gave her that protection I suppose to allow herself to cry openly and have that OMG it's actually happened, though no-one actually wants to experience that moment, you can't avoid it.

3. Tane's Haka. The amazing contrast in the power of the movements and the desolation of the location was very well filmed in the angles to give almost a sense of claustraphoia which grief can feel like and also the kind of ody power shots were stirring. The prayer/chant  muffled with like a white noise added to the devastation and finality and with Perri seemingly standing guard was a nice touch as more often that not it seems to normal e a multiple team style ceremony.

Stephanie, Ethan andNic are knocking it out of the park right now, ig congrats.

[H&Alover]

TPTB don't just chuck in a storyline if an actor/actress decides to 'die', they may have had a lot of storylines in plan for them, everyone has to be considered, how it will affect other characters,  new future storylines will have to be written.  Anyways whatever we think of it it's done now. 

It was peaceful and calming, she looked like Flick and wasn't shot full of bullet holes which would have been so hard for everyone around her to see.

As I said what was wrong with Mac visiting Flick and btw did she actually see her?   She would have been visiting as a friend, as you do, no need to mention that it was very likely she wouldn't recover.  

It's been very moving this week and handled, in my eyes,  very sensitively.  

That haka was just out there, so emotional, the setting and the time of day, it was something Tane so needed to do paying respect for a loved one.   It was very stirring.  I saw Perri watching as him realising  what his culture is and could be to him if he embraced it. 

It did answer one question, it seems Australia doesn't have the same organ donation opt out system which we have in the UK, they have an opt-in system,  as Bree asked if Felicity had discussed it at  all with Cash or Tane and introduced them to the organ donation co-ordinator.  It would be totally Flick to want to help others.  That walk of honour was beautiful and respectful. I don't want to assume - ugh word - but maybe  it's easier in a smaller hospital like ND's? I've got  a donor card but you're right foelifan, people don't like talking about them, admitting you've got one, not wanting to tempt fate I guess.  The person carrying the card is obviously all for it, but sometimes it can be the relatives who object and say no.  Going off piste, again, it's the same with DNR letters ,if relatives weren't aware a relative had signed one they can object. 

According to Aus law, unlike Brit law which means you can't divorce until you have been married a year, it dates from the time of separation, so I guess that they have to make it official to qualify, maybe they, Tane & Flick didn't feel they should announce it to all and sundry, if they had, their business, another mystery solved. 

Eden was, as happens, being 'strong' for the other person, forgetting themselves so well done Remi.  How come, though, Kirby hasn't been there for her friend?

I have read there is something special happening this week but as I'm not  a spoiler  staying .

Where has it been written that Harper is Flick's successor?  is it official or just speculation on what people think on fan sites?   Absolutely no way would now be the right time, but is there ever a right time?    They don't have to be a couple, Harper loves Tane she has just admitted as such, but he could be there for the baby who is an innocent.  You do know Red that the pill isn't 100% even today?   Which is why she was so shocked to find she was pregnant.   That could have been tricky Harper having her 12 week scan in the same hospital, but luckily TPTB didn't fall into the usual soap trap of someone seeing her and Dana wandering around on the same floor as obstetrics were. 

Edited October 6 by H&Alover

[Red Ranger 1]

As ever, different actors respond differently to that situation. I remember Holby City's George Irving reportedly didn't like when his character became a patient and he had to spend scenes lying unconscious, feeling he was being treated like a prop rather than an actor.When Esther Anderson returned to the show for a dream/near death experience, she commented that Charlie lying prone with tubes in her wasn't a good last image of her.

2 hours ago, H&Alover said:

As I said what was wrong with Mac visiting Flick

Visiting her is fine. Like i said, Cash wouldn't have been happy if she'd made it clear she was there to "say goodbye". (Nothing wrong with that either, of course, but Cash might have seen it otherwise.)

2 hours ago, H&Alover said:

You do know Red that the pill isn't 100% even today?   Which is why she was so shocked to find she was pregnant.

Which is why I said that if Harper really didn't want to get pregnant by Tane, the only 100% certain way to avoid it was to not have sex with him.

[H&Alover]

20 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

As ever, different actors respond differently to that situation. I remember Holby City's George Irving reportedly didn't like when his character became a patient and he had to spend scenes lying unconscious, feeling he was being treated like a prop rather than an actor.When Esther Anderson returned to the show for a dream/near death experience, she commented that Charlie lying prone with tubes in her wasn't a good last image of her.

Visiting her is fine. Like i said, Cash wouldn't have been happy if she'd made it clear she was there to "say goodbye". (Nothing wrong with that either, of course, but Cash might have seen it otherwise.)

Which is why I said that if Harper really didn't want to get pregnant by Tane, the only 100% certain way to avoid it was to not have sex with him.

As you said Red, every actor/actress who has an extended death like being on life support have their own views on it.  For some it can be calming, others frustrating, you can't even twiddle your thumbs. 

I think Mac would have been suitably discreet.

There is such a thing as emotions taking over, Tane didn't have to go there  so both to blame.  Did he ask if she was on the pill, should he use something?  

[Slade]

Thursday

Kirby really is like a dog with a bone re Mali's artwork.  Not really having much sympathy for Tane although I do understand him not telling Perri about Felicity.  I actually felt he didn't want to open up because it came across as weak and he wanted to portray himself as a strong role model.  I wasn't sure how Harper felt about Tane but I found it interesting how when she spoke to Perri, he immediately came to the conclusion Tane was still into Felicity, and Harper seemed a little surprised after he said that.  That's the problem when you're in the situation, you often can't see things objectively.  I guess it still wasn't clear to me when she was crying and trying to get hold of Dana whether she was into Tane or if she was concerned about his involvement as the father.  Another thing I will say is that her abs is not going to be around for much longer.

Friday

Judging by the preview at the end of the episode, I guess we know how Harper feels towards Tane.  Hate to say it but Dana made a lot of sense and I think it's interesting Harper was telling Tane to be honest with Perri in the episode before but she can't be honest with Tane about the baby.  I accept it probably wasn't the right time but it looks as though she doesn't want to tell him any time soon.  He's not stupid and he's going to start getting suspicious at some point.

Well I guess that's it for Felicity.  I do think for everybody close to her, this must have been quite a shock.  One minute she's hosting Cash and Eden's engagement, she collapses and within a few days, they're being told they will need to turn off the life-support and are asking about organ donation.  Bree mentioned she could save seven people so I would have been curious to know which body parts were donated.  I did wonder how the cast/production would have reacted immediately after filming the scene where all her loved ones and the hospital staff were surrounding Felicity, just before she was about to be taken off for the organ donation.

I did like the fact Tane mentioned the first time he saw Felicity was when she was dancing at the bar she worked at.  That's how I would like to remember her, not lifeless on a hospital bed.  He said she changed his life for the better.  I accept he had to say something positive, but I hope he meant it.

[CaptainHulk]

2 hours ago, H&Alover said:

As you said Red, every actor/actress who has an extended death like being on life support have their own views on it.  For some it can be calming, others frustrating, you can't even twiddle your thumbs. 

Elaine Smith (Known to a generation of kids as Daph on Neighbours and had a brief stint in H&A in the mid Zeroes as a Cop's wife) by her own admission found playing Daphne's coma scenes in 1988 reasonably easy (her interview from the 10th anniversary vid)

Others when the Director finally yells "Cut!" are like "It's over, TFFT!"

[Red Ranger 1]

Re Elaine Smith, an interesting anecdote is that she'd already left the show and they planned to play out Daphne ending up in a coma as a result of an off-screen accident and ultimately dying with a body double (I remember my mum laughing when Daphne was brought into hospital with only the top of her head visible), but she offered to come back and do the scenes herself. So at least she knew what she was getting into!

Anyway, when Tane asked Mackenzie what Felicity would say, I must admit I was left musing that neither Felicity nor Mackenzie have ever been the type to just turn up for work and plough on at upsetting times, and so it proved. I have to admit I didn't really see Perri's reaction to Tane's haka the way others did; to me, it looked as though it made him uncomfortable. Of course, now he's got something else to make him uncomfortable...

In a way, Cash is still burying his head in the sand. Getting rid of Felicity's thing was a kneejerk reaction because he just needed to do something, and Eden was quite right to push him to call Gary, because he needed to be told some time (although in the end it was Tane that got him over the line). Felicity ordering all those dresses for Eden is a reminder of everything they're going to miss out on.

Harper continues to be a wimp and Xander is absolutely right, it's just one excuse for not telling Tane after another. Seeing Harper and Dana at home reminded me that, even though we saw Rose react to it and we got that scene of them starting to piece things together, we've had absolutely no response from them to Irene going to rehab. I presume they've noticed she's not living with them?