Emmerdale

[Slade]

There was a point where I was giving serious consideration to not watching Emmerdale a while back but it's been really entertaining as of late.

Anyway, I did feel quite sorry for Alicia when she was led of to the docks and I think Eric's comment about a lamb to the slaughter was very fitting. She seemed completely resigned to her fate but she's only got herself to blame. Jacob living with David to me makes no sense considering how much of a fuss Justin made about wanting to see him when he first turned up, no way would he let his son stay with David.

I don't know what's more unbelievable - Jai sleeping with Rachel and getting her pregnant or Chas deciding to marry Dan.

I'm wasn't sure what to make of Jai and Rachel at first. The pregnancy storyline has been an interesting one. Especially seeing how Jai has been trying to juggle his married life with trying to ensure Rachel and his unborn child are looked after. I did actually feel quite sorry for Rachel because it felt like she was all alone at first and Jai talked her into keeping the baby because it was the one thing he wanted that Charity wouldn't give him. I was up and down with the whole Charity/Jai thing. I wanted them together at first because I didn't want Cain winning but now I really, really can't stand Charity. She's the character I dislike the most on the show at the moment. I feel she is a complete and utter waste of space whose sole purpose is to leach of Jai. And even when she's not doing that I find her highly annoying, having to put up with her trying to impose herself on the King's business. She annoys me every time she opens her mouth. In one sense I'm glad Jai and Rachel have done the dirty on her but if this whole pregnancy thing comes out, my concern would be what Charity would do to Jai and Rachel so it's a lose/lose as far as I'm concerned.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the stuff with Chas and Cameron. A while back I absolutely loved the way Cain was being wound up by Cameron's relationship with Debbie and the fact he couldn't expose Cameron's suspected affair. Similarly I could not stop smiling at Cameron's barely concealed jealousy regarding Chas and Dan. I do think Chas cares about Dan but let's be honest, she's using him to try and get over Cameron with little success and he really doesn't deserve it. Having Carl find out about the affair is a masterstroke but he's kinda ruining it for me by obsessing over the 30 grand Chas stole from him (Not that I blame him). What I would really like to see is him keep quiet about it, wait until the wedding then expose them then and there right in front of the Dingle clan and everyone else in the village. Not that I have anything against Chas because I actually quite like her but I just think in terms of entertainment this is too good an opportunity to pass up. And I would particularly like to see Debbie and Cain's reactions.

I'm firmly on Robbie and Megan's side regarding this thing with Katie. Katie's never liked Robbie or given him a chance. It's just been her whole attitude. Clearly see's him as a threat because he's real family and invaded her nice stately home. In saying that I think Robbie is a little pr*ck and he has been making sleazy comments towards Katie and he was stupid to fall into the trap she set for him. He's extremely manipulative too. I actually don't blame Declan for siding with Katie, he's in love with her. Megan has really gone up in my estimation and I actually really like her. I loved the way her loyalty towards her son kicked in and she took Robbie's side and I really like the friendship she has with Zak even though I'm seriously struggling to understand why him? Why has she gone out of her way to help him? It's not as if they have anything in common.

I'm glad Ashley is back on his feet now and Marlon did go up slightly in my estimation offering him a place to stay but now he and Laurel have embarked on a full-on relationship. I was initially quite displeased with that because Marlon was just about to go to New Zealand with Rhona and Paddy to start a new life and Laurel had to stick her oar in, seduce him then ruin everything. In saying that I'm kind of on Marlon's side now (even though I still don't like the relationship with Laurel). Paddy public exposed their affair and completely humiliated Ashley and then there's his and Rhona's attitude towards Marlon since the court case started. It's a shame what looks like a very long friendship has come to and end and I did blame Laurel for not letting Marlon go but on the other hand you could argue that if Rhona hadn't been in the picture they wouldn't be in this position. And now it would appear that she's going to screw both of them over.

I'm struggling to get my head round this thing with Moira and Alex. I could understand her sleeping with Cain but Alex has zero charm so I'm assuming it must be physical. At first I was over the moon how that he did the dirty on Victoria who is my second most disliked character after Charity. I think she serves little purpose (Alex is an even more useless character but at least he's not as annoying as Victoria always is) and since Moira and Alex's relationship has been exposed, her attitude and name calling of Moira made me wish Moira would just slap her across the face.

Surprisingly Cain came across quite well with Moira. I thought he was pretty reprehensible during the stuff with Amy but he actually hasn't been too bad as of late.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm feeling rather sorry for Rachel with the way she's being constantly pushed around and treated like Jai's dirty little secret.I'm not sure how she'd cope if Charity found out but, while I was slightly disappointed that Jai cheated on Charity, Charity's been so vile since that I've lost all sympathy for her.It's almost got to the point where I want Jimmy to get out of that haulage firm and do something else, leaving Charity and Carl to their plotting and counter-plotting.

That said, I am loving Carl winding up Chas and Cameron.It's ironic that the show seems to keep insisting I should see Carl as the villain and I keep being on his side.I've never liked Cameron and his recent behaviour has just made me like him even less.And while I don't exactly dislike Chas, I didn't like the way she treated Carl when he cheated on her so it's good to see her getting a taste of the same.Don't really care about Debbie being hurt, since she's been a bit snoppy lately(she was just itching for an excuse to make Andy get rid of Kerry), but I hope Dan, who I've always rather liked aside from his "Tell everyone Ruby's a child molester" period, doesn't get caught in the crossfire.

I didn't think this would ever happen but Marlon rushing back to Laurel has left me seriously disliking, maybe even hating, them both.I just love that Gabby doesn't want anything to do with either of them, that really is karma for the way Laurel was happy to let her go on seeing Ashley as the villain of the piece.Again, I find myself in a situation where I find myself sympathising with the characters the show seems to think are the villains:I've been cheering Paddy and Rhona on all the way, since Marlon decided to blow their plans apart because he's broken up someone's marriage and wants to reap the rewards. I'm glad Rhona managed to take Leo out of the country and hope she doesn't come back too soon.If ever.

Find myself sympathising with Kerry, another character who seems to be held up as trouble.Even though it came out of nowhere, I rather liked the bond she and Andy built up.Shame that despite being typically vile, Val has come out on top again, breaking up Eric and Brenda with a click of her fingers and now getting Eric back.

Never seen the appeal of Alex, surprised Victoria stuck with him as long as she did.Whilst I didn't object to them that much, I'm glad David's called time with Priya, it really wasn't fair on Jacob after getting his hopes up about the two of them and Alicia being a family.Also find myself sympathising with Nikhil, who's a bit of a dill but is trying his best and doesn't really deserve all the earache he gets from Gennie, not that I don't sympathise with her as well.

[Slade]

I have to admit, Gabby has been pure genius. I shouldn't but I've really liked the way she's made Laurel suffer. Some of the scenes with her Laurel and Marlon have made me smile. Hats off to the little actress. I was actually really glad she went to live with Ashley. Perhaps Laurel knows how he felt when she wouldn't let him see his own kids although Ashley has been far more reasonable than Laurel was after she kicked him out with regards to letting her see Gabby.

Carl's behaviour has been utterly deplorable but again, I've found myself smiling at his blackmail re Chas and Cameron - Not that I really have anything against either of them. It was interesting to see how low Chas would go in order to keep her sordid affair with Cameron secret. Actually ripping off her business partner and friend. For someone who appears quite dim it was very smart of Dan to hide the money. I did always suspect it was more than just money with regards to Carl but I really wasn't expecting him to pour his heart out to Chas like that. I was expecting him to make her suffer out of pure vengeance. Judging by the look on Chas's face she was just a surprised as I was. It will be interesting to see what she does. Having an affair with Carl (again) might be a temporary solution but I keep thinking it's inevitable this will come out - This is a soap after all.

I know Jai did the wrong thing cheating on Charity but I can't help but feel slightly sympathetic towards him with regards to the whole pregnancy thing with Rachel. It's by his own doing but he's in an impossible position. He's trying to be a good husband but at the same time trying to provide for his unborn child.

They've been showing adverts on ITV building up to the week beginning the 15th of October. I don't know what's going to happen yet but have a feeling it's going to be a cracking set of episodes.

[~Zoe~]

I'm looking forward to next weeks episodes. Plus there is a live episode on Wednesday

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm slightly disappointed with the way things have gone with Carl.I was quite enjoying seeing him torment Chas and Cameron so it's a shame it's suddenly turned into him wanting Chas back(cos that always goes well...)and now he's burnt pretty much every bridge he has and it's hard to imagine him sticking around.Jimmy's been banging his head against a brick wall there for a while and I'm surprised he didn't give up long ago.Never been sure what we're meant to make of Cameron, it feels like the actor and at least some of the writers think he's a nice bloke but...he's not.I should probably feel sorry for Debbie since this is all gonna blow up in her face but I just wonder why she didn't get shot of him ages ago.

Also enjoying seeing Gabby give Marlon and Laurel a hard time.They're another couple that it feels like we're supposed to sympathise with but instead they come across as an awful, selfish pair.Given that they're primarily behind all the misery that those close to them have suffered recently, I really don't think they deserve to come up smelling of roses.

Not sure what to make of Declan and Katie's plan to fleece Megan and Robbie:I don't particularly like Megan and Robbie and am rather fond of the other side but part of me thinks they should just give them the money and then pack them off rather than potentially escalating the feud.The thing between Victoria and Adam does seem to have come out of nowhere a bit but I thought it was rather sweet the way she insisted on staying with him and the others rather than accepting Robbie's VIP pass.(And then he got lumbered with Kerry instead...)

Anyway, looking forward to the big week next week and curious to know

who dies

:I had one theory that no-one else seems to have latched onto and there's a couple of other possibilities that seem to be cropping up...

[Slade]

I was really impressed with how the live episode went. Everyone did really well and if they were any mistakes I certainly didn't spot them.

It's official, I hate Katie and really don't like Declan. The way in which they shafted Megan and were so incredibly smug and victorious about it annoyed the hell out of me. And Katie acting high and mighty towards Megan in the reception too did my head in. Part of me wanted Megan to smack her but that would have simply meant that Katie won (again) but I suppose at least she shoved Katie's face into the wedding cake although the way Kate and Declan were afterwards it still felt like they had the upper hand. Can't believe Declan would do that to his own sister but I guess blood isn't thicker than water. Also whilst hardly surprising with Katie, seeing Declan deliberately set up his nephew to betray his own sister just to teach her a lesson (knowing she was getting closer to him at least from her perspective) was quite cruel when you consider he was the one who brought him into her life against her wishes. Part of me wants her to give Robbie another chance so they can join forces against Katie and Declan but I'm not sure if Megan deserves to be lumbered with someone like Robbie especially after he was prepared to betray her so easily. I just hope she finds a way to get both Katie and Declan.

When I first heard that someone was going to die in the live episode a couple of weeks ago, I thought initially it would be Cameron but really should have guessed it would have been Carl given how he crazy he was acting over Chas and how he chucked Jimmy out of the house and wanted to sell up. I thought the scenes with him and Chas were really good but thought the stuff with Cameron was even better. Really enjoyed seeing the actor after the show and watching him get emotional onscreen seeing the flashbacks of his scenes over the past nine years. His acting has been and was first class and I wish him the best for the future.

Some comical moments with Gennie giving birth, Nikhil using the App on his phone to coach her, Ginnie pinching his nose at frustration, then Nikhil fainting just after the baby was born.

Actually saw a softer side to Cain with Debbie giving birth and I think it was a turning point for him and Zak, moving on from Zak almost beating him to death last year (The actor actually mentioned that himself in the aftershow last night).

It will be really interesting to see what happens next as with regards to any murder investigation and also if the stuff with Cameron and Chas comes out.

[Red Ranger 1]

Aside from the rather unconventional night-time wedding, it was hard to tell that episode was live.The rather improvised nature of the week does seem to result in things happening a lot earlier than I was expecting:I didn't expect Chas and Dan to be married by the end of Tuesday's episode or for Victoria and Adam to kiss last night.Not that I was displeased by either of them.As I alluded to in my above post, although I'm slightly disappointed in Katie and Declan for what they've done, I don't really hate them for it.I do think Katie's become a bit up herself now that she's lady of the manor but I rather like her and Declan together.And I also liked that she just laughed it off when Megan shoved her face into the cake and not in a mocking way either, more in a way that she didn't really mind looking like a fool because it wasn't important in the grand scheme of things.

When I first heard the reports that someone would die, I thought it might be Dan:That he'd find out about Chas and Cameron on his wedding day and have a heart attack or something.I'm glad they didn't go down that route and I'm hoping he and Chas manage to patch things up, although I think that's going to require a lot of honesty she's not ready for.I did wonder if it would be Cameron but the way they turned Carl into the most hated man in the village was a clear pointer and once the episode started it was never going to be anyone else:They seemed to be teasing the when rather than the who.Especially when he finally told Chas about his part in Tom's death, which was the one loose end hanging from his character arc.I'm disappointed in a way since I was hoping Chas and Cameron's secret was on the verge of coming out.At least Cameron's time on the show has got to be numbered now he's a murderer.Wonder if he'll let Chas think that she killed Carl?So that's four out of five Kings having died violent deaths.Jimmy really needs to look both ways when crossing the road.Or doing anything.

I'm glad Andy was there for the baby's birth, it didn't feel right him being excluded especially when Debbie had her entire family in the delivery room with her, and calling him Jack was a nice touch that stresses the family connection.Another bond between Andy and Debbie?No, I'm probably kidding myself.Good that things went fairly straightforward for Nikhil and Gennie.Somewhat disappointed that Marlon and Paddy are back being so matey:It's like Marlon's won which I didn't want to happen.

[Laura]

Glad Carl's dead. To think all them years ago I loved Carl and Chas together!

I don't like Cameron and now I bet we have to sit through another boring few months with Carl's murderer unknown till hes found out. Looking forward to tonights episodes later on now Debbie has seen the picture of Chas and Cameron. Wonder what happens with Jimmy being arrested. Probably be let out in tonights episode.

Poor Victoria, second dead body she's come across in the last few years! Lol

I loved the bit in last nights second episode with Sarah and baby Jack.

[Danni02]

Live episode was really well done and I am glad that between being bashed over the head with bricks that Carl managed to send those pictures to Debbie! Pretty sad way for her to find out but it was about time she did. Can't wait to see the fallout from this, especially what Cain has to say. Think Cameron better watch his back.

I loved the scene last night with Sarah and Jack and the special potion, super sweet. Is it too much to ask that Debbie, Andy, Sarah and Jack can all be a happy family together? Yes? Thought so...

Can't say I will miss Carl. I always hated his character.

Gennie's birth scene was funny. She and Nikhil are pretty sweet so hopefully Emmerdale lets one couple be together with their kid and be happy although I am probably asking a lot again!

Poor Jimmy, I can't help but like him and hopefully it isn't long (wishful thinking, I know) until the truth is out and the awful Cameron is gone from the show!

[Slade]

I actually found myself very excited during Thursday's and Friday's episodes.

I was eagerly awaiting what would happen when Carl's body was discovered. I found Victoria's reaction very believable. It's one thing seeing a dead body but when it's someone you know it's completely different. I was also very much looking forward to seeing the reactions of the villagers when they found out. Edna was visibly upset, Jimmy was in shock as were people like Nicola, Rodney, Chas and Megan. Then you had people at the other end of the scale such as Cain and Charity who didn't really care.

Although it didn't happen the way I wanted (i.e. in front of most of the villagers) I'm very pleased that this stuff with Cameron and Chas is out now. At the end of the second episode on Thursday I thought - Yes!!!! I've never really liked Debbie and don't have much sympathy for her now that she knows about the Chas/Cameron affair. I'm more interested to see what happens with Cain. My first thought when Debbie showed them Carl's parting gift (i.e. the photo of Chas and Cameron in bed together) was that Cameron and Chas are sooooooooooooooooooo dead. Even when Zak tried to stop him Charity was saying they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it (Debbie actually did the same thing to her although she didn't know it was Charity). Like Carl's death it will be really interesting to see how the other villagers react to this, in particular Dan, Diane, Nikhil, Jai etc. Also how will Debbie react if she finds out that Gennie knew about it? Both of them become quite friendly during their pregnancies.

I'm assuming at least for the time being Cameron is going to let Chas think she killed Carl. Really looking forward to them coming face to face with Cain. I think he will beat Cameron to a pulp but I'm not entirely sure if he will do the same thing to his own sister. I think when Chas sees Cain though she might think about handing herself in. I wonder how long it will be before the police start going through Carl's mobile phone records and find the text messages from Carl to Chas and Cameron when he was blackmailing them. Also you would imagine they are bound to find out Cameron contacting Carl to meet him in the church.

Overall a very good week for Emmerdale on their 40th anniversary. Next week's episodes should be good too.