Latest 5STAR episodes (UK)

[c120701]

Sonny is rapidly replacing Mali in the character I like for no particular reason other than being a nice enough guy camp.

It probably helps pairing him with Dana who is probably one of my favourite characters in the show right now. The postcard scene with Irene today was lovely.

Sonny’s scenes with Irene are a joy and I’m appreciating seeing glimpses of old Irene coming through in the material Lynne’s being given. I wish the show could be of this quality across the board.

Edited September 10 by c120701

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, at least they seem to be backtracking with Roo in having her realise she has to try and facilitate Adrian and Cohen building a relationship.

Harper's actions were kind of understandable but she can't really go around making rules about who Tane can spend time with if he's got Archie with him.

[c120701]

Nice that Irene remembers Fin & Damien. I wonder if they remember her.

Irene wanting a big party for all her friends seemed like really classic Irene like the ill-fated dinner party she threw back in the 90s.

Now her story has ramped up though, it seems like we’re watching two different shows as we flick to Remi & Bree and Mac & Levi, there’s such a contrast in tone, lighting and pace.

[c120701]

Wow, Irene’s departure has really ramped up. Nice that she’s spending some time (well, a day!) with Fin and her grandkids before her memory gets too bad, it better be one hell of a day!

A shame that Irene left the furniture behind, seeing the Beach House empty for the first time would’ve been more powerful. It’s certainly going to be strange not having Irene living there after so long, I think aside from Emily Bishop in Corrie no other soap character has lived in the same house continuously for longer (Rita, Audrey & David all had stints living elsewhere).

Edited September 29 by c120701

[James Martin]

Wow.  That was done really well, right down to breaking the 4th wall and having Lynne deliver her final three words straight down the lens.  John's speech and the letter were my favourite bits.  Props to Jessica Redmayne to be able to look at what was probably a blank sheet of paper and cry on demand in one shot.  That takes some effort.

I'm sad we didn't see any past characters but there's the argument that it might have distracted from the main event which I buy.

That said, the entire Alzheimer's story arc has been fairly well managed, even though there's been a lot of holes in the plot in the name of dramatic license.  But nobody would have wanted to see Reenie to deteriorate any further on screen, let alone die.  As with Sally nearly 18 years ago, how do you come up with something plausible where someone like Irene would suddenly choose to leave the Bay forever after so long?  I think they did the best with what they had.

The house sale also sets up some new storylines for the 6 or 7 weeks we've got left of this year, with Harper back in with the father of her baby, Dana is moving in with Sonny and David and Jo have a place to call home at last.  Certainly feels like the start of a new era for the show in many ways.

[c120701]

2 hours ago, James Martin said:

Wow.  That was done really well, right down to breaking the 4th wall and having Lynne deliver her final three words straight down the lens.  John's speech and the letter were my favourite bits.  Props to Jessica Redmayne to be able to look at what was probably a blank sheet of paper and cry on demand in one shot.  That takes some effort.

I'm sad we didn't see any past characters but there's the argument that it might have distracted from the main event which I buy.

That said, the entire Alzheimer's story arc has been fairly well managed, even though there's been a lot of holes in the plot in the name of dramatic license.  But nobody would have wanted to see Reenie to deteriorate any further on screen, let alone die.  As with Sally nearly 18 years ago, how do you come up with something plausible where someone like Irene would suddenly choose to leave the Bay forever after so long?  I think they did the best with what they had.

The house sale also sets up some new storylines for the 6 or 7 weeks we've got left of this year, with Harper back in with the father of her baby, Dana is moving in with Sonny and David and Jo have a place to call home at last.  Certainly feels like the start of a new era for the show in many ways.

I presume in Australia this episode was bundled together with one or two proceeding it, but it was really well done.

I wish Alf & Irene had something a bit more heartfelt or touching on their history or how Irene turned her life around from the woman he first met, but I guess they were trying to save the emotion for Leah & John.

Sonny has been a standout throughout this story.

I loved the final shot of the episode, the almost freeze frame with the music ending was reminiscent of an early years exit like Angel’s.

Goodbye Irene, and thank you Lynne for 33 years of laughs, loves and lettuce plating.

Edited September 30 by c120701

[James Martin]

I think Seven designed the two episodes shown between 6 and 7 on 5 Star to be viewed that way for sure.  I dropped back to 5 proper pace for that reason so I could do both episodes tonight.

[Dan F]

The episodes aired singly on a Monday and Tuesday in Australia - they wouldn't have been designed to air back-to-back, as there's no way of knowing what episodes will be airing on what days anymore thanks to the schedulers.

[James Martin]

26 minutes ago, Dan F said:

The episodes aired singly on a Monday and Tuesday in Australia - they wouldn't have been designed to air back-to-back, as there's no way of knowing what episodes will be airing on what days anymore thanks to the schedulers.

I get that but I recall the line "begins Monday, continues Tuesday" being used a lot.  Channel 5 have likewise pushed "watch Tuesday and Wednesday."

[630si]

Beautifully executed it was. Not a dry eye in the house