The Boring Austin Family

[Red Ranger 1]

I liked Hugo up to the point when he suddenly became Evil and kidnapped Charlie out of what was basically self-preservation despite all his attempts to make it sound noble.And then they expect us to cheer as he flees into the sunset after turning Martha into a wanted fugitive and nearly getting his entire family jailed or killed...

Xavier I think has improved vastly since he split up with Ruby at the end of last year.As has David's acting.I agree with the post that said people say someone's a good actor just because they fancy them, hence perplexing comments about "David should watch Luke to see how it's done" when to me it seems like the other way round:During the Mink storyline, David and Matylda were acting Luke off the screen.I wish Mink had kept around, there was a good spark between her and Xavier.Instead they stuck with him back with Ruby, which was clearly wrong for both of them and actually caused him to regress for a while, towards the end when he was picking fights with Liam I could barely stand to watch him.Putting him with April has improved him a lot, they have genuine chemistry and a sweet relationship.The only thing I don't like about him now is his constant whining about John Palmer, which he really needs to get other:Gina's relationship with John is one of the few good things about her

especially with Tony and Rachel gone

.

I really have a hard time seeing how we're meant to perceive Gina.I don't think she's meant to be a "likeable villain" in the same way that Donald Fisher was and John Palmer is clearly meant to be even if a lot of people still don't like him.I don't think she's meant to be a flawed mother who's trying to do better, like Amanda and arguably Jazz were, she occasionally acknowledges her failings but doesn't realise her new approach is just as bad:Recognising Hugo went off the rails because she neglected him but trying to make up for it by bullying and alienating Xavier and insisting that she knows what's best for him if they try to talk to her about it.Worryingly, I think she's meant to be a rough around the edges but basically kind-hearted mother figure like Irene, Ailsa or the original Pippa, which she clearly isn't.She's okay as principal and with adults, somewhat variable with teenagers:she has a good repartee with Romeo but the Mink storyline was appalling, all she did was be smug and patronising and make her cry, which apparently solved all her problems.I just think she's no good as a mother and Xavier was/would be best off well away from her.Even a murderous criminal was a better guardian for him than her!Has Irene got any spare rooms..?

[j.laur5]

I liked Hugo up to the point when he suddenly became Evil and kidnapped Charlie out of what was basically self-preservation despite all his attempts to make it sound noble.And then they expect us to cheer as he flees into the sunset after turning Martha into a wanted fugitive and nearly getting his entire family jailed or killed...

Xavier I think has improved vastly since he split up with Ruby at the end of last year.As has David's acting.I agree with the post that said people say someone's a good actor just because they fancy them, hence perplexing comments about "David should watch Luke to see how it's done" when to me it seems like the other way round:During the Mink storyline, David and Matylda were acting Luke off the screen.I wish Mink had kept around, there was a good spark between her and Xavier.Instead they stuck with him back with Ruby, which was clearly wrong for both of them and actually caused him to regress for a while, towards the end when he was picking fights with Liam I could barely stand to watch him.Putting him with April has improved him a lot, they have genuine chemistry and a sweet relationship.The only thing I don't like about him now is his constant whining about John Palmer, which he really needs to get other:Gina's relationship with John is one of the few good things about her

especially with Tony and Rachel gone

.

I really have a hard time seeing how we're meant to perceive Gina.I don't think she's meant to be a "likeable villain" in the same way that Donald Fisher was and John Palmer is clearly meant to be even if a lot of people still don't like him.I don't think she's meant to be a flawed mother who's trying to do better, like Amanda and arguably Jazz were, she occasionally acknowledges her failings but doesn't realise her new approach is just as bad:Recognising Hugo went off the rails because she neglected him but trying to make up for it by bullying and alienating Xavier and insisting that she knows what's best for him if they try to talk to her about it.Worryingly, I think she's meant to be a rough around the edges but basically kind-hearted mother figure like Irene, Ailsa or the original Pippa, which she clearly isn't.She's okay as principal and with adults, somewhat variable with teenagers:she has a good repartee with Romeo but the Mink storyline was appalling, all she did was be smug and patronising and make her cry, which apparently solved all her problems.I just think she's no good as a mother and Xavier was/would be best off well away from her.Even a murderous criminal was a better guardian for him than her!Has Irene got any spare rooms..?

Gina = Villain? What have you been watching? I think Gina is a good character but for some reason people just seem to hate her.

Hugo - I like him. He was one of my favourites but he did do some bad things and wasn't always the best brother.

[Red Ranger 1]

^Okay, either you didn't noticed the inverted commas and indeed the rest of that paragraph or you weren't actually talking to me.To reiterate, I don't consider Gina a villain in any meaningful sense but there are times when I can't find much to like about her.

[j.laur5]

That's what I read. You say about Gina - I don't think she's meant to be a "likeable villain".

Also you call Pippa, Ailsa and Irene and I agree that Irene was a rough character many years ago but Pippa and Ailsa?

[alexx]

^I think Red Ranger was saying they think the writers are trying to make Gina a 'mother figure' like Pippa etc...but with rough edges (unlike Pippa).

I dont think she is supposed to be like a warm mother type, if she is they are doing a very poor job of it Imo. She seems like quite a unique character but I just wish they'd write whoever she is in as part of the character development on screen. Its getting to be a bit like how I perceived Beth although she had a much clearer defined personalty, towards the end I never knew if she was supposed to be caring or judgmental becuase they just didn't pay enough attention to the development of the character from 2005-onwards.

[Red Ranger 1]

What I was trying to say, two and a half months ago, was that although they had their warm sides, Ailsa and Pippa, especially in the early days, could also be quite snappy when the mood took them, even unfairly so sometimes.(Ailsa blaming Tug for Sarah having an asthma attack springs instantly to mind.)And Gina can be a lot like that at times too.But it feels like they haven't got the balance right and she spends far too much of her time snapping at people and having a go at them and the moments of warmth and humour are a bit too few and far between.(Actually, at UK pace, she's been quite good the last two or three weeks.Not sure how long it's going to last though...)

[Snapp]

Haven't watched the show in weeks & don't miss it one bit. Characters like Gina & her little sh*t of son saw to that.