H&A Summer Break on Fiver

[alreetlike]

Well that sucks quite a lot but doesn't surprise me. I won't be watching as I haven't watched any of the more recent episodes which have been repeated.

[Red Ranger 1]

Kind of inevitable.Hard as it is for some of us to fathom, I guess they are the most popular couple these days.I might tune in, although I'm tempted to take my proposed schedule for a Ric/Mattie week, see if I can find the episodes online and have a repeat run of my own.

I am quite enjoying the more recent episodes, even though those last two seem to get shown on an annual basis.Not much more I can say about them:Geoff's leg wound still vanishes as soon as he finds Nicole, didn't realise he had a fetish for pouring salt into his wounds back then.Nicole's illness seemed to be handled better than I remember, although it seems to get forgotten about at the end when she and Geoff are getting it on.Which seems a bit less out of character now than it did then but at the time it was patently ridiculous.Charlie looked astonishingly young given that it's only two years ago, hard to credit she's meant to have had a teenage daughter at the time.It's an indictment of episode counts that Ruby randomly turns up at the surf club to worry about Geoff while Annie, who should be there, just gets mentioned in passing.Although at least they did bother to include a mention.

[xknomex]

whhhhoooooopppp for Adelle!!!

can't wait to see all those eps again, (even though i have most saved on my sky + planner) haha

i have to admit though, over the last few weeks seeing all the old eps, i am enjoying the storylines more than i did when they were originally shown. i really enjoyed the Roman/Geoff/Nicole/Elliot storyline earlier this week and when i watched it orginally i didn't really enjoy it at all. which is odd. haha

[Red Ranger 1]

So, we get Aden's attempt at patricide.I've ranted quite a bit over the years about the legality and morality of his actions but if you are going to have a character go that far beyond the pale, you need to show the consequences, not have him back to his usual smug self by the next week with no-one caring about what he did.And seriously, people call that a breakdown?Fair enough, he got a bit stressed when his father didn't die as quickly as he expected but not enough that he didn't seem to be in control of his actions.Certainly when he took Rachel hostage he seemed completely normal and exactly the same as when he buried his father's body and no-one's ever tried to call that a breakdown.And his reasons for suddenly wanting him dead were arbitrary at best:"He knew it was happening, he could have stopped it at any time and he didn't,"he insists, as if this is new information rather than something he said four months ago and supposedly forgave Larry for.

Oh-and an early appearance by Georgie Watson, who didn't even get a credit in those days.

Formal disaster, again.The more I see that 2008 finale, the more I think they had no idea where they were going with it and fudged a resolution.So Melody gets blamed for an accident that was mostly if not entirely Kane's fault, with Jai giving a recount of events that bears very little resemblance to what we saw.Angelo apparently killed Jack even though he fired in a completely different direction and we never find out who the second gunman was:They even seemed to re-edit the recap to remove the second gunshot.And 2008 ends with Leah lying injured, only for it to be resolved in twenty seconds after which she disappears completely(although that's the first time I've seen Nicole helping her sit down in the hall):Instead we get more of Belle being a victim and Aden and Irene practising their sad faces, although we only got a brief shot of Belle injured, there was no reason for her to be in there and frankly even with freeze frame you'd be hard pressed to tell it was her.I didn't realise Nicole called out to Aden when she was trying to control the stampede...

I thought Kirsty handled Kane's return as well as she could, like the way she looked him in the eye when she told him she loved Miles.Wish Irene had been censured a bit more for hiding the fact he was back and causing the whole mess.Shame Miles went into a sulk and refused to talk to Kirsty, although he made up for it a bit by being all stoic after the accident.

[ebrett84]

Ahhh, the 2008 finale. I can barely describe how much I hate Kane in this episode, but I'll give it a shot. First of all, it was about 2 episodes ago where he was saying stuff like "It's not fair of me to just show up like this. I'll just write her a letter and if she wants to come back to me that's her choice". So naturally, 2 days after that doesn't get the exact response he wants he shows up on her doorstep to hassle her and get her back . Typical. Two things: 1) Yes, I know Kirsty didn't get the letter, but he doesn't know that. 2) I don't blame him at all for not just leaving without even seeing Kirsty or Ollie. That's too unselfish by half. But why even pretend like he was going to do that? Oh that's right, because that way he gets to talk about how unselfish and noble and considerate of other people he is without actually having to, you know, be any of these things. Hey, who needs actions when you have words, right? Once again, it seems like Kane knowing full well what the right thing by Kirsty is, but being too selfish and weak willed to actually do it. This is not out of character in the slightest for him.

And then there's his pitch to get Kirsty to just leave with him right then. "I have a job...etc". Um, dickhead, did it occur to you that she might have a job here, not to mention other reasons why she might not just want to pack up and leave town with him. But no, as usual, her life is merely something to be started and stopped at his convenience and she's just expected to follow him to the edge of the earth if that's what he wants. Again, typical.

Finally he shows up at the dance to hassle her yet again. And then he actually has the nerve to say "I'm not here to pressure you". Um, WHAT THE HELL? What were you there for then? At least Kirsty seemed to see through him this time. Again, ever since they brought him back in 2003, he was always pushy and demanding and seemed to think he could pressure her into making decisions, so I don't see this as being out of character at all.

RR, I too was a bit surprised nothing more was made of Irene not passing on that letter. I do understand what she was thinking. Kane did make it sound like he'd leave if Kirsty didn't reply to him (as to whether Irene would have been dumb enough to believe that knowing Kane's history...) and she had realised that Kirsty was better off without him and happier with Miles than she ever had been with Kane (or again, happier than she'd ever been with him since he returned in 2003 as a completely different character). I can understand Miles and Kirsty forgiving her quickly, even though it seemed to indicate a lack of trust in Kirsty to make the right decision for herself. But you'd think Kane would be pretty angry and hurt at the woman he saw as his "real" mother basically trying to get rid of him in underhanded fashion, and nothing was ever made of that.

It's funny, people talk about how ridiculous it was that Kirsty would leave Kane when the really ridiculous thing was that it didn't happen years ago. Given how miserable Kirsty had been the previous two times she went on the run with him, when she was all loved up and wasn't trying to raise a child at the same time, it's beyond absurd that Kirsty lasted 3 years on the run without turning herself in even if that meant leaving Kane. The only reason that didn't happen was because I guess the writers didn't feel like they could bring back Kirsty without Kane and needed to give him some closure. But the fact that Kirsty suddenly realised how miserable her life was and that she needed to turn herself in with or without Kane for the sake of her child three minutes after arriving in Summer Bay just showed how implausible it was that it hadn't happened years ago. Really, she never would have even made it through to the end of her pregnancy before making that decision. It kind of reminds me of Jack's god awful entrance storyline, where he'd apparently spent years being chased all over Australia by some nutter only to have the whole thing cleared up 2 minutes after he arrived in Summer Bay .

People at the time were complaining about how Kane and to a lesser extent Kirsty were being character assassinated, but I don't see it. Well, actually I do, but as I've said before, Kane's assassination happened in 2003 and everything that happened in 2008-09 was a logical endpoint of him being turned into that character. Really, ever since they brought him back as a complete jerk, his and Kirsty's relationship had made no sense whatsoever and the only problem was how slow to realise this Kirsty was. There were only very slight differences between 2003-05 KK and 2008-09 KK. Instead of the writers saying "Kane is really pushy, demanding, controlling and manipulative with her and makes her miserable and Kirsty goes along with it because she loves him..isn't that sweet?", they said "Kane is really pushy, demanding, controlling and manipulative with her and makes her miserable..that's really unhealthy and self destructive and makes Kirsty miserable". Basically, the content didn't change, the presentation did. The only other difference was instead of Kirsty giving speech after speech about "I have no choice but to accept that Kane is a jerk who makes me miserable because I love him" she instead was thinking "Kane is a jerk who makes me miserable. Why should I love him?" Again, given that she'd basically lost her family to follow her heart and follow him to the edge of the earth only to be completely and predictably miserable, it makes sense she'd be questioning her relationship with him. People say her attraction to Miles made no sense, but it made perfect sense. He was basically everything Kane wasn't and he had everything and represented everything she'd wanted and needed for years, but hadn't had.

Onto other storylines, Jack's dead!!! . Happy days. I love that it was crapness as a cop that got him killed too. Ignoring his bosses and going to the middle of nowhere with no backup to follow a hunch. How many times did he do stuff like that. I just wish his funeral had featured a shot of Sam up in the sky laughing her ass off. "Worst cop ever" indeed.

[jessica_2005]

Monday 30th August:

18:00

Belle is surprised to find Aden in her bed and has to explain

the situation to Annie and Geoff, who walk in on the scene. Charlie starts her

job with the police, but Ross assumes it's to ruin his relationship with Morag.

Jack and Martha tell Tony about the pregnancy, prompting Rachel to start

thinking about her future.

18:30

Melody struggles to get back to normal after her ordeal with

Axel and breaks Geoff's heart by ending their relationship. Nicole grows jealous

about Aden and Belle's flirtation, and Irene comes up with a plan to help Leah

out of her financial problems. Kane tells Kirsty to forget about him and move on

with her life.

Tuesday 31st August:

18:00

Aden is haunted by the past when he visits Belle, and later

sends a letter to end their relationship. Miles confronts Trey with an old

school photograph and persuades the student to open up about his past

insecurities, while Pippa becomes a mediator when Belle refuses to accept a

visit from Annie and Geoff.

18:30

Tony surprises everyone by being friendly with Angelo,

leading Martha to confront him about his actions. Belle finds support from Aden

when her responsibilities become overwhelming, while Ruby tries to get to the

root of Martha's anger and suspects she may be attracted to Hugo.

Wednesday 1st September:

18:00

Aden pays the price when he tells Clint he cannot stop Geoff

from playing in the next rugby game, while Colleen and Leah suspect that Kirsty

is lying about wanting a baby. Nicole changes her mind and asks Bartlett to

allow Trey to go on the trek, unaware that he is plotting revenge against his

classmates.

18:30

Aden pays the price when he tells Clint he cannot stop Geoff

from playing in the next rugby game, while Colleen and Leah suspect that Kirsty

is lying about wanting a baby. Nicole changes her mind and asks Bartlett to

allow Trey to go on the trek, unaware that he is plotting revenge against his

classmates.

Thursday 2nd September:

18:00

Nicole agrees to keep Belle's illness secret from Aden, but pulls out of being his best man. However, when the bride's health deteriorates, her friend is forced to tell the truth - leaving a devastated Aden refusing to speak to Belle the night before their wedding

18:30

Belle is unsure whether Aden will show up at the wedding,

while the groom-to-be is thrown into confusion and struggles with his decision -

until a letter from Roman makes up his mind. Charlie admits to Angelo she is

reluctant to tell Morag and Ross about their relationship, but her avoidance

tactics end in disaster.

Friday 3rd September:

18:00

Aden and Belle arrive back early from their honeymoon to

break the news about her illness. Jai grows jealous when Annie is given the task

of showing Dexter round the school, while Kirsty and Miles are mystified by

Nicole's erratic behaviour.

18:30

Aden is alarmed by how fast Belle's condition appears to be

deteriorating, and she finally admits that the end is approaching. Deciding

against any more invasive treatment, she resolves to spend her final days at

home, but Amanda's arrival creates difficulties. Meanwhile, Nicole struggles to

cope with the situation but refuses Sid's suggestion of counselling.

[alreetlike]

Hmm. No real wish to see any of those again. I'm going to have to venture outside! I suppose I may try and catch the last few.

[cadyctslover]

Hmm. No real wish to see any of those again. I'm going to have to venture outside! I suppose I may try and catch the last few.

haha my thoughts exactly, hopefully the weather will be a bit nicer this week. i can't tell you how many times i voted for Flynn and Sally

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm assuming they're not going to be showing the same episode twice on Wednesday, it'll probably be the next episode at 6.30.You know, I sent Channel 5 a suggested schedule for an Aden/Belle week.They've used two of them.I thought they'd used more but when I doublechecked I realised they've made some very odd choices:The second episode on Tuesday is actually the one before they get back together.And they've skipped over almost all of 2008 in favour of a bunch of episodes from the Best of 2009 run...

Today's episodes:Interesting to watch those island episodes now we know what it was supposedly all about.So I'm guessing Plan A was for Derrick to drop the refugees off on the island(was that "shelter" supposed to be supplies for them?)for Hugo to pick up later.Which means Hugo would expect Geoff and Nicole to be on an island full of illegal immigrants.Didn't seem that worried about it.If that was Hugo that Derrick was on the phone to at the end, it's a bit hard to reconcile with the flashback to him telling him about losing his "cargo" in person...Then again, it may have been Suzy or someone else.

Pretty obvious by that point that Geoff and Nicole were doomed.Even though I don't think I realised at the time.First mention of Nicole's interest in fashion, ironic that a year on Geoff's overseas and Nicole's...well, still at high school actually.I'd forgotten how much Kirsty annoyed me around that time, taking Trey's side over Miles and Jai and generally acting like a cow.The fact that they took her back as soon as she came to her senses seems all the more remarkable.

[cadyctslover]

as i won't be re-watching any of the Adelle episodes this week, i thought i would comment on the 2008 finale/2009 premiere that aired last week.

having originally seen them both within days (they were played on a friday and the next monday at UK pace) i still think that the 2008 finale should have revolved solely around Jack's murder. i remember the formal storyline coming out of nowhere and guessing it would lead to some sort of life and death situation, and i just think that without the formal explosion, it would have been a much better ending to a fantastic season.

however, i didn't remember the two storylines being so detatched when watching first time. i had remembered the episode cutting quickly back and forth between the formal and the development site as the situation at each became more interesting. however too long before the end of the episode, Kane crashes into the dancehall and we see the shocked looks on the students faces. then suddenly the whole pace of the episode slows down considerably as we see Jack approaching the site, and Angelo waking around calling out to Tim. it wouldn't have seemed so bad, if the entire episode had been the lead up to Jack's shooting.

another advantage to not having the formal would have been Belle not having to go to hospital for her injuries . towards the end of 2008 we had seen her there so often, and then to see her back again in pain every episode was really to the detriment of her character, and lead to her drug addiction storyline in 2009 which i was not a fan of (it brought us Liam!).

i also found, same as when i saw both episodes the first time, that i liked the 2009 premiere episode far more than the 2008 finale. i thought the atmosphere, as the emergency services were called to the scene of the crash at the formal was so impressive, and much better than i had remembered. the state of panic of the students at the formal was very realistic. however, i felt that Angelo leaving the scene after shooting Jack (not that i liked the character of Jack at all) was shocking, whatever his state of mind. and it was so cold and heartless of him to turn up to work soon afterwards and act as though everything was OK, look Martha straight in the face and tell her everything was alright, and that he hadn't seen Jack.

i am still a bit confused about how the second explosion occurred. the first explosion was after the leaking gas from the kitchen was ignited, and that would have remained burning until the supply was dry. so as Charlie was trying to get Kane out of the car i'm not sure what exploded, as car petrol tanks do not really explode like they do in the A-Team!

Angelo going in to get Martha out was also the first of many times Angelo saves the day. just to be clear i actually really like the character of Angelo, but i do get annoyed with the constant justification of his character throughout 2009 and even this year, to make us forgive him . he killed his colleague and fled the scene, and lied about it for months.

and finally i've read several times that Jon's performance as Tony finds Jack's body at the end of the episode was OTT, but i thought it was great, really heart wrenching. also seeing Rachel unable to pronounce Jack in the hospital herself was so sad, and i made out that there was something in my eye during Tony and Rachel's embrace . i think Jon Sivewright and Amy Matthews are both such strong actors and wish neither of them were leaving this year, it will be sad to see them go.