H&A Summer Break on Fiver

[Red Ranger 1]

I've surprised myself by quite enjoying these Adelle episodes.Partly by ignoring them and focusing on the other stuff.I promised to keep my sarcasm to a minimum this week but really, those two 2008 episodes show just how ridiculous the whole thing was.Even Aden points out that Belle let a strange man sleep in her bed.Given that Belle is still the same character she was in 2006 and 2007 at this stage, they made her a lot weaker as the relationship went on to try and justify her clinging to a relationship that brought her constant heartache, you do wonder why she's giving a smug creep like Aden the time of day.I didn't realise though how obviously a couple they are by the end of that second episode, when she kisses him and smiles and when they're snuggling up to each other at the end.(Although, even watching it a second time, that seemed so random that I genuinely thought it was a dream sequence.)I enjoyed yesterday's episode more because they weren't really Adelle episodes:Aden only appears in the first one for about two minutes.The second one was interesting because it was pretty much the only time they ever tried to be friends.I think they could actually have worked like that if they hadn't insisted on making out they were the love of each other's lives.

I think the insight into Aden and Nicole's relationship in this repeat run is very interesting and the more I see the more I think he just didn't deserve her.It's very obvious, especially in retrospect, that she's in love with him by this point.And I know the anti-Nicole/anti-Naden fans see it as her currying favour, as did Aden in one of Monday's episodes, but it seems like she spent a lot of time looking out for him and trying to do what was best for him only to be ignored or abused.

The end of Meoff:I guess it's typical of the show that sweet, innocent and caring relationships get neglected or discarded while dysfunctional and unhealthy ones are foregrounded.I wonder how long Robbie and Tasha would have lasted in the current show.Their scenes together here are sweet and sad, yet about two months later he's forgotten all about her and he's having sex with Nicole.Whether breaking up was the right move or not, having her suddenly disappear from the show for 40 episodes despite supposedly being Annie's best friend was an appallingly bad move which was to the detriment of Melody's character, Axel's character and maybe even Geoff's character.

Seeing Annie in 2009 reminds me of how much better she both looked and acted back then compared to her 2010 stint:They actually let her dress in proper clothes rather than the unflattering and impractical "grown up" outfits.And Angelo finally tiring of Martha's constant abuse and telling her to take her bile somewhere else was still punch-the-air fantastic, especially after the appalling way she treated Tony.