2023 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[pembie]

Wouldn’t it have been more helpful for Justin if Ava had stayed? Anyhow it was funny when Justin said he would never forget spending this time with her yeah because it’s been really good hasn’t it? 
 

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count last week:Three.Only other characters to get three were Irene, Justin, Cash and Rose.

That attack on Xander and pal Jamie was very grim, even with us not seeing it. I think Mali has a point but I'm leaning towards Rose's point of view, at least until today's episode when she seemed to just be picking fights for the sake of it.Rose was a bit obsessive in staying up all night chasing leads, as even Cash pointed out, but Mali was wrong to say it shows she doesn't care about Xander: It was her way of showing that she did, and on a practical level, catching the people that put him in hospital and killed his friend was more use to him than sitting there watching him sleep.

Faults on both sides with Cash and Eden.It was a rather silly joke for her to play, but he didn't do himself any favours by being OTT about getting the ring off and then refusing to talk about it.Got there in the end, I guess.

That was absolutely terrible parenting from Justin.He worries Ava will feel abandoned if he goes to jail...and then in the same conversation, he decides to abandon her and ship her back to her mother.Sure, Ava wasn't perfect: Trying to book a van was daft and blaming Theo for calling the police (as he did himself!) was dafter: If he hadn't, Justin would still have assaulted Conor with no-one there to stop him hurting him worse. But she was actually doing the right thing in wanting to stay around and help sort out the mess she'd created and tell the courts the full story...and instead we get some pathetically flimsy emotional blackmail from Leah tricking her into agreeing to leave.What was the point of her and Theo clearing the air if she gets exiled back to The City by the end of the episode? Honestly, the more I think about it...has the show ever bothered to finish a storyline with Ava? It seems like ever few years she turns up (with it 50/50 whether she'll have the same head as last time), there's drama and she abruptly leaves without nothing really being resolved. It was like someone went "Okay, Ava's stint ends this week, what's the dumbest way we can write her out?" I can see Justin wanting to get things in place for if he goes to jail (and the show finally giving up on Theo's apprenticeship), so long as he doesn't see it as a done deal. Alf butting into Leah and Justin's relationship never ends well. By the way, didn't Roo find photos of Ava on this supposedly "anonymous" account?

I guess I can see why Felicity would feel a bit anti-climatic after the wedding, and it made more sense in Friday's episode after she and Tane talked things over and realised they're both quite happy to carry on as they are. I don't know why the show bothered to discuss Felicity changing her name: The people running it seem to either be militantly against women changing their name when they get married or not want to confuse the already error-prone credit writers by giving them a new name to learn (witness Irene failing to be credited on Wednesday despite being in several scenes!), so I don't know why they pretend it's an option. Maybe I have odd priorities but I'm amused by the fact people keeping speaking to Nikau on the phone without any mention of Bella or what he's actually meant to be doing, as if they're keeping it deliberately vague!

Marilyn's storyline feels like simultaneously an attempt to address her lack of self-sufficiency and to appease those who want her to regress to the 90s, run a salon in the Diner and move into Irene's spare room...although selling beauty products was more Irene's thing back in the day!

[pembie]

8 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Alf's episode count last week:Three.Only other characters to get three were Irene, Justin, Cash and Rose.

That attack on Xander and pal Jamie was very grim, even with us not seeing it. I think Mali has a point but I'm leaning towards Rose's point of view, at least until today's episode when she seemed to just be picking fights for the sake of it.Rose was a bit obsessive in staying up all night chasing leads, as even Cash pointed out, but Mali was wrong to say it shows she doesn't care about Xander: It was her way of showing that she did, and on a practical level, catching the people that put him in hospital and killed his friend was more use to him than sitting there watching him sleep.

Faults on both sides with Cash and Eden.It was a rather silly joke for her to play, but he didn't do himself any favours by being OTT about getting the ring off and then refusing to talk about it.Got there in the end, I guess.

That was absolutely terrible parenting from Justin.He worries Ava will feel abandoned if he goes to jail...and then in the same conversation, he decides to abandon her and ship her back to her mother.Sure, Ava wasn't perfect: Trying to book a van was daft and blaming Theo for calling the police (as he did himself!) was dafter: If he hadn't, Justin would still have assaulted Conor with no-one there to stop him hurting him worse. But she was actually doing the right thing in wanting to stay around and help sort out the mess she'd created and tell the courts the full story...and instead we get some pathetically flimsy emotional blackmail from Leah tricking her into agreeing to leave.What was the point of her and Theo clearing the air if she gets exiled back to The City by the end of the episode? Honestly, the more I think about it...has the show ever bothered to finish a storyline with Ava? It seems like ever few years she turns up (with it 50/50 whether she'll have the same head as last time), there's drama and she abruptly leaves without nothing really being resolved. It was like someone went "Okay, Ava's stint ends this week, what's the dumbest way we can write her out?" I can see Justin wanting to get things in place for if he goes to jail (and the show finally giving up on Theo's apprenticeship), so long as he doesn't see it as a done deal. Alf butting into Leah and Justin's relationship never ends well. By the way, didn't Roo find photos of Ava on this supposedly "anonymous" account?

I guess I can see why Felicity would feel a bit anti-climatic after the wedding, and it made more sense in Friday's episode after she and Tane talked things over and realised they're both quite happy to carry on as they are. I don't know why the show bothered to discuss Felicity changing her name: The people running it seem to either be militantly against women changing their name when they get married or not want to confuse the already error-prone credit writers by giving them a new name to learn (witness Irene failing to be credited on Wednesday despite being in several scenes!), so I don't know why they pretend it's an option. Maybe I have odd priorities but I'm amused by the fact people keeping speaking to Nikau on the phone without any mention of Bella or what he's actually meant to be doing, as if they're keeping it deliberately vague!

Marilyn's storyline feels like simultaneously an attempt to address her lack of self-sufficiency and to appease those who want her to regress to the 90s, run a salon in the Diner and move into Irene's spare room...although selling beauty products was more Irene's thing back in the day!

Good to see you back Red I wondered where you went holiday?

[CaptainHulk]

Done a little catchup (Thu-Mon), 3 Nothing eps in a row, tbf.

[H&Alover]

Welcome back Red.

There have always been promises of Justin spending more time with Ava every time she runs away from home to be with him.  She did want to be the grown  up and want to stay and be there for him as she said it was her fault, but then reverses it and blames Theo, but he stood up for himself and got her to acknowledge they were better being a team to support Justin.  It worked so well in fact he took her home and probably helped to explain to Nina what was going on.   I keep banging on about Ava needing to be there to give her side of things in court, she is 16 so not a child.  I'm totally not condoning Justin's  vicious attack on Conor but any caring dad or mum would feel  like he did given he only had half a story to go on.  There were other people there trying to keep Justin off Conor before the cops turned up. 

I think Theo blocked his side of Ava's secret account. No idea of how they work but I don't believe it stops you sending things.  

Justin is looking at the worst scenario, even his lawyer hasn't, it appears, been that encouraging, Theo was trying to keep his spirits up.  He does need to consider the 'what if' side of it though, hence his list.    Yes, the lesser spotted garage, the one that only seems to have one and a half people working in it.  How it's managed to stay open all this time is one of life's mysteries.   Justin's suggestion that John buys it out and leases it to someone else won't help him or Leah, what's she supposed to do for money?  I'm guessing the house is his/theirs not rented, but what about utility costs, food etc.  One  problem has been resolved with Theo saying he won't be resuming his apprenticeship as he'll be concentrating on the band.  Though saying that he won't be earning thousands, just what they get from SALT, well his share anyway.   I think Alf was just trying to help but Justin really was not in the mood for listening. 

Good news that Xander has come round and not had a violent reaction this time.  One of those things with life,  an anaesthetia allergy is   one you wouldn't  know you have until you are put under anaesthetic.  Now, as not really unexpected, he's getting flashbacks.   As we didn't 'see' what happened we don't know what occurred, did Jamie try and stop the gang, going against all the guideline/rules not to do that, and Xander wasn't able to help him as he'd been injured?  I'm supposing the cops will want to speak to him seeing as he's not been able to since the incident.    Bree was good with him listening without any judgement

Doesn't look like Mali and Rose are likely to resolve their differences on this matter.   Xander understood why she did what she did, she couldn't help  him at all while he was under NDH would have rung her right away if he'd come round which she did when she did get the call.  Both of them were nudged into to talking  to each other about it - Rose by Xander and Mali by Irene.   If they do and want to stay together they need a referee. Roo, another job for you!

Leah changed her surname  three times, though she didn't - I don't think - changed it when she married Zac. Ziggy decided on a compromise by double barrelling. Way, way back Ailsa did.  It's down to the individual woman of course but I can't see why they wouldn't,  surely if you are  confident in yourself it wouldn't matter if you took your husbands name.  

Going back to Mali he's got big changes in mind, redesigning the board shop, changing it's name etc.   He's going about it the right way, running by JP and Alf to put them before the committee to get their approval.  

 

 

[CaptainHulk]

Leah was never Maguire. She dropped the Patterson-Baker in 2014/15 and just reverted to Patterson for the first time since 2005.

[Red Ranger 1]

On 29/05/2023 at 19:18, pembie said:

where you went holiday?

Yes, came back very late Sunday!

And yes, Leah made a big deal about keeping Patterson when she married Zac. Marilyn made an even bigger deal about staying Chambers when she married John, when she'd also changed her name twice and it was pretty out of character. Ziggy was always credited as Astoni and there was never any discussion of her changing her name, although we did briefly see a prop (certificate?) where she'd crossed out Astoni and written Morgan. The only way the show ever has a married couple with the same surname is if they come in like that (eg Maggie). No woman married on the show has changed her name in over a decade (Gina, and even then she was still credited as Austin for about a year afterwards, even though someone called her "Mrs Palmer" at least once a week).

Anyway, today!

Mackenzie is back but still hasn't told anyone about her break-up with Gabe, apart from Mali. (Does anyone else know?) She very nearly lost her license thanks to all that ignoring calls, but just about made it in. Her shoddy work ethic aside, I don't think Felicity came across too badly here.She was slightly self-absorbed (and Tane's already playing the long-suffering husband role well!), but also very aware that there must be a reason Mackenzie's acting like this, even if she's not sure what.

Mali and Rose finally managed a civil conversation, probably because they didn't have Irene micro-managing their interaction, although Mali didn't look entirely pleased by her "You're right, we should break up" conclusion. I continue to enjoy Rose and Xander's close sibling relationship, while he's obviously struggling with what happened.

[Slade]

I agree with Felicity that Cash and Eden heading back home is bad news.

Thought Mackenzie would end up in a pretty dark place after Dean left and here she is.  I guess she's just reversing shoddy work ethic roles with Felicity who was even worse although in both cases caused by someone close to them being seriously ill/injured.

Irene being annoying sticking her nose in Rose and Mali’s business.

[Foellfan]

I liked the scenes with John and Mackenzie; he was able to be both sympathetic and honest without driving the sore point home; quite a change from the JP we met all those years ago....then we met him against with his painfully civil sarcasm about wedding invites, haha! 

In one sense, I think Tane possibly would've been a good person to actually understand Mac emotions, given the tragic and shocking swiftness of what happened to Ari, things like this I think on occasion, needed for want of  a better term, experienced empathy.

Eden, watch your step, the alarm should be ringing that you're validating Cash's behaviour already, it's a slippery slope, one once in not easy to get out of. 

[Red Ranger 1]

I did like that Tane was the one who went to see Mackenzie and was the first (apart from Mali) to get the truth out of her, since they do have a lot of history there. (Of course, in a sense, Mackenzie went through this with Ari as well, being excluded and not allowed to be there with him at the end, so might be best not to bring that up!) I'm not quite sure where this friendship between John and Mackenzie came from but I'm glad that he stepped up and helped her, and that it led to Mackenzie and Felicity clearing the air, and also to John coming to his own realisation about accepting someone else's decision even when you don't agree with it. I was disappointed again at Irene's lack of support for John, so I guess she gets a dose of karma by being caught up in Marilyn's scheme.

I have to say I thought Remi was a bit of a jerk muscling in on Cash and Eden spending time together and demanding that his friend ditch her boyfriend and come hang out with him: There didn't seem to be any urgent reason for it. When I saw the promo, I thought "Well, okay, we know that's innocent but I can see why Cash wouldn't be comfortable with it." Then I saw it in context and...no, I don't have a clue what Cash's problem is. He was listening at the door, he knew what was happening and was even smiling at what Eden was saying, so why did he suddenly get all grumpy-face when he walked in on them being matey?