2023 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

5 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Confused.com again did I or didn't I hear Irene say she'd just seen the twins but hadn't she already been there, done that and got the t-shirt?

No, that's where she's been prior to her return this week.

Alf's episode count this week:Four. Otherwise, a fairly sparse week with only Irene, Leah, Marilyn and Justin managing three.

Well, Irene's role as a refuge for fugitives didn't last long.It's hard to tell whether Dana did the right thing giving herself up or not, Harper wouldn't exactly have been safe with Madden, but he pretty much had nothing except a theory and evidence he couldn't use without incriminating himself.Whilst it was slightly weird given they've only just met, I did like the little scene between Irene and Dana, and I remain glad that the show seems to have moved on to making Irene a motherly figure to young adults.

Forrest is still a pretty cool customer but again we see signs that he can be reasonable and even generous to those who don't cross him. I suspect he was just stringing Kirby along and knew full well that her ideas weren't going to go anywhere. And he really wasn't interested in Justin's input, although I suspect most people in his position wouldn't be. However, he seemed entirely genuine in his acknowledgement that Justin's life is, in many ways, better than his and aware that by focusing on his career he's missed out on a lot.

I did appreciate Felicity throwing herself behind Tane's idea and I think she's right that she's changed and sees Tane as her home now. It does feel like a bit of a pipe dream though to buy some land in New Zealand with a vague plan to build a house on it some time in the next few decades.

[H&Alover]

Not doubting you at all Red, but are you sure about that? I'm sure we saw Irene showing photos of the twins to Leah in the Diner when she came back last time? 

Irene had to say it at sometime "girlie".   It was nice to be reminded of the 'old times' when Irene did her looking after young folk so well. 

Seeing as Dana got her sister into this situation it was only right she should give herself up.   Well as we saw he hadn't taken Dana to the cop shop but a hidden building somewhere.  Funny how many of those suddenly appear when needed for people for get trapped  and be held hostage in.  Did we hear another person in the background saying something about being brought down? 

I also think part of what Forrest said was genuine. He did fob Kirby off about her wanting her own image but 'trying' to get them to agree with her ideas.  But hey that is nothing new, it's been happening for years.   New groups/solo artists has an image created for them by the people behind them.  At least she won't have to worry - I hope - about them wanting her  to change her name.   He can be very persuasive when he wants something and now Kirby is on her own so to speak she has no-on else to run it by.   The old quote "It's lonely at the top" does seem to apply to Forrest and but he did acknowledge Justin must have seen something in Lyrik as he backed them when no-one else would likely to have.  He bought them their van, used the Garage's name to sponsor them without Leah's knowledge, let's not forget earning him a right ear bashing.  I know it's the way TPTB wrote him but Forrest does come across as very 80's with the flash open neck shirt and gold chain. 

Once Flick had got over the shock she did seem to be keen on Tane's idea of buying land in NZ and building a home which apparently is going to be a long, long term project so not bunking off just yet.     It did look a lovely location. 

[Slade]

You can't really blame them but I don't think it's fair the position they put Irene in expecting her to go along and habour Dana thereby committing a crime.  I did find it amusing when Irene said to Harper and Dana, "I'm not giving you squat".  Whilst both Harper and Cash had a bit of explaining to do, it didn't really take much convincing to get Irene onside.  Once again Dana acts without thinking and reveals herself to Madden just as he was about to take Harper away, thereby making Harper and Irene subject to criminal charges, which was funny given that she was about to shoot through and spoke about Irene blowing their cover in the same episode.  Although it probably wouldn't have made much difference as I would have expected Madden or the other guy to search Irene's place anyway.

I have been sceptical of Felicity but this time I wasn't keen on Tane springing his desire to buy a property in New Zealand on her and expecting her to make a major decision in a very short amount of time.  To be fair she did seem genuinely happy at the prospect but I'm surprised she would want to move away from Cash, Eden, Remi etc.

Now that Kirby's free of Lyric, it starting to feel like the grass is greener.  It was interesting seeing Forrest acknowledge to Justin the less desirable parts of his job i.e. the travelling and not a lot of time to focus on presumably hobbies, romance/socialising.

[Red Ranger 1]

Things not looking good for Dana, even if she did manage to throw herself a tiny bit of a lifeline. She really should have reckoned on Fletcher coming round (has she never watched a horror film?) and kept a hand on that iron bar. I really hope we get a better explanation for Madden that "He's doing it because he's the bad guy." Why did he frame Dana in the first place, is he in the pay of drug dealers using her as a scapegoat as was suggested at one point? It feels a bit like he's digging himself a deeper and deeper hole: He might claim he can make any evidence disappear, but if he's worried about the anti-corruption commission, his alleged victim turning up dead when he's the last person known to see her alive with a flimsy story that Cash poked holes in straightaway isn't really going to be the easy answer he seems to think it is. I was left feeling Cash would have been better off keeping that meeting than hanging around the station being insulted, although he was eventually in the right place to do something.

John really has a hard time telling when he's not welcome. I did enjoy seeing Felicity in force of nature mode again, and Tane obviously did too.

[Slade]

Well, no Lyric yesterday.

I wonder what Madden's plan would have been if Dana hadn't revealed herself when he came to arrest Harper or perhaps he knew she was there all along and thought if he arrested Harper, she would give herself up.  I don't know what it is about the actor but there's just something in the tone of his voice for me which makes the role more convincing.  I think it's particularly effective when he keeps it quite low and calm.  Madden's a thoroughly unpleasant individual and I think the whole thing is extremely disturbing the fact they planned to kidnap and murder a young girl via a drug overdose.  I have to admit, I did enjoy the scene at the police station when he was trying to get under Cash's skin that he disrupted the meeting Cash lined up with the anti-corruption people.  Cash had to seriously suppress the urge to do something.  It was very similar to when he had to interview his sister's attacker. I agree that Dana should have anticipated Fletcher coming round.  In addition to Madden, I'm slightly curious about Fletcher, going through all of that for a bit of extra cash (No pun intended).  Hopefully, Dana will make it.

I would have found it really annoying if I was in Tane/Felicity's position, John just sat down and proceeded to lecture me about buying the land in NZ although admittedly he did actually have a very good point with regards to weighing up the pros and cons.  Before Tane did the reveal, Felicity was worried John jinxed their offer but it was accepted and I wonder if she has now jinxed it when she said there was no way they were changing their minds.  I'm also concerned given how over the moon she is.  I hope I'm wrong.

[CaptainHulk]

I for one support Tane's move to buy Property in Kiwiland!

Glad Irene was able to smell a rat although said rat came charging in with a warrant...

Ooh aye Bent Copper, soaplands's crawling with 'em!

[H&Alover]

Damned if she did and damned if she didn't in regards to Dana giving herself up.  I thought Fletcher had Irene's under surveillance so would have seen Dana if she had tried to slip away. Madden has more things on his mind at present than charging Irene and Harper with harbouring a fugitive. It was Fletcher who overheard Cash in the Diner - where else - saying about him going to the anticorruption  commission which is why he and Madden  had to act so fast.   He does cover his tracks well, but Cash and Rose were both onto him.  We actually saw other cops at the station, non-speaking though and no Sarge as Cash  had to call him.   Rose did come across as the clear thinking one, calming Cash down when Madden was pushing his buttons.   He did enjoy seeing Cash fidget when he picked up Cash's tie that he was going to wear with his dress uniform when he was  to do his now aborted visit.

Maybe and of course I'm only guessing with Madden did he turn to the bad side  unintentionally and just got in deeper and deeper?  It always come across as more threatening when the villain speaks so reasonably and calmly making it look like everyone else is losing their cool. 

It did take Fletcher a while to come round, I was expecting him to pounce when Dana was going through his pockets or when she used his thumb to access his mobile.  Give her due though she did put up a good fight.    Harper reacted the right way when she got that call from  Dana, not a number she knew but  chose to answer it anyway.    Two sides of thinking to Cash and team charging in, lights flashing and sirens blaring, it meant Madden could put on his saving Dana's life act, but if they had crept in they could have caught him in the act. 

That is the John that can annoy people, butting in and wanting to give his advice.  He did have experience of being duped with Susie. He did take it in good part being told, nicely, to go away.   He does have  a point though there is no-one in NZ to keep an eye on what the agents are up to, unless Tane has got someone in the family to keep any eye on proceedings.   Did Felicity miss John's comments about family or did she deliberately ignore it, Tane  picked up on it. Do Tane and Flick have to  pay any money up front and how much?  Once Flick gets the bit between her teeth nothing can stop her.  

Don't know who Lyric are but Lyrik will be back. 

[pembie]

Even though I would say that Harper and Dana’s story is the best of the year or only good one for me 

I don’t really understand what made Dana so important to have Olly and Madden to try and frame her Why was Olly being protected by crooked cops It make sense if Dana was a celebrity or famous politician so I don’t maybe we will find out more 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

While it was satisfying, the ending to Madden's storyline was a bit weak with far too many things left unexplained. We'll probably get a bit more (I doubt they'll leave the never-seen Olly as a dangling plot thread) but I'm not sure it will ever really make sense why exactly Madden was doing all this and why it was so important that Dana be blamed for the drug theft.Whilst it's completely in character for Cash to arrest Madden the moment he had the slightest excuse, I can't help feeling that the most likely outcome would be for his sergeant to ask him what the hell he's doing and set Madden loose. While Cash does have evidence, and he can probably use all of it now he's not trying to hide the fact he knew where Dana was, it would take him time to gather it all. Again, I was left feeling he'd have been better off keeping that meeting with the anti-corruption, since it wasn't until pretty late on that his being at the station actually achieved anything. As with whether Dana would be better off keeping quiet and letting Madden take Harper or not, I think both Cash and Rose have a point in that Cash taking Dana into custody might have let them protect her or might have led to Madden doing the same thing.As for Madden, I guess he just wasn't as untouchable as he thought he was.

The B-plot didn't really seem to achieve much except setting up a more low stakes next episode (Will Xander arrange a hen night on time?!) and resolving a falling out between Xander and Mali that I'd pretty much forgotten about.

[Slade]

No Lyric on Tuesday either.

Well, I was relieved Dana was OK but I'm afraid, whilst I haven't really liked her as of late, I agreed with Rose here.  I thought Irene was correct when she said Rose was harsh with Harper but Rose is right.  All four of them have handled this pretty badly.  Dana messed up by not handing herself in, allowing Harper, Cash, Irene to harbour her and phoning her ex boyfriend to gloat that she had footage from the restaurant that provided an alibi.  Harper messed up by protecting Dana and unwittingly dragging other people into it, rather than talking Dana into giving herself up.  Irene went along with this because of "two innocent girls".  Cash is the worst because he's a police officer.  I agree that if Dana handed herself in then Madden would have been less likely to try and off her, who knows they might have been able to get the video footage from the restaurant to clear her.  Part of me wanted Cash to deck Madden but he would end up in more trouble that presumably he's going to be.

The problem for me with the Xander/Mali scenes is that I don't particularly find either character very interesting so found them hard to enjoy.