2023 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Slade]

I'm really not happy Alf's back.  Find very little likeable about him and just find him to often be a grumpy, miserable person.  I find a lot of the characters annoying and with the exception of Eden can just about handle them but not Alf.  I'd completely forgotten about Harvey.  I quite liked him.  I have to admit, I enjoyed the scenes with Roo and Marilyn.  They seem to gel quite well now that they've fallen out and are friends again.  Surprised they didn't wait a little while longer before discussing how they were lying.  Did they forget that Alf has a hearing aid now?  Don't see why they can't just fess up and tell him the truth.

I suspected Felicity wouldn't tell Tane the truth.  Mackenzie is going to be forced to make a decision.  Either way she's going to be the bad guy.  If she keeps quiet, she does her close mate Tane a disservice.  But if she tells him Felicity is using birth control, she's not being loyal to the person who bailed her out and stopped her business from going under.

I've not seen anything to indicate Dana is a bad nurse and she was OK with Roo, she's nice to look at but I don't know, she just doesn't seem that nice.  I know I've said Harper comes across as a goody two shoes and I'm not expecting Dana to be like that but there something about her that bothers me.

[H&Alover]

I totally get Leah was very stressed but why was she acting so dumb asking Bree what an echo was, she must have heard of it before.  Might seem cruel but she does need hauling out of there for her own good, she won't be of any help to Justin if she collapses.  Where has Theo gone btw?  Also considering how serious the situation could be shouldn't Torri,  Brody and Ava be informed, she told Bree there wasn't anyone that needed to be told.  This may seem trivial but does someone at the hospital shave Justin as he looks pretty clean shaven for someone who has been lying there for about a week.  Another niggle Leah's nails, they were perfect.

Someone, obviously, has been keeping Alf up to date as he came back early.  

Dana also went up in my estimation, although it was a tad awkward with her first meeting with Alf.  She didn't know he didn't know about the 'arrangement' but when she twigged she quickly got out of there. She did warn Marilyn & Roo about him being back so they could get their stories straight, but they were both lying.  Nearly worked but as Alf said he didn't come down in the last shower and him overheating their conversation put the last nail on it. 

I  about  how he was treating them like naughty schoolgirls, telling  Maz to sit down and demanded they tell him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  

Oh Roo did say Martha was coming to Alf's do, do you think she will? 

The waylaying him with having the old  photos out by saying she was digitising them was a nice touch.  Seeing Alf with  hair was a surprise, you don't notice the fact he's now lost it  when you see him so regularly.  John, Irene and those involved with the do will need to know he's back so they keep even more hush. 

Dana also stayed up in my estimation by going to see Bree and asking about a job and owning up to as why she lost her last one.  It would possibly have come out anyway if ND HR department does it's job properly and checks with Dana's last hospital but the  fact she's admitted it before hand is in her favour.   She did confess to Roo when she was interviewed.   Not knocking the fact Dana is a nurse so easy for her to get  a job,  but Harper is an psychologist, I think, so not much need for one of those in Summer Bay.  Though having said that what with all the problems they have in the bay maybe not. 

Felicity had so many chances to tell Tane the truth but kept wimping out, but he was coming on strong, warning her about having too much coffee, then the Maori tradition about expectant mums not cutting their hair was putting more pressure on her.  I did clock the look on his face with that last hug which made me think he's getting the feeling somethings not right. 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

It's obviously just a plot device to avoid bringing back actors, but I found Leah's "I'm his family" attitude rather selfish.I'm assuming Justin has her down as next of kin, so legally she's entitled to make these decisions, but morally, there's other people who love Justin and might want a chance to say goodbye, and she's denying them that because she doesn't want them getting in her way.Objectively, if he's just got hours left, Tori probably wouldn't get there in time and possibly Brody and Raffy wouldn't either, but Ava's just down the road and would be distraught at being cut out yet again.It's pretty ridiculous that Lyrik get an update and the Morgans don't! Oh well, perils of being a long-serving character on a soap opera, I guess...

Alf actually pleasantly surprised me and I thought the scenes were played nicely light, with Marilyn and Roo not taking his attempt to lay down the law with his middle-aged daughters entirely seriously, and him making it clear that it's only because he worries about them and, crucially, not taking sides as he has a tendency to do when dealing with them.

Trying to get Kirby out of her contract continues to be the lowest stake of the follow-through from our UK cliffhanger.I kind of like that everyone's trying to band together on this (so to speak!) but Forrest is being remarkably laidback about it all. Maybe he just feels he holds all the cards so he can ignore them.

[pembie]

Friday’s episode was so stupid haha Stupid in the way Kirby gave up everything with Forest the rights to her songs allowing them to be sold for anything Also her chance at fame seems very silly too her being that is probably what she’s been working towards yes probably with Lyrik but it happened to be her as a solo artist instead I would understand if Forest was not very supportive but it turns out Lyrik were the ones that weren’t so to give up the chance seems very silly to me especially when Lyrik are a small town band still hoping for what Kirby had Hopefully they make it big by the time they all leave otherwise it makes this Kirby story seem all so more silly and pointless I don’t think Lyrik will all exit the show together 

Now Justin how dispointed were you too have nobody at your funeral just Theo singing and Leah shouting that you gave up Not to mention having that written on your tombstone Not a very nice thing to say about someone who has died haha

Not doing very good here I thought it was another rubbish week to be honest especially the Kirby nonsense 

[H&Alover]

Totally agree that Leah's decision not to tell Justin's family about his very serious condition is selfish.   Both Torrie and Brody didn't get the option  to say goodbye to their parents or Mason so denying them the option to say goodbye to Justin when he did such  a lot for them is so wrong.  Then of course  there's Ava  his daughter, Theo, at least, made an appearance and he's not even a relative. 

I guess TPTB thought having a chance of direction would be a bit of a relief for us.   Justin did get mentioned but the rehearsal did get put on hold  as Theo went to see Justin. 

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three. Justin was in three but spent two of them comatose.

The same problem persists: When Leah suggests now's the time for Theo to say something, I was left thinking "Well, you know, there's a lot of other people who might have liked the opportunity to say something too but you denied them that opportunity." Even if they couldn't (or wouldn't) get Tori, Brody, Raffy or Ava back, it would have been nice to do it in a way that didn't make Leah look bad.She's lucky he didn't die or she'd have a lot of upset relatives to deal with.I'm not sure that willing your way out of heart failure would work in real life but, even though it's been fairly straightforward in recent years, traditionally Home and Away has tended to take a somewhat mystical stance on life and death situations so on balance...I'm fine with it. It's not like any of us wanted Justin to die. (I think?) The ending seems like a non-issue. Leah has been almost obsessed about not marrying again, which Justin has had to go along with even though he'd clearly marry her in a heartbeat, so it's understandable he's not convinced by her about-turn but he'd probably be won over easily if she talks to him.

Meanwhile, Kirby and Remi finally get a result. It is perhaps a bit convenient that Forrest backs down at all, but he gets something to take back to his label, which is probably of more use than forcing Kirby to sit on her hands and not perform or put in a half-hearted display. I'm not quite sure why Remi assumed this would lead to Bree moving back in, since she was only meant to be there temporarily.

[CaptainHulk]

I'd rather the Lyrik stuff be either halted or had been put on earlier in the week and focused more on Justin, however it was 50/50 in Friday's.

Stranger things have happened in real life, people have been given months, DAYS to live and presto they're still walkin' around.

[Foellfan]

I thought the our of body footage was well done, the choking etc, I know some say that kind of thing is hokum but I've often wondered if there's a logic in it with meds people are given and I think that was shown there in a little moment when it said 'He gave up' on the stone it's a subconcious 'lost-in-translation' as the last things Leah was saying was things like 'Dont give up, don't leave me'., which would also explain the coldness and the 'you-don't have to marry me' both because of the meds/after effects of his ordeal but also he remembers she's always said no and wouldn't necassary realise the change of heart yet.

Time will tell.

[H&Alover]

I get Justin has come out of his coma/sedation  but wouldn't he be wondering why none of his family are there or had any calls from them? 

Although it was nice to see Irene, Marilyn and Alf  a visit from his daughter at least would have been better. Is Leah going to tell him about her arbitrary decision? 

Good luck Justin with trying to get out of that proposal just because you feel she only asked because you were dying so wouldn't be be around  to go through with it. 

I thought the out of body experience or dream Justin  had was well done, though it was odd he didn't notice that none of his family were there, but hey dreams are like that.  Him 'hearing' Leah saying he quit, must have struck a chord somewhere which brought him round. 

It can happen even when everyone, even the docs, think you have no chance, it's amazing what our bodies can do if your mind is suddenly 'kicked' into touch. Of course, it can happen the other way people seemingly doing OK suddenly have a turn for the worse and die. You often hear people suddenly rallying but it seems it was just a last effort on their part- if that doesn't sound too trite. 

Mmm, the Lyrik vs Forrest battle was settled and just in time - for Justin  coming round - sorry.  It does appear to have appeased everyone without anyone losing face.  The songs Kirby composed as a solo artist she has given up the rights on, but did I miss the agreement on the ones she had written while in Lyrik, can they now play those again?  Of course there could be the danger she writes/composes a song that sounds similar to one she has written while under contract with Forrest and his company,  she could do it subconsciously.  It has been well publicised where a songwriter/artist has been accused of plagiarising another's music as they sound similar. 

It seems Justin isn't totally out of danger from Vita Nova!   Though I note one comment was out of order - he did/does have an armed guard, we've seen him. The rogue scrubs wearer has been done before. 

 

 

[Slade]

One thing about Justin being in a coma was that he didn't have to listen to Leah's whining.

Marilyn comes up smelling of Roses.  So what happened with Roo makes her not want to lie again.  I would have thought she would not want to lie after what happened with Heather.

Don't find it plausible Forrest caved as he has very little to gain from letting Kirby go.  If they took her to court, surely the only option for her would be to do the 3 albums as agreed in her contract.