2026 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

I think the Holden storyline has officially entered Idiot Plot territory. It would be an exaggeration to say that the storyline would be over if everyone involved wasn't an idiot, but it feels like it was necessary for at least 75% of the episode to happen. Firstly, we have characters repeatedly insisting that Holden's gone, as if being rude to him is all it takes, despite all the other times he's been told to get lost and continued popping up like a whack-a-mole as if it didn't happen. Honestly, Mali's cocky attitude, repeatedly saying "Holden won't turn up" a few seconds of screen time before he does, really did deserve someone to slam him over the head and say "What the hell are you not getting here?!"

Then they have the option of keeping Lacey in a public place where people can watch her or leaving her somewhere on her own. They try and cover it by having Leah ask if Holden knows where she lives and offering to stay with her, but that just highlights the fact that whenever characters have a choice, they choose the one that's going to put them in peril and leave me shouting "Why are people on television so stupid?"

I can see why Lacey didn't feel able to tell Holden where to go again when he had her cornered in the house, but in many ways, playing along with him and making him think she likes him was the worst thing she could do. Pretty much the only time Holden had anything approaching a point was when he accused her of sending out mixed messages. Up until then, she'd been very firm about what she wanted but now she's given him a straw to grasp.

And it doesn't help that Mali is basically to Holden what Tane is to Kerrie: The guy that was openly hostile towards the villain long before they'd done anything obviously (or at all) bad and therefore made it easy to use them as a scapegoat for being rejected.

It's a shame, because the storyline has a lot of potential with an identifiable threat and good performances, but the mechanics needed to move things from A to B were so contrived that I was just left shaking my head at how badly plotted it all was.

Only other thing on offer is Mackenzie and Levi's baby talk. I'm not sure why they can't have both Tane and Mali as godfathers, especially if it's a boy who traditionally have two? Oh, and more signs that the week's had scenes moved from episode to episode with Eden making an uncredited appearance in the first scene.

[CaptainHulk]

I only wish Harry Hill was still around to to rip on shows via TV Burp. He'd blow a whole ep on H&A!

[pembie]

8 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

I only wish Harry Hill was still around to to rip on shows via TV Burp. He'd blow a whole ep on H&A!

I think the two of us should do that job when do you want to start?

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three, and he was credited on Tuesday for no appearance.

I don't blame Mali for trying to go along with Lacey's wishes at first but it had got past the point of keeping secrets from David once the police were involved anyway. Sending Mackenzie, who'd actually witnessed Holden grabbing Lacey, might have been smarter than sending Levi: Then again, the way Mackenzie's behaving at the moment, she'd probably have landed herself in a cell. I am glad that Leah and Lacey seem to have slipped back into the close relationship they had before Theo died (or rather before Lacey took Theo away from the reception). When we got that scene of Holden in the beach house, I thought "They're surely not going to send Lacey home on her own for the second time in as many episodes, are they?" It looked like my worst fears were confirmed when they did exactly that, but then Holden didn't appear so...I guess he left? Anyway, David applies an AVO appropriately for once.

Mackenzie showed her unlikable and narcissistic side again, turning on Harper. It was probably at least partly motivated by concern for Mali, but it was notable that one of her main concerns was that no-one told her, the centre of the universe, what was going on (which should surely be as much down to Tane and even Cash as Harper?). Not that Harper's helping matters by asking David for an update twice a day, although he probably should have taken her offer of help more seriously.

[H&Alover]

If the SL ran as we thought it should and the characters did what we thought they should do there wouldn't be any drama would there?  If Holden did as he was asked/told to do the first place, it'd all be over.  How did he know where Lacey lived and get into the house twice!  Give him some credit though he knows how to cook. 

Mali had bad vibes about Holden the first time he turned up, some people just do give them out.  Holden did lie about how good he was at surfing, then he sent those text messages to Mali's pupils which Lacey caught him out on so once again he wasn't giving the right signals out. He's also been aggressive to others, like Abi.  Fair enough her playing along with him was giving him mixed massages but he also wasn't getting her ignoring him.

As seen David has finally been filled in.

We did find out Mac is now seven weeks pregnant, at least all this other  drama with Tane has kept her mind off it and wanting to blurt it out to everyone.  Good point, if babe is a boy they could have Tane and Mali but wouldn't Levi want someone from his side of the family? 

As been said Mali didn't have much of  a choice but to tell David who he was protecting from Holden even though it meant breaking Lacey's confidence.  Mac was  a witness but then so was Levi even if he turned up later. It did appear, to me at least, that Holden doesn't know David is Lacey's dad, they do have different surnames after all so he wouldn't have that connection to make.  Lacey did tell David why she hadn't told him before even if she was still insisting to Leah he shouldn't be told.  There are all those texts Holden has been sending her which she can show David. I may be wrong but doesn't it have to be the person who's being harassed  who has to agree to take out the AVO because as we saw Lacey had to sign it. Didn't he ask Jo to take one out before and she refused?   David did arrange  for a cop to taker her home but Holden had already been and gone. 

Who would have thought that when David first appeared in the bay and Lacey was so against him she was ready to do a runner  it would turn out this? 

Mac was very down on Harper, even banning her from Salt, who is feeling guilty enough anyway for bringing her mum to the bay and causing all this bother with Tane. Cash, as a cop, couldn't tell her what was going down, he'd already broken the rules by telling Eden and is going off to do his own thing.  

 

Edited Friday at 12:47 by H&Alover

[c120701]

I was impressed that they’ve changed the shot of Sonny in the titles to one which doesn’t show him walking.

I thought the same about the cop who dropped Lacey home not clearing the house, but then there she was today with the back door open.

[Red Ranger 1]

7 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Good point, if babe is a boy they could have Tane and Mali but wouldn't Levi want someone from his side of the family? 

I imagine they'll have Eden and/or Abby as godmother.

[James Martin]

Tane's bracelet is clearly playing silly beggars.  Is he not supposed to leave his house?  Clearly it's not holding its charge.

I was worried Holden was going to lace the food with a date rape drug, but thankfully that hasn't happened.  Also, I don't think she'd eat it.

Tonight's big plot hole; Why hasn't David had him for breaking & entering?

[H&Alover]

It really did seem Holden didn't know David is Lacey's dad, I don't think they have seen each other and David was very professional when asking Holden to complete that AVO notice, when a natural instinct would be to punch his lights out, I'm guessing it has to be handed to the perpetrator  in person so they can't say they never got it if posted, but then as Holden was leaving David warned  him not to go anywhere near my house again.  Then Holden goes straight to the Diner and slags off Leah accusing her of putting Lacey up to take out the AVO. Jo, not being at home didn't know about  Lacey's problem with Holden either so that was why she was puzzled when Holden approached her at the Surf Club.  Holden really doesn't believe he's doing anything wrong, hasn't physically hurt her but she did show David the texts he's been sending her. 

Locking the door hasn't stopped Holden before has it?  

 Silly question but did Holden bring along his own food or use the Langham's?

Tane's bracelet is faulty, it can happen,  as it's beeping away when he's not at all violating where he can go, debatable if David was overreacting again when he told Tane to come back to the station.   Tane  obviously hadn't read the instruction leaflet that came with it, but then that's blokes for you.   

Levi managed to talk sense into Mac after she had a go at Jo about banning Harper, Jo was fine with her and so was Tane when she turned up with Archie who went to Salt to have it out with Mac.  He hadn't fully charged his battery on his bracelet which is why it likely went off again. I had  to  when Levi muttered "Good Luck with that" when Jo asked for  a quiet word with Mac.     

[Red Ranger 1]

19 hours ago, H&Alover said:

It really did seem Holden didn't know David is Lacey's dad

Lacey introduced David to Holden as her dad when he turned up at the surf club as they were about to go to dinner a few weeks back.