2026 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[James Martin]

The good news is the slow pace of Australian transmissions means we're now under 4 weeks behind; the current gap is a mere 18 episodes.  One assumes this will slip as the season gets back-loaded with triple bills.

[H&Alover]

Mostly hospital based with the Tane situation, Mac does have a blinkered version of things at times, any  responsible head cop would put an escapee on remand.  I know Mac is past her 12 week period but wouldn't all this stress be bad for her, after last time along with her heart condition, that seems  to have been forgotten. How does Jo feel about Mac wanting to spend so much time sitting  by Tane's bedside?

Being Tane, before his relapse, did ask about Peterson and was relieved to know he was OK.  

It did seem to have come out of nowhere Kerrie suddenly contacting Harper, she of course or so it seemed, didn't know about the baby cam and the fact she had now been seen on it. It would have come across as too easy for the cops to have found it, but not excusing them they wouldn't have known about it would they? Harper would have known about and maybe Jo so why didn't they just mention that something may have been seen on it?

It does happen like that with kids, someone did jut put in Archie's toy box and Casey just had to have a rummage in it as kids do and found the monitor.  He did open up to have 'broken' it when he could have just kept quiet. 

Not wanting to give too much away but  to tech girl. 

Harper and Dana have had their arguments before  about Harper bringing Kerrie back into their lives, I'm guessing she'll be brought up to date about the latest development.

[James Martin]

Felt like a filler episode today, with everyone around Tane's bashing having used too many episodes, so the plot had to be progressed (not that it has been really) by Dana, Eden and others reporting on what's been going down at the hospital.

Only real plot driven forward was Sonny can stand again.  Doesn't look like much changes tomorrow either, with the promo focusing on Mali moving on without Abby a little too quickly.

[Red Ranger 1]

6pm episode kind of felt like a filler too, with just endless scenes of people moping about Tane and/or taking it out on those around them, and the only plot development of note taking place almost entirely off screen. Kerrie getting arrested just felt like an exercise in box ticking that even Harper points out doesn't actually change anything for anyone on the show, and given that everyone else seems to be getting away with their crimes, I wouldn't have been bothered if she'd never been heard from again.

Mackenzie continues to be so awful to everyone else that I really can't be bothered to feel any sympathy for her when she's crying at Tane's bedside. I guess Levi has accepted that Mackenzie and Tane (and Mali) is basically a case of "If you can't be with your brother, then your brother's the one you're with". Whilst in a sense I'm pleased Lacey stuck up for David, something we could never have imagined happening when he first turned up, it was obvious Mackenzie wasn't in the mood to listen. Jo bringing up Theo was incredibly insensitive and she's lucky Lacey managed to bite her tongue until she'd gone.

[H&Alover]

We didn't even see him apart from the flashbacks from the previous episode.   One moment Levi was 'throwing' Jo out then the next   moment she was solving Tane's breathing problem but clicking it was the tube.  Did she wear gloves btw? 

I was going to say I know it came across as crass Jo asking how it was for Lacey with Theo, BUT I wondered if she meant when Theo was brought in after Gage dropped the car on him but then I remembered Leah had banned her from his bedside.  Meaning she did mean how it was for her having him die on you. I think it completely nonplussed her and it didn't hit her until after. I'm glad she had Leah to turn to and we did hear that Leah felt guilty about the last words she said to Theo. 

Justin was doing his bit too when Remi was moaning that Eden had written a song about his troubles but as Justin said who else apart from him, Eden and Sonny who else would know? I could be wrong but from the look on Remi's face when Justin said he remembered when Remi was playing for free outside Salt if he will return to that.  Remi took Justin's advice to heart and went back to hear the song properly. 

Seeing as Mac is spending most of her time siting by Tane's bed who's in charge at Salt?

I suppose that now Kerrie has been nicked that chapter can be closed.  Dana got wise words from Sonny about how torn  she must feel about Kerrie being caught. She never got to meet her dad in his later days so wasn't able to resolve her feelings about him.  It did scupper his plans about HIS good news.  At least we didn't get the usual plot of someone blurting it out to Dana as they thought she knew so good that Remi kept his mouth shut. 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

I actually thought there was some good character work in that one. Dana surprised me as much as she did herself: I was expecting her to be full-on "Ding dong, the witch is dead" about Kerrie's arrest but instead, like Harper, she can see there's an element of sadness that this is how her life's ended up and that she wasn't all bad. It did look like Sonny was going to have to wait for another episode to share his news but he managed to throw it out there in the end!

I must admit my sympathy for Lacey evaporated somewhat when she started saying Jo has an opportunity to say goodbye to Tane and she didn't get that with Theo because, well, she got more of an opportunity than most. She was with Theo when he died, so I'm not sure Jo's any better off if she sits by Tane's bedside while he slowly slips away. But I'm glad Leah gave her some gentle advice to pull herself together and be there for her family.

Eden's song went down like a lead balloon at first but Justin continues his agony uncle role to give Remi a new perspective.

But yeah, looks like Tane's going to be unconscious in hospital for a few episodes until episode counts get refreshed.

[H&Alover]

As Sonny said to Dana she would have  conflicting emotions about Kerrie and even she had to admit Kerrie did care about Archie and she did get to meet him. He is a very good listener, doesn't judge just sees it from  a different prospective but doesn't play it down.

The look on Dana's face when she turned round and saw Sonny standing was lovely, I'm guessing she forgot she  needed a wee. A lot more heart warming moments followed. A clever, if sneaky trick she and Sonny played on Eden. I did like that Sonny felt he should be considerate to one person about he could now walk before it becomes public knowledge. It did go down well and said person was well chuffed for him. It's gong to be a while of course until he can get back on his board.  Mali could relate  in that respect as he got back on his board too early after his eardrums were damaged.   Also it was good to see Sonny wasn't playing the macho card. 

I can see why Lacey feels like Jo is lucky, Tane may be in  a coma but she can talk to him and no-one yet knows if he is going to die, Lacey didn't get that chance, not even a goodbye, as Theo was killed instantly.  Going back to Tane how many times have we seen  people in a coma/at deaths door and they have survived.  Do TPTB 'drag it out' or have him come round in  a few days and be fine. 

Big decision for Remi to  make re his getting back into music or not but he's got the support of Eden and Sonny whatever he decides. 

The 'old' Roo made a reappearance  fusing over Alf but.....

[demerse]

The show had improved a bit in the last year but I reckon that episode where Sonny went around showing people he can stand is among the worst ever broadcast. 

[Red Ranger 1]

I definitely liked that John was in the top five people Sonny wanted to tell about his recovery. He seemed to get a lot more respect than normal in this episode, I liked him going "Yeah, I'm outta here" when things started to boil over at the Stewart place because there was no way he was going to be allowed an opinion. Remi turning Eden's questioning back on her was a good move too.

I feel my sympathies mostly lay with Alf here. My dad's about his age and I would never dream of telling him not to use a stepladder, I trust him not to know what he's doing there. Alf should have kept on top of his mail but I can well understand wanting to get on with your day rather than immediately responding to someone insisting something needs to be dealt with now, so long as he's not planning to go out driving straightaway. (Mind you, the promo suggests he does exactly that!)

I like Abigail but I didn't have much sympathy for her here. She and Mali did do a good job of sitting down and having a friendly conversation, but if they've broken up, she doesn't have any right to say anything about him going on a date with someone else (if Mali even saw it as a date, although Lily was laying it on pretty thick!). That said, she actually hasn't said anything, so maybe I'm being unfair on her, I can understand how it would feel a bit weird.

[H&Alover]

I reckon it was because John understood, indirectly, how Sonny was feeling so  just John wanted to be one of the first to know his good news. I don't know if the others Justin , Leah and co will be told on screen as the SL has switched to the new cop arriving in town well Yabbie Creek.  

Wasn't just John taking himself off, Marilyn did the same as she picked up on the tension between Alf & Roo.    I may be being picky but why didn't Maz or Roo for that matter bring in the mail instead of us seeing Maz dump a load of it on the table

I had the same thought as you Red about Roo getting her knickers in  a knot about Alf going up a step ladder which he's done hundreds of times in the past, if he didn't feel safe he wouldn't have - but this is Alf we're talking about.  But as we saw in the promo him not opening his mail did have a knock on effect. Saying no more if you haven't seen the 'new' episode.   Could that particular piece of  mail have arrived after he left to see Martha?  I don't know how it works in Aus when motorists reach a certain age  in the UK they  have be checked out they are fit to drive  but seems  something similar happens there. 

That was  a good  chat between Mali and Abby, did laugh when he spooked her but she was wearing a towel around her head and he did call out her name  several times. They did seem to reach an agreement about being friends, of course nothing was said about if either of them met someone else.

Lily was certainly not backwards in coming forwards was she?  Blatant flirting and she wouldn't know then if he was with someone else.  Abby didn't say anything but it would have hurt that Mali seemed to have moved on pretty damn quick.  I don't think he knew she was there as Mali if he had  known would be more discreet.  But Alf compounds the problem the next day with a casual remark. 

Going off piste and this is really trifling BUT Milo went to get a coffee for himself and Lily in Salt.  Abby would know how Mali takes his coffee but she wouldn't know how Lily  takes her and Mali didn't ask her.  Does she take it black/white/with/without sugar?   New boy does the same thing the next day.