Decider

I would bet my last dollar that bra belongs to Roxy and she left it behind after hooking up with Dean. I am also betting that Carol was winding Shirley up when she said she and Buster had sex, especially after the chat she had with Buster about not wanting to be thought of as the frumpy old gran. So nice to see Martin tell Stacey that she can't run back and forth to him, but of course that changed right quick now that Kush is standing by Shabnam. Not looking forward to the "Stacey's pregnant" storyline.

Loved the scenes with Carol and Buster and I really wish Lindsey Coulson wasn't leaving. I wonder if Shirley will apologize when she finds out that bra doesn't belong to Carol. Not holding my breath on that.

Eatveggies, this thread is for the current BBC episodes that are airing (June 2015). The PBS episode thread is where discussion would be for older episodes. Another pregnancy on the show? BORING.

Stacey will run back to Martin again, count on that, especially now that Shabnam is pregnant. Thank goodness Stacey and Kush haven't actually consummated their attraction just yet or I could see her turning up pregnant and all.

I think Stacey and Kush came out of nowhere, too. They have more chemistry together than Roxy and Charlie, I will agree with that. Stacey was all about Shabnam being her best mate and supporting her all through the time when she was struggling with her feelings for Kush, but now that they are together and engaged, Stacey just has to be with him? Feh. It was the same with Stacey-Ryan-Janine but at least Ryan was Lily's father, so there was that connection between the two of them. And the way that Stacey is using Martin is sad to watch, too. At least have the common decency to not lead him on and instantly run to him to be loved up every time she can't have Kush.

Hate, hate, hate this Shabnam-Kush-Stacey storyline. Cora! That was unexpected. Casting news:

jellywager: Flaca. It's a Spanish word that means skinny.

Ian has never been inclined to listen to Cindy, anyway, even if she had been reasonable about the whole situation. She's always been a reminder to him of her mother and all of his failures where Cindy Sr. was concerned and Jane only cares that she'll spill the beans about Bobby. Adopting Beth was all about getting a baby for Jane and appeasing the little Damien they have living in their house (Bobby). So sad that Dot was not able to go to Nick's funeral. I am completely over this whole Ronnie-Charlie-Roxy foolishness.

I am going with the theory that Kathy's husband Gavin is Sharon's biological father and that his connection to Sharon is that he was somehow involved with The Firm back in the days when Den Watts was hooked up with them, which would explain how Sharon came to be adopted by Den and Angie. Ian and Jane are absolutely despicable people in the way they have treated Cindy. I wanted to slap the both of theim more than once when Terry was getting ready to leave with Beth. Whatever Cindy's reasons for not wanting to raise Beth, they are hers. Ian and Jane have no blood connections to Beth and aren't even Cindy's legal guardians so this idea that their desires trump the intention of the birth mother just seems wrong to me. At least Beth is out of their clutches now and in a good home with Bianca and Terry (and TJ, to a certain extent).

That man is not Sharon's father. Phil being able to just produce him out of thin air is just way too convenient. One of Ritchie's clients, maybe?

Wootini, that was indeed the first time we have ever seen Fat Elvis on the show.

eejm, I recall reading a mention somewhere that Dean's medical records could have been in some old papers of Kevin's that Shirley had Bianca clear out of Pat's attic a while back.

I haven't watched today's episode yet but I would bet everything I own that Mick is going to be the baby's father, mostly because

This summer on EastEnders.

If Carrie ends up pregnant again after her hookup with Coop at the restaurant, I am going to lose all hope. I would bet my last dollar that she will be and will end up going off to join him in Boston.

Jake and Danny are Alfie's cousins.

The statement made by Diane Sawyer was that for the purposes of this particular interview, Bruce preferred to be referred to as him. From the GLAAD statement about the interview:

All I have to say is that Charlie better sleep with one eye open when Ronnie gets out of that hospital bed.

I am officially over Roxy/Charlie/Ronnie though I loved the scene where Dot basically called Charlie on the carpet over all of his foolishness. I hadn't even thought about the parallel between them and Dot/Charlie/Rose. This idea that Charlie is suddenly so besotted with Roxy that he would leave his child and his hospitalized wife for her seems to have materialized out of thin air. And he has more nerve than a toothache to tell Roxy that she has to stay away from them. I wish Roxy had cursed him out instead of whimpering in response to that ultimatum.

Alan and Carol were already together when they came to live on the Square but they were not married despite having a son together (Billie) and the other children taking on Alan's last name. It was when the family was attending her sister April's wedding that there was the first showing of Jim and Derek's feelings about Alan. I remember watching that episode but it was so long ago that it is easy to forget most of that family backstory.

Carol said she called Robbie when she mentioned calling Bianca, but she had not called Jack, Suzy or April. I think a lot of Jim's bullying and racist behavior was not shown that much onscreen. I do recall that he was not the most welcoming towards Alan when he and Carol were together and Jim refused to give her away when they got married because Alan was black. He softened up quite a bit after he and Dot married and he became friends with Patrick.

Cancer isn't an easy way to go, as we all know, and while the storyline may have seemed long, the portrayal was pretty spot on. EDIT: just finished watching today's episode. Still on the fence about having Stan and Jim's deaths parallel each other but I thought the balance between showing what both families were going through was well done. Carol's anger and her reluctance to go break the news to Dot, the scenes with Shirley and Mick, Dot and Sonia, the overhead pans at the very end. Glad there was no duff-duff, too.

I was wondering why Shirley and Buster, of all people, would need to be at the cafe when Carol told Sonia about Jim's death. I realized that DTC probably decided to tie it in with Stan so that Shirley could have the revelation that she needed to make peace with him before he dies. I kind of feel like that does not do justice to what John Bardon and the character were to the show. I hope he gets a fitting sendoff next week and I just don't know how I am going to bear the scene when Dot finds out. All the scenes today with Timothy West in the hospital were just heartbreaking. Stan with Sylvie, Babe (the character has not been my favorite but I still felt for her at the end) and Cora were all excellent.

I knew as soon as 1) Phil told Shirley that if Dean was in prison, she would at least know where he was, 2) Shirley didn't answer Buster's phone call and then 3) was seen close by while Dean was being arrested that she called the police.

I think that Stacey and Alfie have been through this with Kat so many times that they probably figured this rough patch would pass, too. At least Alfie caught on in enough time to know that he needed to go to her immediately and was able to get her help in time. Kat's scenes with Tommy broke my heart, both for Tommy and for her. Edited to add the latest show news: Kat and Alfie to get their own show.