Eastenders (BBC) - General Discussion

[lianau]

And, the mystery of where Denny has been all these months.

I'm sure Bobby knows all about it ...

[Wootini]

You know what? I confess. *I* killed Lucy. There. Can we please move on now? #overit

[atlanticslide]

I think the prolonged Lucy killer/coverup storyline could be interesting if done well, and in some respects I think they've done a good job with it - I like that Bobby is becoming more aggressive, having more outbursts, and that Cindy, at least, seems to have suddenly realized that he really may be dangerous and not this sweet little boy they've all been protecting. I've also liked Jane's slow realization that she made a huge, huge mistake that's going to affect her family as well as several other innocent people. By having Bobby be the killer they really have set the storyline up to have a long-lasting affect. It would be interesting to see this secret really tear the family apart, send Jane and/or Ian into a downward spiral and maybe breakup their marriage.

 

That said, it's very frustrating to watch innocent people go to prison, and if Jake Wood is going on hiatus for a year I suspect Max is going to be in jail for that period, and that it'll be at least that long before the Bobby secret is revealed to everyone, which is annoying. It's also annoying to watch the same set of scenes over and over again each episode - Ian/Jane/Cindy worry, Bobby overheares something incriminating and wonders what's going on, someone reassures him, Ian acts like everything's cool while Jane looks like she wants to vomit, Jane almost confesses the truth, something comes up to stop her from doing so, repeat again next episode.

 

I'm also still boggling at how Bobby hasn't been able to figure things out yet. I could have sworn it was mentioned that he was eight when he killed Lucy, which would make slightly more sense, but Ian just said this week that Bobby's 12 - he's 12 years old and can't put two and two together, that he hit his sister over the head with a music box hard enough to knock her out, and the next day she was found murdered? And now his family is freaking out and having secretive conversations and no one seems that angry at Max?

 

Also, Ian and Jane letting Max potentially go to prison for the rest of his life to cover up something their kid did is so vile. But what I really don't get is, has no one called Lauren to tell her her dad has been arrested? Isn't she with Peter? Don't they both - or at least Peter - know that Bobby is the real killer? Ian and Jane may be willing to let him be falsely accused and possibly convicted, but why on earth aren't Peter and Lauren doing anything to stop this?

[Chip]

We have been letting our EastEnders pile up for a few months and we are about to start watching the first post-live week episodes. I think we'll be catching up for a while.

[Wootini]

Sigh. As soon as Claudette showed up to comfort Les, I just KNEW that Paul was going to come back with Pam. And that bit about Claudette telling Les that it was time to tell Pam the whole truth? I feel like they're going to backpedal their way out of this and make it not an affair or something. Maybe she's a massage therapist? I don't know. But I feel like they've milked it for the drama of the affair, and now they're going to say "Nope! That was a misdirect! It's actually this much less awful thing so Pam and Les can still be happy!" We'll see...

 

Oh, hey! Kathy! I nearly forgot about you!

[M. Darcy]

 

I feel like they're going to backpedal their way out of this and make it not an affair or something.

They probably will but it makes no sense.  They've had forever to tell Paul what was really going on since he caught them on vacation. 

 

So, now Ian, Jane, Cindy, Liam, Peter, Lauren and Sharon know the Bobby is really the killer.   

 

Marcus is back!!!!

 

And, aw, June Brown is losing her hearing and eyesight  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/june-brown-eastenders-dot-cotton-actress-admits-she-is-losing-her-hearing-and-eyesight-10460363.html.   

[Wootini]

I KNEW IT!

 

What is this bullshit about Les just talking to Claudette? Ugh. All this build-up about the affair, and now we're supposed to buy that nothing physical ever happened? Do we think Les was just telling Pam what she wanted to hear? Or was he telling the truth? Wow, this story just completely fell apart, didn't it...

 

(Of course, it's almost WORSE that he went to Claudette for emotional comfort/support. If it was just sex, you can forgive that because they're still IN LOVE with YOU. But something emotional like that… I appreciated when Pam said to Carol that it was worse.)

 

And I guess we're just going to have everyone in the square find out who killed Lucy one by one? (They really aren't sticking the landings on their storylines right now are they)

[M. Darcy]

 

What is this bullshit about Les just talking to Claudette?

It is total bullshit.  They went away on vacation together to just talk?!  And, he took off his tie to just talk?  And he let Paul think it was an affair all these years?

 

And, if Claudette was such a "caring" person, she would have told Les after a few years it was time to move on and start talking to Pam.  And since when has she been caring - she's has been such a bitch to Denise and Kim.

[Wootini]

Oh Lord… even if I hadn't been spoiled on the upcoming storyline, the minute Kush and Shabman were all "We're so happy! We've never been so happy!" The anvils just started plummeting to the ground all around them. NEVER SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT! Especially not on EastEnders! Kiss of death right there. Just inviting the universe to do something awful to you. And having your mother move in unexpectedly doesn't even come close to being that awful. It's like these people don't even know they're on a soap opera!

 

With every new person who finds out about Bobby, I hope they will be the one to finally reveal the truth to everyone. But now it looks like Sharon will be too distracted with Phil and "K" to bother with Bobby. Oh well. She really should spend more time worrying about her own son. Remember when we thought Denny would be the kid to set fire to something or accidentally kill someone?

 

Ooh, maybe it WAS Denny, and he pinned it on Bobby! :D

[Wootini]

I'm so gullible. When they were standing in that train station and Kathy was standing there, I was like… OOOH! Clutching the pearls and everything. But the way this show likes to drag out storylines now, clearly nothing was actually going to happen. Sigh. The way they've been doing things lately, I suppose we'll get a few more episodes of Kathy and this creepy dude, then they'll disappear for another few months and we'll maybe have someone besides Phil see her around… Christmas? But she'll persuade them to keep quiet and we won't have her seen by Ian or Ben until… March 2016? ;)

 

Also, I'm really trying to feel sorry for Stacey and her plight, but she's making it really difficult. I appreciate that she at least talked to Linda about it, but maybe bring Martin into the loop? Then he'd understand why you're being such a moody cow all the time. I'm also glad she didn't actually throw away her lithium, because I did NOT want to have to watch her treat Lily the way she was treated by Jean. Because that was pretty awful. (It just happened like, a month ago or so on our local PBS episodes)

[M. Darcy]

It is weird with Stacy.  If she goes off her lithium, she has to tell Martin and Lily.  This way they know to look out for an episode.   Or in Lily's case, why her Mom is acting this way. Or is she not thinking clearly because she already is taking less medicine.  But if everyone knows, they will be there to immediately go into action.  But then...where's the drama.

 

 

I'm so gullible. When they were standing in that train station and Kathy was standing there, I was like… OOOH! Clutching the pearls and everything.

Heh, I honestly thought that Ian had seen her. 

[TeeVee329]

Can I ask a question as a more recent viewer - how old was Kathy when she had Ian?  Because...they kinda look like they're the same age, heh.

[lianau]

She was born in 1950 and Ian in 1969 , so 18 or 19 .

[Wootini]

I'm sorry. Do they really expect us to root for Stacey and Martin? Because the two of them act like they can't even stand each other. He's such a tool. That one scene when Stacey ran into Kush outside the Vic during his stag reminded me that they had so much more chemistry together. Kush and Shabs are as chemistry-free as Stacey and Martin. I can only hope that they paired them up like that to create drama when Kush and Stacey eventually end up together. (Because clearly this EastEnders regime is all about the LONG TERM story. They just drag things out until the audience or the writers have forgotten how the story even started!)

 

It was nice to see the Carters again, though. I'd missed them. A little more variety of characters and storyline would go a long way towards making this show not be such a slog. (Although I could do without Sonya if all she's going to do is be a nosy cow sticking her oar in where Martin and Stacey are concerned -- and I don't even LIKE Martin and Stacey together!)

[TimWil]

And, lianau, she also gave birth to a daughter, Donna, after being raped at the age of 14. Donna died from a heroin overdose.

I'm hopeful that Kathy will make her full return in Walford. The thing is, I just don't think she or Phil know that Gavin is Sharon's father!

[lianau]

I like Stacey and Martin and Shabnam and Kush ,mostly because I don't want another love quadruple and who's the baby's father story line .

[M. Darcy]

Sigh.  Well, those were a "fun" two episodes to watch.  They were well acted by all involved but very difficult to watch.  Though, I admit I kind of was hoping that hot hospital chaplain (? is that his title?) would show up to say a few comforting words.

Edited September 1, 2015 by M. Darcy

[Wootini]

Yeah, I made the mistake of watching the second one on the subway on my way to work this morning. I mean, that's when I always watch it, but I should've watched this one in the privacy of my own home so I wouldn't be sitting on the train trying to act like I'm cool while constantly wiping away tears. There were quite a few moments that got to me. And yes, it was impressively acted by all involved. But boy, it was ROUGH.

 

Never thought I'd WANT them to go back to some more nonsense dragging out Lucy's murder, but can we? Tomorrow? Please? I need a break.

[M. Darcy]

Its almost like they thought what is the most depressing storyline we can think of.  Voila!

 

I just kept thinking what is going to tear Nancy and Tamwar apart...because obviously no one can ever be happy.  Unless they move away from the Square.

[Wootini]

At least there was a baby they could wrap up and hold. Remember Bianca and her… tray? *shudder*

 

Nancy and Tamwar should be okay as long as the writers forget to give them actual storyline and just keep them off-camera to pop up once every few weeks as background noise.

[M. Darcy]

Nancy and Tamwar are just so cute and normal together....I just worry.  He's a nice guy who cares about her and teases her adorably. That line about her getting married in a track suit.  I should start to hate them - then they will be safe. 

[Wootini]

Okay, look. I know EastEnders likes to drag things out, but I'm really going to need them to pick a side with Dean. Because half of the people in the square are defending him while the other half calls him a rapist. It's disturbing to me because he DID rape Linda. And the audience knows it. It wasn't even an off-camera scene where they tried to do a he-said/she-said storyline. No, we SAW him force himself on her. It was horrifying and upsetting. And the aftermath was devastating, watching people defending Dean and Dean himself not understanding on a basic level what he'd actually done.

 

I kept expecting him to eventually come to realize that he HAD forced himself on Linda, but that never came to pass. And now he's dating Roxie and living a relatively normal life in the square. (Except when Mick or Linda see him and react accordingly.) It's really disturbing. He's a rapist, and he got away with it. And sometimes I feel like the show wants us to just forget about it so they can make him a viable character on the show again. But for me, that's never going to happen. Sorry. Try all you want, but I won't forget it.

[M. Darcy]

It is ridiculous.  You're right - its like they think we forgot.  And, its even worse for those also watching in the States in 2006land since Dean in his first month or so in the Square has already drugged Stacy's drink (and the police were all no problemo) and is always hitting on someone who is not interested.

 

Its weird that Roxy is being so clueless....unless that's just normal behavior.  If there is the possibility that Linda is telling the truth, why is she moving in with him when its not just her - its also her daughter. 

 

I said before that Babe is a Slitheen!  Why else would she steal Stan's ashes.  And, seriously, we've all been there.  We've all loved someone who didn't love us back - but get over it.  Stealing his ashes??!!

[Wootini]

Dean hasn't shown up in our PBS shows here in NY. We're a few episodes behind, but we just had Christmas and Sharon found out she's pregnant. (Alfie returning in his jalopy for Kat in the snow made me cry - I'm not proud!)

 

But Roxy has proven in the past that she has terrible taste in men. I mean, just from when I've been watching (there's a gap of time in between the PBS episodes I've been watching since the start and the current BBC eps, which is when Roxy and Ronnie show up) it doesn't seem strange to me that Roxy would throw herself at a guy who some are claiming to be a rapist as long as he was hot and good in bed. Amy must be so proud.

[TimWil]

Between the stillbirth episodes and Friday's episode I hope we don't get any more "things I did/could do/would never get to do with my son or dad" speeches for a while.

[eejm]

Okay, look. I know EastEnders likes to drag things out, but I'm really going to need them to pick a side with Dean. Because half of the people in the square are defending him while the other half calls him a rapist. It's disturbing to me because he DID rape Linda. And the audience knows it. It wasn't even an off-camera scene where they tried to do a he-said/she-said storyline. No, we SAW him force himself on her. It was horrifying and upsetting. And the aftermath was devastating, watching people defending Dean and Dean himself not understanding on a basic level what he'd actually done.

 

I kept expecting him to eventually come to realize that he HAD forced himself on Linda, but that never came to pass. And now he's dating Roxie and living a relatively normal life in the square. (Except when Mick or Linda see him and react accordingly.) It's really disturbing. He's a rapist, and he got away with it. And sometimes I feel like the show wants us to just forget about it so they can make him a viable character on the show again. But for me, that's never going to happen. Sorry. Try all you want, but I won't forget it.

 

Yeah, I've kind of suspended all thought about Dean until this story concludes.  I mean, the guy is a misogynistic, arrogant rapist who absolutely needs comeuppance.  But I'm still wondering if something will come of Dean's mental state.  I've long thought that he's about three minutes away from a complete breakdown and I still have an inkling that Dean will end up in a mental hospital.  I really wouldn't be surprised if he turns into a serial rapist.  That guy should NOT be around people.

[TimWil]

After tonight's UK episode I think it's possible he'll rape Ronnie.

[Wootini]

Ugh. That would be awful. Although I can totally see him TRYING to sexually assault Ronnie, but I can just as easily see Ronnie snipping it off if he came at her! :D

 

For me, that would be the best way to go. I'd hate for him to force himself on Roxie or Ronnie. But if he tried something with Ronnie, she could fight back and then he could go to jail properly. 

[M. Darcy]

Tracy had lines!!!!

[Wootini]

I know, right?!?! I'd actually seen an article online where they talked about Tracy getting a storyline. And I thought maybe we'd get a few episodes of her fielding calls from Kathy and debating what to do about it. But  no, it was literally two scenes. Three if you want to count the one of Mick telling Tracy about the calls. Nope, she gets a call, tells Phil. Done.

 

I guess I should be grateful that they're not dragging this out more. I mean, it looks like Kathy is headed back to the square this week! That would be great. I'm really looking forward to it. Anything to distract from Lucy's murder and Max's trial. :P

[Wootini]

Oh my God, that was SO GOOD. 

 

And I loved that Sharon encountered Kathy so quickly. On an American soap, they would've dragged it out for the entire episode and it wouldn't be until the very end that Sharon finally made it to the Arches and saw Kathy. Then we'd have to wait for the next day to watch them go at it. And while Phil was driving her away, the look on Kathy's face gives me hope she won't listen and will sneak back to spy on Ian or Ben and get caught by someone else. I don't mind if they drag it out a little, because it prolongs the drama instead of just having her stroll back in and be seen by everyone at once. Plus, she can stay away for a bit because we've got this Sharon/Phil drama to deal with first. That's gonna be fun!

 

I thought it was odd that they were settling Ronnie down by marrying her off to Charlie and giving her a kid. But I guess it didn't take. What the hell was that all about? "Get out of my house. We're through." And she's gonna take Matthew? I don't think so. What a bitch. I'd forgotten how awful she could be. My husband hates her and has always hated the character, but I found her kind of entertaining occasionally. But this was just cruel and I can't get behind it. She's the one who married a guy she didn't love just because she was having his baby and then cheated on him on their living room floor with the baby asleep upstairs. I hope Charlie finds out about that and can use it to get custody of Matthew away from her. (Because honestly, I was surprised that Ronnie even wanted anything to do with Matthew. I kind of expected her to boot them BOTH out of her house, the way she was looking wistfully at those old Ibiza posters. I thought she wanted to be free and single again.)

 

Now if we just didn't have stupid Jane and stupid Max's trial bogging things down. Although it would be awesome if Lauren just blew into town to blow the whole thing up!

[M. Darcy]

That was great - though, really, Sharon. After your last two outfits, you really shouldn't be criticizing anyone's clothing choices. 

 

That was weird with Ronnie.  Poor Charlie.  Its weird that they turned him into such a boring character.  Though, someone has to work since all Ronnie does is sit around the house looking bored and cheating on her husband.

[Wootini]

Yeah, it became clear they made Charlie extra-boring so Ronnie would have some incentive to cheat and spice up her life. (Colors of the world!) Although to be honest, after she tossed her ring out the window and drove off and then Phil kept calling wondering where she was, I thought she'd just driven to the nearest airport and flown to Ibiza to start over. I could totally see Ronnie abandoning her marriage and child as I said above. But when she showed up and took the stroller and told Charlie to FTFO? RUDE.

[TeeVee329]

She's the one who married a guy she didn't love just because she was having his baby and then cheated on him on their living room floor with the baby asleep upstairs.

 

I'm quite behind, but let's not forget that Charlie's also the dude who slept with Ronnie's sister while she was in a coma.  Bad form, bro.

[Wootini]

Oh, that's right. Yeah. So can't they just call it a draw?! :D

[M. Darcy]

To be fair, the first time they slept together it was griefsex because they thought Ronnie was dying.  No excuse really for the second time (I think there was one).

 

But Ronnie sleeping with Vincent now seems a bit worse.  Especially I only think she did it because she's bored.  But if Kim and Denise find out....Vincent is dead.

[Wootini]

I don't think they did it a second time.

 

But yeah, Ronnie's was cold and calculated and she thought about it before giving in. And oh, when Kim finds out, she's gonna snip it off! Look out, Vincent! :D

[Wootini]

I thought it was just an in-joke on the part of the writers when Ben mentioned he was supposed to take Denny to get a haircut.

 

But boy, that turned out to be SOME haircut! :D

[lianau]

A hair cut and a head transplant !

[TimWil]

And a stretch therapy session at the local chiropractor's, apparently-Denny now looks taller at the age of nine than Bobby who's twelve!

Edited September 20, 2015 by TimWil

[Wootini]

Ugh. Sometimes I really can't even with the Mitchell sisters. 

 

At first I thought it was ridiculous that Roxy would go along with Charlie's plan to take Matthew to France and suddenly they're back in love again. But when it turned out she was just doing it as part of Ronnie's plan to get Charlie arrested for attempting to abduct their son, it made more sense. I mean, not a LOT more, but you know...

 

I will give Roxy a LITTLE bit of credit for feeling a smidgeon guilty about the whole thing as she was doing it, but because she still went through with it, as far as I'm concerned, she and her ratty extensions can go back to Ibiza with Ronnie.

 

I can't believe that's how Charlie goes out, though. The character did have potential but I never feel like they knew what the hell to do with him. He pretended to be a cop but was really a janitor in an old folk's home, then he's really Dot's grandson, but then suddenly he gets Ronnie pregnant and decides to marry her even though they have the chemistry of oil and water? Not to mention the totally random hookup with Roxy while Ronnie was in a coma. That's pure class right there.

 

At the very least, I wish Charlie had actually taken Matthew and disappeared. Then Ronnie could've moped around the house and gotten addicted to those pills and had herself a nice little storyline where I wouldn't have felt a bit sorry for her. And then one day in the future, Charlie or Matthew could show back up in Albert Square to cause some more drama. This was so anticlimactic it's like, why bother?

[lianau]

I guess they can't have her losing another child but I think Ronnie wants a child more than she wants to be a mother .And it shows .

 

On another note , why did that evil lawyer hurt my Benny  in court ?  Since Ben's last head change  I'm feeling weirdly attached to him . Do I need an intervention ?

[Wootini]

Okay, I thought it was bad enough that Charlie's character was destroyed so much that they were going to have him run away with his tail between his legs after failing to abduct his son away from his cold-hearted psychopath of a mum.

 

But then all of a sudden he pops back up for one episode so Ronnie can go all Mitchell on his ass and ask Vincent to "take care of him?" The hell? Poor Charlie didn't deserve that kind of exit, either. I mean, I assume we're supposed to believe that they killed him. But by leaving it ambiguous, they can always backtrack and say that they didn't kill him, just ran him out of town on a rail. Um, without his wallet or any credit cards or cash or ID or anything… so… yeah.

 

Gotta love Ronnie's logic of "Oh no, Charlie is threatening to expose me as a murderer! I guess I should kill him, too!"

 

PS: I'm not even going to address the insanity of Jane's testimony. I thought they were supposed to keep it simple, like she saw him at the car lot around midnight, giving him an alibi for the time of the murder. Now they're banging? I mean, it sounds plausible enough because it's Max, but not for Jane! :D

[TimWil]

I'm pretty sure Charlie isn't really dead. I just don't think they'd have Dot lose another grandson, not during this annus horribilis of hers.

Edited September 27, 2015 by TimWil

[M. Darcy]

Finally all caught up!  Somehow the Pope visiting DC threw my BBC watching schedule all out of wack.

 

I mean, it sounds plausible enough because it's Max, but not for Jane! :D

But didn't she cheat on Ian with one of the Mitchells?   And, its Max - everyone sleeps with Max :-) 

 

Charlie better not be dead!  I liked Charlie! 

 

Heh, in PBSland, Kathy was just "killed".  Though, I actually was a little sad that Pat was so upset because I know now that she never lived to see that Kathy is still alive.

[Wootini]

Well, I was not expecting THAT outcome to Max's trial! :D

 

Of course, you can never tell with EastEnders -- we could be in for a month of missing Max on the run while Jake takes a vacation, or they'll have him caught by the end of the next episode. What I DO know we're in for is at least a month of Jane desperately trying to keep Lauren from telling the truth about Lucy's murder to save her dad. (I suppose he'll still be in trouble for punching that cop and bolting, though… extenuating circumstances?)

 

I just want this storyline OVER already. It's been monopolizing this show for far too long.

[M. Darcy]

Yeah, I never expected he would go on the run - I just figured he'd be in jail for a year.  Of course, I never knew how easy it was to escape a British court room :-) 

 

Heh, this is cute - Jake's wife tweeted "Don't no what the big deal is @BBCR1 @mrjakedwood always does a runner like that when I ask him 2 do the housework
#yearoff  #noescape"

 

I've decided that everyone is an idiot.  No one thinks that Jane is lying and is lying to protect someone?  Not one person? (I haven't watched the entire show yet so maybe I'll be proven wrong).

Edited September 29, 2015 by M. Darcy

[Wootini]

No, there are a few people who are like, "Sorry Jane, not buying it. What's REALLY going on?" 

 

Although there do seem to be more people who actually know Jane is lying because they know what really happened. There are a LOT of people who know the truth, aren't there? Ian, Jane, Lauren, Peter, Cindy, Sharon, Phil…

 

At this point, I think the last one to know will be Bobby! (and by the time they get around to that reveal, they'll have recast the character with a 17-year-old!) :D

[M. Darcy]

 

Ian, Jane, Lauren, Peter, Cindy, Sharon, Phil…

Don't forget Liam!

 

I knew Phil wanted a guilty verdict.  That jury foreman looked so familiar but I haven't figured out why yet.

 

Cora was awesome in yesterday's episode.  Dot....I'm not happy with you.  What happened to judge not ye be judged...and don't forget, part of Max's problems are because of Jim.

[lianau]

Finally all caught up!  Somehow the Pope visiting DC threw my BBC watching schedule all out of wack.

But didn't she cheat on Ian with one of the Mitchells?   And, its Max - everyone sleeps with Max :-) 

 

 

 

She cheated with Grant . I hope Jane never sleeps  with Phil . Ian wouldn't survive it having his wife, best friend and his mother all sleeping with both Mitchell brothers . As it stands it's only Grant the three "shared"  .

 

 

 

 

I knew Phil wanted a guilty verdict.  That jury foreman looked so familiar but I haven't figured out why yet.

 

 

 Of course he wanted a guilty verdict , too much of  a risk for Ben with Marsden sniffing around .