Eastenders (BBC) - General Discussion

[Wootini]

I mean, I figured it was something that happens. I wouldn't think they'd make it up. But it must be something they do over in Europe, because I've never heard of it. I certainly don't know if I'd want to do it! O.o

[Meredith Quill]

Lol well I'm in Europe (UK) and I don't personally know anyone who's ever done it, nor have I myself (not my cup of tea, so to speak) but I also know that there are some people that probably do, as well as the Royals.

[TeeVee329]

Does anyone think that Danny Pennant (Gary Lucy) might pop back into the show?  You'd think he'd be an obvious suspect given his shady business dealings and very public breakup with the victim.

[Meredith Quill]

I could've sworn they mentioned him saying "he's been cleared" or some such statement?

[Amello]

Yes, Peter mentioned to Lauren, I think, that Danny's alibi had checked out.

[TeeVee329]

Ah I must have missed that.  Any chance you recall when that mention happened?  Last week?

[M. Darcy]

That was a fun episode.

 

Oh shut up Phil and Alfie.  While not a smart decision by either, Max and Lucy's relationship is not even in the top ten of horrible things done in Albert Square.  And, I am sure that Phil has to be involved in at least 5 of those things.  He was involved in the killing of my beloved Dennis! 

[Meredith Quill]

Max is just a fool who can't keep it in his trousers. If it curtails his nonsense with (much) younger women then I'm all for it.

[Wootini]

Yeah, I was surprised at how quickly it all spilled out. I honestly thought Phil would sit on it for a bit longer, but… nope! :-) Poor Max...

 

I also had the weirdest thought yesterday regarding the whole Shirley trying to drown Mick in the bathtub. I know this plot has been done before, but I suddenly wondered if perhaps Shirley was actually Mick's mom, and they passed Mick off as her brother. She tried drowning him because she couldn't deal with the lie and wanted it gone?

 

Although I don't suppose that really works, since Tina was around apparently, and that would mean Mick wasn't a small baby.

 

I just don't get why Shirley would try to drown her brother! What's up with that?

[Meredith Quill]

I think you could be onto something there, it is a logical train of thought - 'I can't cope, I'm a bad mum, he'd be better off if he wasn't here' type justification.

I have a sneaking feeling they are building up to some kind of revelation such as Shirley being Mick's mum. How they work out the logistics of that, I leave to them. ;)

 

Also I read that something big happens with The Butchers soon...(no not the wedding) have no idea what but I want to know, probably will be the catalyst for Bianca's departure whatever it is.

[TeeVee329]

I just don't get why Shirley would try to drown her brother! What's up with that?

 

I'm a bunch of episodes behind, but didn't the attempted drowning take place around the time the Carter matriarch walked out?  Maybe Shirley, possibly egged on by Stan, irrationally blammed Mick for her departure?

[Meredith Quill]

I'm a bunch of episodes behind, but didn't the attempted drowning take place around the time the Carter matriarch walked out?  Maybe Shirley, possibly egged on by Stan, irrationally blammed Mick for her departure?

If you turn out to be right, I will like Shirley even less than I do already. The actress is good but I find the character annoying.

[Wootini]

See, I really like Shirley, and can forgive her character most anything so far… but trying to drown her baby brother? That's gonna be a hard one to swallow… :-/

[Meredith Quill]

Well it'd be boring if we were all the same :)

[M. Darcy]

I guess this is a spoilerish thing from Adam W  who was on The One Show last night.

the characters won't find out who the killer is until February but the viewers should find out earlier.

.

[M. Darcy]

 

I have a sneaking feeling they are building up to some kind of revelation such as Shirley being Mick's mum

 

Going by the Eastenders tweets just now, I think you are right!

[TeeVee329]

I kinda can't wait for Linda to find out Shirley is actually her mother-in-law.

[Wootini]

I WAS RIGHT!

 

I have no idea how this works logically with their ages and whatnot, but I'm so glad I said something before it was revealed because now I can gloat to my husband! :-)

 

Also: If Denise is smart, she'll NEVER come back to Ian.

[Wootini]

Oh my God, this show sometimes...

 

Bad enough they were like, "Hey, let's give a beloved character cancer!" But then they're like, "Then we'll make her think she's been stood up on her wedding day!"

 

"But hey, it's okay -- he didn't stand her up… he just had a tragic heart attack racing to her side!"

 

Good lord.

[Meredith Quill]

Yep, it stinks, I don't like it. *pout*

[Wootini]

Phew! I can't tell you how worried I was in the beginning of this episode. And even after they got David to the hospital, I thought they were just lulling us into a false sense of security before they surprised us by killing him anyway. But thankfully he was okay… his relationship with Carol, not so much. What the hell was wrong with her anyway? That whole scene at the end was just weird. It was like they were having to separate conversations and then she got mad and stormed out. Bwah?

 

Also, is this the first time we've seen Little Mo in a while? This recast was weird for me. Has she been on before?

[Meredith Quill]

Carol was nasty last night, as soon as she walked into the room and they were laughing, boy was she spoiling for an argument.

To essentially accuse David of having a 'convenient' heart attack is crazyville. The woman is a victim of her own paranoia; in the car - 'he's done it to me again', in the park - all the convo with Ian, convincing herself she had been made a fool of, in the hospital - 'you don't have this supposed something blue gift with you, ergo, you subconsciously sabotaged our wedding', cuckoo! I felt sorry for David, poor bloke just had a heart attack & all she does is have a go at him! I realise that she had probably gone through a minefield of emotions from feeling stupid/upset to worried/concerned but for that to then turn to anger instead of relief is very selfish. I'm glad he had a jab back at the miserable, sour faced woman.

 

Little Mo? Do you mean Honey, Billy's ex?

[M. Darcy]

I missed the announcement that Michael French was leaving so that was surprising. Though since no one has a happy ending maybe it shouldn't have been.

[Wootini]

Oh! That's a totally different character! She reminded me so much of Little Mo that I didn't even realize it was someone else. She's from the years in between PBS and now, I guess, which is why I wasn't aware of her. Thanks! Now I'm a lot less confused. 

 

And I like living in the US so I avoid the majority of spoilers about people coming and going. I had no idea that David was actually leaving until he got the driving away ending -- and with the special music, too! That's how you know you've made it, when you get the special music at the end of an episode. ;-)

[Meredith Quill]

I missed the announcement that Michael French was leaving so that was surprising. Though since no one has a happy ending maybe it shouldn't have been.

Well at least it isn't as bad as Game of Thrones ;)

[M. Darcy]

Emotionally at times, it seems like it.

 

Wow, Bianca wore a different jacket.  So, I guess she is going to become a prostitute - that's what women in the Square do when they need money isn't it?

[Wootini]

I guess if we were to believe that men were going to pay Janine for sex, why not Bianca? As long as she doesn't speak! :-D

[M. Darcy]

I never quite understood that - well, you can get on the tube and get a job somewhere else in London or turn tricks.  I'll turn tricks!  Though, logically speaking (heh) when Dean opens his saloon, there would be jobs there.  At least sweeping up and washing hair.  But it seems like Bianca is going to do something stupid with those clothes.

 

Question for the Brits.  Whenever someone is visited in jail, they have on an orange sash like thing that reminds me of a school crossing guard.  Does anyone know what that is? 

Edited June 5, 2014 by M. Darcy

[Meredith Quill]

Nope, I've never visited anyone in a prison lol sorry. I just assumed it was prison 'uniform'? Never really took much notice tbh, do all the prisoners wear them or is it just the ones on remand? If just those on remand maybe it's so the prison officers can differentiate easily between prisoners? As I do know that those on remand have more privileges than convicted prisoners.

 

ETA The British (or English anyway) equivalent of crossing guards are known as 'Lollipop Ladies' and look like this, although as you can see from the image below, men also do it now.

[M. Darcy]

Jake wore it and also Janine and whatshername that Janine pinned the murder on.  Its just different from what Americans wear in prison....or on tv shows set in prison....that I was curious. Hopefully you guys don't have first hand knowledge :-) 

[Wootini]

I live in the US, so I don't know, but I always assumed it was so they could easily distinguish between prisoners and visitors at a glance, since the prisoners are just wearing normal street clothes.

[Meredith Quill]

Yeah probably just those on remand then as all the characters you mention are/were on remand. I'm just taking a logical guess though!

[M. Darcy]

Thanks for answering my question!  Its probably cheaper for the costume budget too to just have the sash as opposed to prison uniforms.

 

Billy is such an idiot.  Maybe he will go to jail for burning the passport (I'm assuming its a crime).  Its just a year.  Quit whining about it.

[Wootini]

I'm sort of irritated with this show managing to make Tosh an actual character with some depth so I kind of care about her and Tina's relationship now. Before I would've thought Tina well rid of her, but now I'm torn...

[Wootini]

Well, I was wondering how long it would take before things turned violent. All the way to the end of the episode! (Although again, I appreciate that they kind of made me like Tosh a little bit now so I don't just immediately want her to take a tumble over that railing to her death or anything… Although I think it would be only fair if Tina got in a few good shots of her own!)

[M. Darcy]

I have a new theory - I think Sonia killed Martin weeks ago and that's why we never see him.

[Wootini]

Sonia killed Lucy, too because Lucy found out about Martin! Sonia is a serial killer! :-D

[M. Darcy]

Natalie Cassidy actually said that Sonia killed Lucy!  It was one of those awards shows that seem to happen every week and they interviewed cast members and she said she killed Lucy.  She acted like she was joking but it all makes sense now. 

 

Hmm, who else is missing from the Square.  Maybe that is also why Mr. Papadopolous is never seen.  

[Wootini]

Maybe Denise didn't actually leave town… Sonia got her, too! O.o

[TimWil]

I won't be surprised if Dean ends up seducing his Aunty Linda and they have a torrid affair, his way of sticking it to his Uncle Mick. It will, of course, get awfully complicated considering the family secrets. And It will complicate Dean and Stacey's burgeoning love story. It will all undoubtedly end in tears for all.

[LNDNgirl]

Things are going kind of slowly for my liking.

 

I know the Lucy murder is going to stretch to next April (?), which I don't actually mind as I realise there have to be long arc storylines, as well as shorter storylines.  But I just don't know if I can face every episode talking about it, dealing with the repercussions of it.  But that's just my personal issue.

 

I think Jake Wood (Max) is a great actor, who could probably pull off any storyline they throw at him, but  every. single. storyline. with him involves him and some woman he's shagging/wants to shag/ has shagged.  Please give him some other storylines, dominic!

 

That being said, I've really notice and enjoyed the change in the show since DTC's taken over, and long may he stay!

[M. Darcy]

I wonder if cop lady is actually interested in Max or if they are replaying the Kate/Phil storyline where Kate was pretending to date Phil to get info on one of his crimes. Though, it doesn't  make sense in that she isn't investigating the crime is she - she is only the family liaison.

 

Sigh.  Back when Phil was a criminal. Now he just seems so boring.  He is being nice to everyone.  What happened? 

Maybe the attack on Sharon will bring back bad Phil

Edited June 13, 2014 by M. Darcy

[Wootini]

Jesus, Max… can't you keep it in your pants for like, five minutes?

 

Because this won't impact the investigation AT ALL… :-P

[M. Darcy]

Aw, Ian was very sweet in yesterday's episode.

 

I think Phil was behind that attack.  I think he wanted to prove a point to Sharon (what point, I'm still confused about) so he told the guys to act as obnoxiously as possible so Sharon would fire them and then they were supposed to trash the bar.  I don't think they were supposed to attack Sharon though.

 

Going by the Eastenders tweets right now, I was right about Phil!

Edited June 17, 2014 by M. Darcy

[Wootini]

Yep. That was no big shocker. He obviously had set it up, but hadn't meant it to go that far. When Sharon finds out, she's gonna kill him! (if she survives!)

 

And can we just talk about Ian's predilection for awful hookers? I mean, seriously… can he not afford top shelf? Janine was bad but Rainey? Good God, man!

 

Also, I really need Denise to man up (woman up?) and just dump Ian already. Staying with him out of pity isn't helping anyone. Hopefully when the truth about where he was on Good Friday is revealed, Denise will finally be able to leave without feeling bad. #FreeDenise

[M. Darcy]

Yeah, Phil in the old days wouldn't have set up something that was so easy to figure out.  Poor Johnny.  But he probably saved Sharon's life - if he had been downstairs and had been also knocked unconscious, he wouldn't have been able to get Sharon the medical help so quickly.  And, also, he's not the one who sent over the idiots who attacked her.

[LNDNgirl]

If anyone watches the current episodes from outside the UK, can you please PM me?  Thanks.

[M. Darcy]

Wow, Linda is really trying to win worst mother of the year award.  But its probably realistic - I don't have first hand experience but I'm sure that not every parent is 100% ok with the situation immediately after their child comes out.  I'm guessing that is her problem with how she is treating Johnny. 

 

Ah, I was wrong about the stupidest plot ever (which is stupid on its own without even involving Billy Mitchell).  Heh, yeah, I am surprised the Billy isn't involved -normally plans do not go that badly without him screwing something up. I thought that bouncers were the attackers but they were just asses on their own.

Edited June 19, 2014 by M. Darcy

[Wootini]

I appreciate that Linda's attitude towards Johnny isn't coming across as homophobic as much as overprotective. But it has the same result. Feels more realistic. (And less preachy!)

[M. Darcy]

I understand why Billy and Mick don't know how to swim but I was just wondering if that was normal.  Do most people in England know how to swim?  That was a really nice pool Mick went to.  

 

So, Phil just left a gun in a shopping bag in a house with a young kid.  None of these people should be parents.

Edited June 24, 2014 by M. Darcy