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But then it stays open… and… um, everything goes back to normal? What was the point?

To rekindle our love of the MinuteMart? I have no idea - it makes no sense.  

 

Shabnam doesn't have to work there.  There are so many people in the Square who seem desperate for work - I can't imagine that job wouldn't be filled in two seconds.  If I remember correctly, when she got the other job and turned it down, it was the same time Alfie (or someone) was desperate for work and could have taken her place to help Denise.  

 

Also, shut up Martin.  Sonia did the right thing - she can't stop Liam and Cindy but at least they will be having safe sex.

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Oh my God, this show is making me so angry. 

 

We finally get some characters actually talking about things, but it's not helping. I don't understand why Kush is the bad guy for not immediately wanting to commit to marriage after dating for a couple weeks. I'd thought Shabnam was just going along with her father to save face, but still really wanted to get back with Kush, but the way she's acting and treating him, he's better off without her. And oh my God, I just want to slap that smug look right off of Masood's face. Like, seriously, Kush is apparently supposed to be the bad guy in this situation, but he's the only one coming of at all sympathetic.

 

Also, Cora, put on your big girl panties and visit Stan already. GOD.

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I feel like Nancy might be too young for him, but yeah, Stacey turned out alright. I mean, considering how she was when she was first introduced, she's grown up rather well. Maybe you have to kill a couple people in order to really mature as a person… ;)

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I've kind of reached my limit with Stan.  Being a bit cantankerous was initially part of his charm and yes he's facing the end of a terminal illness, but he's turned into a real asshole as of late.  I can understand why Nancy, Shirley, and Lee aren't rushing to spend time with him, nor are Mick and Linda in a hurry to come back to London to see him.  Even Tina, who has been nothing but caring and sweet where Stan is concerned, is finally starting to lose her patience.They're verbally assaulted by Stan regardless of whether they're present, so why bother being around to hear it?  In the case of Mick and Linda, Stan is scoffing about Dean to their faces while they let him live with them.

 

Stan, you've lamented about all of the mistakes you've made with your family and how time is now running out.  Maybe you should go easy on the constant bitching?

Edited by eejm
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Well, hopefully now that Cora has finally gotten over herself, Stan will unclench a little bit. I don't even care that it basically took sticking it to Babe to make Cora step up, I'm just glad it finally happened. I mean, sure, no one wants to deal with someone you love facing a terminal illness, but come on Cora -- it's not all about you! It's about the person facing the terminal illness! Cripes!

 

That said, I appreciated the episode mostly because we finally didn't have to watch the Masood family being complete idiots.

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You killed Manuel! You bastards!

It took me an episode and a half to remember that Andrew Sachs and Timothy West have something in common. At first I kept thinking it would be funny if Basil Fawlty visited him in the hospital, then I thought both the Fawltys should visit, then D'oh! Stan is married to Sybil Fawlty in real life!

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Oh my God, I didn't realize that's who that was! He seemed vaguely familiar, but I would never have guessed! And I had no idea that Stan is married to Sybil in real life! Small world! :D

 

Oh, and I guess we're okay now since Les isn't cheating on Pam. PHEW! Although he was a LITTLE familiar with Donna's mom, there… O.o

 

And my frustration with the Masood storyline continues apace. Sigh. I just can't with every single member of that family. At least Tamwar has some kind of actual motivation for his behavior, being self-conscious about his scars. STILL. But Masood and Shabnam are still just completely the most awful. (Although Martin is clearly gunning to give them some competition!)

 

Did we know that Kush had been married before? Because I feel like that was a revelation that was just sort of dropped on us there...

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The Eastenders twitter account had posted a picture of the two of them in the hospital which is how I knew it was Andrew.  Otherwise, I never would have figured it out.  Its kind of weird that they didn't make a bigger deal about it.  Its Manuel!! 

 

 

But Masood and Shabnam are still just completely the most awful. (Although Martin is clearly gunning to give them some competition!)

They are!  What is wrong with Martin.  That was horrible with the bet.

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All props to Davood Ghadami, who really delivered in that scene where Kush confessed his past to Shabnam. Nice work.

 

That said, when she started throwing herself at him insisting that they get married, I was like, "Girl! Calm down before you scare him away again oh too late…" And while they eventually did finally talk it all out, I still think he deserves better. She's too twitchy and flighty. But I guess they need to be in a happy place for when her secret love child with crazed rapist Dean is revealed! ;-)

 

And good God, if this show wants us to feel at all sorry for Martin, they should maybe have him not be such a complete ass to every single person around him. Go live in your van down by the river, you ass. :D (Actually, can we just stick Martin and Shabnam together and let them go somewhere far away from the Square to drive each other crazy?)

 

Oh, and last but not least, I was initially pleased to see that Les' mystery woman was Donna's mom and thought that maybe they were just overplaying the closeness to make us think something is going on when it was a misdirect, but now I guess there IS something going on. Hrm. Charlotte played off the necklace, so clearly there's something going on. Which is super awkward because apparently she's been friends with Pam and Les for years. Ouch. Poor Pam.

 

Also, did we know that Pam and Donna had known each other before? Sometimes this show just drops little things here and there and doesn't make a big deal out of it so I don't notice or pick up on them. Like Kush being a widower. I should pay more attention, I guess! 

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Oh my God, I didn't realize that's who that was! He seemed vaguely familiar, but I would never have guessed! And I had no idea that Stan is married to Sybil in real life! Small world! :D

 

Oh, and I guess we're okay now since Les isn't cheating on Pam. PHEW! Although he was a LITTLE familiar with Donna's mom, there… O.o

 

And my frustration with the Masood storyline continues apace. Sigh. I just can't with every single member of that family. At least Tamwar has some kind of actual motivation for his behavior, being self-conscious about his scars. STILL. But Masood and Shabnam are still just completely the most awful. (Although Martin is clearly gunning to give them some competition!)

 

Did we know that Kush had been married before? Because I feel like that was a revelation that was just sort of dropped on us there...

 

Did I miss something?  How do we know Les isn't cheating on Pam with Claudette? 

 

Shabnam had the weirdest approach yesterday. Kush had just spilled his guts to her about his dead wife, how awful he felt sleeping around, and how he really liked Shabnam but wasn't ready for marriage yet. Instead of pushing on with the marriage talk, why didn't she just say, hey, I like you too, it's fine if you're not ready for marriage, why don't we keep seeing each other and figure out what that means along the way? I guess it worked out for the best in the end, but damn Shabnam is one emotionally clumsy gal.

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I don't know. When they revealed that Claudette was Donna's mom, I kind of immediately went "Oh, I must have misinterpreted that friendship as more because Les wouldn't do that." Guess I was wrong. Oh well. Les and Martin can hang out being cads together, I suppose.

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With all the times I heard the "words killed on Good Friday", it never occurred to be it's almost been a year since Lucy was killed until Martin said it.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know who is currently living in the Fowler house?

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Ian's in there now. That's the house you're talking about, right? Where Pauline and Arthur lived? I assume when Ian took it over they expanded the front of it or something, because that living room was NEVER that big. I know there's a gap between when I started watching the current BBC episodes and what the PBS ones are up to, so I assume the reconstruction happened during that time. :D

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Yeah - the house the Pauline used to live in.  Thanks!  I was just curious after watching Friday's episode.  They should do a map saying which house is which.  Because there are the main houses - the Mitchell house, Dot's home and Pat's old house and I guess where the Slaters used to live.

 

Spoilers for upcoming episodes

Aw, it seems like that Jim is going to die. The April 9 info says that the Brannings receive bad news about Jim and I looked online and they have already filmed the funeral :-(

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Thanks!  Heh, there goes my productivity at work.  Ooo, the Masoods are living in Pat's old house (the one that Barry kicked her out of). 

 

I'm probably thinking too logically again but since I don't know the British tax laws, would Kat have eventually known what Mo did because of taxes?  Would eventually the government told Kat she owed money or are settlements like that not taxed. 

Edited by M. Darcy
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Wow, that's quite a list! I have an old book about EastEnders from many years ago that has a map of the Square in it, so you can see exactly who lives where. Also, watching the PBS and BBC episodes at the same time is fascinating because you can still tell who's living in which house. The furniture and decorations may change, but the actual layout of the set remains the same (well, except for the Fowler house, which had a sudden expansion to its living room area!).

 

I have to say that I'm glad we seem to be back to the regular episodes now. The shows immediately after the live week were kind of awkward and felt like fill-in shows. Now we seem to be back into the swing of things properly, with actual storylines advancing. I really hope Sharon stands up for herself with Phil and doesn't just become a dutiful wife again. Hopefully Ian was able to knock some sense into her… I'm sure she'll come back to life when Kathy shows up again at any rate. (Loved the way they just kind of slipped in that Billy is somehow in on the whole Kathy secret!)

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Wow, I really thought they'd drag out Stan's storyline a bit longer. I mean, all that effort to set up the bed and the arrangements at home and five minutes after they get him there, he's back in the hospital? Yikes. I mean, I guess that's kind of realistic, but it took me by surprise.

 

Although as depressing as that storyline is, I'd rather watch that than Kat's constant moping or Phil bullying a 7-year-old child (and anyone else who crosses his path). I felt the same as Sharon. When Phil wasn't around, I kind of missed him, and wondered what he was up to, but as soon as he comes back, I'm like, UGH, you're a mess.

 

What the hell was Ben even thinking getting in that car with him? The way Phil was yelling, I would've just bolted and ran down the street to escape! :D (Heck, he could try messaging that hot guy he was apparently hooking up with on whatever Grindr rip-off app was on his phone, and maybe crash with him until things blow over!)

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Okay, seriously? Phil strips his son naked and leaves him on the highway? WTF? That's child abuse. Although I guess technically Ben's too old for it to be child abuse. But good lord, that's some questionable parenting right there. And then at the end when Phil tells him to direct his anger at Max… AND HE GOES ALONG WITH IT? Siiiiiigh.

 

And don't feel bad, Tommy. If Kat screamed at me like that, I'd pee myself too.

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I really hope that Alfie, Mo, and Stacey are just hoping that Kat has now hit rock bottom and can only go up.  Because the things she said at the Vic?  About falling back on being a tarty teenager because 1) that somehow makes her not a victim and 2) marriage, motherhood, and everything else about adulthood has failed?  Yeah, that's a sign (along with, you know, burning her grandmother's money-filled mattress and all) that Kat is in a bad, bad way and needs a lot of professional help.  Stacey, Mo, and Alfie were all congratulating Kat for being strong for saying all that and I guess that's good, but can't they see that Kat clearly didn't seem to feel any better?  Yikes.

 

I hope that the Cindy/Beth/Jane/Ian story will end up with Jane and Ian adopting Cindy.  I think that's part of the reason Cindy is rejecting Beth - yes, she's overwhelmed as a teen mother, but she also feels as though no one wants her.  She's told Liam how lonely she feels without parents.  She's complained that Jane and Ian only want her around for her baby.  I think if Jane and Ian adopted Cindy, it would make her feel more secure that they want her, and keeping Beth wouldn't be so overwhelming for her. 

 

Who knew Tina would wind up being the most sensible, level-headed Carter?  I love what she said to Shirley about Dean - without assigning blame, she said Dean shouldn't be around because trouble always followed him.  Tina was absolutely right, and Shirley knew it.  Shirley didn't like it, but she didn't lash out at Tina because she'd treaded so carefully.  You rock, Tina.

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(edited)

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.  

I wonder if that means Alfie is going to be the person who wins the lottery, as reported in the press a few weeks ago?

Edited by Decider
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They said the Dean storyline would be resolved.  Of course, they didn't say when.  Sigh.  Its getting to the point also where I'm hoping Stan will die already.  I love Timothy West but enough is enough.

 

Its a shame that when Cindy decided to adopt the baby that there was no one in the Square that she could talk to since they went through the same thing such as someone who gave up her baby coughSoniacough or someone who was adopted herself coughSharoncough.  Everyone seems happy now though.  Well, for now.

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So do we think Shirley called the police on Dean to get him to stick around? 

 

There was a little part of me that hoped when Dean was alone with his father that Stan would suddenly glare at him and rail into him saying he knows exactly what he did to Linda and how he'd better get his act together or else. Kind of a dying wish sort of thing. Oh well. 

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So do we think Shirley called the police on Dean to get him to stick around?

 

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.

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From what we've seen so far, it seems as though Shirley and Buster have a really weird relationship of convenience. When they're around one another, they consider themselves a couple with almost no questions asked. When they are apart, it seems as though they forget each other entirely. Then they meet back up and pick up where they left off.

 

I know some people have on-off relationships for years, but it seems as though these two don't have any type of active devotion to one another - they simply meet up every now and then, do their thing, and disappear until the next time.

 

Given Phil's resemblance to Buster, I wonder if Buster has an ex-partner out there who looks exactly like Shirley.

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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.

Edited by Decider
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It's kind of weird that they would kill off Stan (he can't have that much time left) at the same time as Jim. Will anyone care about Stan when it's Jim that's died?

Aw, RIP Jim. It's going to be brutal when Dot and Patrick find out the news.

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It's kind of weird that they would kill off Stan (he can't have that much time left) at the same time as Jim. Will anyone care about Stan when it's Jim that's died?

Aw, RIP Jim. It's going to be brutal when Dot and Patrick find out the news.

 

Jim only made a few appearances after 2007 and hasn't been seen onscreen in about 5 years, so they may have assumed many viewers weren't watching then or don't remember, so Stan's death is being used to build an atmosphere of grieving, or something. I'm not sure why they chose this particular time to kill Jim off, although I guess it had to be sometime. 

 

Scott Maslen said he turned down a return offer (not sure it was for the funeral or not), so I guess they may have tried, but I can imagine it feeling like a sparse goodbye compared to the karaoke funeral pyres that will greet Stan's passing.

 

That one scene with Carol and Sonia yesterday had more impact on me than the 5000 scenes of all 5000 Carters grieving over Stan these last months. 

 

I keep wondering if I'd be more interested in Babe if she hadn't been so gruesomely miscast. Annette Badland was fine on Doctor Who, but on here she seems to have taken a wrong turn from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

 

The Max vs Phil "rivalry" and those scenes with Max and woodentop Denise Van Outen are barely fit to line a garbage bin.

Edited by Pete Martell
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I understand them using the most when you have Timothy West but it just dragged on and on and on.  Heh, and after all that wedding talk, he couldn't even legally marry Cora.  Thankfully. I just had visions of them fighting over his estate for months to come.

 

We're still a few ways away from John Bardon suffering a stroke in PBSland so he's still such a part of the show.  I hope they give Jim the best funeral ever. 

 

Give it up Phil - its just a garage.  Just start a new one.  And shut up Ben with lecturing Jay.  This is ALL your fault.

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Yeah, I also felt very little for Stan trying to marry Cora on his death bed, but that one moment when Carol told Sonia that her grandfather had passed away made me well up instantly. It probably helps that Jim is alive and well in PBS land. Oh, and I am NOT looking forward to Dot learning the news. That's going to break my heart.

 

It would be awesome, though, if the Carters were all like, "Everyone come to our memorial for Stan" and the entire Square is all like, "That old crank? We barely knew him. We're all going to Jim's funeral. Laters!" ;)

 

Also, I will always love Jim because John Bardon is the only EastEnders actor I ever had the pleasure to meet in person. I happen to work for an american soap opera magazine, and an actress on the soap I covered is a big fan of EastEnders. Apparently John and his wife were visiting New York City, and this actress found out and invited them to dinner at the Friar's Club in Manhattan. And to my delight, knowing I'm such a big fan of the show as well, she invited me to join the group! I wish I remembered every moment of that evening, but sadly, all I can recall is John sitting two people away from me at the table, and that he was a delight. RIP

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It would be awesome, though, if the Carters were all like, "Everyone come to our memorial for Stan" and the entire Square is all like, "That old crank? We barely knew him. We're all going to Jim's funeral. Laters!" ;)

 

 

That would be awesome.  I hope Robbie is there for the funeral.   We all knew it was coming eventually but it still got to me.  Especially when you saw Carol in the background getting the news on her phone.

 

Ooo, that's cool meeting John Bardon in person!  He just always seemed like such a lovely person and Jim is always great to watch on screen.  

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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.

Edited by Decider
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The ending was beautifully done. Although I didn't feel like the parallels worked that well because the stories were at different places. We were watching the Carters deal with watching Stan die while the Brannings were dealing with the aftermath. 

 

And the way Stan's death played out I have to say it kind of didn't work for me. I mean, it was well-done, sure, but I mean on an emotional level, I wasn't really affected. The way Shirley kicked everyone out and took that moment for herself felt wrong, somehow. Throughout this whole storyline, the Carters were rallying around Stan, so to have them all hanging out at the pub when the moment came felt wrong. They should've all been around his bedside to say goodbye. I felt like Shirley hogged it all. 

 

Also, because I only know Jim as the dottering old coot who was Dot's husband and Patrick's best friend, it always throws me when Carol mentions what a horrible bully and racist he was when she was growing up. So her emotions feel out of place because they don't jive with what I'm familiar with. 

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Yeah, I need to look up Jim's story line and figure out if we found out all the bad stuff before I started watching or we found out during the years between 2007 and 2014 that I haven't seen yet. 

 

Sniff - when they showed Jim's hat.  And, I'm glad Sonia hugged her Mom at the end because really, don't be a bitch to your Mom.  Her Dad just died.  And, Max, seriously, 1) don't keep sleeping with women you just met and 2) business is not more important than helping out your sister.

 

But why hasn't anyone mentioned calling Robbie and letting him know.

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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 agree on everything in your post.  I loved Carol going postal on Max for putting Jim's address book through her mail slot.  Max didn't even have the courtesy to ask her to take care of things!  I know that neither Carol nor Max had a great history with Jim, but Max's assumption that Carol would just do it (especially since it was clear that his priorities were with chasing Karin) made me want to yell at Max too. 

 

I felt worst for Tina and Sonia.  These two seemed most affected by the deaths of their respective dad and grandfather.  I'm glad they'll have each other to rely on. 

Edited by eejm
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But why hasn't anyone mentioned calling Robbie and letting him know.

 

Probably the same reason no one has mentioned calling Carly or Zsa Zsa either regarding Stan.  But yes, it seems like a lot of the Branning grandchildren were sort of forgotten, although several of them probably didn't know Jim well.  I know Suzy, April, and Jack were mentioned, but what about Lauren and Bianca?  Abi wasn't even told onscreen, and I don't know if Max mentioned her.  Alice and Joey probably didn't have much to do with Jim, but they probably should have been told at least. 

 

And the way Stan's death played out I have to say it kind of didn't work for me. I mean, it was well-done, sure, but I mean on an emotional level, I wasn't really affected. The way Shirley kicked everyone out and took that moment for herself felt wrong, somehow. Throughout this whole storyline, the Carters were rallying around Stan, so to have them all hanging out at the pub when the moment came felt wrong. They should've all been around his bedside to say goodbye. I felt like Shirley hogged it all.

 

I agree, but I do think this was something very in character for Shirley to do.

Edited by eejm
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eejm, they mentioned Bianca. Whitney told Carol she'd been online with her because Bianca was pretty broken up about it.

 

And yeah, it's totally in character for Shirley. It's a terrible thing to do, but just right for her. :P

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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.

Edited by Decider
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See, I don't remember Jim being around back when Alan and Carol got together. But my memory is terrible. I always felt like this was backstory with the Brannings that was never actually seen on camera. Still, it's not making Carol look good. And because I've been watching her since PBS, I'm predisposed to like Carol, but my husband just took this attitude as another reason she's awful, reminding me about how she blamed David for having a heart attack and missing their wedding. Which… he's not wrong. She was kind of awful there. But I just chalked that up as them having to write her that way so they could split them up and get him off the show.

 

Also awful was Shirley. I'm sorry, but I was willing to go along with her sending everyone out and stealing her father's last moments for herself, but to just show up at the house with his bag? That's how she tells them? Seriously? No. You call them immediately and tell them to come now if they want. If they don't want to go to the hospice to say a final farewell before they wrap him up, fine. That's their choice. BUT YOU GIVE THEM THAT CHOICE. You don't just show up the next morning and be like, "Oh btw, dad died last night." Ugh. This show sometimes. Though to be fair, none of the Carters seemed particularly upset that they weren't told immediately. Not like Cora. Poor Cora. That was horrible. And she was right.

 

Also, I'm hoping Ronnie talking is the start of her getting better, because we REALLY need to move this story along already.

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Its not like Ronnie woke up weeks ago with the show not mentioning it again....oh wait.

 

With all my talk about Robbie, I had forgotten the show has a history of not mentioning family members at times of crisis.  I remember when Kat was in the fire and I don't remember anyone saying - I talked to Charlie or any of Kat's sisters.

 

Does anyone remember - what happened to Nick's body?  Did Charlie dump it and they are charging Dot without having the actual body?

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No, I think Nick was still sitting in that chair when they called the police. Wasn't he? Like, they were all making plans to get rid of the body but then Dot had already turned herself in to the cops. At least that's how I remember it… although as I've said, my memory is shite. ;)

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