Neighbours (AU) - General Discussion

[Kim0820]

I wondered about the flags too!  It is not Australia Day or Anzac Day!

i am not liking jack and Simone is awful. Glad mark caught her 

[Nozycat]

Yeah, it wasn't the whole flag anyway, just the Union Jack - it was everywhere, weird.

So tired of Jack and now Simone.

[neutron]

On 10/21/2016 at 2:28 PM, Nozycat said:

Eta - what was up with all the Union Jacks in tonight's ep?  They were everywhere!

This article explains the Union Jacks: http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/10/uk-marks-30-years-of-neighbours-broadcasts.html I read about it right after watching the episode and could only recall seeing them on Aaron's shorts, but apparently they were everywhere!? Clearly I'm not very observant. :P I guess I possibly noticed more but immediately forgot because it didn't occur to me that there were lots or that something must be going on with them.

[Nozycat]

Ah, now I get it, thanks Neutron.  Yeah there were amongst other things a dress, Aaron's board shorts, a beanie, a bag, a picture and a whole heap more I can't remember.  It was funny and distracting to play spot the Union Jack once I realised it was a theme though I had no idea why.  Now I wish I had known and counted, heh.

[Kim0820]

That's cute!  Nice they acknowledged the U.K. about that. 

Jack is really annoying. He said he loved Paige yet he takes Simone's side automatically. Simone is pathetic. Who want to be with someone on terms like that?  

I wonder if the break up is just a bump in the road and they end up using Sonya as egg donor so they can make it more dramatic.  

[Nozycat]

Angus is getting really creepy.

Some of those Halloween costumes were bizarre imo.

[Kim0820]

Tim is just awful.  One of those people who makes life unpleasant for others and thinks that is going to get him what he wants.  

That reporter was so aggressive in a ridiculous way.  Like she was trained to be that way as the most effective means of getting a story.

[neutron]

Why did Susan and Elly meet up with that teacher in Harold's rather than in Susan's office when they were telling him off for giving Elly the note? Totally ridiculous! Also, I assume their issue was the fact that they don't want teachers to have relationships with other teachers, right? Like, other than that, it's nowhere near as bad as what Leo has done to Amy or what Angus has done to Elly. It seems like the lowest level of harassment (i.e. not really harassment at all) to just give someone a one-off love letter (although I guess it was anonymous, so that's a bit weird). It was pretty funny how the writing/spelling/grammar in the note was so bad that they thought it couldn't possibly be from Angus (even though he seems to have hardly spent any time in school so it wouldn't surprise me if his writing was bad), and then it turned out to be from a teacher. Well, I mean, I laughed at Elly paying the teacher out about it, but actually, that is quite worrying. :P

Edited November 6, 2016 by neutron

[Kim0820]

Karl had every right to be drunk on his own time and was a Good Samaritan at the time sol I have major issues with that part of the plot. 

[Nozycat]

Lots of reporters are that way these days sadly.

Oh I know so stupid that Susan and Elly would meet the teacher in Harold's, more unprofessional than what he did.  And yes Leo and Angus have been much worse.

[Kim0820]

Brooke is pretty messed up.  I wonder if Therese is going to mess with her somehow.  She was certainly giving them the evil eye from her yard.  

Lou getting together with his ex is kind of interesting, I guess, how long did they think they could hide it when Amber and Bailey live in the same town and can tell Lauren anything they know?  Lauren is an adult and a grandmother so they don't have to worry about getting her hopes up that her parents would get back together.  

[Nozycat]

I wonder if someone in wardrobe hates the actress who plays Amy, I find it dreadful what they are putting her in outside of her normal clothes.

And Terese in that hat just looked ridiculous, imo.

On the other hand has David had a haircut?  His hair is looking much better to me.

[Olivia Y]

So now Sonya will be both the egg donor and the surrogate...so she's the biological mother in every sense. How are they going to explain that to the child? This on top of the fact Steph and Toadie were once involved and very nearly married...eshk!

(Maybe at some point Steph will swing the other way again and have an affair with Sonya.)

Edited November 10, 2016 by Olivia Y

[neutron]

I don't see how Steph can tell Mark that she would find it impossible to have to raise his child that isn't biologically hers, when that is literally what she expected him to do with Charlie. Except the difference with Charlie is that Max and Philippa actually want to be his parents, whereas Sonya is claiming that from the moment the baby is born, Steph will be its mum, so if anything, that's better for Steph than the Charlie situation is for Mark.

Yeah, I think David got a haircut a couple of weeks ago.

[Nozycat]

Sonya is such a rescuer.  I don't blame Toadie in the slightest for being so angry, he has every right imo.

[neutron]

Oh, yeah, I should clarify: I definitely think Sonya's offer and the way she went about it was inappropriate and that she treated Toadie totally unfairly. My point was just that considering Steph was expecting that Mark should be fine with using someone else's egg and fine with being a dad to Charlie, it doesn't really make sense that she should have that much of a problem with him preferring it to be Sonya's baby.

[Nozycat]

Yes Olivia, very enmeshed.

Neutron, it's weird, I didn't get your previous message until just now with your last one.  Yes I agree with you.

Last night one of them said that Sonya was so selfless.  I think she is the opposite and gets off on getting involved in other people's lives and gets way too enmeshed and invested.

[Kim0820]

I wonder if Sonya will end up with Mark and Toadie with Stef.  I knew Toadie and Stef were best friends, but didn't know they used to be involved.   There was some hint Toadie might be interested in having more children and now Stef seems to be on board with that.  The child would biologically be Sonya and Mark's, which could draw them together. 

[neutron]

Backstory for Kim (hopefully, I'm remembering this correctly, but some of the details are probably wrong since it's gotten a bit jumbled up in my head over the years):

So, you know how they occasionally mention lately that Susan was a surrogate mother for her daughter Libby (who is Ben's mum), but then Susan lost the baby? The father of that baby was Dan (who is Lucas's brother), and after Susan lost the baby, Dan had a one-night stand with Steph (and I think Libby kissed Lucas or something on the same night, and Lucas and Steph had been together for a while, but somehow that was overlooked by everyone). And from that night, Steph became pregnant with Dan's baby, and it turned into this big street scandal that went on for months. Dan left the street immediately and I don't think he found out about the baby for ages. Toadie had just gotten together with Sonya at the time, but because he was such good friends with both Steph and Libby, and he didn't want their friendship to be ruined (especially since Libby was grieving the loss of her child, and she and Dan had broken up), Toadie broke up with Sonya to help Steph cover up the fact that she had slept with Dan. So, by the time the pregnancy got to the stage where it was obvious, Steph just lied about the dates and told everyone that Toadie was the father. They even went as far as to nearly get married, but they couldn't go through with it, and then I think Paul somehow found out that the baby was Dan's and revealed it to everyone. Libby and Steph had this huge fight, and Steph gave birth to her son Adam (who was on the show for the first time a few weeks ago), but she had postnatal depression and she rode her motorbike when she was really upset (and possibly had been drinking), and she hit this character called Ringo and killed him. So then she got locked up and lost access to her kids, and later on when she was released, she still had issues, and she stole Vanessa and Lucas's baby, somehow thinking it was hers, which was why she went to that psychiatric hospital where she met Belinda. And somewhere along the way, Toadie and Sonya got back together, and Sonya revealed that the boy (Callum) that Toadie had been looking after ever since his great-grandma got sick and died was actually her son. And Toadie and Sonya then had Nell together and got married.

Anyway, sorry, that ended up being much longer than I expected... :P

Edited November 13, 2016 by neutron

[Nozycat]

Lol, I know the storylines are often ridiculous but reading it all together like this really makes that obvious.  Who knows what they might do next.

[neutron]

19 minutes ago, Nozycat said:

Lol, I know the storylines are often ridiculous but reading it all together like this really makes that obvious.  Who knows what they might do next.

Haha, yeah, I felt the same while writing it. So much ridiculous drama packed into one paragraph! I think that's what made me get so carried away and write so much. :P

[Nozycat]

Heh, yeah it's like grabbing one bit of yarn and then it just keeps unravelling.

[Kim0820]

 Thanks neutron. What an interesting read. I would think it would be better to get an anonymous egg donor, but then if they know who it is they know the family medical history which is better for the child I guess. 

I didn't catch who Maxine is the wife of.  

Brooke  is manipulative. She needs to just get a real job.  She is so messed up that I'd think stepmom Therese  would be a better option. 

[Nozycat]

Maxine is Jacka's mother.  I am unclear on this story, did Ned set fire to her home and that is why Brad is paying her rent?

I am dreading Xanthe's and Gary's hearts getting broken by Brooke.

Oh lordy, this surrogacy story is going to go on forever, I am already over it.

[Kim0820]

I thought it was stupid of Gary and Brooke to blame Elly as Xanthe is the one who lived with Brooke and observed her behavior.  David's outburst on Aaron was absurd too.  You don't have to take someone else's advice and if you do it's still your action.  Why the great grandmother does not want them to know who their father is - kind of interesting, what could it be that is so bad they should never know?  

[Nozycat]

Yes will be interesting to see the backstory around David and Leo.  Although I am starting to lose interest, another storyline they are dragging out too long imo.

Looks like Susan finally finds out about Angus.  He and Elly will both be in trouble.

[Kim0820]

Angus  is practically a psycho. Was he going to  assault her in her sleep? 

 Why did  Brooke do that to Sheila?   Put hot sauce into the chili? 

[Nozycat]

Yeah Angus is being a total creep with Elly, I certainly think he has been assaulting her, like when he pretended to be Mark.

And Brooke is awful as well.  The way she manipulates Xanthe and doctoring Sheila's food is dreadful.

So was David and Leo's father gay maybe?

[Kim0820]

That's a good speculation.  And maybe why David backs off fearful to admit he's gay.  If the great grandmother would disapprove that much.  But I guess as it looks like she died, he will someday be able to examine all that.  Though where are the mother and grandmother?  Surely they must figure in the boys' lives.  

Steph is really annoying - the time to make that decision is much earlier than she did.  She could think of someone else, say, Mark, even if Sonya acts as mother to the child, at least Mark will have a child.  Mark's real solution is to break up with Steph and find someone in the age group that is ready to have a child.  Too young Paige and now too old/mentally ill Steph.  I propose Elly may be about right.  Also Amy.  She has a kid but looks young enough to have another.   Erinsborough can't be that short on women in their late twenties/early 30s.  

[Olivia Y]

How long has Mark and Steph even been together? They've never talked about getting married (and they're not even living together right?) or anything along those lines. It seems awfully premature to jump straight to 'let's make a baby!'. Mark and Sonya are, what, in their early 30s? Since it's not Steph who'd have to give birth they could afford to take like a year to really think the whole thing through.

It annoys me because I'd finally started to like Mark a bit more. When he was with Kate (after he came back from the 'dead') and later Paige there was so much angst and the actor doesn't really do that well with the heavy drama. When the Steph thing started it was just all about having fun together and he became so much more likeable. Now it's back to the angst again and...ugh. 

Edited November 24, 2016 by Olivia Y

[Nozycat]

I like Amy for Mark but not Elly, she is way too dysfunctional, or for anyone at the moment, imo.  Amy and Mark would be a good match I think. But he is with Steph and yeah they should have thought about it more.  And why on earth they are trying to have a child when they are not even committed enough to live together is beyond me.  Sonya practically bullied them into it and I can't believe she didn't tell Steph the counsellor had such reservations.  And she is inseminating herself???

[Kim0820]

Brooke is really too much.  She thinks she can say she is sorry and then get away with anything.  

I was feeling bad for Elly.  Angus caused the whole thing.  Good thing he told the truth.  

[Nozycat]

Yeah good Brooke is gone, but I feel for Xanthe.

Angus was way out of line but I thought Elly was also inappropriate with some of the things she shared with him and should have told Susan a long time ago.  I am not saying she is at fault, she very clearly said no many times, just that she could have handled it better.

So Sonya and Paige are both pregnant?  Of course they are.

And Dee has risen from the dead?  Lots of drama to come.

What's with them slathering the makeup on Lauren lately, doesn't suit her at all imo.

[Kim0820]

Yes, was not expecting Paige to be pregnant.  But that does put them in a bind, at least for the priestly father.  

It is hard to believe they wrote Lauren and Brad having a conflict during their wedding reception.  And then they can't go on their planned honeymoon.  Ned is a real pain in the neck.  

I thought Lew and Kathy getting married was amusing but how could it be legal with no witnesses and no time for a license.  At least they cleared that up before they went off happily ever after.

Therese attending her ex's wedding - what a plot point!  Talk about things that would not happen.  

[Nozycat]

I don't like the way Brad keeps walking out on Lauren and putting Ned first.

Feels like they finished earlier than usual for the year?

[Kim0820]

I thought they must be done for the year as there is no episode for Monday as far as I can tell. No major cliffhanger   

[Nozycat]

Yeah that was it for the year.  I guess the question of whether it is really Dee is the cliffhanger.

[Kim0820]

Oh right.  And that makes more trouble for Toadie and Sonya.  

[Kim0820]

Back already!  Looks like tons of storyline being set up for all.  

[Nozycat]

Yes indeed.

Sonja annoys me with trying to make everything deep and meaningful and why couldn't Steph and Mark put it off to another night?

Lol @ Leo of all people having a go at David's hair, David's hair is much better than Leo's imo and no that is not a mullet.

Why was Piper cooking in Brad and Lauren's kitchen and seriously? Tyler goes to the family dinner dressed like that when he's trying to impress?

I wonder how they are going to explain Dee being alive - amnesia again?

[neutron]

Yes! I thought the same about Leo and David. David's hair looks way better that Leo's and it is also less of a mullet than Leo's.

And yeah, I didn't understand why Mark couldn't have told Sonya that they already had plans.

What was with Paige forgetting her bra? She went to Leo's place not intending to sleep over, so surely any clothes that she removed while she was there she would have put back on before leaving, especially her bra. So that made no sense.

I am wondering whether Dee will even end up being alive, or whether the actress has just returned to film all these dreams that Toadie will have. I read that she's not staying for long as a character, because she actually just wants to be a director (or producer or something) of the show.

[Nozycat]

Yeah the bra thing was dumb, just a plot contrivance to upset Amy.

Hope they don't draw the Dee thing out too long like they have other stories.

Looks to me like the actress who plays Lauren is pregnant - her face is much fuller and she has been wearing more flowing clothes and holding towels in front of her stomach, looked pregnant at the wedding to me.

[neutron]

So exciting when Dee appeared at Toadie's door! :D (Even though I obviously knew it was going to happen.) I've been wanting that to happen for years!

What was with how Steph offered to look after Nell so that Sonya and Toadie could be alone for some adult time, and then Steph and Mark just sat in Harold's basically almost having sex in the chair in front of Nell and also discussing their sex life in front of her while she giggled at them kissing? Who does that?!

[Nozycat]

Yeah will be interesting to see how the whole thing with Dee unfolds.

I know, Steph and Mark were so inappropriate.  And Steph, use your words.  If you have a problem with Mark then tell him.

[Gulftastic]

Good work from Ryan Moloney today. He portrayed the absolute confusion very well.,

[Nozycat]

Hi Gulftastic :-)

Yeah agreed about Ryan.  Dee's story on the other hand I thought was ridiculous.  I suspect there may be more to it.  And maybe a child?

What was up with Lauren sticking her bib in with Terese, Brad and Piper - none of her business and I was glad when Terese told her to butt out.

[Gulftastic]

A predatory lesbian and an unfaithful bi-sexual. Two tropes for the price of one in this plot, Neighbours. ;)

[Nozycat]

Yes and we had the same not that long ago already with Belinda? and Steph.

Sheesh Terese and Brad are getting on my nerves.  Could they be working any harder to push Piper towards Tyler?  Heh @ Leo admitting so freely he gave them somewhere to stay as revenge.

[Kim0820]

Dee looks so much like Lauren, they should have cast her as Lauren's sister. 

Yes, soap parents never seem to know that forbidding a relationship only makes it more desirable.  But they did decide to let it alone and get Piper to have to deal with living on her own.

[Gulftastic]

Oh Neighbours. Why have you done this? The Dee return was going so well.