Neighbours (AU) - General Discussion

[Nozycat]

Yeah I was thinking DNA test too, Kim has been quite economic with the truth so far.  No idea how many kids Paul has now but they're adding up aren't they.

[Kim0820]

So the parents just left; are they going to come right back when Paige has the crisis caused by the "special" tea?  

[Nozycat]

Isn't it cookies or brownies?  Whatever it is what is it with people pushing their drugs on others - first H&A now Neighbours?

Eta - oh sorry, I see it WAS tea, I got it wrong.  That crisis was over quickly.

What's with Mark continually ending up in bed with Sonya, I am finding that creepy.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Nozycat

[Olivia Y]

Tyler is far from my favourite character, but all the blame they're putting on him for the tea is ridiculous. Someone else putting your name on something doesn't make you automatically responsible for it (or responsible for who eats/drinks it for that matter).

I know we're meant to think Finn is evil or manipulative or whatever for the stuff on Susan, but actually I think he has a point. She really has shown a lot of nepotism for all the stuff her relatives have done.

[Kim0820]

And Piper blaming herself!  That is all on that American biking girl.

Boring that Xanthe's mother is here again and that's to cause problems for Gary and Therese.  

[Kim0820]

Brooke and "honey bunch" - what an annoying endearment.  

[Nozycat]

Yeah ridiculous blaming Tyler and Piper.

Agreed that Finn has a point.  I haven't made up my mind about him yet.

Ugh, I can't stand the honeybunch, and the way she says it sounds so syrupy and fake.

I wonder if David and Aaron will get together.  They have had moments and could be good together I think.

I am sad that Sonya is drinking again.  I don't like her much but hate to see an addict relapse.

[Kim0820]

Didn't Sonya have a gambling addiction too?  How amazing she became Mayor.  I hope this relapse doesn't wreck her business, though that hasn't been focused in so long I'm not sure she owns it now.  

[Olivia Y]

First of all, they've already done the 'leave school to become a mechanic' thing with Chris a few years ago (although IIRC he did finish school). And what's with the urgency that he can't even finish year 12? I know he's a teenager but boy is Ben dumb. Is he even legally an adult? His grandparents could just ship him to his mother and wash their hands off this annoyance.

So the brother saw two people he's never met before once (from a distance) and that just...burned into his memory?

Ah Xanthe, disclosing other people's medical conditions, she's going to make a fabulous nurse.

Lol Toadie and his righteous anger, please go walk into the lake.

[Nozycat]

Yes Sonya had a gambling addiction too and it became an issue at the election.  

I don't like Finn the way he manipulated Ben to leave school to serve his own interests.  Even if it wasn't that it's not his place, make suggestions yes but not the way he did it.

Why haven't Toadie and his brother seen each other for so long and his brother has never even seen photos of Toadie's family?  What's going on there?  

[neutron]

3 hours ago, Nozycat said:

Why haven't Toadie and his brother seen each other for so long and his brother has never even seen photos of Toadie's family?  What's going on there?  

There is some information about Shane's past here: http://perfectblend.net/neighbourhood/bio/rebecchi-shane.htm

 

Quote

I know he's a teenager but boy is Ben dumb. Is he even legally an adult?

I don't think he can be, because didn't he skip a grade because he was apparently a genius?

Edited April 19, 2017 by neutron

[Kim0820]

They seem to work hard to give Toadie stories regarding his past.  They just got done with Dee so now his brother shows up.  

So now Mark loves Sonya?  LOL I guess they will be going there.  So the Dee arc was to help break up Toadie and Sonya.  

Agreed Ben story is silly.  Karl's compromise was the only sensible way to go.  I can't think of a career so grand that you'd better get started now rather than finish the last year of school you are already partly done with.  Maybe a one time shot at becoming a star in the entertainment field?  Why get so close to the graduating certificate and then abandon it?  

[Olivia Y]

Also, wasn't Tyler running around unemployed for ages before Lucas took him back? And Steph had to give up being a mechanic because Lucas refused to hire her again? There's literally only one job lol.

Are they going to follow up with fakeDee and Willow? Or do we just assume they're just living in the UK now?

Shane's been here two episodes and I'm ready for him to leave already. He's had all of one facial expression and one tone of voice the whole time he's been on.

[Nozycat]

Thanks Neutron, that helps.

So Shane and his family are coming to Ramsey St.  I wonder what's the go with the woman he has been talking to.  Annoys me when they have such cryptic conversations with new characters.  Just let us know what is happening.  Also when people try to control others and say they have big news but then totally control how and when they are going to give it.  And what was with the bush ballad stuff - that was all so 'look at me'.  I also think he was trying to stir up trouble at the park deliberately.  Don't like him so far.

[Kim0820]

Musical houses is fun - where is Toadie living?  It seems he is separated from Sonya right now, hence his wanting Steph to go back.  

I sense some sort of scam, but Shane has the money to buy a house and a business.  That woman is perhaps not his wife but someone else?  If she is his wife, what is she doing with Leo?  And "step one" is complete, and they have money, so what could they be after?  This stuff is not coming out as intriguing or speculation-causing, so just out with it, show.  

I may have missed something, but are we to assume that Sonya sold the garden business, or that she still has it but has someone to run it?  We have not seen that set in a long time.  Sonya doesn't seem pressured by having to work, too, on top her other problems.  Can't remember if she is still mayor, too, and that would cause her to have some duties she would have to pull herself together for.  

[Olivia Y]

22 hours ago, Kim0820 said:

I sense some sort of scam, but Shane has the money to buy a house and a business.

I think he's only renting the house, and besides it would be infeasible for a new family to move on to the street without some sort of deep!dark!secret for a backstory. Maybe the woman is another one of Paul's children.

[Nozycat]

I think Toadie is living with Susan and Karl.

Yeah that woman isn't Shane's wife, but no idea yet what is going on there.  Indeed always have to have a secret.  Lol @ the woman maybe being another of Paul's children.

Weird Paige moving in with Mark, wonder how that will turn out.

Lol @ Susan commenting on her deputy having slack boundaries ... while talking to a junior staff member about them and in front of Xanthe and other people.  Not great at her own boundaries.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Nozycat

[Kim0820]

I could tell when Elly said Finn was OK that meant he was not OK.   So what does he want to spy on from her computer?  Or maybe it was Susan's?  He is there at Susan's house.  OK so two of your teachers are having sex in your house.  You are the principal.  Do you have some kind of conflict?  LOL.

LOL about the deep dark secret - so true.  So that was Shane's sister in law.  Updated the credits already and Mishti the sister in law is with David and Leo, not her family.  Amusing. 

[Olivia Y]

Bored with Finn storyline already, and I don't care about Elly enough to be interested in where this is going. 

I'm actually quite liking the new family, though I wish they'd get the 'secret' thing out of the way. 

Lol Toadie hyperventilating at Sonya getting a lawyer! I still think they're going to end up back together though. Wasn't it speculated that Callum was coming back at some point? If that's true that's surely related to this storyline.

Piper's getting so pretty! I'm not sure if it's just growing up or if she's styled better or something.

[Nozycat]

I am trying to learn the new family's names, always takes me a while.  So Mishti is a paramedic or cop?  Did the older sister drive the ute ?

Yes Piper is very pretty, especially with her hair down.  How long did it take Terese to get to the hospital, Piper was already out of surgery when she got there.

[Kim0820]

Was it Amy driving the ute?  They seem to want to throw her under the bus for some reason.  

Aaron will of course change his mind with David at death's door.   

Therese already blaming the backpackers, though I suppose it is an accident more likely to happen there than at a house.  But mostly it was Amy being emotional.  

[Olivia Y]

There's speculation that it's the older daughter of the new family, since she was saying in an earlier episode about how she knows how to drive. 

The thing with the guy playing Mark is that his acting is find if it's light-hearted and happy storylines, but he's soooo bad at more serious stuff! Whether it was with Kate or Paige or Steph or Sonya, as soon as they give him 'drama' to do he's just so...cringeworthy and unlikeable. 

[Kim0820]

Elly is a big pain in the neck.  

[Nozycat]

Yeah it's proven that it wasn't Amy and they found the statue in the ute that Dipi had put out in the cafe and which had disappeared which also suggest Yashvi.  But Amy still has a secret which she cryptically told Jack.  I wish they wouldn't do that.  I find it annoying, just tell us.

Mark has 2 speeds, happy or mostly angry/aggressive and yes unlikable.

What a creep Finn is - stay away from Zanthe, he is really messing with her.

[Olivia Y]

Ugh, Finn with Xanthe is definitely creepy, the 'we have to meet in private' thing was just so wrong. I don't blame her at all though, at that age she's totally susceptible to that kind of attention. 

The thing is, every time Finn accuses Susan of being biased he still totally has a point. her self-righteousness can get really grating. That and Elly is still annoying as heck, so there's no one to root for in that trio.

8 hours ago, Nozycat said:

But Amy still has a secret which she cryptically told Jack.  I wish they wouldn't do that.  I find it annoying, just tell us.

Yup. And I have a feeling it'll be totally underwhelming, like she stepped on Jimmy's favourite cushion or something.

[Kim0820]

I give Shane props for bringing that dog and making it look like it was one of those "loyal dog finds family at great distance" story.  

The new family is from Burke, which I googled, and suppose that is in Queensland.  The Lauren and Brad family had come from Mount Isa, as I recall.  None of them talk slow like they are supposed to, lol as my friend and one tour guide said.

[Nozycat]

It totally put me off Dipi that she would split up a girl and her dog.  Glad she finally gave in.

[Kim0820]

I laughed out loud at Sheila and her iphone trying to change the language to Armenian.  I am always hitting the wrong thing on mine too.  

Not sure I agree about getting flowers.  One thing is for sure, having your ex and your current flame in such close proximity is no recipe for happiness. 

[Olivia Y]

Does anyone else watch the old episodes that are being put up on Youtube? They have the entire run of 2007 episodes and are about 50 or so into 2008. It's so weird to see how much people have/haven't changed. Some of them look exactly the same (which is probably expected of older actors like Karl or Susan or Paul, but Steph still looks exactly the same as well), but Ben had a different child actor, as did Charlie. They're up to the episodes where Toadie and Steph's relationship/wedding fall apart, and Toadie's all worried he'll lose access to Charlie, which...given the way things have turned out, is kind of hilarious (not in a good way). Did Toadie even interact with Charlie when he was visiting last year?

Oh, and now we have a few family of characters, anyone want to put bets on who will:

• Have an affair (with someone else on the street, not just whatever is happening with the aunt);
• End up in hospital (to be treated by Karl);
• Get in trouble with the law (and be represented by Toadie);
• Develop a substance abuse problem;
• Die.

Am I missing any cliches?

Edited May 10, 2017 by Olivia Y

[Kim0820]

I don't think Toadie did much.  It was all about Mark bonding with Charlie.  

LOL, yeah it looks like Yashvi for law problems.  An affair with Paul is cliche - we saw that with Priya and Therese.  

[Nozycat]

Olivia is talking about way before Mark and Steph.  No not watching the old shows but yes can be interesting.

Cliche that I hate, one character has something very important to tell another but gets interrupted or other character says something that stops them.

Eta Oh as evidenced with the non conversation between Aaron and David tonight, blech.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Nozycat

[Olivia Y]

LOL Tyler needing someone to vouch for him AGAIN so Lucas won't fire him? After what, an hour after being rehired? Sheesh! As much of a hypocrite as Terese is (dating an ex-con herself while berating Piper for dating a delinquent) it's kind of hard to feel sorry for him right now. 

What Finn is doing to Xanthe is so uncomfortable to watch. I don't think he's going to proposition her or anything, but the way he's playing on her vulnerabilities is just so disgusting. I don't care what he wants with Elly but getting a student involved is so wrong. 

[Nozycat]

Yes Tyler was way out of line with how he was berating Mark and thinking he knew better, so arrogant, and then of course beating up that guy.  

Yeah Finn is being so skeevy with Xanthe, it makes me feel sick, and everything else pales in comparison for me.

Gary is being so stupid doing this 'project' with Brooke and lying to Terese about it instead of saying he needs to tell Terese first before getting involved.

Glad David and Aaron finally talked and I can see why David made the decision he made.

So did Sonya drive the ute into the backpackers?  How long are they going to drag this out?

[Olivia Y]

I've never watched any of the vlogs that 'Piper' puts up until earlier today when I watched the one from right after the accident. I have to give credit to that actress...can't remember her name, but she's really good. It was obviously super-emotional (like when she started talking about Josh) but it wasn't melodramatic and there was no overacting. Without the context I would've completely believed it was real (apart from the bit where she claimed to be wearing no makeup, that was just...lol). I think she has real potential to go on to something big after this if she so chooses.

[Nozycat]

Yeah I think the actress who plays Piper is good too.  Amazing how they can get it so right with some actors and then so wrong with others.

Gary has been a total dick to Terese imo and totally putting Brooke above her plus all the lying.  I think Terese should have been honest with him though, even if he and Brooke weren't having an affair I still think he was being disloyal to Terese by teaming up with Brooke like that in secret. This way Terese is the bad guy when it is his fault.

[Kim0820]

Sharing custody is not "taking the child away" from the mother - I hate that stuff.  It's the best interests of the child, but of course Sonya does not consider that, only her own needs.  

IMO it is odd that a school does not retain records of everything and has to ask the students to bring them back.  

[neutron]

13 hours ago, Kim0820 said:

IMO it is odd that a school does not retain records of everything and has to ask the students to bring them back.  

I think it's pretty standard to not keep records of what the students actually submitted, unless they submitted the work electronically. They did have records of all the students' marks, but the whole point of the investigation is to check whether the marks Elly recorded do accurately reflect how well the students performed, which is why they need the assignments/tests back.

Edited May 19, 2017 by neutron

[Nozycat]

Yes Sonya is in denial when she should well know she is not reliable as a mother right now.

Yeah when I worked as a tutor at uni we didn't keep copies of assignments either, just the marks.

[Kim0820]

IYou're right, that makes sense.  We'd get our homework back.  Even the tests.   Though if they did not trust a teacher's grades it might be better to require them to copy future ones rather than let the students in on it by asking for them to give the assignments back.  And the students could have trashed them.

[Olivia Y]

On 5/18/2017 at 1:49 AM, Nozycat said:

 Amazing how they can get it so right with some actors and then so wrong with others.

Lol yup, so right with Piper and so wrong with Tyler, the fact they share so many scenes just makes that stand out even more. Reminds me of Ned and Janae (from 2007 I think?) - he couldn't act at all (former Big Brother contestant IIRRC), she was really fantastic (and went on to star in a successful series) but she may as well have been acting with a wooden plank.

I guess it's hard to really tell with younger actors. Years ago when Tash first joined the cast I thought she was awful, but she improved so much over time.

LOL BEN. Suddenly it's 'I'm so close to finishing year 12'? Like one moment it was 'I can't waste any more time!' and then suddenly time doesn't matter anymore? 

What is Finn's deal exactly? He's so sick he could drop dead at any point and his ultimate goal is...to be the principle at a high school (one that isn't even that prestigious) in a random suburb? 

Haha Tim Collins - 'son number 12?'. (And then Paul goes and sticks a finger in his wine) But why does he want the Backpackers? It wasn't exactly a money-spinner for Leo, what's he going to do with a garage that's going to be worth all this effort?  

Edited May 19, 2017 by Olivia Y

[neutron]

14 hours ago, Olivia Y said:

What is Finn's deal exactly? He's so sick he could drop dead at any point and his ultimate goal is...to be the principle at a high school (one that isn't even that prestigious) in a random suburb?

I really don't know! I have been wondering this the entire time. At first I thought he was just telling Xanthe that he wanted to be the principal when actually he just wanted Elly, but now I'm not so sure. And I'm also not sure whether he has known for ages that he is sick, or whether the brain injury really was a result of Elly pushing him, or whether it wasn't a result of that but that's when he found out he had the condition. But I really don't see how the writers expect us to believe that his life goal is to be the principal of a random local high school, especially going about it the way he is, without even earning the position. Maybe his brain injury has had a severe negative impact on his thinking.

Tim Collins was so great to watch yesterday! I loved how he just randomly rocked up at Leo and David's apartment and pretty much burnt everyone in the room in one sentence. Also, Tim's face was hilarious after Paul put his finger in his wine. (Although I didn't really get why Paul did that – is that just supposed to be the more dignified version of tipping the wine all over his head?) Anyway, Leo is seriously soooo stupid. I mean, he's sensible for not trusting Paul, although he probably can trust him a little bit, because Paul does seem to really try to help David, and Amy and Jimmy, and even Steph, rather than scamming them all. But even if Leo doesn't trust Paul, how is not trusting Paul a reason to go and do some dangerous illegal gambling? He could at least try borrowing the money from Paul first, and then if Paul starts trying to use him to do dodgy stuff or whatever, he could then move on to the gambling and pay Paul back. No need to gamble before you've used all the options available to you. And borrowing money from Paul would also buy Leo some time to earn money in an honest way.

Edited May 20, 2017 by neutron

[Nozycat]

Yeah I think Tyler has improved over time though as well.

Heh son no 12 and finger in the wine was hilarious.

I thought it came out that Finn had the aneurysm before Elly pushed him.  Yeah I don't get his urgency to become principal of Erinsborough High but I do think that was his deal from early on, Elly was just a by product imo.  Swapping Susan's meds is another low act.

I think Eve Morey is doing a great job at portraying an addict in relapse.

Really Mishti?  Leo tells you he has something on in the afternoon so you rock up anyway and get all miffed when he tells you he has something on?  And what's with the big secret between Shane and Mishti - can't see it being an affair with all the vagueness.  Lol @ Dipi saying how hard Shane works - have never seen him do anything.

I can't with Mark and Tyler - Mark bringing confidential files home and leaving them lying around and getting annoyed at Tyler reading them,, Tyler continuing to play boy detective and being all self-righteous about it.

It doesn't fit Mark's character at all for me that he would tamper with evidence - the man who arrested his own fiancee at their wedding.  He is usually so straight edge.

Edited May 26, 2017 by Nozycat

[Olivia Y]

The funny thing about having watched this show for a long time (longer than I'd care to admit) is that something like the Sonya/backpackers accident is that you remember all the similar incidents that's happened in the past - Steph killed Ringo, Susan almost killed Bridget (who died later anyway) so it's not like many people on the street can judge lol.

On 5/20/2017 at 0:29 PM, Nozycat said:

It doesn't fit Mark's character at all for me that he would tamper with evidence - the man who arrested his own fiancee at their wedding.

Maybe it's because the fallout from Paige's 'crimes' wouldn't have been as bad as what might happen to Sonya? I have to say that as much as I'm tired of this storyline, Sonya is a great actress and really made me feel for her when she was confessing to Toadie. I'm surprised she's been on a soap opera as long as she has, she could probably do much better (maybe that's why we get so many Sonya-centric storylines, they're trying to keep her on). 

WTF Therese? 'I'd always be waiting for you to hurt me'...? Wasn't she the one who fabricated evidence to send him to jail? Then again he has pretty much cheated on every single person he's been with, so maybe that was the smart thing to do.  

[Nozycat]

Yes Eve Morey is doing a great job with this storyline.  Generally I don't like what Sonya has become - I did like her when she first came on to Neighbours - but really feel for her at the moment.  Relapse is a horrible place to be on top of losing the baby and the marriage breakdown.

[Olivia Y]

Okay I get it's a soap opera and they need to ramp up the drama, but the Paige-in-labour-in-the-bush thing is so contrived I can't even be bothered to feel sorry for her. Going into the bush - alone - when she's ready to pop is beyond idiotic, and I'm surprised neither Jack nor Susan tried to put her off.

Glad to see that the Sonya downward-spiral storyline has halted (for now), and also glad she finally admitted how she was really feeling regarding the surrogacy thing.

And LOL Piper complaining about Sonya messing up her life, Piper who burnt the school down (thanks for reminding us of that Susan, although when she started talking about not judging I thought she was going to bring up Bridget)! 

[Nozycat]

Yes I just laughed at the previews of Paige alone in labour in the bush - so contrived indeed.

Yeah I was really peeved with Sonya over the surrogacy thing and am glad she finally came clean about it and is getting into rehab.

[Olivia Y]

Wow, that was like the fastest birth ever, especially for a first pregnancy.

Last time Susan was with a pregnant woman going into labour they were inside a burning building. Does anyone on that street ever just give birth without being surrounded by DRAMA?

Lol Paul's 'generic brand bargain basement boyfriend' comment (something along those lines). I wonder if they're actually going to go through with Therese marrying Garry, I don't get any chemistry between them at all.

[Olivia Y]

How stupid is Elly? Waving around 'evidence' that she stole without even knowing what they might be?

Lauren! I'm glad they got the actress back for this, since it'd be way too unrealistic for a mother not to come down (and Queensland isn't even that far) in this sort of scenario. Laughed when they used the old 'stuck in another country' excuse for Brad though. 

That baby is so adorable! Not even close to a newborn but that's television

[Nozycat]

Yeah I don't get chemistry between Therese and Gary either.

Indeed  hardly evidence.  Elly just keeps rushing in without thinking.

I couldn't believe Lauren going off at Jack but giving Susan a free pass for the same thing.

That baby is huge for a newborn, lol.

[Kim0820]

Is Sonya being written out temporarily for a maternity leave?  I thought she was gone to the rehab for a while and was disappointed to see her again beng even worse.  

Xanthe is an idiot too.