Jump to content

Home and Away: Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 362
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

Thanks Carl, for posting that.

This was from an era that I really loved, and featured some of my all-time favourite characters - Jesse, Chloe, Selina, Curtis, Travis, Kelly, Alisa; so good seeing this again. And the old Diner, too! LOL at the car rolling down the hill, while Curtis and Chloe kissed. Really wish they would bring some of these characters back; just a shame they pointlessly killed off Chloe. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
  • 2 months later...
  • Members

I actually can't watch at the moment...In NZ the Christchurch earthquake has meant that the show has been pre-empted for extra news coverage. I think the last episode to screen last Monday (21st February) was the season return for 2011.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I definitely think it's improved. Have you been watching, Ben?

The River Boys have really re-vitalised the show, although I know there are many people who are not fond of them. Although it sounds sad to say it, I think Home and Away as always had a superficial appeal to it; the girls in bikinis, the hot guys with their tops off on the beach. 2010 failed to offer any male eye candy, and I think that made many younger fans tune out but older fans probably carried on watching as the older cast was pretty strong.

The River Boys aren't just attractive boys though. Well, Steve who plays Darryl has had some dodgy moments, as well as Daniel who plays Heath, butI really like hem both. But...I feel that Casey has the most potential out of them all. He has a very violent side. But can also be desribed as sensitive, vulnerable and s having a low sense of worth. But he is also very charming. I relate to him the most out of all the current cast. I suppose it's quite a cliched set-up with the Braxtons, but whatever the case may be, Casey is a very strong character.

Dexter Walker and April Scott are both extremely strong characters, too. Xavier seems to suck the life out of April's character, but now she's broken up wih him I really hope the relationship between April and Dexter can develop, as they are both similar in a lot of ways. They're definitely doing something right at the moment though, especially with Morag back and Roo soon to return. The only problems I have with the show at the moment are Marilyn, who is my favourite character, but has been given dull and depressing storylines which don't suit her, and Ruby, who sucks the face off any boy who comes within a mile of her.

What are your thoughts, Ben?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I've been watching more regularly than before, still not everyday, but at least twice a week, which is better than nothing - literally!

The River Boys have injected the show with a bit of life, but I find them a bit cliché and predictable, especially Casey. Ironically, it's that added depth that you talk about that I find predictable and un-creative. I actually find the other two more interesting, or the one that got into the violence by protecting his brothers, and now kinda enjoys it. But, the show has had these types of characters who breeze into town and cause trouble before, and that feels repetitive, which stops me from getting invested in them. Then there's the formula that usually happens with these types of characters, who usually turn out good in the end. Boring.

I'm glad they split-up Charlie and Angelo, as they had grown stale. I was really into the Liam & Bianca story, but they don't really do much since her non-wedding to Vittorio. I've never been a big fan of Nicole, so I'm not really feeling this pregnancy story, and you're right about Marilyn - she's lost her bubbliness, or the writing isn't playing up to that. But she's still awesome. I like her interaction with Dexter and Indi, but sometimes I feel like her and Sid lack chemistry, and other times they click. It's weird.

I love that Morag is back, but I wish they wouldn't play up Alf as if he's responsible for the entire town, as they make it seem like Summer Bay has no other residents but the main characters. It never used to be written like this.

Romeo/Indi and Dexter/April are awesome characters, and the two couples that I'm mostly interested in; I love these guys. Ruby is annoying, but Romeo makes her bearable. I love Leah, but I'm not sure about Elijah and this marriage of convenience thing that he's got going on. His time on the show ( and in Leah's life) is over. Roo is great, and I'm interested to see what they do with her. The Hawaii shoot is intriguing, especially with the set of characters involved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I see where you're coming from, as I initally felt like that about Casey. In fact, as soon as I heard Gina tell Miles that Casey was troubled, and she wanted him to chat with the boy, I was rolling my eyes thinking here we go again. :lol: I think this is different though. Lincoln Younes brings a hell of a lot to the role IMO. In fact I haven't felt emotionally attached to a soap character as I have to Casey in an extremely long time. Aden was similar and initally a fantastic character, but I don't think he had as many layers as Casey. He was more of a cliche cheeky Jack-the-lad turned good. Aden was troubled, violent, and a bit of a smart-arse etc. but Casey has so much more to him and I hope the writers continue writing him the way they are. Casey has never known where he belongs in terms of his family and just generally in society; he has extremely low self-esteem and Gina believes that he may have a learning difficulty but Cheryl Braxton fails to take the situation seriously, which I think re-inforces Casey's feeling of low self-worth. Ultimately I suppose Darryl and Heath are more unique characters in that they aren't similar to past characters, but I feel that Lincoln's the strongest actor out of the lot, and he has become a favourite very quickly. I think you'd enjoy the show a lot if you watched it regularly, I hope that Casey grows on you!

Darryl is drawn to trouble, I think he likes to just have fun, even if his morals couldn't be considered great, I think at the end of the day there is part of him that has a conscience. Although Heath may have a conscience, I think he's so bitter and twisted from his upbringing he fails to see any wrong in his behaviour and I think he could be considered the genuine bad one. I like to think that there's a good side to everyone in society, even people who do the worst of things, so I would like to get to know Heath better, and even though I don't want him to turn good, I'd like to see a nicer aspect to his personality. I think it would also be unoriginal if he remained the 'bad' one, as that would also be cliche. It's that complexity that they need to srive for - Heath can show a good side, but he will always have the scars from his childhood which will inevitably drive his behaviour.

I love Marilyn and could watch her all day, but they're definitely not writing her to her strengths. It's not like they can't write serious, issue-driven storylines for her, but why can't they write it with humour. Her character has become very serious, and as I'm watching the '89 season at the moment, her character has gone from one extreme to the other - in '89 she was a bit of a caricature, a thick air-head, always confusing words etc, now she's just a blonde. I honestly don't know what she sees in Sid either. You say they sometimes work, but over the l.ast few months I've seen no scenes which make them seem like they work. He's probably the most bland character on the show, he simply has NO characteristics whatsoever. They seem like they're never on the same wavelength ever. Ironicaly I love Indigo and Dexter, their sibling relationship is something that should be explored. The contrast between Sid/Dexter is interesting, but it often feels like Robert portrays Sid as not giving a dam about Dexter. Whatever the reason they've brought back Morag, I am grateful. She's easily the most complex character in the show's history, my favourite by far, and I can't think of any character in soap she could be compared to. Cornelia Frances must be the best actress in Australia, I simply love her. I don't want her to be watered down though. I still want to see that hard edge to her character. I simply CANNOT wait to see her scenes with Roo when she returns, it's going to be brilliant. They had such a wonderful relationship in the 80's, I'd like to see how things have changed.

I went through a phase of hating Ruby, but now all I feel is sorry for her. She's like a lost little girl, and it's like she's desperate for someone to take her under their wing. Why she'd run after Romeo when she's got the gorgeous Casey making a pass at her I've no idea, but there you go :lol: Ruby is made bearable for me by Rebecca's acting. She's a lovely young actress. Don't even get me started on Elijah. If there's any character on the show who serves no purpose, it's him. He's only there to fill their 'ethnic' quota, and I hate how they've gone down the route of ruining a relgious character. Seriously, watching Home and Away makes you think that no Christians strictly follow their religion. The crazed priest trying to kill Rachel, Geoff sleeping with many girls before marriage, Elijah marrying someone and not being in love. I hope the producers axe the character soon but it seems unlikely. I hate to say it, but I think the show is hitting its stride out of luck more than anything. They can't see that Elijah doesn't work as a character, and Cornelia Frances is willing to be permanent and has been all these years but they won't make her more than a guest! :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Probably to appreciate and get to know the River Boys, I should watch more often. I did only catch one ep this week, and that was Friday's with the girls night/boys night, and Romeo kissing Ruby, and I was intrigued by Casey and his friendship with Ruby, and maybe if I can see him as something more than a predictability (I so hope he doesn't get "fostered" by Miles) then I might start to like him. I'm not sure about him and Ruby, who I struggle to care about. Rebecca Breeds brings her to life, and is great young actor, but the character has changed a lot in recent years, and not for the better.

Even in the 90s Marilyn was still the bubbly airhead that was always muddling words and phases; she was bouncy and fun and full of positiveness. I guess the writing/directing team now, just don't get the character.

Sid is serious, but I also think he's quite loyal. When he was first introduced, he was supposed to be a player, which I didn't buy. I think he's a man that's deeply set in his ways, kinda conservative, stubborn, and it's this oppositeness that he has with Marilyn that I think kinda works. All of Sid's personal relationships are of him not being on the same wave length, not having that immediate connectivity; he struggles to relate to Dexter, doesn't understand Marilyn's beliefs, clashes with Indi (although, I think he gets her the most), but then he just clicks with the guys - he can just hang out with John, Liam, Alf, and there's no conflict. I think Sid's whole set-up is quite relatable, actually. A man who loves his family, but doesn't relate to them, finds himself challenged by his kids and girlfriend.

I think Sid cares about Dex, but he just doesn't get him, and that lack of shared understanding keeps them at arms length and Sid from being more hands on. He has a better relationship with Indi, b/c she's more conventionally normal, and is easier for him to relate to. IA about Dex/Indi's relationship. I love the whole set-up really, and I think this family are quite normal and representational of a lot of modern families.

It's that hard edge that I think defines Morag, and is a character trait that can't be watered down. I don't get why the show doesn't make her permanent, especially when CF would like to be regular instead of recurring. It doesn't make sense. Maybe they feel they'd run out of stories if they did?

Bringing in characters to fill a quota of anything is always a bad move. They could've simply created a new family that just happened to be whatever ethnicity they wanted, instead of bringing back a character that's past his use by date. H&A do not have a healthy track record on writing religious characters, that's for sure; there was no reason to taint what defined Elijah. Are Grace and Thabo going to be sticking around? I sure hope not.

What do you think of Nicole and Bianca? And do you like John & Gina?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Your description of Sid is pretty good, I have to say. Having said that, though, I think they are mainly just characteristics of Robert himself rather than Sid, so I don't think of him as being a very interesting character. I guess he is quite relatable, maybe it's the fact that I'm nothing like him and actually a lot more like Dex, that is making me find it difficult to like him. I don't see his oppositeness to Marilyn as making their relationship work. I suppose you could say he was like Donald in a lot of ways, and maybe that is why the writers chose to bring the Walkers back and set Sid up with Marilyn. For me he lacks the screen presence of Donald, who I found interesting and funny to watch. The oppositness of Donald and Marilyn was often capitalised upon, which would lead to many comedic moments, but the differences between Sid and Marilyn rarely lead to comedic moments. Rather than using the characters to their strengths, the writers seem to be making things too serious between these two, and it seems to be sucking the life out of Marilyn for me. Having said that, I would still rank Marilyn as one of my favourite characters past and present - even taking her current stint into consideration. Emily Symons is simply a brilliant actress, and I hope she sticks with the show for a long time. I definitely see the problems with Marilyn's character as related to Sid's introdcution though. If you look back at Marilyn's first few months in 2010, when Sid wasn't there, she was full of energy and had some fantastic comedic plots; throwing out all the food at Summer Bay House, Mr. Oddly, her conflicts with Miles and Colleen.

The thing with Elijah just annoys me beyond belief. I HATE how they ruin religious characters, as I said before, but they always do this. I'm currently watching Viv and her psychotic priest of a father from 1989. I just wish they introduced a religious character who actually followed their religion ather than just doing whatever they want regardless of what the bible says. I do like Grace, despite the cliched and stereotypical lines they give her, I think the actress is fairly strong, and I feel sorry for how she's got tangled up in this mess with Leah and Elijah. As with Sid and Marilyn, I feel that Elijah is sucking the life out of Leah. Her character has been a problem for years, IMO they can't seem to work out any long-term plan for the character. Apparently Roman Harris was axed back in early 2009, which is a great shame because when he and Leah got together, that was the first time that I felt she had any purpose again and they had bucket loads of chemistry.

As for Nicole, I can take her or leave her. Her character has changed a lot from the beginning, and not for the better IMO either. I hated it when they made her and Aden a couple, as I think it failed to capitalise on the wonderful brother/sister chemistry they had going on. In fact it's a big regret of mine that they didn't cast Tessa James as Aden's sister, I thinkit could have been absolutely brilliant. I find Tessa's acting fairly annoying most of the time, she's quite monotone and it feels like she's reading a sript rather than playing a character. Bianca, I adore - from the beginning Lisa Gormley has been an astounding performer. The writers made her seem quite hard in the beginning, but luckily a more fun side has come out in her lately, and I'm so glad Vittorio is out of the picture.

John and Gina - John is one of my favourite characters to be introduced of recent seasons, and I know this is an unpopular opinion. I see many aspects of early Donald Fisher in him, which is a great thing, and I also think his character is very true to life. I wish they would build on his past, and let us find out more about him. I know he once said that his father was an alcoholic when he was advising Romeo what to do about his mother, and I think that's a huge thing which drives John's behaviour. I expect he probably hada very troubled child-hood and is resentful to later generations such as Xavier et al. for just getting what they want all of the time.

What can you say about Gina? She's extremely bland (apparently Sonia Todd is one of the most beloved actresses in the country :o ) and David Jon es-Roberts who plays Xavier is difficult to take seriously as his lines are rarely pronounced properly. Having said this, he's started to grow on me simply for coming across as such a drip and I quite like him now. :P I think Gina and Xavier represent the weaker aspects of the cast at the moment.

What are your opinions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy