Bright Eyes

I'm very intrigued about the new Asian brothers that debut this week. I even watched their webisodes introduction. I hope they're a success.

Not going to lie, the break up of Todd/Tracy hit me much harder than Todd/Billy. This better just be temporary for this Phelan story, because they were the best friendship on the show.

I always forget about abortion stories for some reason. Charity should have shot to mind immediately as I loved that entire time with Declan. And I already knew about Jasmine as well since you've so eloquently described her history in the past. My memory just blanks out sometimes, I guess. I don't know much about the Glovers other than Dave was with Kim Tate for a time, which prompted me to look them up. How bizarre that both Dave and Linda were killed off in the same year. Do you think either death was a mistake?

I can get behind Leyla and Pete. I was going to write how great it was that she hadn't hooked up with Ross, but then I remembered she had a one night stand with Adam. Damn those beautiful Barton boys. Still, it'll be nice for her to throw some fun his way if nothing else. I hope this also means they have plans to reignite his friendship with David. They started something when David started those football classes, but have never kept up with it. What is Emmerdale's history with abortion? I know Kelly Windsor had one. Anyone else come to mind?

I only saw the tail end of Chelsea's run, but I agree about both her and especially Joivan Wade returning. I wouldn't even mind Libby either. Denise really wouldn't need Kim around then. I hated the little I saw of Libby initially because at the time I started watching she was around that vacuous wheelchair character and some annoying old woman, who I think was her grandmother, but in her returns she's been a breath of fresh air. Does anyone have any random character return wishes? I always thought getting rid of Gary Lucy/Danny Pennant was a hasty move. Imagine him and Steven making some sort of sex bet, while fooling around with each other. He worked well with Janine and Lucy, and probably could do wonders to breath some life into the show.

Abi - She perplexes me. I was a bigger fan of hers than most until she got with Ben. Fitzgerald was one of the highlights from Live Week, but she has been so juvenile in her delivery it makes me seethe. Maybe she just needs a stronger directing influence? God knows DTC's characterisations threatened the strongest of actors on this show. But if the character has truly outgrown her, I do hope they let Abi succeed professionally. She deserves to be the veterinarian she dreamed about for as long as I can remember, and if Max is still on the show in a few years, recast and have her return as an accomplished woman. Maybe even have her become a full fledged doctor, and move into Dr. Legg's old place. I'm surprised the show has never done that with a past character. I might be able to handle Johnny a little bit better if they stopped putting him in old man desperately trying to cling to better days clothing. Ugly, ugly, ugly. I did like his scene with Colin, but to your disagreement, when I see him, I see how lacking he is compared to Sam Strike in numerous ways and it's always a let down. Plus, he's a Carter. The name alone makes my blood boil. Unless you have the charm of Strike or Hatchard, I have my red pen at the ready.

I was amused that Grace shot down the prospect of this pairing to Esther on the latest episode. I guess my soapy sixth sense was tingling. I am fully ready for Joanne to go away now. When she moved on from Louis it looked like she learned her lesson. I don't understand why they are horribly backtracking this character. Being so pathetic at her age ain't cute. And I hate to say it, but I think it's time for Myra to die. Her shtick makes me grimace. I wish she were an adult again.

I feel the same way about Lee. I had visions of Martin/Stacey and Lee/Whitney being a tight foursome on the square. I yearned for a double date between them. And since I'll never buy Kush as Martin's close friend anytime soon, strengthening his friendship with Lee would have been a priority. Lee/Stacey and Martin/Whitney could bond dealing with mental illness, their partners bonding over the best way to cope, and they compare notes on dealing with everyday life. They could have been great together. Though I'm not that cut up about it in the grand scheme of things, I also posted my thoughts before about how much Roxy could have soared away from Ronnie, and the Mitchells. She's always so likable when she has nothing to do with them. Vincent isn't on my hit list because the character is completely inoffensive these days and Richard Blackwood is shamelessly hot enough for me to not make his axing a priority. Make him friends with Kush and have them whore around together. I think Blackwood could pull off being a cad type. This would clearly mean the end for him and Kim, and she could leave with Pearl. I liked her under Kirkwood, but she hasn't been the same since she returned and Denise doesn't need her, and Kat isn't around to be her friend, which leaves her with nothing. Obvious choices for cuts are Shakil and Jane. It's hard to know which characters should truly go because we have no idea what SOC will do. So many things are all a big question mark. Lauren and Abi are floundering, but they have to be kept dithering around while waiting for Max to return. It's a scary prospect wondering how that story will go. And what about soon to be a single father of two, Jack? When Ronnie leaves, what will become of him. What is his relationship with Max going to be? Don't strike me, but I actually think he and Whitney could become good together. They make sense in my head, anyway, and Whitney could certainly pull off being with an older man without her coming off as immature, or Jack looking like he's going though a mid-life crisis. Tina, Johnny, Louise would be quick and easy for me. Belinda - Carli Norris was so brilliant on Hollyoaks that it still is a sore in my craw how Kirkwood just threw out her and the great Kane family. She is so much better than what Belinda is right now. I don't think the show really needs Slaters around though. Stacey certainly wouldn't hurt without her presence. In a perfect world, this would be the end of the line for Phil. I don't know how the hell one goes about fixing Ian, but these two aren't going anywhere so it's a moot point to think otherwise. Shirley, Mick, Linda - Mick and Linda will have to wait until her maternity leave is over. Having Mick deal with being completely alone in the Vic could be interesting in the interim. As for Shirley, look at all the dross her existence has besotted us. I've always hated her. I'm also assuming Sylvie is a shelf life character. Other than Tina, would anyone care if she died. Heck, make that Tina's exit story. Sylvie dies, Tina realizes how vile they all are when no one wants to help with the funeral, so she books it and leaves Mick in the lurch with the bill. Carmel - I wouldn't get rid of her right away, because I'd make her a villain first. Donna. The show needs to prove me to she's not just a token. Hollyoaks knows how to do this effortlessly.

She was number one on my hit list. The only time she interested me was when she got Tosh riled up to beat Tina, so that Tina would finally leave her. If they kept her down that route, doing morally questionable things to protect her family in her own way, she could have been great, but the writers very quickly made her detestable. Good riddance of the highest order.

I've watched the AUS soaps the least, but I still got excited at the news. Her death truly is iconic, and as DS did point out, Neighbours can tell a good back from the dead story (Harold). Other than Toadie, did she have close relationships with anyone else still on the show? Were her and Steph good friends? On a shameless note, it looks like L.A. is being very kind to Chris Milligan. He looks great. I still miss him.

Today's Ben/Phil scenes would have been great if it weren't Ben/Phil in the scenes. That is not their relationship. Phil hates Ben, and Ben has tried to kill him. There is no love there, and if the writers want there to be, this is a soap, so take the damn time to show the journey. I can believe anything on a soap as long as you show me how characters actually got from Point A to B. This is just a sick lie. What a nice surprise that Denise's first day in class went positively. I wish Denise could have a friend that had an I.Q though. Carmel and Kim make me weep for her. This whole story is going to give me a hernia. For my health, I'm going to give SOC the benefit of the doubt. Getting rid of Ronnie/Roxy gives me hope, and he was around when Lisa shot Phil right? The way the Sonia story has been so pleasantly written this week gives me more hope, too. It was for more watchable then any of the sloggish stunts DTC has plodded out. Bex's reaction tonight was a particular highlight of the week. Jasmine Armfield is so damn good. I'm going to love her living with Martin/Stacey. And since Kathy works so well with them, show her building a relationship with Bex, too. Ben, maybe Ian if I cared about him, could get jealous that she so easily can be a mum to Martin and his family, but still feels like a stranger to her actual sons. Shakil was the worst today. His gurning made me want to scream. Carmel being a lush in front of her teenage son on a weekday was horribly embarrassing. If they were honest about her in the writing, I could find her fascinating. But this mess we're supposed to find so lovable. I don't think so.

This Joe triangle is so stupid and a waste of my time. I'm liking Jesse/Celine, even if I'm still pissed about her potential with Cameron being squandered. I feel with the latter coupling Celine was surpassing her typical ditzy routine and becoming a complex bonafide heroine. I don't see that happening with Jesse, even if they are cute together. And the upcoming convolutions with them and Myra/Diego is going to make me want to bleach my brain. Emma Smithwick wrote Myra so much better than Kirkwood has since he returned; see Myra's role in the Mercedes/Mitzeee story as a great example. However, everything with James and Jade/Alfie has been fantastic. I sadly can't imagine Jade will survive another bout of cancer, so when she presumably dies I will be a goddamn mess. I already teared up this week. And that fake-impromptu wedding between Jade/Alfie was classic Hollyoaks. It was sweet, romantic, bittersweet. The writers have really hit a major home run with this story. I also liked seeing some fire in Neeta telling Mac off for being an ass. The actress did good with the material. Her living with Grace is interesting. Maybe Grace's new love interest? You can't count it out, not on Hollyoaks. Which makes things so much fun. As for James, unlike Cameron, I like the twist that Mac is an abusive ass. That they turned the whole Mac-good/Marnie-bad characterization on its head is great. It's going to be hard to see James' family probably disbelieve his claims. I just hope Marnie steps up for her son, the one person that has always stood by her, when the truth comes out. Of course, she might just succumb to a full breakdown like they've alluded to her having in the past. Since spoilers said Linda Gray will be no fan of Mac, I hope we'll get a chance to see her drag him for filth.

Liv drowning Paddy in dirt and mud was a highlight I never want to forget. It couldn't have happened to a better pig. Chas was disgusting today. I hope Liv finds some way to make her life a misery. I have been very thankful for the show remembering that Leyla/Priya are best friends again this week, particularly today. It'll be interesting to see what will happen with Priya when she finds out about Chrissie. I also think McLeod must have some affection for Leyla even though she hasn't had in ages, just for the mere fact that's she gotten to win a sparring match with Charity, and got to treat Chrissie like she was nothing but an irritant. As great as she is as a support to her friends, I yearn to see her with a story again.

Goodbye to Claudette and Kyle. Claudette was just a mess of a character, but I never hated her. Ellen Thomas' ... presence ... was certainly always entertaining if nothing else. As for Kyle, he won't be missed either. I couldn't feel more indifferent if I tried. I have to believe SOC is just waiting for Badland's contract to expire. I can even understand why he might keep Jane, as much as I disagree with that decision, but Babe is a cancer to this show. She absolutely sickens me by her mere existence.

Hearing Jude, seeing Jude ... My God, am I dreaming? I'm pretty much excited for everything but whatever convolutions they come up with to create Celine's story. So dumb. Even though she wasn't in the preview, I have a feeling Tegan's time may be coming to and end. She is one of the few characters I don't care for, so I hope I'm right. She hasn't had anything of significance for a long time. I hope this is it for Nico. Seeing her bite it in some gruesome way would be delicious. It's been a fun ride though.

I don't watch these shows, but that video took me to a Michael Rappaport video about NY. My mind has exploded.

Not going to lie, on Emmerdale I always wanted Adam with Eve, Edna's niece, during the time she worked at the farm and seemed to be written as a man eater. Nothing came to pass, on either front, unfortunately.

I am very happy the Mark story is over with, but I will say I connected more to Grant in his brief return, then I have with Phil in years. Though there have been a few scenes, like the great one where he admitted to Ian he was afraid of Ben. Elsewhere, people have critiqued Ross Kemp's acting, but I never noticed any primarily badly acted scenes by him, so I don't know what show they were watching. If it were me, I wouldn't have touched the Mark Fowler plot, but instead had Grant return to reinvigorate Sharon back to who she was. She's lost so much of herself, and with their strong chemistry that shone through in one scene than in any I've ever seen with Phil, his presence would remind her what she's missing. There wouldn't be any affair, maybe just a passionate kiss, and Courtney could still return, maybe learn about how horribly Grant treated Tiffany, and it could still end the same way for them. Grant and Sharon's relationship would get closure, and she would be start to distance herself from Phil, maybe buy back into The Albert, but once Phil gets his inevitable transplant, she'd be out of there like a shot.

It should be Lola. The three of them could be a pretty fascinating dynamic.

It should be Lola. The three of them could be a pretty fascinating dynamic.

Next week is going to be an absolute slog to get through. I want this gesticulated Mark story to be over with the quickness. I do not care. I do not want $200.

Maybe I interpreted the scene wrong, but it seemed to me like Pierce was snapping because Paddy actually decided to move on as if he's not happy unless Paddy is miserable.

NBA, they just aren't treating you right at all it seems. Fortunately for me I'm all over this double baby story. I absolutely loved it when Steve and Liz were losing their [!@#$%^&*] when Nick and Leanne announced "they" were pregnant. I liked the Craig/Beth scenes, too, if only because I kept expecting them to go the typical route and have him call her a bitch or something nasty, but they kept him respectful. DTC surely wouldn't have had the strength to not jump on that opportunity.