DRW50

That's awesome. And it's so true. Best of all there's no "for a soap" disquailifier, which even many soap fans, myself included, are sometimes guilty of.

As far as they knew. Rick tends to lose either way, because if he hadn't done that, people would have just called him weak and ineffective. I do think we were supposed to react the way you did - I think it was to show that Rick should stop and smell the roses and ease up.

The last time they were in a position like this (which in their time was probably about a month ago) they were all going to get their heads bashed in and have their corpses feasted on. It's not the best behavior, but I'm not surprised by it, and it's a way to send a message.

After their history with "kind" strangers...yes.

I think Mick is probably supposed to be a decent guy pushed to the edge, but probably not a cheater. At least not for a while. I think Charlie is going to fill the Jack role. There's generally an idea that EE has strong men compared to the other soaps, but I don't know if the male cast has ever been weaker than it is now.

Dyer's mostly known for drugs and cheating on his partner, but it's this that makes me uneasy (and his repeatedly acting like it was a joke and he was the victim and it was the magazine's fault for printing it doesn't help matters). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/danny-dyer-i-said-a-really-stupid-thing-2278866.html If you have the charisma and talent of a Leslie Grantham, then I can see why you get a chance with Eastenders, but the best I can say about Dyer is sometimes he's good at soulful glances and subtle lines. That's about it. He's not suited to be a patriarch or to be a face of the show. If Mick left tomorrow, no one in Walford would notice. The Masoods - they weren't even all that popular until Masood arrived, because he helped balance Zainab out and Nitin was so easy in both comedy and drama. I remember the New Year's Day 2010 episode, where he and Nina gave such superb performances after she told him about his creepy brother trying to force her into sex, and Masood threw him out of the house. The Masoods carried much of the show in 2009 and 2010. That's why it depresses me that they're so marginalized now, even as DTC goes around bragging about how he doesn't do "box-ticking" (AKA writing for POC).

I don't know if it was their choice about John. Terry Kiser had some long runs in plays around this time (Fortune and Men's Eyes, among others). John's exit also seemed like one that could have had him easily return to the hospital, especially since they get postcards from him for a while after his exit. I'm in the May episodes and Nick mentions that he hadn't operated on anyone since his brother. Can anyone tell me about that story? I don't remember it.

I tend to wonder if it means doing other projects for the BBC, moving on from Eastenders. Both he and Santer left for that production company (whatever that was), so maybe they want him around so no one else will hire him, or they need him to help Casualty or Holby City. I do think Eastenders is not well served by keeping one producer too long. The main problem is they just haven't had the right producers in recent years. I really think Kirkwood had some of the right ideas (and he was also right to try for a rougher, scaled-back atmosphere and to clear out dross like Minty), but the baby swap story killed it (not even getting into the other mistakes made after that point).

It's because Danny is seen as a "name," as he once had a film career, 15 years ago. (never mind that he was mostly known as a prat, which is one of the reasons he's now doing a TV soap) I imagine they also think he won't stay around long. I agree it's annoying, and yes, it's sad the lack of respect shown to Nitin and Adam, among others. I feel like someone bumped into a wall and magically realized recently that Adam isn't just a Ken Barlow "he's been there from the start, pat him on the head," he actually has a great deal to contribute to the show, as we saw over and over this week. Maybe they can kick themselves in the ass and realize the same about Nitin, who deserves far better than he gets from this show.

No, I get it - Kieron = Kieron Richardson. Sorry for the mixup. I didn't mean Kieron the actor. I always liked the Kieron/Ste friendship. I really miss that Hollyoaks. There was something so oddly pure about it, even when I was unhappy with a lot of stories.

Sitting here in tears watching John's death. How Natalie Robb did not get any awards for her work here (probably some of the best I've seen on any soap) I don't get.

I don't think they were. The ratings were fine, so I'm sure the BBC is happy, but it did get a lot of negative viewer comments, even from some of EE's bigger cheerleaders at DS. It just seemed thrown together and very "clap louder" in bizarre kids' tv host merriment from the hosts. For me the worst was that endless segment on Walford families with mushmouth Danny Dyer. That and the cliffhanger thing with the hosts that I skipped.

I was talking about Father Kieron, not Ste's father.

I'd quit watching Emmerdale, for the most part, after what they did to Viv and Terry, so I never did see the wrapup of the Barton marriage troubles. Such wonderful acting from James Thornton and Natalie J. Robb. Tender, sweet, painful. I felt like the family got bogged down in too many depressing "issue" stories (and too much bad acting from their daughters), but if Thornton had stayed, then I think they could have become the matriarch and patriarch and grounding force the show needed. It almost feels like they're on a different show entirely.

He was a non-factor when he was alive. Worst part is he had more romantic chemistry with his son than he did with John Paul. I made the mistake of going back and watching some old Kieron clips. That story sucked and just felt like a retread (secret gay affair!!!), but he was such a goofy, dorky, yet very sincere man. They really got nothing out of killing him off.

Gabby is Bernice's daughter with Ashley. She's about 13 or 14. She's a brat, basically. She's best known among fans for when she threw toys at Marlon after he began falling in love with Laurel. She has no real relationship with Robert. She and Andy were, technically, stepsiblings, through Diane and Jack, but she wasn't around for any of that time Jack was with Diane (aside from a visit or two). She and Andy hooked were together last year until he got back together with Katie. She was one of the show's main characters in the late 90s (she came into the show as a pub manager for Alan Turner, she was involved with a man who was a closeted bisexual, etc.). It's through her that Diane, Nicola, and Rodney were introduced. An old photo of her constantly keeps watch on a shelf in the Woolpack den/living room, along with an ancient photo of Jack and 4-5 year old Robert. Nicola recently had a miscarriage and then learned she can no longer have children. She has been depressed over it, and has lost her sex drive. She and Jimmy had a romp in the Woolpack toilet and she felt revived, but that guy saying what he said pretty much shot that to pieces.

I saw someone saying they thought Harry looked like Craig. To me he looks like Doug. I always enjoyed Darren back in the day but I haven't really watched any of his scenes in eons. I hated that Nancy pairing.

I'm finally trying to finish this Backstage Live show that was so panned...by the second half the (awful) presenters seem to just embrace that it's a trainwreck, but it's still so dead and strained. I think the most memorable moments were when Zoe Ball said June Brown's been on EE 26 years (which she has, but it's not quite that simple) and June immediately pointed out that she'd been there since 1985, and when Joe Swash asked Maddy Hill and Matt di Angelo how hard it had been to be in the live show, and Matt (whose role in the live amounted to being passed out on the floor) proceeded to go on an extended piss take as Maddy laughed at the idiocy of it all. Zoe Ball, when she isn't calling actors by their character names and getting names wrong period (Ricky "Northwood") keeps scrunching up her nose like she's going to turn someone into a toad. And the Mastermind thing was just a huge waste of time.

I hope they won't make Sharon wildly insecure about Kathy and Phil. She will be insecure about Kathy's return, obviously, but I don't want to see slanging matches in the pub. Most likely Phil would cheat on either of them with Shirley anyway, so I'd rather they not have to fight over him at all. I've seen some fans suggesting Max sleep with Kathy to get revenge on Phil. I think I'd rather watch Mick Carter reading War and Peace than see that, ever.

I thought Pilon was dull as hell. I think Dennis Parlato would have made a better Alan recast than Roger recast. I think Randolph Mantooth might have made an interesting Alan recast as well.

Born played a decent guy on The City. I do share your concerns about Alan, but I feel like the character needed the change after moribund Raines, who by that point was written like the grandfather in the Werthers Originals ads had dropped acid.

I don't trust Eastenders to do right by Michelle. It's only by Lindsay Coulson's talent and relatively infrequent screentime that Carol hasn't become a fishwife from hell, IMO, and I'm afraid that's what Michelle would be without Tully in the role. I do think Grant will be back at some point. I think Mel worked within certain doses. She got a little too much airtime. More than a little. I hated the Phil/Mel stuff. At least Tamzin still seems to be a supporter of the show and cast, even though she doesn't keep up with it (she tweeted something about Adam). That's nice.