DRW50

There is no statutory rape storyline on Emmerdale. Belle is legal. The situations with Ollie and Eliza also have little in common. All soaps recycle stories, especially with the amount of episodes they have now. I remember people claiming Sarah's post-partum struggles on Corrie were a ripoff of Stacey on EE. People said EE was ripping off Corrie and Hollyoaks with Claudette's "death" and hiding the body.

Ugh. I hope not. I'm just glad they are finally not tarting Belle's look up so much, but I just don't like this story. It feels really thrown together. I am sure this story was originally going to go Kirin if Adam Fielding hadn't quit. And

BTW, I don't know if you watched EE at that time, but the woman who plays the poor wife of Dr. Bailey played the poor girlfriend of Bradley, the one he moved to Canada with but dumped for Stacey. I wish the show would do more with her, as they could use more diversity.

She really did get around

I should try to find those episodes...Robert slept with everyone back then. I sort of miss that about him.

I know some feel that it cheapens the cancer story, but you can still feel sorry for him while enjoying the show. Given the amount of random sex on the show, we should be seeing a lot more of this (just let Zak and Joanie keep their clothes on). Speaking of men, I felt a bit sorry for Jimmy when nobody wanted to bid. He doesn't look that bad. His friendship with Jai seems very random though. Or were they friends when he was married to Charity? Sometimes I wonder if the show referenced, before Jimmy and Charity worked together, that she bedded him for info on Sadie and then revealed it publicly. I keep seeing people say Robert and Charity slept together too. I don't remember that. I don't watch everyday but it seemed like this was one of the first episodes in a while to have a community spirit. It's always nice to see.

The road to equality slowly marches forward thanks to chinless wonders: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/duncan-hunter-introduces-gotcha-amendment-and-it-passes

I really liked those goodbye scenes with Finn and Eric. I always want more of that Emmerdale.

I've seen people complaining about how Kathy is more upset over supermarket secrets than she was over covering up Bobby killing Lucy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uo46Qs638Y

I never do remember when in early 2001 it was. That makes sense though. I guess Kale Brown and Tim Gibbs were probably canned the next day...

It's amazing how even promos can hint to you how unwatchable wide swathes of OLTL were during the Labine tenure. Sadly it would only get even worse after they were fired.

On the bright side, Ste was arrested yesterday, too. Unfortunately, his latest incarceration didn't last. He should have been locked up for that haircut and pube fuzz.

I really like The Empath. Kathryn Hays gives a good performance and it was nice to see McCoy get more to do.

I've learned to tolerate or like most of the Carters, but I just can't with him. He's a nasty man and gets away with so much. The only worthwhile thing about him is his ass.

That's sweet. I loved Major Briggs. Such heart.

The first episode felt like a hodgepodge, perhaps because the show knew they had to be careful with this story. Unlike the last two episodes, where many things that should have worked didn't thanks to poor writing, a number of scenes that really shouldn't have worked, like that meeting with Sonia, Sharon, Tina and the girls, somehow did. This was even the first episode since her debut that I actually believed Louise as a character. The moment where Jay learned he would be put on the list was the best work Jamie Borthwick's ever done on the show. This is such a depressing, ugly story I'm almost relieved if it is winding down, but I do worry about what his fate will be. All I could think was that if Jay had just lied, and lied some more, and kept lying, he would have found a way out, because that's what happens in Eastenders - in most soaps - now. I lost interest in any relationship between Billy and Jay a long time ago, but that scene where Jay rested his head on Billy's arm just about broke me. The Denise and Libby scenes are everything this mini-story always should have been. It also reminded me that I'm pretty sure the early material for the Foxes called Libby "Squiggle" until someone thought better. I didn't mind Kim either, but Vincent just feels superfluous. I don't hate him and I don't think he needs to go ASAP, as I might have at one point, but...is he needed now? I assume I'm supposed to see Phil's behavior in this episode as yet another example of him being in a low place (poor poor Phil), but he's like this 95% of the time, year after year, so the end result was I just ended up seeing him as a drain and a deterrent. Steve McFadden gave a good performance, as he does 95% of the time, but it doesn't make me any less disgusted to see him, and even worse, to get the impression that Sharon was more upset over him finding a bed partner than she was over Jay's life being ruined. I just can't watch Ian's scenes at this point. At least not with any investment. None of these scenes work with Ian any more. At least not for me. I sit here and think about how even Kathy's return has not changed anything broken in the construction and execution of the character, and I'm completely lost as to what to do with him. What a contrast between those scenes with Linzi and Tina (yes, even Tina for once) and the panto hamming and caterwauling of Thelma. Any time she is on the screen doing her Shouty Cora routine I'm completely thrown out of the story and am reminded of the general low opinion some at the show have of viewers. Yet another episode of Mick being a massive hypocrite and generally unpleasant under the "nice" facade. If it had been him saying he had no choice, because of the law, I would understand, but he seemed to actually believe it was true. If only he cared so much about what's proper when he played happy families with Shirley after what she did to Linda. The scene with Sophie and Kyle was bizarre - what kind of friendship must they have if he needs to go out of his way to tell her they aren't getting back together? Denise wanting to better herself - this must mean she's pregnant, because she has to be put back in her place immediately for daring to hope. Maybe it's because Johnny looks so innocent but I thought Tom was a bit pushy and full-on in their scene together. I wouldn't blame Johnny for being hesitant. Not that it matters anyway, unless he changes his name to Ben Mitchell... Tina humiliating Sonia is the classic example of a scene that seems brilliant and "soapy" but is mostly just too ludicrous and cliched to bother with when onscreen.

Kim is passive-aggressive to the end, but she's quite good at it, unlike some (Eileen...). I really thought Eileen joining this show was a bad mistake, but I was happy to be wrong during the first season. I guess I should have listened to my instincts. I still think this show needs to be rested. It coasts along on what it was supposed to be, not what it ever is. And most of the cast need to go.

Wasn't her sister supposedly beating the snot out of him in an elevator for cheating? I guess her fans really do mean business. That Rachel Roy had to backtrack and stay in hiding over it.

I guess he has too much loyalty to Ross. I saw some fans criticizing him for being angry with Ross. I'd love to know what their reaction would have been... I always like seeing their relationship, I just wish it hadn't had to go this route. But everyone on soaps needs to have a criminal record these days. What fun to have Finn and Jay arrested on the same day