Skylover

I don't think he will stay. I've seen it all before, he is an easy target for the axe plus a lot of young good-looking males don't stick around on EE. Lee was definitely weak, Johnny doesn't bother me too much, I see him as surplus to requirements though. I don't want him to get with Ben or Steven.

I'm not sure, I think he was, he did allow his work colleagues to rob his own home. Linda has always given Johnny special treatment, mainly I think due to him being the youngest. To be fair you're probably right about Keegan. I just hope they begin to try and turn him around soon.

I would say Lee is the pansy of the Carter lot and portrayed as so, rather than Johnny. As for Keegan, I haven't seen the episode yet but I think he was just being unintelligently insulting and picked on Derek being gay rather than any real homophobia though I'll see how the story plays out. Perhaps under the new producer they might hit their stride with Keegan. Though I don't find vile characters necessarily out of place in a soap, particular Eastenders, where I don't think we're necessarily meant to like all the characters.

It's a good story to have a main character be homophobic. Only if they let him have his comeuppance though (which I guess they won't). I like how Johnny just stood by, it sounds like it has led to some good scenes between Derek and Johnny. Nice depth to it. I do feel sorry for the Keegan actor having to play out a homophobic scene though.

The Abi/Steven/Lauren/Josh story is brilliant. Lorna Fitzgerald is massively improving, and Abi and Steven are so believable as characters.

I do think Abi living with Jay and Ben is ludicrous. Donna being there is great but it doesn't make sense for Abi to be living with 2 of her ex boyfriends. What are thoughts on Cora? I find her quite poor.

Interesting @DRW50 that you thought Honey was being written as unpleasant because I noticed that too. I'm now wondering if it was meant to be comedy-type stuff that wasn't quite played right by the actress? I hadn't noticed that either Billy or Jack had gone for months, I'm not sure whether there's any truth in those stories. I did find it strange how Billy was written last week as a screw-up, as that is what the writers for the last couple of years seemed to be attempting to get away from. Kind of the loser makes it good kind of story, as he's running his own business and has a family etc and a pretty wife. They were taking it a bit too far in the other direction though so it's more natural for Billy to still have some of the insecurities that he's had his whole life, as well as some character development. More curiously, why has Pam been seen in quite frequent guest stints since her departure? I'm starting to wonder whether they regret axing her and want to kill off Les and bring her in full-time to move in as the matriarch of the Mitchells (Billy's branch of the family)? Ted and Joyce are not working as the replacement older couple and I wonder how soon they will be axed. He's alright but she's not working too well, I wonder if Les and Joyce will be written off in favour of a Ted/Pam combo. I did realise that I had missed Pam when she came back, there's no believable older motherly type to fill her role, Kathy seems too young despite her age and no-one else hits the mark or is the same age range. I am fascinated to see how things develop in regards to Phil, Jack, Billy, the Taylors and Murrays.

Phil going has been the best thing about the last couple of months. Billy has been on screen as recently as the last few episodes. Even if the actors were told to do an affair story and Perry was fired, those actors should play what they're given. They're not writers, I do feel like some of these British soap actors are way too big for their boots. This kind of thing would never happen in Neighbours.

I think he gave viewers too much credit thinking they could handle that storyline when they couldn't. It does make me laugh how UK soaps are so reactive to any slight change in ratings, there's no saying anyone who replaces him will be better. Loved DS's response!

I'm so over Kat and Alfie, not massively into spin-offs either. Diederick Santer was probably the best producer of the last 10 years though I'm not sure I'd want him to come back. DTC can do one, I hate his OTT style.

I really really really hope Bryan Kirkwood doesn't come back. I mean, he did some good things like re-casting Ben and Lauren, though he did miscast Lucy (at least I think it was him) and wasn't he responsible for Vanessa and Jodie Gold, and Michael Moon? I had to stop watching the show entirely because I hated Michael Moon so much. I know people slag off SOC but the show couldn't carry on the way the previous producer was taking it. He was all about 'big' episodes and it was months of filler in-between every single time. I've liked SOC's style even if there are issues. I'm gonna be so p***** if Michelle gets axed, bet she will be.

I understand if they don't want him to be full-on gay as it hampers storyline opportunities plus they've gone so far with this Lauren relationship now but I wish they'd acknowledge him as at least bisexual. Perhaps we should write to SOC It would be good if maybe an ex-boyfriend of his from New Zealand turned up. Then Stacey could be all like 'oh yeah I forgot that Steven was gay/bi'

I feel like they're being cautious about it because it would be 'gay incest', or at least that's what people would call it even though they're not blood-related and the show has done blood relations anyway with Lauren and Joey. Or is it because they're ignoring Steven's history? Does SOC even know Steven used to be gay? The whole thing is bizarre.

I think the fact they're related (though not by blood) is more interesting. they'd make a hot couple, and I'd love them to have a fiery, dysfunctional relationship but to stay together. ETA Maybe they can make Keegan bisexual and have a 3 way relationship

I wish this would happen so much.

Do you think they will though? Agreed about Whitney.

I like Lauren's friendship with Whitney (if they insist on keeping the characters) plus I kind of like the sibling relationship between Lauren and Abi. I do get bored of them at times though. My fear is that getting rid of existing characters will just lead to them being replaced by other morally ambiguous characters who we're told to root for. EE does have a weird moral compass. I'm now wondering what their plan is for Mads and Alex. My fear is they'll be added to the canvas more permanently down the line. Unlike Keegan who is played by a decent actor with some poor characterization, those 2 I don't think could work long term. I'd be happy with Tiana returning as Chelsea but I'd be happy for them to re-cast if the actress doesn't want to come back. I can't stand Libby so I never want to see her again.

Personally Michelle is one of my favourites and I like the bond she has with Ian and Sharon (my love of Michelle being another minority opinion). I don't feel like the Preston thing was out of character but most do think that. I agree Phil needs to go. UK soaps love flogging a dead horse with long term characters. Ian and Jane are beyond repair too but they won't go anywhere. I like the direction he's taking Lauren in. It doesn't feel boring or obvious, and I like that. I'm still not happy about Steven's homosexuality/bisexuality being ignored/buried. I still don't understand why Chelsea hasn't been re-cast and why Denise's step son Jordan was used in that stupid story when he could have come in as a permanent character too. I want them to do something about Lisa allowing Louise to just set up home with Phil. ETA: I find it almost unbelievable a boy as good looking as Keegan comes from the Taylor family.

An increased teen presence (although the execution has been bad), bringing back Michelle, re-building Ian and Jane, reducing Phil's screen-time, making things less OTT, not sure what else off the top of my head. Many of those are minority opinions though, most people would probably say they were bad things.

IMO SOC has brought some good things to the show. What I find perplexing is the Taylors seem to be the exact thing he was trying to take the show away from. Maybe he's realized the masses don't like the direction and he's reverted?

I wonder if they'll be looking for a new producer soon then.

Not much has been said about her. The Carters are in a mess at the moment and I'm really shocked they went there with Mick/Whitney, I don't understand the decision behind that. I hope Ben gets more to do soon. I hate seeing him floating around doing nothing. ETA: I notice they've given Michelle a bit of a make-over, I wonder if they're trying to make the audience warm to her more.

So what's the verdict now? Who thinks the Taylors will end up the same way as the Millers? (i.e. all axed?) I'm surprised Sean O'Connor didn't want to axe the Carters...! I hope Keegan survives if they can redeem him. It's sad that not many young characters stick around on this show. Well, no guys anyway, a lot of the girls do; Abi, Whitney, Lauren etc.

They have done a bad job with Keegan so far. He's just been so one-dimensional. I really like the actor though so I'm hoping they can redeem him, he's too hot to waste Not that any redeeming could erase some of the things he's done thus far though.

Yeah, I really hope we have some Stacey/Karen fights coming our way! Just realised I'd guessed this a while ago!