BetterForgotten

Christopher Reason wrote this episode, and he's one of the show's longest running writers. He's usually the only one that's able to get Sharon right and bring in a semblance of what made the character popular in the first place.

It's not exactly out of character for David to just up and leave everyone behind. Predictable yes, but not out of character as he's never been able to commit to anyone for too long.

I miss Tony Jordan, no one wrote better for a great deal of these characters more than he did. I wonder how much better characters like Sharon, Phil, Kat, Alfie, Stacey, Dot, Bianca, Carol, and David would be written if he was still there.

As for Carol and David, there seems to be a hell of a lot retconning going on with their relationship. Those two have always been toxic together and apart, and judging by the backstory that was told in the 90's, they were mere kids fooling around when Carol got knocked up with Bianca. I think Pat even said something to the effect that Carol was pretty loose with her sexuality as a teen at one point (Pat of all people would know). I don't understand this Romeo & Juliet-esque story we're now led to believe. The only man I've ever bought Carol with was Alan, actually.

Speaking of Pat, I did enjoy Ian and David talking about her yesterday, and how Ian said Pat would know what to say in a situation like his. She would, and I miss her. Janine still owns Pat's house right? I wonder if she's charging Bianca and Carol rent, given that she couldn't give two [!@#$%^&*] about them. I miss her too, and I hope she returns soon.

Also, Sharon was shown at her best on Tuesday's episode with both Ian and David. I liked them remembering Pat again, and Sharon's definite through about Dennis and not getting a second chance.

I'm watching in reverse, but I'm surprised they remembered that Stacey and Sharon know one another during that quick scene when Kat and Stacey were walking around the square.

In fact, it's hard to believe now, but Stacey was one of the most unpopular characters on the show when she first arrived. I remember how much the forums hated her and how she was labeled as both a Janine and Kat rip-off/younger interpretation. It was her unique, almost brother/sister relationship/friendship with Dennis Rickman that got people to start liking her, and this was propelled by the time they first introduced Jean to make her a more sympathetic character and explain why she was the way she was.

Sarah Phelps, who was one of the show's best writers deserves a lot of the credit for making Stacey as a character work after the rather brisk reception she initially got. In fact, it was Phelps who coined the now catchy "Stacey Slater, ice skater" line of dialogue...

They don't seem to make much of a difference on the UK soaps anymore anyway, the continuity has been quite dire on them in recent years.

It just feels like a terrible attempt to humanize Shirley and to make her more sympathetic. At least the Zoe stuff was built in and hinted at during Kat's introduction, this was just made up because DTC has some sort of weird agenda to push with Shirley and the Carter's.

The unfortunate thing is that Shirley doesn't need this type of push, those who liked the character liked her for the messed up and unapologetic mess she was/is. The fact that it feels like she's on every f.ucking episode and seems to be part of every storyline is turning me off her character and the whole Carter family to be honest.

I know they want us to believe Shirley is some modern-day version of Pat, but she'll never be that IMO. Pat's evolution on the show was done in a very organic and diligent way.

Are you referring to the clear rip-off of the iconic Kat/Zoe story tonight? As I mentioned above, that's probably the show's definitive moment of the 00's, so strange to do a retread as it's now going to be compared.

George Micheal's final US top 10 hit from 1996:

And I cannot handle too many more Carters on the square. It'll be like the Brannings when they consumed the show ... too much and overly saturated. This is why the Slaters (besides the Masoods) is one of the last great families to be on the square. The writers at the time only focused on Kat, Lynne, Zoe, and Little Mo (with Charlie & Big Mo as supporting), and when they made their impact and started to leave the square, they brought in Stacy, Sean, & Jean.

I don't have any sort of opinion of the Carter's, they're just there, I'm really ambivalent about them as a whole (I really don't care for Kellie Bright and Danny Dyer though). But overall, I don't hate them, but I don't have a strong care for them either from what I've seen.

The Masoods initially (before they were trashed) worked because they show learnt from their mistakes with the Ferreira's on how not to write a South Asian family. The Slater's are a different situation altogether, as they were introduced on what was probably the show's last real golden era. They dominated almost the entire show from 2001-2005, but strangely, I didn't mind as I fell in love with them from almost the beginning, and that was when BBC America aired the show just a few months behind the UK transition, so it almost felt like I was experiencing everything in real-time, as PBS was quite a few years behind by that point. It's strange how popular the show was during that time when a new family dominated so much airtime, I don't know if they would be as warmly received today. They did have their detractors though, as many of the cast weren't happy with them being given such high priority at the time, and it did feel like they didn't interact with the entire Sqaure as a whole, but moreso with each other for most of the time. But at the end of the day, their storylines are probably EastEnders most definitive stories of the 00's. The Kat/Zoe reveal is EastEnders signature pop culture moment of the 00's (with Who Show Phil? which happened around the same time a close second), and most definitely that of British soaps in the 00's, nothing else comes close from a pop culture and definitive perspective from that otherwise uneven decade.

Great stories TimWill! I think I've seen you post for years at Walford Web (an EastEnders site/forum that no longer exists, but there is a splinter forum for members who used to post there in existence now). Nice to see you posting here, through strange seeing you post about something other than EastEnders!

I think the ongoing story was French had a strange infatuation with Coulson's first husband, and seduced her to get back at him when he wouldn't return French's sexual advances.

This old archived article speaks about it:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Who+shall+I+bed+first+..you+or+your+wife%3F%3B+WHAT+GAY+EASTENDER+TOLD...-a061180285

Honestly though, I always expected French to be short-term. His original stint was only 3 years, and it took him a long time to even consider coming back.

I know he and Lindsey Coulson had some strange falling out in the 90's. It looks like that's gotten better with time, but probably still awkward on an ongoing basis for both.

I never expected Carol and David to be anything serious anyway. Those two are too dysfunctional together and apart to ever make it work between them, that's how its always been.

I'v also heard that when Bianca leaves (possibly with her annoying ass kids), it will be the first time someone with links to the Butcher family (by marriage, divorce, or just blood related) hasn't been on the show since 1988. Thank goodness Janine functions independently as a character and can return without family - I need her back somehow over the next 3-5 years (sooner, but not likely).

Terrible news, Michael French is leaving again. I wonder how soon before it's announced that Lyndsey Coulson is leaving again too. With Bianca leaving soon too, who does Carol have now?

I guess you can say the Branning extension, but I've never really looped Carol in with them too strongly, as she's forever Carol JACKSON in my mind. I guess Sonia too, but Sonia also functions independently of the Jackson clan in my mind given that her peak years on the show were without them.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s2/eastenders/scoop/a571701/eastenders-michael-french-leaving-david-wicks-role.html?utm_source=twt&utm_medium=snets&utm_campaign=twitter#~oEyPVmnULA8pCJ

He assaulted her before he left the last time, so same old.

Some are now saying it was Solange confronting Jay Z about cheating on Beyonce (repeatedly). If so, she needs to let her sister fight her own damn fights - Beyonce looks so emotionless and stone cold, she must be hiding her hurt well if this is true.

Someone said this is the first hit Solange has had in years. LMAO!

More like ever.

Why is Solange trying to beat up Jay Z?

For a successful career maybe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI2qIYj2xuE

So, the 30th anniversary storyline will probably be about a murder reveal then?

In other news, I still miss Queen Janine. I'm glad she got the exit she got, but this is one character I think carried the show over huge chunks of the widely shaky past couple of years.

I don't know if I care, Patsy's heart hasn't been in the character or show for years, and it showed, IMO.

One of her most forgotten and underrated hits, IMO: