LondonScribe

I don’t know if this has been mentioned or not but catching up on last week’s shows, I suddenly sensing anvils where Jessica is concerned. I wonder if she ends up being something like the daughter of the person who is going to Primary Martin next year. Or, unconnected to Jessica, if ‘known hot guy’ ends up being his primary opponent?

My assessment of why nobody has been concerned about Tyrell losing his virginity is because he hasn’t been shown trying to lose it. There’s nothing to suggest there has been a ‘boys will be boys’ approach, in fact Martin’s approach has touched on Tyrell (with Jessica cheekily trying to joust with him about curfews, etc). If the next stage of their relationship is explored, and there is a more ‘hands off’ approach from the other characters, then I’ll be the first to point out a double standard that has not yet been shown. I think it was you who referenced Eastenders and Hollyoaks as examples of soaps that depict a more ‘realistic’ approach to teenage sexuality? That is true, but even they broadly take a didactic approach to that. Rarely does underage sex go without consequence, especially for the female. 13-14 year old Lily Slater has a 1 year old daughter after her first time with same age Ricky Branning. Hollyoaks is absolutely THE show that shows (British) teenagers as they are with full agency. It’s also a show that skews younger and targets teenagers and young adults. And for all that BTG is doing to modernise its presentation, I think American daytime skews older and more conservative, so a kid gloves approach may be what is happening here. The story is still young.

The dichotomy between Samantha and Tyrell is very deliberate. The writers have gone out of their way to present Samantha’s impulsive streak and want for attention versus Tyrell being more sensitive, happy to keep his head down and being studious. The former being something I suspect will be linked to June and her own past, despite her being completely spot on about Nathan on first sight. I’d have to reserve judgement on the slightly subtle aspect of the story that Tyrell is being impacted by Samantha’s actions (I wouldn’t be surprised if this story sees Tyrell lose Jessica again, on top of him already nearly catching a beating from Nathan trying to ‘defend his sister’s honour’ when she herself seems ‘less concerned’ about it). The only reason I will never say that Tyrell is atypical of a teenage boy is because I was exactly like him at his age. As the preview for next week shows, this story has a way to go and I have a feeling that after a number of near-misses, Samantha will find herself in a position that she won’t be able to get out of as easily. Whether Nathan-related or otherwise.

It’s likely that these plot points were always going to occur, but I’ve noticed that the intrigue has picked up, almost in tandem with Tracey Thomson replacing Bob Guza. Particularly with Hayley and Andre.

I caught up to yesterday (I have to wait till it gets uploaded to the app) and man alive, Eva’s transformation into Leslie is complete!

I knew it! I speculated after her last appearance that she’d end up at OG’s or Downtown.

Watching the episode, I got the sense that they were putting a bow on June’s story for the time being and we may be seeing less of her, until such time as her being back serves the story. Unless this ‘purpose building’ and life construction plays out on screen with her working in any of the establishments (Orphey Gene’s or Uptown) or Naomi somehow convinces someone to provide an entry-level job of some kind.

So Hayley is well and truly going to stitch Dani up, huh?

I’m guessing that Alison is going to try and undermine or sabotage Madison professionally or do something that causes her to leave? But yes, Chelsea is coming across as… let’s say naive, to be polite 🤦‍♂️

That I won’t attempt to rationalise 😅 That’s a ‘lack-of-care’ written detail that suggests to me she herself might not be long for the show, even if her ‘function’ is served.

The speed of the relationship between Chelsea and Madison is being figured into the writing, so this choice appears (at the moment) to be character-based, a residual effect of Chelsea’s own family trauma setting off her own impulses. As well as Dani’s rushing to get them in front of the rest of the family. It may end up being that the relationship is the real deal, but the viewers concern/skepticism has been vocalised on screen by primarily Vernon. So that’s a step.

I’m about to finish up my holiday and binge-listened all 10 episodes. Holy Mess, Batman! I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated, even though I listen a lot to audio drama and podcasts.

Catching up with the episode now. Is it me or did the addition of the new Ted in the opening titles come with a slight remix of the theme tune?

As someone who cut ties with the show a little while after Chris Van Etten came back, I can’t talk on what the show is like now… is the show that bad? But even as a rumour, that’s pretty wild and radical. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that before.

Hollyoaks have just announced a return so implausible they’re going to have to work VERY hard to make it work. Plus, I feel the actor is more needed elsewhere right now or in the future (though this foray back to TV might make it more possible) That’s my hinting over 🤣

If it somehow slips out to Eva, and she naively passes it on to her mother, or Leslie/Dana somehow gets wind that he [Andre] knows before the anniversary event, she might be inclined to go after him to (try and) silence him.

I don’t know if anyone else has said this (I’m too busy to go back over this thread right now, I might do later) but does anyone else feel that Andre may be in danger now that Ted has mostly clued him into the infidelity secret?

By the way, I’ve broadly enjoyed Casualty more since the change to the boxset format. I had sort of dipped in and out of the show up until then. I actually believe that Casualty started to overtly flirt with soap opera themes and storylines back in 1995 when Corinne Hollingsworth became producer. It trickled in more and more until 2001 when Mervyn Watson took over and effectively relaunched it as a soap. I believe the success of that approach directly influenced ITV’s decision to poach Paul Marquess from Brookside and do the same thing with The Bill.

I know. With the axings of Holby City, Doctors, and now River City, the BBC’s soap/continuing serial drama output remains Eastenders and Casualty (though the latter’s budget is being stripped away, and they appear to be distancing themselves from the ‘soap’ tag with the boxset format introduced under Jon Sen a couple of years ago)

My wife and I don’t watch much of the same television. She long gave up on soaps. But I just found out that she’s all in on Beyond The Gates. Why? Because it’s showing black people not only surrounded by affluence, but being the creators of said wealth, driving the narrative and being leaders.

I decided to hold back on commenting until I caught 2 weeks worth of episodes, so I could take a view that I didn’t consider hasty for me 🤣 Plus, I knew the first week would be designed to be as exciting as possible to keep viewers, so waited till week 2 as the show settled into its rhythm. I love this show! It’s my American soap. The only one I watch now and will keep on watching. No show is perfect, but I can’t go back to any of the other soaps having watched Beyond The Gates for 2 weeks. Given the current television climate and the ongoing apprehension when it comes to fully embracing all things black, I don’t expect this to be a decades-long soap, so will enjoy this as long as it remains on air.

My tomfoolery and has worked and I’m watching the 1st episode now. Will then catch up with the thread 😅

Looking forward to not only the 1st episode, but also seeing how the show evolves. It looks like I’ll be conducting some tomfoolery to see the show for the time being, but I suspect it’ll be worth it ☺️

Just watched the live episode. Has Chris Clenshaw just had his Sean O’Connor moment? A watching nation is divided. I’ll say no more until I’m more sure everyone here who wants to watch the episode has seen it.

Apologies if this has been addressed, but so fast moving is this thread, I might have lost track. Has there been any news on international distribution? Wouldn’t want to get left behind. With me giving up on General Hospital’s return to ‘factory settings’, Beyond The Gates would be the only U.S. soap I watch. And as a black man, and a writer, I’d have a resonance with the show unlike the others.