Hollyoaks: Discussion Thread

[Ben]

They messed up the whole love story of Dodger & Texas so bad. We had to endure months of will-they-won't-they, and when they finally got together for real, they disappeared for a few weeks, only to reappear and split up over something trivial. Then, when they were going to get back together, they have Texas sleep with Will! Seriously, this was so dumb and unbelievable. Now Texas is trapped in Will's orbit, and Dodger is stuck with deadwood Theresa. And that spoiler only adds insult to injury. We have had zero scenes exploring D&T as a couple, and that's really insulting to their fans.

I'm not looking forward to the future on this show. Not a fan of Clare coming back; not a fan a male McQueen family. Mitzeee's exit was rushed and so poor for such a fan favourite.

[DRW50]

I still wonder if Mitzeee had any following outside of being one of Brendan's pals.

I can't stomach the show but I might watch the episode where Amy takes the kids back from that thug trash ex of hers.

[Matt]

MAJOR Un-Casting Spoiler

[DRW50]

Sad I haven't watched the show in a long time but I loved Jacqui before they ruined her with the baby obsession. Clare is a phenomenal actress and I hope she has a great deal of success.

[Bright Eyes]

It'll be a blow, but Hollyoaks is on a great high right now, so I'm not worried. Just looking at the comings and goings, March / April is going to be can't miss everyday. You got the major exits of Brendan, Cheryl, Jacqui and Texas, the major return of Clare, arrival of Anna Savage and Gillian Taylforth coming on as a matriarch to a new family. In just two months it'll be a whole new show.

I do wonder who Tony will be paired up with now that Jacqui will be gone though. Either way, I'm just thankful Kirkwood ended the atrocity that was Tony / Cindy. Why someone though that was ever a good idea, I will never understand.

[Ben]

You must be watching a different show to me, Bright Eyes. I think the show is boring right now. The Brendan/Walker story is really bad, it's like a rehash of Walker's first stint, with repetitive scene after repetitive scene. I loved Walker, but they've ruined him. The JP & Doug pairing is so predictable, and Doug's return makes no sense. They made all that fuss with Doug needing to care for his sick father in the States, only for him to return 2 months later and his father being OK, never to be mentioned again? Seriously? Now there's this Trudy chick, who is in this dull revenge story with Jacqui, who really deserves better. The Will/Texas thing is awful. Sinead's pregnancy has become a non-story b/c they totally dropped all the elements and made it pointless. And I don't like all the Darren & Nancy angst - a lot of it seems unnecessary, and it's so out of character for Mitzeee to sell the pub as soon as she leaves, considering Nancy is her best friend.

[Bright Eyes]

Will has to be one of the creepiest characters ever. After today's developments it he just makes me feel dirty. Loving this storyline though, even if it saddens me greatly that I know Dodger and Texas, the best soap couple of 2012, won't reunite in the end.

Kevin Foster and Sienna Blake have been great new additions. I really hope Kirkwood keeps Kevin around after the Brendan story ends.

[Bright Eyes]

And with the most recent casting news (a recast Finn O'Conner is coming aboard) Kirkwood gets some major points for obviously loving Alex Fletcher. My Brookie heart is ecstatic. And no Carl, she isn't an agoraphobic anymore.

[DRW50]

The most entertaining thing about Ike Turner's last days in Chester is seeing the long, impassioned responses about why he deserved happiness while the "bad" people around him don't. I think my favorite is how Kevin (who is a boring, badly acted character, don't get me wrong) can never be forgiven for ruining Brendan's happiness! For all the talk of how breathtaking and beautiful Brendan's character arc is, they sure don't seem to want any other character to have that same arc.

The story ends as it starts - garnering attention mostly because of an actor a lot of people want to have sex with. And with a brain dead twink with his mouth hanging open who is beaten black and blue as viewers cry over the beauty of it all.

I don't really want to think about the message fans have taken about domestic violence due to this story.

[All My Shadows]

So what's this I hear about JP coming back and immediately succumbing to Brendan's womanly wiles?

[DRW50]

They had a one-off after meeting in an airport, or something. There was zero reason for this other than John Paul and Ste sneering and bitching. Even more pathetic is that Ste rushed to find Brendan and declare his love right after Brendan punched him out again (he had to try to break Ste's jaw because then Ste would see that Brendan was not good enough for him...so noble!).

The show does a shockingly poor job with gay characters.

[All My Shadows]

*sigh* That wasn't the work of BK, was it? Has his material started airing yet?

As always, I'm in the mood for getting into a British soap again, but none of them seem very promising right now. I might just stick to reruns of Take the High Road on YouTube.

[Bright Eyes]

Psh. Hollyoaks was the best soap of 2012 (out of any country) and has been absolutely fantastic since Riley's death. Kirkwood's had his hand on the show again since the mini bus crash episodes which killed Rhys, Maddie, Jono and Neil. JP's return was all him and his one night stand with Brendan was instantly regretted and I thought and good way to reintroduce him and was also a way to bring up who Ste used to be before Brendan. Plus, his break up with Craig seemed completely plausible and very in character.

As for Kevin, there is nothing at all wrong with him. He's a great new addition to the show and the actor's wonderful rapport with Maxine was basically instant. I figure Kirkwood will give him the Ste treatment and he'll go to jail for a few months before coming back to town.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Bright Eyes

[DRW50]

Before Brendan, Ste was a decent guy, a caring father. The violent and pathetically insecure Brendan was brought back through Brendan and the horrific "Stug" relationship.

My main issue with Kevin and Maxine is the weak acting, but then, Kieron Richardson isn't so great these days either. I think the only person in the story who can sort of act is Emmett, and the guy who plays his father.

HO also seems to have decided that it's great to tell stories about how bullies are sympathetic and nice, which, for some reason, every soap seems to tell. Any time I hear that a soap is going to tell a bullying story, I cringe.

[Bright Eyes]

I don't agree with most of that, but I'll leave it there regardless.