EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

After the guy who played Sanjay criticized the show a few years back for the Masood storylines I don't think we'll see him again.

There were some characters I do wish he'd kept, although they're tough to remember now, beyond Sanjay and Gita. I liked Annie Palmer. I also wish they'd kept Ruth, but then I hated that Connor and his bitch niece, so maybe not. I also liked Tony and Simon a lot, but I guess I can understand it was probably their time to go.

Soaps rarely seem to do cleanouts now. The last serious one I remember was when Kirkwood took over EE. There was some handwringing over it at DS and wherever else, but I can't say I had a problem with the decisions. If he hadn't dumped Minty that creep would still be there gurning now. It's just too bad the replacements were not much better.

Edited March 6, 2015 by DRW50

[BetterForgotten]

I think the show had its best writing for minority characters in the 90's, it's actually said to see how they've regressed in that regard since then.

Both Corrie and EE went though significant changes in the 1997-1999 era with massive changes in tone and cast culls. The changes seemed to help EE become more popular at the time, and Corrie seemed to lose its footing (it would take a while longer for them to get back into a groove).

The late 90's seems like such an odd, yet interesting time for British soaps in retrospect.

Edited March 6, 2015 by BetterForgotten

[DRW50]

The 90s were the last time I think British soaps felt proud to be soaps, rather than trying to be like primetime or Hollywood with bad teeth. Only Emmerdale sort of went that route. Corrie and Eastenders were relatively true to themselves.

[BetterForgotten]

The episode where The Fowler's and Ian and Kathy find out Pete died. There are no follow-up episodes though and we only find out during the cliffhanger.

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Was Peter Dean on break from the show when Pete was killed? I know he was hated by most of the cast and the producers, so I wonder if this was their way of getting back at him.

Mandy and her pathethic-ness is hilarious in this episode.

[NothinButAttitude]

Such a good episode. Thanks for sharing, BetterForgotten.

I've never heard the 'duff duff' have so much base in my life.

I keep forgetting that Phil was married when he came onto the Square while pursuing Kathy. Also, I always thought that Pete's death happened onscreen. I didn't know that they killed him offscreen.

This episode saddens me because most of the characters on it have passed. And there is a plethora of Fowlers/Beales on the canvas. Now we're lucky if there are four of them on the canvas at a time.

[DRW50]

That was a green card marriage which briefly turned to sex.

[BetterForgotten]

After tonight's episode, I wonder if they're recasting Zoe or if Michelle Ryan is going to eat crow and return. Zoe was mentioned so many times and Kat texted her at the end. I wonder why Zoe hates Kat again these days when they left on good terms back in 2005.

This was also the best Kat's been written in a long time, and obviously having no Alfie around and not making her a drunken mess helped.

[DRW50]

I saw some fans say maybe the show is doing this to help explain why Zoe won't ever be back, as it's been a fan question for five years now. Who knows.

[BetterForgotten]

And of course - Linda had to be involved somehow! DTC has no clear conscience on his his pet characters are being burnt out. It's bad enough that Linda has her own storyline with her overexposed family, she had to be shoehorned into stories for Sharon and Kat as well - all within the same damn week too.

I don't care if we ever see Zoe again, and I think she could easily be recast (yeah she was part of two "iconic" stories, but she wasn't the lead in those).

[DRW50]

I guess it makes me a bad fan but I think I'd actually prefer a Zoe recast - Michelle Ryan was suited for the moody teen Zoe but she's shown nothing in her work over the years that makes me think she has to come back. She's just dull.

I feel like DTC did a lot of assuming with Linda in that I think he believed she was much more sympathetic and likeable than she actually was to many viewers. Don't get me wrong, she has fans, and I'm sure she'll win the BSA, but I don't think she ever was this icon he wanted her to be (the same goes for Mick). I just don't care about Linda. And that's one of the reasons the rape story failed (one of many). Is it awful that she was raped? Yes. Am I going to watch months of her staring at a wall? No.

[Ben]

I've actually grown to like Linda, and I think she's the only Carter who I like watching. I think the writing has been poor for the whole family, and I think Mick and Linda were never developed enough to sustain the amount of air time they have had. DTC came in and decided to put his family on screen - big mistake if you're only basing the characters on your family in one particular story (Johnny's coming out), b/c once that was over, they all lacked direction, and ended up changing their personalities (Linda aside). They were certainly not the mega hit DTC intended them to be.

I like Linda b/c I think she retains some sense of likeability underneath it all. I can see the type of character she's supposed to be, but has yet to realise it. You can tell she's supposed to be a woman who has had a lot to deal with from a young age, who has pulled herself up and carried on regardless; she's still with her childhood sweetheart, and that's actually, quite sweet; she likes to be in control, and cares about what other people think (makes sense when she had Lee when she was a teen). But where they went wrong was not communicating her reaction to Johnny being gay, as it made her appear unsympathetic and kinda homophobic when that wasn't the case; then they had her keep so many secrets to the detriment of the character. I don't believe Linda would have kept the rape a secret for as long as she did, or from Mick; I don't believe she would have kept the fact her and Mick aren't married from the kids (that seems ridiculous).

I just don't care for Mick, Nancy, Lee, Tina, and I hate victim Shirley. Stan's OK, but he's dying soon, so no big loss really.

I like seeing Linda interact with Kat and Sharon, b/c I think all the Carters need this - they're too isolated and wrapped up in their dramas, which has damaged them further from not having friends to interact with. Mick's "friendship" with Ian is forced and contrived, Nancy has no friends, Lee just has whitney, and Tina only has Sonia. I thought Linda and Sharon was another contrived pairing, but recently, I've enjoyed their scenes together. What the Carters need is to have a break from being frontburner, and just play supporting roles in other characters' stories; give them time to breathe and develop.

ETA: I didn't really like the Linda/Kat stuff, as this type of pairing always leads to regurgitated dialogue. Anyone who shows they have standards, who are ever so slightly middle class, gets accused of being snobbish and looking down on everyone else, like Lord and Lady Muck. Urgh, Kat - your so far in the gutter, even the local hobo looks down on you. That whole episode was a bore-fest. Of course Shirley had to be randomly included, who added nothing to the group.

Kim's story is a mess, and lacks the emotional integrity it should have. I think this should have been the time when we saw Kim and Vincent interact, not have him be this mystery man off screen (while we wait for filming to catch up to Live week), like viewers hadn't guessed is her long-lost husband. Her whole explanation of what she saw Vincent doing sounded like a joke.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Ben

[BetterForgotten]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/eastenders-nurse-sonia-fowler-barmaid-5292698

I am not here for this, Sonia should have never returned (I've always hated her, but she's extra annoying and judgmental these days), and Tina is a block of wood that's one massive waste of space.

[DRW50]

When Tina isn't onscreen I forget she's there. Even when she is, sometimes I forget she's there. If you have to wear kooky clothes to have a personality, it means you're a failure as a character - just like her boring daughter with the wandering accent.

I tend to wonder if one of the reasons they brought Sonia back was to try to cement Tina's place in the show, similar to bringing Ben back for the insta-pairing with Johnny (yet another reason I'm glad Sam Strike quit).

I had to laugh at that bizarre "they could be a great couple just like Peter and Lauren, who just left!" segueway.

The papers seem to really dislike Gillian Taylforth for some reason.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/eastenders-gillian-taylforth-set-full-time-5292499#rlabs=1

[BetterForgotten]

Gillian was also recently involved in a drunk driving incident I believe. But we know that's probably not the worst thing she regrets ever doing in a car.... Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[TimWil]

I interviewed Gillian for the Walford Gazette when she was on EE and she swore up and down that she was not giving her bf a bj that day. She then offered me a ride to Borehamwood Station, cracking "Don't worry, I won't try anything." Gal had a sense of humor. I liked her a lot.

Edited March 8, 2015 by TimWil