EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[SFK]

My first time watching on WETA in ages, 9-10am on a Saturday morning. The WETA airings have always been behind, and these surely are a few years old as Pauline is still around. These episodes are NYE, Sharon is pregnant and wants to go visit Vicki with Dennis (I gather she thinks she's really pregnant by creepy dude who was just confronted by his daughter's black boyfriend about them trying better to get on). I gues said bf's brother's dog had been terrorizing the Eastend before getting taken out.

Why is Phil so moody and upset?

Holy [!@#$%^&*], the credits just rolled and unless my Roman numeral game is off, these episodes are from 2005!

[DRW50]

Overused or not, nothing can sum up my reaction more after Jane trying to shame Cindy over Jane Miracle Baby #5 being taken away (sadly likely not for long). Oh, are you happy Cindy? Is this what you wanted? !@#$%^&*] you, you sociopathic troll. The show tries hard to let us know that Jane is the "nice" one compared to Ian, but I think at this point they're both toxic, pathetic, truly disturbed people. I just hate watching them and I especially loathe her.

[DRW50]

Johnny Allen had told Sharon that if she didn't get Dennis out of Walford, Johnny would kill him. Sharon did confide this in Phil, but hadn't told Dennis.

She knew she was pregnant by Dennis.

[TimWil]

These New Year's episodes were definitely Phil's Iago moment, dripping poison into Dennis' ear. I must say Steve McFadden did a really good job in these episodes.

The way Ian and Jane treated Cindy on last night's episode was pretty shocking. Ian was BRUTAL to her. I have to wonder what DTC and Co. were thinking.

I'm at a point with this Kathy/Phil storyline where I actually hope it turns out that Kathy really has been dead all these years and she's just been a hallucination of Phil's f**ked up head. Gavin can still show up, though, because I'm just curious who they will cast as Sharon's biological father.

Edited June 7, 2015 by TimWil

[Ben]

I enjoyed the Fake Dad story, simply b/c it only last for 3 episodes. Sharon is pretty enjoyable when she's written like this. I also liked the explanation they gave for Phil's actions, and how out of his depth he felt visiting Notting Hill Dad. I was disappointed that Sharon didn't knock on the door, but I guess we have that to come.

I like Paul more than I thought I would. His scenes with Pam are nice, but Les really is awful. I just don't get what Claudette sees in him.

Ben's story feels like time hasn't moved at all. I'm trying to care, but Abi is a fool.

The Ian/Jane/Cindy/Beth story is the worst story ever. I never thought Ian and Jane could become any more unlikeable, and then they went and threw Cindy out with no money. They are so damn selfish and narcissistic about their need to adopt Beth - a baby that isn't even related to them. Jane just wants any old baby, and Ian wants a Lucy do-over. Cindy is a 16 y/o girl with abandonment issues, who needs love and support, and to feel like she belongs; she probably was hoping that they would treat her like a daughter, but instead they continue to treat her like trash. This should be about Cindy's needs, but instead they continue to show what awful parents they are. That social worker was not much better, either. This is unpleasant viewing, and not b/c it's supposed to be, but b/c their actions are abhorrent and the story is a mess. They've really done a hatchet job on Jane. The woman should have stuck with Masood, at least there she wouldn't have been so character assassinated.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Ben

[DRW50]

I have a feeling we're supposed to sympathize with Ian and Jane as well as Cindy, but I just can't do it with Ian and Jane, especially Jane, as she has always been much too obsessive over babies.

The fake dad story really did have the perfect running time. I just wish I trusted that Sharon would always get decent material. It's so rare.

I agree about Abi and Ben. I have no idea how we're supposed to feel about her. She's been a huge afterthought and joke in this storyline and the actress tends to play it all very broadly. I find myself more invested in Ben and Jay - the actors are just great together.

I know some fans feel that we will be surprised and Les and Claudette aren't actually having an affair. I don't know. The hamminess from them both overpowers all else.

Your avatar makes me feel sad It's nice though.

[TimWil]

I agree about the fake dad story, for once they didn't try to stretch that puppy out.

I also agree about Ian and Jane. Yes, Cindy was becoming tiresome and demanding but why were they so incredibly cruel to her? I wonder if Adam and Laurie spoke up about that. And where's Cindy's grandmother Beverly, the one who raised her? And will her father Nick Holland ever show up?

I also think there's a twist re Claudette and Les and they've only been confidantes all these years-but, do we care, really? (snarky Cindy voice)

Edited June 7, 2015 by TimWil

[DRW50]

I'd forgotten about the father. I wonder if he's still alive. I think he never cared much about raising her.

Beverly is on Hollyoaks...er...she's too old to care for Cindy. Or something like that.

I feel like a hypocrite because I complain about one-note characterizations, so maybe I should praise the Cindy and Ian/Jane story, but I just can't do it. It skeeves me out.

[Ben]

I don't really know what they want us to feel about the Ian/Jane/Cindy story. They force-feed us the aspect of Cindy feeling ignored and never listened to, but then they make Ian and Jane as unlikeable as possible. I don't get it, and I feel like they don't either. The tone is all wrong. What would be better is if Ian could have some development and stubble upon the ability to self assess, realizing that he's making the same mistakes over and over with Cindy, Lucy, Peter, et al. Jane would be the unreasonable one, b/c covering for Bobby and moving Lucy's body has taken its toll on her, making Ian attempt to be reasonable.

I think another aspect of this story that just isn't believable is how calmly Ian and Jane have dealt with Bobby murdering his sister; I find that really creepy and weird. Ian should have way more issues with what Jane did than he does. Think of the drama that could have come from this that hasn't. I really wanted Cindy to tell Carol everything, and seeing as speculation is that Max will go down for the murder, I hope that Cindy spills everything eventually to Carol.

I don't like how Abi is an afterthought, and in fact a joke. But then Abi should know better - she is being incredibly stupid right now and kinda deserves to get hurt for ignoring all of neon signs flashing in front of her eyes. IA about Ben/Jay; they work really well together. If this was HO, Jay would so turn gay for Ben.

I hope there is a twist with Les/Claudette, b/c it couldn't be any less believable than an affair.

Thanks Carl. I don't know if you've noticed this, but every avatar I've had has been of departing characters (before it was announced they were leaving (bar the Sunset Beach ones)), so I thought I'd buck that thread slightly, and wave the flag for one of the greatest couples to grace ED before they split. Besides, I couldn't keep Peter Beale for ever - I like my avatars to represent current characters (again, bar SB).

[DRW50]

I never knew that about your avatars. That's a nice idea.

The sad part is I would probably support a Jay/Ben/Paul triangle, as ludicrous as I know it would be. It's not like they write for any of the characters in that age range anyway...especially the women.

One of the problems with Bobby is they treat him as borderline camp, and it's just silly, instead of being menacing.

[TimWil]

I think DTC and Co. are totally treating Bobby's storyline as camp. It's his/their chance to do an homage to The Bad Seed, except Bobby is no cold blooded killer like Rhoda Penmark. He''s a sad, disturbed little boy who did something terrible which resulted in the death of his sister.

[DRW50]

It doesn't even work as camp (the boy just can't play that), so it's ultimately a waste of time for me. It reminds me of that "evil Will" story on GL which also had a boy who couldn't play menacing, and instead looked like an August Gloop in training.

[TimWil]

That kid on GL ended up playing Damien in the remake of The Omen, though, Carl. I know his dad!

[DRW50]

Didn't mean any personal insult.

I never watched any versions of The Omen so I'm not sure how the performances were.

[cassadine1991]

I liked the Omen series.