I agree, Lee is the best Carter. His depression storyline has been extremely realistic IMO and it's nice to see an understated portrayal of it rather than a sufferer to be portrayed as totally unhinged/unstable, Lee leads a normal life. Him and Les leaving cuts short 2 very relevant and important storylines.

Someone on DS suggested Steven working at the Vic, I like that idea and him and Johnny having a romance, that's if Johnny is sticking around.

I do worry about this as I think they may all be replaced by worse characters. EE always struggled with bedding in new characters.

I have a feeling Steven will be going the psycho route soon unless they abandon DTC's work.

Ugh I hope not, the actor is gorgeous, and the character has so much potential. TBH I'd rather they paired him with Ben, I could imagine them having a very fiery relationship which would be great to watch between 2 gay characters. DS seem dead against it though due to them being related, they're not blood related though.

 

I hope Steven doesn't go psycho ugh.

That's really unfortunate and quite a puzzler to understand, actually. This will be one of the few times I'm all for Danny Dyer going off on Twitter. There's such a long line of axings that should have happened before he was an option. The saving grace is that Danny has expressed interest at leaving sooner than later. With his talents, I have no doubt he'll find himself on the West End and/or Broadway if he so chooses. What happens with Whitney now could be interesting, but they could have been a tentpole couple, along with Martin/Stacey. And I don't really need another reason to see Mick's man pain.

 

Since I like to play who to axe, too, here is my list:

Ian -  For a couple of years at least. Move Martin/Stacey into the house

Phil, Louise - Ben and Jay move in together/run the Arches, Billy runs the funeral home.

Abi - I was a fan of hers more than most until she got with Ben. Lorna Fitzgerald just can't measure up anymore. Recast in a couple of years if Max is still around.

Jane, Tina, Johnny (I just will never like the actor), Babe, Kush/Carmel/Shakil (the latter speaks for himself, albeit unintelligently, but the first two, who started out great, have ruined all chances of likability for me), Claudette, Mick/Linda, and since I've never liked her, Shirley, too. Lee and Whitney could have flourished without them with ease.

I also wouldn't be too sad to see the back of Kim, Vincent, Donna, Lauren (who has been flat lining since her return), or Kyle, but they don't scream for dismissal as much to me. Hopefully Lauren perks up when Max returns, if not, I'll happily see her go.

Edited August 21, 20169 yr by Bright Eyes

Woahhh long list!! I'm actually dying to see what this man's next move is. Do you think he has plans for any returns? I'm hoping Lisa, and NothinButAttitude - we could well see a Zainab return with someone new at the helm, you never know. I also think if they insist on keeping Lauren and Abi then Tanya needs to return, for a guest stint at least.

I don't get the fuss around Stacey. I find her a wooden actress in the everyday storylines. But I liked someone's suggestion on DS that Whitney could move in with Martin and Stacey if she breaks up with Lee.

I have a feeling Steven will be going the psycho route soon unless they abandon DTC's work.

Why?! The only thing I wanted Steven to do, which DTC flopped on, was for him to return to shove it in Jane's face how hypocritical she was towards him when he skidded off the rails. That's it. I don't need him going psycho. 

 

That's really unfortunate and quite a puzzler to understand, actually. This will be one of the few times I'm all for Danny Dyer going off on Twitter. There's such a long line of axings that should have happened before he was an option. The saving grace is that Danny has expressed interest at leaving sooner than later. With his talents, I have no doubt he'll find himself on the West End and/or Broadway if he so chooses. What happens with Whitney now could be interesting, but they could have been a tentpole couple, along with Martin/Stacey. And I don't really need another reason to see Mick's man pain.

 

Since I like to play who to axe, too, here is my list:

Ian -  For a couple of years at least. Move Martin/Stacey into the house

Phil, Louise - Ben and Jay move in together/run the Arches, Billy runs the funeral home.

Abi - I was a fan of hers more than most until she got with Ben. Lorna Fitzgerald just can't measure up anymore. Recast in a couple of years if Max is still around.

Jane, Tina, Johnny (I just will never like the actor), Babe, Kush/Carmel/Shakil (the latter speaks for himself, albeit unintelligently, but the first two, who started out great, have ruined all chances of likability for me), Claudette, Mick/Linda, and since I've never liked her, Shirley, too. Lee and Whitney could have flourished without them with ease.

I also wouldn't be too sad to see the back of Kim, Vincent, Donna, Lauren (who has been flat lining since her return), or Kyle, but they don't scream for dismissal as much to me. Hopefully Lauren perks up when Max returns, if not, I'll happily see her go.

I ALL for this list except for Ian. Even though these past 2 years have destroyed him as a character, I think he can be repaired somewhat if they just got rid of stupid a** Jane. Still to this day, I say that Bobby should've murdered her ass. That would've been the perfect ending as the mother who was adamant in not turning her son in, got bit by the snake in the end. 

 

I also don't mind Kim, Vincent, Kush, and Carmel sticking around. Kush & Carmel annoy me at times, but they are OK when written well. I'm one of the few that enjoys Kim as she adds lightness to the show. Vincent simply needs to be shifted from being a bad boy to just being a playboy. He'd be so much more believable (to me) if he was just a man-whore rather than having him being some ominous, twisted villain, which I've never bought. 

I think the key is in returns now. Probably for the best that some of these long-termers go, thinking about it, but there's so much room for returning characters to really inject some life into the existing characters' stories. Like you say, Zainab & Chelsea, would really give Masood and Denise new leases of life. I think Lisa is also needed (guest), as well as a permanent return for Sam (Kim or re-cast), Tanya (guest return). I'm wondering if Mel will return as Sean was working for EE when she was last in the show.

 

I would also re-cast Abi, move Whitney in with the Fowlers as suggested on DS and set Steven up long term with Ben (or Johnny). He could move in with the Carters and work at the pub, or stay where he's living now and work at the pub.

Edited August 21, 20169 yr by Edward Skylover

Seeing Mark Jr speaking in an English accent is making me want to kill everyone. I couldn't care less about how attractive he is. Epic fail.

Ugh I hope not, the actor is gorgeous, and the character has so much potential. TBH I'd rather they paired him with Ben, I could imagine them having a very fiery relationship which would be great to watch between 2 gay characters. DS seem dead against it though due to them being related, they're not blood related though.

 

I hope Steven doesn't go psycho ugh.

Weren't Steven and Ben raised together as uncle and nephew?

No. Ben left Walford when he was a baby. By the time he returned Steven was gone.

Ugh I hope not, the actor is gorgeous, and the character has so much potential. TBH I'd rather they paired him with Ben, I could imagine them having a very fiery relationship which would be great to watch between 2 gay characters. DS seem dead against it though due to them being related, they're not blood related though.

 

I hope Steven doesn't go psycho ugh.

Weren't Steven and Ben raised together as uncle and nephew?

Yes. 

As it looks like the Denise pregnancy story (ugh) is starting soon, I will just repeat what I said at Walford Web:

 

The thing I dislike most about baby stories of this type (if that's what this is), especially for a character with Phil's age and history, is they are often an admission of defeat about a character and his children. It's one of the things that helped kill American soaps, where men in their 60's or 70's would have a slew of grown children and babies, all oddly ineffective due to poor writing and the refusal to ever allow kids to grow out of their father's shadow, or for the show to allow their father to grow up. 

With Phil, you have Ben (a poorly written character who has never really been what he should have been in the narrative and whose relationship with Phil feels extremely played out), Louise (an overaged cipher Phil barely even notices), then you have his replacement children Jay (very possibly on the way out, and worthless in Phil's eyes, as well as the show's, even though they have the only interesting parent/child relationship of Phil's group), and Denny (a cardboard cutout completely forgotten not only by Phil but also by his mother). And of course replacement child Lexi, who, thanks to DTC apparently resenting that he didn't get to tell Ben's coming out story, no longer exists.

Phil is infantilized to the point where it's a minor miracle he can feed and bathe himself. Tantrums, lashing out with his fists - his three mothers, especially #1 mother Sharon, are always there to explain and clean up his messes. And this seems to show no signs of changing. Apparently we're supposed to be touched by this, because it's what Peggy would have wanted. 

There is no need for another child in Phil's life when he is the biggest child of them all.

A baby can't don't donate a liver to a grown man, right?

I don't know. I'd assume no. I hate that anyone is going to die for that pig. It gives me awful Victor Newman flashbacks. If it's Jay I'm done.

Good interview with Harry Reid.

 

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/interviews/a805506/eastenders-star-harry-reid-on-ben-mitchells-dark-revenge-plan-hes-angry-with-the-world/