EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[BetterForgotten]

Brief scene, but Charlie's first appearance as Janine. I didn't realize it was this early in '99 (I thought it was at the end of that year for some reason).

 

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[BetterForgotten]

Strangely, Mel doesn't annoy me as much as she sometimes did in her first stint. Maybe because they're writing her as more of a hard character this time around, which plays more to Tamzin and the character's strengths. 

 

I will also say, Yorke seems to have given Kat back her sense of humour - that was a vital part of the character and was missing in the last stint (especially all the misery DTC reaped on the character). The Slater set-up is a bit ridiculous, and I wonder why Yorke even bothered with bringing Jean and Big Mo back. He hasn't given Kat anything substantial to do yet either, but I sense he's taking his time to re-establish her somehow and hopefully move her forward from her last stint - she is his definitive character after all. 

[cassadine1991]

Will Redwater get referenced again?

[BetterForgotten]

Probably not - they're only referencing Kat's time in Spain and not Ireland. 

 

Speaking of the Slater's, it's kind of hilarious that they have no idea what to do with Whitney and Tiffany, and have made them Slater's by extension. I still don't know why Whitney is still on this show, and there is no reason for Tiffany to be back at all...

Edited April 15, 2018 by BetterForgotten

[cassadine1991]

Isn't Robbie, their uncle still around?

Edited April 24, 2018 by cassadine1991

[NothinButAttitude]

 

He is which is shocking to me. I'm surprised he hasn't been written off already. 

[Skylover]

EastEnders is so bad right now I'm thinking of quitting it. It's worse than it was under SOC.

[cassadine1991]

I thought Yorke was the fixer-upper?

[Skylover]

 

Apparently not. More things are happening now but I don't care about the characters. Less things happened before but at least I liked the characters. I'm sick of Max. He's so done as a character and I can't get past him being responsible for the deaths of Steven and Abi. I feel like I'm being forced to watch him and I don't like that; it's ironic that they can't/won't let go of him when he's played out as a character when so many with potential were axed like Ben (I know many disagree but that's my opinion). I also really dislike its attitude towards LGBT characters - axing them all and making the ones left straight. Getting rid of Ingrid, what's their issue with foreign characters? She lights up the screen, and I liked her relationship with Keanu. Getting rid of Vincent is stupid, I'm just sick of all the idiotic decisions. And then Max and Rainie getting married - like I literally don't care. They think they're being all clever but I don't care about Max.

 

I also think Kat, Mo and Jean are caricatures of themselves. They've all been brought back without any thought as to how they fit in in the modern show. Mel and Hunter are great but it's so nauseating they're desperate to make him a mini-me of his dad when he's only 15, and I'm sick of all the character regression, especially of Billy. 

 

I know it's been happening for years and it's not John's fault but I'm sick of Sharon being Phil's doormat as well. I'm sick of Louise and her just being a plot device, being a vile character who has no purpose, I'm sick of her having no development and no meaningful relationship with Phil, and it grates on me that Ben's gone when she's still there.

 

He's literally got rid of all the characters I liked (or they've left which granted may not be his fault). Vincent, Donna, Ingrid, Ben, Lauren, Abi, Michelle etc. I just don't have an emotional attachment to hardly any of them except the Taylors which is ridiculous because they're new. Denise still floats around with NO purpose. It's so awful. Sorry, ranting.

 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Edward Skylover

[BetterForgotten]

Sad

 

EastEnders star Barbara Windsor diagnosed with Alzheimer's

[DaytimeFan]

 

This is terrible news. Poor Dame Barbara. Now it makes sense that she wanted to end Peggy when she did. It is heartbreaking that she mouthed "I'm sorry" to her husband when she was diagnosed. God bless them both.

[Cat]

 

This is sad and devastating news. I think the fear of Alzheimer's affects anybody who has aging parents or is aging themselves. Dame Barbara's husband sounds like a wonderful guy. I hope that by talking openly about the diagnosis, it will raise awareness and research into finding a cure or at least coming up with better medication to manage the disease.

[DRW50]

 

He sounds like he truly does love her and wants to help her as best he can. The part where he explained to the producers, while still respecting her privacy, why she wanted to be killed off as Peggy, is just one example. 

 

Barbara always had a lot of respect for Eastenders and for its fans. That she kept this for as long as she did and did brilliant work (some of her best, as he says) in this period of her life is a testament to her work ethic and talent.

 

I wish they hadn't had to splash the recent photo of her and her husband on their front page, as you can see she's not really there. I don't think people with Alzheimer's should be hidden, it just feels exploitative to me in this instance. But that's The Sun for you, and I hope the money will help go to making Barbara's last years safe and comfortable.

[Cat]

 

Barbara was a good sport, had strong friendships with the Carry On and EE casts, and was open with fans about what was going on in her life (marriage to a Kray's associate, affairs). She owned who she was, flaws and all, and was a cheerful person with an excellent work ethic typical of someone who grew up during WW2/rationing/austerity. She did her best work on Eastenders, as you say -- she loved playing the character, she imbued Peggy with layers and flaws and heart. She became a star again at an age you would not expect and fully deserved all her accolades and awards. I cannot emphasize enough how popular she is with the British public. She is utterly beloved.

 

Her husband seems like he is looking out for her best interests and I am sure the pay from this Sun exclusive will go towards making her comfortable and taken care of... her salary from EE will have gone a long way towards that end, too. It's so sad to hear about this because she really seems like a lovely, kind person IRL who deserves to live out her retirement years without this awful diagnosis hanging over her.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Cat

[DRW50]

http://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/this-morning/news/a856759/barbara-windsor-alzheimers-jane-moore-this-morning/