Was shocked by Chrissie's return.

Meh. They really gotta cease doing murders on X-Mas. Zoe "killing" Anthony is stupid. And all that peace that Chrissie supposedly made upon being released was pointless.

I’m certainly not a Chris Clenshaw ‘devotee’ and he was far from perfectly consistent, but holy moly, the drop off from him to Ben Wadey’s stewardship, and how quickly it occurred is both heartbreaking and astounding.

I promised I’d give it 6 months before making up my mind and that’s reflected in my lack of posting in this thread.

But Nigel, Phil and Julie aside, I’ve not liked what I have been watching. Characterisations have been torpedoed to serve the plot and the ‘shock factor’ (what the heck was that with Anthony Trueman?) and the stories have been structured in a stodgy way.

Christmas 2025 wasn’t for me, and with the show not showing much promise (and guaranteed when the previews for 2026 come out, Wadey will use the words ‘dramatic’ and ‘explosive’ and ‘shocks, shocking, etc’ a lot of times) I’m ready to tap out fully, my watching already intermittent.

Viewers are already calling for Wadey’s head, but I don’t believe the BBC/Kate Oates will act that quickly, so the hope should be that this messy period was to get to 2026 and enough pieces will be in place that the show can kick on and increase in quality.

I think Annie’s paternity reveal should’ve been a bigger deal.

Everybody seemingly has forgotten about Martin (Lola was given more lip service after her death than Martin)

I like the infusion of more humor, but I just don’t think it was necessary to include that in Max vs Jack at the Beales. That’s one thing I can give Wadey, he has included a few witty funny moments (Max saying he’s a great dad, Ian and Kathy over Christmas).

The Xmas episodes didn’t get interesting until AFTER Chrissie revealed herself and Sam entered the scene. That’s like 15-20 solid mins of entertainment.

And Max and Cindy? I knew it was going to happen but again, played for laughs.

Wadey is seemingly trying to rejuvenate the show by revisiting old previous highs and it’s falling flat. We didn’t need Anthony to get the Keanu treatment and get murdered in the Vic. We still have no solid confirmation he’s the father of the twins or why Zoe kept it from him. Just a load of plot driven drivel.

Edited Friday at 11:51 PM3 days by MichaelGL

16 hours ago, LondonScribe said:

I’m certainly not a Chris Clenshaw ‘devotee’ and he was far from perfectly consistent, but holy moly, the drop off from him to Ben Wadey’s stewardship, and how quickly it occurred is both heartbreaking and astounding.

I promised I’d give it 6 months before making up my mind and that’s reflected in my lack of posting in this thread.

But Nigel, Phil and Julie aside, I’ve not liked what I have been watching. Characterisations have been torpedoed to serve the plot and the ‘shock factor’ (what the heck was that with Anthony Trueman?) and the stories have been structured in a stodgy way.

Christmas 2025 wasn’t for me, and with the show not showing much promise (and guaranteed when the previews for 2026 come out, Wadey will use the words ‘dramatic’ and ‘explosive’ and ‘shocks, shocking, etc’ a lot of times) I’m ready to tap out fully, my watching already intermittent.

Viewers are already calling for Wadey’s head, but I don’t believe the BBC/Kate Oates will act that quickly, so the hope should be that this messy period was to get to 2026 and enough pieces will be in place that the show can kick on and increase in quality.

Shock value and plot over character are two of the reasons I zoned out most of the time with Clenshaw. I'd agree that's still the case, just with more incoherent plotting. Anthony was never a very nice man, he was just the idea of a nice man, so I could go along with the story to a point, but the whole execution was sloppy and his death was even worse (and part of another "mystery" we didn't need).

I don't care a great deal about fan complaints because many of the most vocal complaints are people just care about what their pet characters are doing, not the show (like the fans who immediately went from praising to panning the show once Callum cheated on Ben), or they just want viral tweets, or they just want Elaine in the Vic retching up camp one-liners, but I wish improvements were made as Wadey does not know how to tell a story. This isn't getting any better. There are nice relationships and scenes, but the storytelling is the pits. At this point I just have to accept he is never going to learn, and some of those above him aren't either. Kate Oates is too busy canceling shows and probably trying to figure out another way to get hunky men to beat each other up and kidnap each other. And whoever else is in charge, like Susan Batten, have been out to sea for years.

If the show does get a new producer and it is just back to the Clenshaw mentality, I'll pass. He did a lot of good for EE but by early 2024 tuning in became a chore for me. I still cringe at the Panesar stories or Cindy/Junior or twitchy Reiss (killing Martin was also a very stupid, ego-driven producer decision - I don't care if James Bye wanted to be killed off). One of those cases where I could respect a producer's efforts, as he was clearly better than any who had been there before him since somewhere around 2013 or 2014, but I did not enjoy the product.

People also end up having so much focus on the producer above the rest of the show, which creates a constant heaven/hell pattern. I don't want to hear people talking about their sexual fantasies for a producer any more than I want to see people sending death threats to a producer (not that that's on the same level of severity), yet here we are. Fans know too much about these shows, yet they also don't know as much as they think. I include myself there.

The last six months or so are the most I've watched EE in a few years, but as we enter into 2026, I am tempted to go back to my old pledge to avoid the British soaps until they stop trying to be everything they never were. I doubt I will, but I should.

4 hours ago, MichaelGL said:

I think Annie’s paternity reveal should’ve been a bigger deal.

Everybody seemingly has forgotten about Martin (Lola was given more lip service after her death than Martin)

I like the infusion of more humor, but I just don’t think it was necessary to include that in Max vs Jack at the Beales. That’s one thing I can give Wadey, he has included a few witty funny moments (Max saying he’s a great dad, Ian and Kathy over Christmas).

The Xmas episodes didn’t get interesting until AFTER Chrissie revealed herself and Sam entered the scene. That’s like 15-20 solid mins of entertainment.

And Max and Cindy? I knew it was going to happen but again, played for laughs.

Wadey is seemingly trying to rejuvenate the show by revisiting old previous highs and it’s falling flat. We didn’t need Anthony to get the Keanu treatment and get murdered in the Vic. We still have no solid confirmation he’s the father of the twins or why Zoe kept it from him. Just a load of plot driven drivel.

I enjoyed the Max and Cindy scenes. It's very cliched but somehow they made it work. The Max Christmas scenes were the most I enjoyed his return so far.

Martin isn't mentioned now, after many months of mentions, but other than Ian and Kathy (Ian is selfish and Kathy barely has anything of value to say - I was flabbergasted when she was suddenly written like it was in 1995 again in Nigel's special episode), most of the people who are left are not going to bring him up. To be honest I found the mentions completely hollow - Clenshaw never cared about him while he was alive.

Annie's paternity reveal was rushed and poorly mishandled, and Linda's behavior makes no real sense. Then again I never thought she'd sleep with Max in the first place.

Edited Saturday at 04:21 AM3 days by DRW50

9 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Shock value and plot over character are two of the reasons I zoned out most of the time with Clenshaw. I'd agree that's still the case, just with more incoherent plotting. Anthony was never a very nice man, he was just the idea of a nice man, so I could go along with the story to a point, but the whole execution was sloppy and his death was even worse (and part of another "mystery" we didn't need).

I don't care a great deal about fan complaints because many of the most vocal complaints are people just care about what their pet characters are doing, not the show (like the fans who immediately went from praising to panning the show once Callum cheated on Ben), or they just want viral tweets, or they just want Elaine in the Vic retching up camp one-liners, but I wish improvements were made as Wadey does not know how to tell a story. This isn't getting any better. There are nice relationships and scenes, but the storytelling is the pits. At this point I just have to accept he is never going to learn, and some of those above him aren't either. Kate Oates is too busy canceling shows and probably trying to figure out another way to get hunky men to beat each other up and kidnap each other. And whoever else is in charge, like Susan Batten, have been out to sea for years.

If the show does get a new producer and it is just back to the Clenshaw mentality, I'll pass. He did a lot of good for EE but by early 2024 tuning in became a chore for me. I still cringe at the Panesar stories or Cindy/Junior or twitchy Reiss (killing Martin was also a very stupid, ego-driven producer decision - I don't care if James Bye wanted to be killed off). One of those cases where I could respect a producer's efforts, as he was clearly better than any who had been there before him since somewhere around 2013 or 2014, but I did not enjoy the product.

People also end up having so much focus on the producer above the rest of the show, which creates a constant heaven/hell pattern. I don't want to hear people talking about their sexual fantasies for a producer any more than I want to see people sending death threats to a producer (not that that's on the same level of severity), yet here we are. Fans know too much about these shows, yet they also don't know as much as they think. I include myself there.

The last six months or so are the most I've watched EE in a few years, but as we enter into 2026, I am tempted to go back to my old pledge to avoid the British soaps until they stop trying to be everything they never were. I doubt I will, but I should.

I enjoyed the Max and Cindy scenes. It's very cliched but somehow they made it work. The Max Christmas scenes were the most I enjoyed his return so far.

Martin isn't mentioned now, after many months of mentions, but other than Ian and Kathy (Ian is selfish and Kathy barely has anything of value to say - I was flabbergasted when she was suddenly written like it was in 1995 again in Nigel's special episode), most of the people who are left are not going to bring him up. To be honest I found the mentions completely hollow - Clenshaw never cared about him while he was alive.

Annie's paternity reveal was rushed and poorly mishandled, and Linda's behavior makes no real sense. Then again I never thought she'd sleep with Max in the first place.

I don’t I’ve ever explicitly asked you @DRW50

When was the last time you consistently enjoyed Eastenders while watching?

We seem to only put you in the position to explain what doesn’t work but, not detail what worked for you with the show and where in could go to make it more watchable.

Edited Saturday at 01:43 PM3 days by LondonScribe
More substance added.

9 hours ago, LondonScribe said:

I don’t I’ve ever explicitly asked you @DRW50

When was the last time you consistently enjoyed Eastenders while watching?

We seem to only put you in the position to explain what doesn’t work but, not detail what worked for you with the show and where in could go to make it more watchable.

That's a good question. I have not watched EE on a regular basis compared to some other soaps. I started around 1997, through PBS, then lost access, then watched some of 2000-2001 through BBC America (I also got to see some of 1987 or so through their repeats), then lost access, then started again around 2007 when I got high-speed Internet. I've since watched off and on but with a lot of big gaps just based on my interest. I've never enjoyed the modern years of the show near as much as the '80s or '90s. I probably have higher standards for EE than other shows due to seeing that one first (well that and how can you have any standard for what Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Corrie have put out in recent years).

On 12/27/2025 at 4:19 AM, DRW50 said:

Shock value and plot over character are two of the reasons I zoned out most of the time with Clenshaw.

I just really don't get why the fans put Clenshaw on a pedestal. I'm not going to deny he did a lot of good for the show, I loved his returnees like Lauren, Yolande, Nigel etc but most of his stuff was plot over character and I really hated the Six (which had no consequences) and Cindy's return, because she was dead and I just think move on.

The lack of perspective EE producers have astounds me. Like, I think bringing back Zoe was a great decision, but Michelle was never the strongest actor so they maybe should have eased her in before throwing everything her way, and used her as a B character rather than an A one. They also should have written her to be more likeable. I did love the Slater home video, and while I love Chrissie, her wanting revenge on Zoe didn't make sense to me, it felt plotty rather than character driven. Clenshaw set it up that Jake and Chrissie were still together, so they had that link to the Slaters/Moons already without forcing drama, if they wanted it. There are so many aspects of the Zoe storyline that I despair at; her having twins (unneeded), fleeing the hospital with her kids alive, the Max connection, the Anthony connection, the Chrissie return. It was enough drama having her and Kat reunited. Maybe she had (one) kid adopted and agonises over whether to contact them, that would have been enough, but even then I'm not convinced Zoe would give up a kid, maybe they could have sold it as a mental health thing.

My issue is them constantly being stuck in the past and not focusing on character and story. The father of Zoe's kids should have been a new character, no need to be Anthony (though we don't even know if it is yet ). I hate Max and don't want him back. Linda should be gone IMO. Don't know why they put the Slaters back in the Vic, I miss Elaine there. Kat could have been a barmaid there again.

I did love the Nigel episode though, I thought that was great, I wish it had been the Christmas episode. Everyone keeps saying it would have been depressing on Christmas, but I disagree.

I'm currently watching 2009 eps on U&Drama channel in the UK, and it's so much better. The Christian/Syed storyline is playing and it's one of my favourite ever storylines. It's exactly what EE does best, pushing social boundaries/commentary, this time a gay Muslim character. They wrote it really well too, they let it breathe - Syed was introduced after being estranged from his family, they allowed those characters to reacquaint, Amira was introduced and she was an actual character, not just a complete plot device to keep Christian and Syed apart. What works is that I care about all the characters; Amira, Christian and Syed. I even liked Syed and Amira together. So when there's the revelation that he's attracted to Christian, you're invested. You had a strong player in Zainab. EE thrives on these types of huge controversial storylines, but when rooted in character. We fairly recently had the Tony/Whitney storyline from late 2008. A hugely dark EE storyline, the show does these so well. I think the Nigel storyline has been done really well too, and a huge part of that is the writing and especially the character writing. Julie has been brought back and has been made into a good character in her own right, and is pivotal to the story as she should be. It doesn't matter that she was only a minor character in the 90s, she's a big part of Nigel's life and the direction makes sense.

I also think the way soaps are run is so out of date. Someone needs to come along and axe a lot of characters. I loved Kim in the past but they're only capable of doing the cringey OTT stuff with her. I don't see a point to Linda now. Why are Jean and especially Lily still there with Stacey gone? There's no bravery in the decisions.

It's so cold. Where are the friendships? Why is Chelsea ignored when she's played by one of the strongest actors? Her and Vicki could be friends. In the 2009 eps, one of the best things about Christian is his friendship with Roxy.

Going back to what @DRW50 has been saying, I think social media/internet has ruined soaps. There's so much noise and everything is so reactive or too inspired by online chat. I bet Chrissie was brought back because everyone online was saying she should be. Loads of people are saying online that Ronnie and Roxy should come back, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that happened even though it shouldn't and even though we saw their dead bodies on screen. Producers aren't able to carve their own vision anymore, or look to the future.

As a side note, it was so lovely to see Pat back. Honestly the biggest mistake they ever made was killing her off, she would still be there now. The show has never been the same without her and the other stalwarts like Dot, Peggy and Pauline.

Edited Sunday at 07:15 AM2 days by Skylover

2 hours ago, Skylover said:

I just really don't get why the fans put Clenshaw on a pedestal. I'm not going to deny he did a lot of good for the show, I loved his returnees like Lauren, Yolande, Nigel etc but most of his stuff was plot over character and I really hated the Six (which had no consequences) and Cindy's return, because she was dead and I just think move on.

The lack of perspective EE producers have astounds me. Like, I think bringing back Zoe was a great decision, but Michelle was never the strongest actor so they maybe should have eased her in before throwing everything her way, and used her as a B character rather than an A one. They also should have written her to be more likeable. I did love the Slater home video, and while I love Chrissie, her wanting revenge on Zoe didn't make sense to me, it felt plotty rather than character driven. Clenshaw set it up that Jake and Chrissie were still together, so they had that link to the Slaters/Moons already without forcing drama, if they wanted it. There are so many aspects of the Zoe storyline that I despair at; her having twins (unneeded), fleeing the hospital with her kids alive, the Max connection, the Anthony connection, the Chrissie return. It was enough drama having her and Kat reunited. Maybe she had (one) kid adopted and agonises over whether to contact them, that would have been enough, but even then I'm not convinced Zoe would give up a kid, maybe they could have sold it as a mental health thing.

My issue is them constantly being stuck in the past and not focusing on character and story. The father of Zoe's kids should have been a new character, no need to be Anthony (though we don't even know if it is yet ). I hate Max and don't want him back. Linda should be gone IMO. Don't know why they put the Slaters back in the Vic, I miss Elaine there. Kat could have been a barmaid there again.

I did love the Nigel episode though, I thought that was great, I wish it had been the Christmas episode. Everyone keeps saying it would have been depressing on Christmas, but I disagree.

I'm currently watching 2009 eps on U&Drama channel in the UK, and it's so much better. The Christian/Syed storyline is playing and it's one of my favourite ever storylines. It's exactly what EE does best, pushing social boundaries/commentary, this time a gay Muslim character. They wrote it really well too, they let it breathe - Syed was introduced after being estranged from his family, they allowed those characters to reacquaint, Amira was introduced and she was an actual character, not just a complete plot device to keep Christian and Syed apart. What works is that I care about all the characters; Amira, Christian and Syed. I even liked Syed and Amira together. So when there's the revelation that he's attracted to Christian, you're invested. You had a strong player in Zainab. EE thrives on these types of huge controversial storylines, but when rooted in character. We fairly recently had the Tony/Whitney storyline from late 2008. A hugely dark EE storyline, the show does these so well. I think the Nigel storyline has been done really well too, and a huge part of that is the writing and especially the character writing. Julie has been brought back and has been made into a good character in her own right, and is pivotal to the story as she should be. It doesn't matter that she was only a minor character in the 90s, she's a big part of Nigel's life and the direction makes sense.

I also think the way soaps are run is so out of date. Someone needs to come along and axe a lot of characters. I loved Kim in the past but they're only capable of doing the cringey OTT stuff with her. I don't see a point to Linda now. Why are Jean and especially Lily still there with Stacey gone? There's no bravery in the decisions.

It's so cold. Where are the friendships? Why is Chelsea ignored when she's played by one of the strongest actors? Her and Vicki could be friends. In the 2009 eps, one of the best things about Christian is his friendship with Roxy.

Going back to what @DRW50 has been saying, I think social media/internet has ruined soaps. There's so much noise and everything is so reactive or too inspired by online chat. I bet Chrissie was brought back because everyone online was saying she should be. Loads of people are saying online that Ronnie and Roxy should come back, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that happened even though it shouldn't and even though we saw their dead bodies on screen. Producers aren't able to carve their own vision anymore, or look to the future.

As a side note, it was so lovely to see Pat back. Honestly the biggest mistake they ever made was killing her off, she would still be there now. The show has never been the same without her and the other stalwarts like Dot, Peggy and Pauline.

Many wonderful points here. I agree there's no reason for Jean and Lily to be there. They just don't want to let them go because of Jean's past and because Lily is meant to be an important character down the line. And in case Stacey returns in a year or two. There are others I'd get rid of who just hang on because they are seen as "legends" or the show is scared.

I agree about the friendships. There are a few, but we need more.

A part of me is glad Pat died while they were able to do her some justice, but her death did leave a void.

I was never a fan of Christian and Syed but the show still made me care because of the work they put into the Masood family. You don't get that on the show very often now. I guess we are getting some with Lauren and Oscar, but not many others.

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

Many wonderful points here. I agree there's no reason for Jean and Lily to be there. They just don't want to let them go because of Jean's past and because Lily is meant to be an important character down the line. And in case Stacey returns in a year or two. There are others I'd get rid of who just hang on because they are seen as "legends" or the show is scared.

They could always be brought back, it is weird. I sometimes think maybe I take it too seriously.

Honestly, I would trim down all the families. Quality over quantity. Jean and Lily gone from the Slater clan. I'd get rid of all the new Mitchells apart from Harry, who I think has come into his own now, he could get closer to Billy and Phil. I would get rid of Kim and Howie, I do like Denzel though so if they could figure out a way to keep him that would be good. The Panesars are an issue for me, I think I would only keep Priya and her kids but I know Suki and Ravi are apparently popular, I'm not sure why but they are good actors so maybe that's why. It's just a shame they've done so many awful things with them. I think I would recast Amy as I find the actress incredibly poor. It's time for Billy, Honey and the kids to go. I think I'd maybe write Linda out too.

I'd take the Slaters out of the Vic and put Elaine back there I think.

I do think though that despite me saying I'd axe some of the characters, the cast is a lot stronger than it was 5 to 10 years ago. They've rebuilt it nicely with Kim Medcalf's Sam popping in and out, recasting Chelsea, decasting Peter (I get he's a bit wobbly but I like having Peter back), recasting Vicki, bringing back Lauren, Nigel, Yolande etc.

I think I'd add a female Mitchell, I don't think Nicola works as she's a murderer and not close enough to Phil. Kim Medcalf doesn't appear to want to be a regular character, so I think I'd recast Courtney and put her in with Phil. The female presence has been missing ever since Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy died.

I also think they could do with a Chinese character or family.

Edited Sunday at 01:24 PM2 days by Skylover

On 12/27/2025 at 2:57 PM, DRW50 said:

I started around 1997, through PBS, then lost access, then watched some of 2000-2001 through BBC America (I also got to see some of 1987 or so through their repeats), then lost access, then started again around 2007 when I got high-speed Internet. I've since watched off and on but with a lot of big gaps just based on my interest. I've never enjoyed the modern years of the show near as much as the '80s or '90s. I probably have higher standards for EE than other shows due to seeing that one first (well that and how can you have any standard for what Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Corrie have put out in recent years).

How would you fix it?

I'm not being flippant, I'm genuinely curious, but I do think EE has had major issues for years. My background with the show is similar to yours, thanks to PBS and the BBC's very free relationship at the turn of the millennium. It still does many things very well on a standalone basis but I think it got stuck in a loop of trying to top itself not long after killing Pauline in the snow. And then feeding on its nostalgia. I still see stuff I really admire every time I check in, but the nihilism or grinding depressive cycles seem to always be there.

Edited yesterday at 08:18 AM1 day by Vee

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

How would you fix it?

I'm not being flippant, I'm genuinely curious, but I do think EE has had major issues for years. My background with the show is similar to yours, thanks to PBS and the BBC's very free relationship at the turn of the millennium. It still does many things very well on a standalone basis but I think it got stuck in a loop of trying to top itself not long after killing Pauline in the snow. And then feeding on its nostalgia. I still see stuff I really admire every time I check in, but the nihilism or grinding depressive cycles seem to always be there.

I wouldn't know where to begin but I think you are right. I'd cut the self-awareness down, I'd go back to the early years of the show with the pub as a meeting place rather than a slaughterhouse, I'd cut the forced camp down, I'd stop making stories so confusing, I'd stop with stories where so much took place offcamera before the characters arrived in Walford (one current character had a child with another character years earlier AND killed her other son's pregnant girlfriend). I'd try to tell challenging stories in an everyday way rather than "issue-based," I'd increase the show's diversity (which Clenshaw did to a degree but other than Yolande's sexual assault plotline most of those were very poor), I'd bring in new families, and, as you said, stop trying to top the past with another plot-driven bing bang boom moment. The show in its best years also focused more on smaller, everyday moments, which had a big payoff down the line.

There is definitely a lot more forced, self-referential camp in recent years, probably a sign of the nostalgia-choked pop culture cycle we live in now as well as to offset the often very grim stories on the show. I agree they'd bring back Roxy and Ronnie if they thought it was possible. Those two are dead dead and those scenes still stick with me.

There's a lot of dead weight of course. Like others I am amazed Linda is still there. What are they doing, waiting Danny Dyer out? I'm just waiting for her dead body to drop at this point, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. They've killed loads on this show for less.

I think people expect stunts from EE, especially at the holidays, and that's a fine tradition up to a point. But it becomes numbing when it transitions into rote and the results are too predictable. You have to use those moments and holidays a bit more sparingly. Like, I'm not surprised Anthony turned up dead. What does Chrissie coming back provide the characters long-term? Does she have any truly sensible beef with Zoe given what she did? Unless another kid of Den's turns up I can't see a purpose.

Also, since they already let the genie out of the bottle a few years ago with the disastrous first attempt, I'll say it: They should go ahead and recast Michelle Fowler again.

Edited yesterday at 08:43 AM1 day by Vee

6 minutes ago, Vee said:

There is definitely a lot more forced, self-referential camp in recent years, probably a sign of the nostalgia-choked pop culture cycle we live in now as well as to offset the often very grim stories on the show. I agree they'd bring back Roxy and Ronnie if they thought it was possible. Those two are dead dead and those scenes still stick with me.

There's a lot of dead weight of course. Like others I am amazed Linda is still there. What are they doing, waiting Danny Dyer out? I'm just waiting for her dead body to drop at this point, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. They've killed loads on this show for less.

I think people expect stunts from EE, especially at the holidays, and that's a fine tradition up to a point. But it becomes numbing when it transitions into rote and the results are too predictable. You have to use those moments and holidays a bit more sparingly. Like, I'm not surprised Anthony turned up dead. What does Chrissie coming back provide the characters long-term? Does she have any truly sensible beef with Zoe given what she did? Unless another kid of Den's turns up I can't see a purpose.

Also, since they already let the genie out of the bottle a few years ago with the disastrous first attempt, I'll say it: They should go ahead and recast Michelle Fowler again.

I've always had very mixed feelings about Linda. She is often a construct things happen to rather than a character in her own right. The relationship with Mick was incredibly toxic. The alcoholism story was a mistake, and the revival a year or two ago was a disaster. Yet Kellie Bright always tries, and the character has a large fanbase, so I can see why they are torn (there are many characters this is the case for - Denise, for instance, often gets scraps, aside from the Six story). I am just sorry they chose such a bad route after Mick "died," in the drinking and in bringing in a camp gorgon mother who barely even seems to tolerate her daughter at times.

If Sharon was around, I'd say recast Michelle and bring back Michelle's son Mark. For the time being, I might wait, but I'd be tempted.

I think if they had brought Chrissie back for a longer period and made some flashbacks of her hatred for Zoe festering again, the story could have worked, but that isn't what we got. As it is, you're right, they were clearly just trying everything for another big EE Christmas, but those days are gone. Time to accept it and move on.

I have been a Ben Wadey apologist but I am officially over him after seeing how the plots came together on Christmas. One thing I enjoyed is the same thing most people hated: the Zoe story and the focus it got. I felt like with Clenshaw, he was throwing so much at the wall that most stories didn't get properly developed. Especially when it came to social issues, it seemed like every other week there was a new one and it was just too much going on and not enough character moments for me.

I've loved seeing the Slaters, who had been underused, on the forefront and getting to see Zoe re-integrate into their lives. Another part that I enjoyed was having Anthony return so Patrick had his son and that family also got some time to shine. I feel like killing him off was a cheap stunt that makes no sense. They ruined his character by introducing these out of nowhere villain aspects, they didn't play the issues with his wife and kids and now he won't get to reconcile with Zoe and wont get to meet his twins. How is this satisfying? It's a pointless murder mystery for a character that didn't need to die.

I hope this isn't a sign to come because this is literally the worst they could've done to resolve this story. Makes me wonder how they'll pull off NYE which will involve extensive planning.