EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Thanks. That's a nice story about Hilda Braid, I really liked her.

Very diplomatic about Little Mo/Alfie...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Carol's mentioned in spoilers during the first week of August. Could she finally be getting a story?

[DRW50]

That's great.

Is

[Ann_SS]

I am really enjoying Eastenders lately.

I love the actors who play Zainab and Masood. I have been so annoyed about Zainab and Masood's attitude about Syed's homosexuality, but damn if they didn't make me feel for their delusional state today. Tamwar is the best brother around. Kamil, the baby is so adorable.

Christian is so freaking annoying at times. He was in the right taunting the Masoods today, but I cheered when Masood hit him anyway. He looked really handsome in those scenes with Syed in his flat. I was glad that Christian stood his ground with Syed. Time for Syed to take a stand about his life and stop waffling.

I hope new Ben can act and comes home tougher and makes Phil's life miserable. There have been hints that Ben might be gay and I hope that he will be with the new actor.

Ian is such a prat, but he cracks me up. I laughed when he told Jane to gossip with Zainab about Syed and see how she liked it. Zianab ranting to Masood about Ian calling her a gossip was also funny as hell.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Ann_SS

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Today's episode:

I thought Charlie Jones gave one of his best performances on the show tonight. I actually really felt sorry for Ben in those last 10 minutes as he sobbed and was sentenced to 5 months in a prison facility.

Peggy has really felt true to character again too, too bad Barbara is leaving. Peggy was tough as nails with Phil in the car, but also vulnerable in insisting that Ben is better off staying to serve his time than run away to Portugal.

I cheered when Masood punched Christian, mainly because Christian bugs me. Christian and Syed, I feel like we've seen this stuff a million times already, even as their about to become a legitimate couple. Though, I guess I'm glad they're finally putting them together, so no off and on crap.

I also really liked those scenes by the swing set between Chelsea and Jordan. It was one of Tiana's better performances and you really felt how she was not trying to think about Denise, but it was killing her inside.

It was a nice touch to have the Michell dinner party for Ben and it was nice to have Jordan visit him before he left.

Looks like Stacey is getting tired of Becca and Becca didn't look too please as Stacey kicked out of her that room. With Kat and Alfie coming back, even as Stacey Jean, and Charlie are leaving, the Slater house is going to packed. Becca will have to be kicked out sooner or later. I think this is the beginning of Stacey being fed up with her and maybe laying the seeds out for Becca to go crazy over being isolated by Stacey.

Again, I love how Zas Zsa is being phased out with not more than two lines in every episode she appears in these days. Santer really tried to make this character happen in his final months.

Overall, I thought it was a good idea to focus on Ben's court case and have the Lucas take a back seat in this episode, it's been frontburner for over a month.

Edited July 16, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[BadBoy93]

I like how Zsa Zsa is included in Mitchell Dinners as well as Shirley. If Phil can actually spend time with Shirley and Zsa Zsa, then maybe Shirley will console him more.

Shame Zsa Zsa is going. i do like her.

Also we had our first little glimpse of Peggy`s exit. Phil lashing out on her, The Mitchell Sisters will lash out on her. Sam disowning her. Poor Peggy. Someone needs to give them Mitchells a slap. Hope its Peggy.

[DRW50]

I thought most of the episode was good, with a few exceptions.

It's difficult for me to care about Stacey's stories now, not because she's leaving, but because they're all very narrow in scope. Stacey has been such an isolated character since she returned from being sectioned, in part because her stories dictate her being alone, with all her secrets. Stacey is scared. Stacey is angry. Stacey is hiding. Rinse and repeat. I don't care about Becca but I wish they would have it where Becca actually turns out to be the one to help Stacey, and then Becca leaves to go be with family or whatever. Then Stacey and Jean leave town because Stacey has nothing but bad memories of Walford. Ryan learns he is the father but because of Janine's anger he decides he isn't going to risk the child's life by being involved.

Christian's scenes really annoyed me. After all he did to the Masood family, and the pleasure he took in what he did, both at New Year's and the day he exposed the grand love affair, how bizarre to see him being so chummy and expecting Zainab to go along. Then as soon as he gets the opportunity to lash out, he humiliates them, and his beloved "Sy", talking about his sexual encounters with Syed, and in the pub no less. What about his concern for "Sy" when the man attempted suicide only a few months ago? Surely having a Square full of people gossiping about his ex-boyfriend saying that stuff in the pub would possibly drive Syed over the edge yet again? Then after Masood hits him, Syed runs over to Christian's to be as pathetic as he always is and we get scene #493 where Christian tells Syed to go away, complete with that ridiculous overdramatic collapse against the door. I can ALWAYS see John Partridge and Marc Elliot acting. I do not believe in their characters or in this great love story. All I believe in is that these two men have ruined the Masoods and it's a shame that Tamwar, Zainab and Masood are now barely allowed any purpose or personality of their own beyond reacting to this Gayhog Day crap.

Everything with Ben being sent down was wonderfully done, the acting and the writing. Your heart goes out to Ben, even as damaged as he is, because he wants so much to be his father's son and to be tough yet he isn't, and this is still destroying him. When he gets out I guess they're probably going to have him going around knocking people around like Grant used to do, yet hating himself (as Grant also did). I wonder how Phil would feel about having Grant as a son?

The way they included the whole family, including Jane and Ian, was just great, and there were some really well done, small moments, so sad, like Ben trying to shave and cutting himself, Ben giving Jordan his video game. Charlie Jones can be proud of these last episodes (I think he has one more). Of all his relationships I will miss the one with Shirley the most. I don't think it will ever be the same after Ben is out of prison.

His lawyer had shoulder pads that Felicia Gallant would die for.

Poor Chelsea. That scene on the swings was just devastating, and so was her hovering around the Mitchells like some cloud of death. You can tell how much this is all killing her and understand why she can't stay in Walford. Tiana Benjamin only ever seems to get notice when she gives a bad performance. She's been amazing lately and deserves recognition.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It's too bad Santer never did much with Chelsea before Tiana quit. Today's scenes with Jordan and then at the Mitchell's proved that she is capable of a lot more when they write strong material for her.

[dannigold]

It looks like Pete Mattessi has resigned from EE according to his twitter account.

Edited July 16, 2010 by dannigold

[Ann_SS]

Reading this, it occurs to me that this is why Christian and Syed are so popular. They are a typical over dramatic dysfunctional soap couple except their lies and deception are focused around Syed's issues. They are so ridiculous at times, but they really are no different Sharon and Dennis (who I did love) sneaking around Walford hiding from everyone and then later on Zoe and Den. I am really interested in seeing where Kirkwood takes them next.

Another thing, I can't believe that no one in the Square figured out Christian and Syed were romantically involved months ago. They stand insanely close to each other and are grabby in public. People have to had been blind not too see they were involved. A couple of people noticing, but saying nothing would have added to this neverending story.

Edited July 16, 2010 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

I guess I enjoyed Dennis and Sharon more because they never really hurt anyone, at least not for a long time (they were together off and on for a while before Dennis started with Zoe), and I thought the actors had chemistry, although I know that's subjective. Christian and Syed have not only hurt people very badly, which of course is a natural part of soaps, but they also constantly pass themselves off as victims. Over time it feels like the show has started writing them that way as well -- perhaps they never saw Amira as more than a plot device and were surprised when some fans empathized with her and the callous way she was being treated. Better to move on from that and instead reframe the story to make it look like poor Chryed were tormented by bigoted Zainab. The other problem I have with them is that I have struggled to believe through their actions that they actually love each other. For months I actually had no idea whether or not Syed loved Amira. Marc Elliot played most of their scenes in a very couply, friendly way, as if Syed truly enjoyed being around Amira. I still think that someone at the show might have become concerned about that because it was only very quickly that he suddenly started being cold towards Amira, only a few months before she left.

I have to admit that Eastenders isn't a show that I really watch for couples, mostly because in recent years the couples on the show have been so empty and so driven by plot, with the show not knowing what to do with them between the will they/won't they stuff ("Rack", "Phirley", "Bracey", "Manya" or "Tax" or whatever they would be called). Perhaps that is getting in the way of my feelings towards "Chryed." In earlier years, there were some I enjoyed, like Sharon and Dennis ("Shannis"), I thought they were fantastic. And going back, Angie and Den ("An" or "Dangie" or whatever).

I don't mean to tack on to this but I will say that, as someone who isn't a Roxy fan, I think she's been better the past few weeks. That might be down to her not having a story of her own, so it's not the right time to say oh look, Kirkwood has worked a miracle, but I thought the scenes this week, especially the one where she fired Christian (unless I misinterpreted that scene), were very suited to Rita Symons.

Edited July 16, 2010 by CarlD2

[Ann_SS]

As much as they annoy the hell out of me, I can give Christian and Syed a pass for their hurtful actions because this is what soap couples do. The lies, the make ups and break ups, and cruel words are typical. I do believe that Christian loves Syed though I have no clue why. However, I concede that most soap couples are written like this. They kiss or have a close moment and they are suddenly in love. I see desperation and love radiating from Christian. I feel that Christian like John Paul from Hollyoaks outed their lovers in a crazy moment out of pain and sheer desperation so I find their actions forgivable. What I doubt is that Syed loves Christian. I just don't see love there. Yet they are popular so I admit that I'm in the minority here. I want to see how Syed and Christian interact as a couple when the pressure is off. I want to see if Marc Elliot can have Syed show love for Christian beyond the drama.

Edited July 16, 2010 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

I think what annoys me the most with Christian and Syed is this story is billed as some kind of fascinating tale about faith and Islam and yet they have barely ever shown any of that. They also didn't show Syed and Christian actually fall in love. They went to bed almost immediately and after that it was just months of Syed being ashamed of Christian, until Preeya quit the show and suddenly they had to end the story. That resulted in a lot of gimmicks to get attention, none of which were really followed up on (gay bashing, suicide attempts, et al), and then more time offcamera followed by a rushed reunion.

It's like, how do you tell a story without ever actually telling a story?

I know they're very popular but I swear this is one of the worst written stories I have ever seen, in terms of construction and pacing and characterization, the works. It's a story which seems to be just a press release. If not for Nitin Ganatra and Nina Wadia I would have skipped the whole thing.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Wow, Danniella Westbrook is looking more like she did in the 90's and more natural again. Definitely a step up from the way she looked in Sam's last return, when she looked more like a whorish Barbie doll.

I guess Sam is back for both Minty and Peggy's exits? It appears that she may be using Minty for something though.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1295258/EastEnders-Sam-Mitchells-causing-chaos--upstaging-Heathers-babys-christening-kissing-Minty.html

[DRW50]

Eastenders is still holding up well in the ratings:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a245132/thursday-enders-miles-ahead-of-corrie.html

I think this is the first summer in a few years which hasn't had a psycho blowing things up.

It's made for a nice change, as most of the stories so far this summer seem more character-driven. I thought Mad May's return and death were a big waste (she had a lot of potential...far more than Dawn if you ask me), and the Nick stuff was a mess, so I think viewers might be happy the show has not tried for a threepeat. The ratings for Eastenders this summer seem more stable than they were last summer, aren't they? Or am I wrong?