EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

BTW, some are now saying that Charlie Slater doesn't leave until the end of the year.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

That's interesting about Charlie. So if he dies then his death will be on its own terms. Either that or perhaps he just leaves town to be with one of his daughters (I can't see him leaving with Jean and Stacey, unless they claim he and Jean are in love or something). At least this means he and Kat will have some scenes together.

Edited August 29, 2010 by CarlD2

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I hope with Kat's return and Charlie, Jean, and Stacey leaving this means that they'll write Big Mo as less of a caricature now when she appears. She was very good with the original Slater girls, and then with Stacey. However, since Jean came on and none of Charlie's daughters were on the show anymore, Big Mo and Charlie's role on the show has been really irrelevant. I also hope they use Charlie and Kat together a lot during Charlie's final months on the show.

I guess they could also write Charlie out by having him reunite with Brenda?

They'll be no one with the Slater last name left on the by the end of the year - the 10th anniversary of their introduction, Kat's a Moon now, and Big Mo's a Harris. I wonder if there's another Slater cousin out there, or as I think you mentioned before, they'll bring in a younger relative of Big Mo's, probably unlikely since they're bringing in a new cousin for Alfie.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

Interview with E:20 producer.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s86/eastenders-e20/scoop/a269428/a-chat-with-e20-producer-deborah-sathe.html

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Today's episode:

I loved those beginning shots of the episode where everything was empty, it added to the realism that it might be a bank holiday. The directing choices on the show have been very solid lately, one of Kirkwood's most noticeable improvements.

Becca is a disgusting cow, but somehow, I actually like the actress that plays her. She's playing the hell out of this limited character. I can also see how Stacey in her vulnerable state would be manipulated by someone like that. Though, Stacey is beyond stupid to even consider going off her bipolar medication. I did feel sorry for Jean with this whole thing though.

I loved Denise in this episode and when she was trying to talk some sense into Jane. Given what Denise has just went through with Lucas, it makes sense that she wouldn't think Ian and Jane's marital problems are as grand as Jane is making them out to be, though of course to Jane, she's very hurt by the whole thing.

Bianca and Ricky seemed more like their 90's versions in this episode - that's a good thing. I also loved Kim with Carol/Bianca/Ricky. Kim works very well as the eccentric talk-to character that people can go to for laughs and advice.

Good for Carol that she got a job at The Bookies, but this means she'll be answering to Pat as ultimate boss, right? I know Sharon still owns The Bookies and let Pat run it for her, but not much has been made of it in a while.

It's been said before, but Daniella Westbrook is a lot better this time around as Sam than she was last year...

Not a lot happened in this episode, but the overall character interactions and conversations were good and made everything come alive. It's a nice contrast to the upcoming weeks and episodes, which are sure to be explosive, figuratively and literally.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Bright Eyes]

Was Sam being pregnant something the viewers already knew?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

No, though there was always the possibility. She wasn't on again after January when she was settled in prison. Most people found out when Peggy did.

[Bright Eyes]

Is this just a Santer leftover or is this purely Kirkwood?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think they always planned to bring Sam back before Peggy left, and a lot of stuff in motion now was planned months before Kirkwood took over (behind the scenes) on March 1st. I guess the final execution of it is Kirkwood.

Oh, Stacey mentioned that Charlie and Big Mo went to visit Belinda. I wonder if Charlie goes to live with her when he's written out? She was always the most mysterious of the Slater sisters, and her brief stints were always hilarious when she was on in the early 00's.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Y&RWorldTurner]

DP....

Edited August 30, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Behind the scenes of the Vic fire with pics:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a268579/behind-the-scenes-at-the-enders-pub-fire.html

[Bright Eyes]

Reading Suffield's little article on DS, it feels as if this bitch will never leave. For an abrupt firing, they sure are taking their damn time getting rid of her.

[DRW50]

I kept waiting to hear about Pat when Janine was working there. I wonder if the show remembers she owns any of it.

I agree that Bianca was close to her old self in today's episode. I couldn't believe she let her hair down -- it was like 1997 all over again! It was nice to see her being fun and flirty. Bianca never used to yell all the time. That was only a parody of her. It's nice to see more of her fun side. I also liked seeing Whitney not mooning over Billie. The family scenes were very believable.

I also loved that scene of the toy dog shaking his head and looking sad after Bianca and Ricky started having sex.

I'm trying to figure out if Ricky was wearing a new shirt or if he's had that before.

I am not all that interested in the stuff with Stacey at the moment but that could change after today. All the ladies did a great job in today's episode. The whole idea of someone being bipolar and hating what the pills do to them is very dramatically rich and while I know it's just a plot point here and has already been done before with Stacey, the scenes where Becca convinced her to stop taking them were still well done. They were also believable, because you could almost think Becca made sense. And the scenes with Denise and Jean were also just right. The woman who plays Becca did a wonderful job today.

Some are very upset with the writing for Jane, saying she's acting out of character, but she's been increasingly unbalanced for a year or two now, so I'm not surprised by her current plan. She is clearly just lashing out because she feels nothing but failure and rage. It's not like she is being written as Cindy Beale.

I am so glad they are including Denise in all these scenes where she talks to people and is a part of the fabric of Walford.

As for Melissa Suffield, I don't know what was going on backstage but I can't say I will miss her as Lucy. So she isn't gone for good after all, she still has a while to go?

Edited August 31, 2010 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

Emer Kenny talks about E:20.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s86/eastenders-e20/scoop/a259098/emer-kenny-talks-eastenders-e20.html

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Today's episode:

I don't think many fans get the point about Jane's reaction and plot for revenge. It's about Jane hurting Ian the same way she feels he hurt her. It's not really about stealing from Ian and lying to him. It's about keeping secrets and lies from him over time and then hitting him with it when he least expects it - like what happened to her when she found out about the abortion and that everyone knew about but her. Plus, Jane already showed signs that she wasn't all there earlier in the year when she crying and whining constantly about not being able to have a baby, to me, that was the real character destruction. I can understand Jane wanting to get back at Ian using his own tactics.

The show isn't going out of its way to ruin Ian either, they're showing him still in a very positive light. Denise is there to second-guess Jane too, so obviously the show is recognizing that what Jane is doing isn't the best way for her to handle things.

Lots of nice character interactions in this episode as well. The Dot and Pat scenes were hilarious, I'm glad Dot is back to being the town gossip. I think Kirkwood just gets Dot.

Lewis and Carol were cute just walking around, and I laughed when Bianca walked in and Carol and Lewis were coming down the stairs after they had just had sex. Bianca's line about Lewis' fly being open.

I'm glad the the show is showing the good part of Carol and Bianca's mother/daughter relationship now. So glad they're not yelling at each other in every episode now. See, I told you guys that Carol just needed a man and needed to get laid.

The Lewis and Liam interaction was unexpected and nice. Same with Jordan's interaction with Ricky. Jordan is an annoying kid, if I were Denise, his ass would have been in foster care or placed with one of Trina's relatives long ago. But I'm glad they're still playing the effects of the Lucas drama with Denise and Jordan.

Becca is a piece of work, and I am feeling sorry for Jean. Too bad Santer didn't know what to do with Becca much earlier in the character's run, because this story with her turning Stacey away from Jean would have played out better if they started it earlier and showed Becca's manipulative side more.

The overall community atmosphere and characters bumping into one another and just talking feels a lot more natural and consistent these days. I think the show is gelling and finding its groove again after that lull it experienced after the Live episode in February.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner