EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

The Beale's have not been very central as a unit since 2007/2008. Though, that will probably change when the Lucy recast is introduced. Ian and Jane still have the face the problems resulting from Lucy's abortion, which can only be done when Lucy is back.

Though, I suspect more is to come from Peter and Whitney.

[DRW50]

The show made a huge, huge mistake with how they wrote Steven, and in some ways I feel like the whole family was punished for it.

I just hope the recast of Lucy means the character can finally be more than "Oh look, she's sneering! She's the new Cindy!!!!" I would also like to see them use Bobby more.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Does Ian even know what happened to Steven? I know he disowned him towards the end. Santer killed whatever potential that character had, and I'm not sure if he can ever recover.

[DRW50]

I think everyone knew what happened to Steven -- he just left town in shame or whatever after he tried to kill Pat, didn't he?

Any character can recover if the effort is made. The long term future of the family depends on Steven, if you ask me, unless they start to bring in more of Kenny's family.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yes, he tried to kill Pat after I think she found out about his plan to harm/kill Lucy, who he was jealous of and thought Ian loved more and gave more attention to than the other children.

Though, as far back as 2002, some were saying in the press that Steven had to potential to be the next Nick Cotton.

I wish they could bring Kathy from the dead too. Ian, Phil, Ben, and the rest of the Beale's could use her.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think what's even more sad is that the Fowler extension has all but died out. Probably the only reasons I'd advocate bringing Martin, Sonia, and Rebecca back is for the Fowler name to be reincorporated into the show.

There's also bringing Michelle, Vicky, and Mark, Jr back, but I don't think that is as likely to happen. Possibly Vicky could return with a recast if Sharon ever pops back up.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Today's episode:

That was such a beautiful scene between Carol and Jim in the kitchen. Again, there was no dialogue, but the looks and embrace said it all.

Billie's death seems to have had an effect on all those around him, the way it was played in the episode. There was Max and Jack's reactions, and even Tiffany's reactions. They didn't need to do all that, but I'm glad they did.

Oh Whitney, it was a drunk text, if he couldn't be straight up with you when he wasn't drunk, then he's not worth it...

I can see why Jay can identify more with Phil than with Billy. I'm enjoying the nice guy Phil of these days, I'm sure it won't last for long, but Phil is reminding me of his earlier years these days.

Abi was like a little psycho today with her crush on Darren.

I think it's interesting that they have Vanessa and Tanya getting along so well.

There wasn't much of Alan in this episode, and Carol couldn't face him, but I guess there is more to come between Carol and Alan later.

Carol was really out of control at the end of the episode when she pulled Lauren by the hair and dragged her into Max's house, and then poured alcohol all over her. I can totally understand why Max snapped and told her that Billie went into the army and died as a result of some of her actions. Lauren didn't force Billie to do anything that he didn't want to do, even though she looks like she's headed for a dark path herself. I think Lauren seems to be coming into her as a character with the recast, and it was needed, I can't picture Maddie in most of these scenes.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Looks like Carol will be going more out of control next week, and I wonder how Bianca will react to the situation with Liam.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/spoilers/a281513/carol-brands-jim-a-racist.html

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/spoilers/a281514/carol-bans-her-family-from-the-funeral.html

Edited October 12, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Bright Eyes]

Ugh, I hate Phil and Jay. Why can't they just disappear. And this whole act from Phil reeks of him trying to steal Jay away from Billy because he screwed up all of his own children's lives. What a terrible, US Soap, type character.

Carol was outstanding once again. Max went way too far there, IMO. Carol barely feels like their sister. To me it doesn't even look like they give one iota about her. Terrible brothers.

I enjoyed Tanya feeling left out. Justice!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

When Bradley died, Carol was on about how Max needed to face how much he destroyed his life. Max isn't doing anything to her that Carol didn't do to him in his state of grief, plus it didn't help that she was pulling his daughter by the hair and pouring alcohol all over.

[DRW50]

I don't think it's ever too late to bring a family back. The Jacksons were pretty much gone until Patsy returned.

I wish they could bring back some Fowlers. I don't care so much about Martin but I think on his own he might work. There could also be some family of Arthur's -- we never knew anything about his family did we?

[DRW50]

Phil is a pretty unpleasant person through and through...and yes, he is a US soap type character. I couldn't understand what he was saying but I got the feeling he was trying to shame Jay into not wanting to make Billy feel better. I do think it's important that Jay not let Billy guilt him, but I don't need to hear the man who hit his own son talk about what Billy is owed.

I think Max and Jack do feel awful about Billie's death (I wish we'd seen a little more of Jack's reaction), but they don't know how to react around Carol. I think they're probably afraid of her.

It was a pretty good writing choice to have Tanya left out. I wonder if they are trying to say that she and Greg aren't in a strong relationship, since they haven't shown Max being jealous of them but have shown her being jealous of Vanessa and Max.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Arthur's family hasn't really been explored I think. I wonder if the show would even bother to explore it.

I don't really want Martin and Sonia back either, but they're still fresh in people's minds, and with Carol and Bianca back, Sonia has more family. I guess Rebbecca could pop up on her own in a decade or so when she's 18 or 20...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I forgot to mention something, I'm glad we're seeing Pat consistently on the show again. She's just supporting Janine and the Jackson's, but a year or so ago, I think they would have had Bianca say some throwaway line about Pat taking the kids out or something.

I think by next year, Pat deserves her own story.

[DRW50]

This was another very harrowing episode. Carol in the last few days has brought out all the raw pain which you don't really get with the usual slap fights. When she went for Lauren I actually forgot these are actors. I can understand why Max lashed out at her, even if he was acting partially out of anger for what she'd said about Bradley. Everything with the Brannings/Jacksons just felt so right, from the confusion and quiet grief of the kids (I was also surprised to see Liam not wearing a hat), to that hug between Jack and Max, and that devastating scene between Carol and Jim, to the moment when Bianca had to tell Alan about Billie because Carol couldn't face him. The look on Carol's face when she saw Alan just broke my heart. This is all the type of everyday, tough, natural portrayals which Eastenders has avoided for so long, which it has shunned in trying to be too self-aware.

I'm not entirely sold on the new Lauren (although I prefer her to the old one), but I do like getting more of a view into her head, as she is so obviously damaged. Then you have Abi and her clinging to Darren. That scene where he was droning on with bad cliches while Abi was hooked on every word and Laure was writing "Shoot Me" was hilarious.

Tanya is so fake but I did feel sorry for her when Abi didn't want to hug her. She and Jane are a fun friendship. I was surprised some of their dialogue got through.

The stuff with Billy and Jay and Phil seemed extraneous but I did like Phil's line about Grant and his drinking from army days. I also feel sorry for Billy. That's the last thing I should feel after what he did to Jay but Perry is such a good actor.