EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

One of the problems is I think a lot of people put up with Peggy because of Barbara Windsor. The woman playing Linda doesn't have that type of appeal. The most I hear about her is fans complaining that she looks too young.

[All My Shadows]

Jeebus, that's a lot of people for one family on this show. A family that's still new, at that.

[TimWil]

I think Kellie Bright will win over the skeptics. I don't love her already like some others seem to. I suspect that Linda will be the one to stray first in the marriage, not Mick. That would be a dangerous road to go down, though, because it's possible a lot of viewers would turn on her.

I wonder if they're casting Linda's pub manageress mother. I'm pretty sure she'll arrive by Christmas.

[DRW50]

I think Linda has become something of an afterthought to the show, and the fans, as the story has shifted into being about poor Shirley and how hard done by she is. Their only other story is the domestic violence story that DTC doesn't have the talent to handle properly.

I think tying these characters to Shirley will be their death knell. To me she works so much better on her own.

[NothinButAttitude]

Exactly. Did he not pay attention to Shirley's inception and how quickly everyone surrounding her was written off within a year (Kevin, Deano, and Carly). Shirley is best as a grifter and the only family setting that she has flourished in was when she was with Phil, and she served as a surrogate mother to Ben and Jay.

[TimWil]

I definitely agree that Shirley having a family built around her was a big mistake. I do think that it's early days for Linda, though, and she's here for some time to come. A surprise twist might be that it will be her, and not Mick, who ends up being involved in an affair first.

I suspect Matt Di Angelo has only signed a contract for 6 months and Dean wil be a strictly hit and run character, bent on doing as much damage to the Carters as he can by New Year's. Maybe by having an affair with "Aunty Linda," for starters?

Edited June 10, 2014 by TimWil

[DRW50]

I could see that happening.

I wish they didn't just have Dean as the "bad" son to Saint Mick though.

[BetterForgotten]

The Carter's will eventually go the way of the Di Marco's (I hope).

In fact, they remind me a lot of the Di Marco's with the way they're being injected into any and everything with little or any substantial development.

I know I'm a Janine stan, but it really pissed me off in her last episode when Linda was passing judgement and giving Janine attitude based strictly on the vitriol Carol and Bianca were spouting out about Janine when she knew nothing about the situation. Who is this bitch? Since then, I've been completely turned off.

[NothinButAttitude]

That bothered me too, but didn't Janine quickly check her a** and let her know that she once upon a time owned The Vic? I think I remember Janine saying something snarky back that episode.

[TimWil]

Oh, dear, WLIW/Ch 21 here in NY has gotten around to the awful Demi/Leo story. I didn't understand the nastiness levelled toward Shana Swash on the UK message boards at the time-I thought she was rather sweet. The poor kid who played Leo must have been overwhelmed by all the material he had been given for those couple of episodes.

The Millers were an even worse family than the DiMarcos IMO. Both parents were awful. The actor who played Keith was repulsive looking and played him as a complete buffoon. The actress who played Rosie was absolutely dreary and couid only ever lurch between appearing shrew-ish and pathetic. I thought she was one of the biggest casting mistakes the show has ever made. Is it true she actually bitched about the show when she was finally let go? I thought Kara Tointon (who joined the show a bit later on, I think) was pretty but her voice/accent irritated me a lot. I ended up seeing her in panto in Bristol as Snow White some months after she'd been let go and she was a very pleasant surprise. Her then-boyfriend Joe Swash (who'd played Mickey) was in the cast, too, and he was downright amateurish. Apparently he had just done a stint in I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here and he forgot to learn his lines Down Under.

In the episodes shown tonight we got our first look at Cheryl Fergison who first played a character named Meg, who Big Mo was visiting in prison. Interesting.

Edited June 12, 2014 by TimWil

[BetterForgotten]

The Millers were entirely forgettable and such a bad attempt to cash in on Shameless and the chav lifestyle.

Sometimes I used to think the show had an unwarranted backlash from 2004-2006, and then I watch some of the episodes from those years, and I can see why the press tore it shreds and why the ratings fell. It's still amazing to think about how popular and lauded the show was during the 1998-2002 era, and then it all suddenly fell to pieces in the mid 00's.

Edited June 12, 2014 by BetterForgotten

[BetterForgotten]

New Sharon promo:

 

[ReddFoxx]

That's a good promo, I love how she looks at the camera before going into the Albert.

[BetterForgotten]

As expected, Sharon's attack looks to be all about Shirley and her confessing her love for Phil

I can't believe we're at the point where Sharon (an original character!) is being used as an interloper to Phil and Shirley's supposedly great love. The Carter family and Shirley propping has got to end. I hope the next producer dismantles this entire family and kills Shirley violently.

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Edited June 13, 2014 by BetterForgotten

[Bright Eyes]

It's music to my ears to read the Shirley hate. I've been alone for so long. I love the rest of the Carters though and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I'm not ready to write off this Sharon story just yet. If this leads to her exit, then I may start the violins, until then, I'll just enjoy, unlike you.