EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

The Denise and Libby scenes infuriated me. Denise may be hot-headed, but she would never be this enraged over Libby having an abortion. I don't care whether she was upset about Jordan or losing JJ. None of that would have led to this. Those scenes are some of the worst I've ever seen on Eastenders. They actually made me angry. All this to justify her drunken hookup with that withered old ballsac Phil Mitchell. If this is what it takes to get a story, it's not worth it. 

 

Sharon really came across horribly in this episode. The eye-cutting and melodramatic face when she saw Louise put her arm on Jay's neck. The gossiping with Phil even though she should have known it would set Phil off. The helpless dithering and whining when Phil and Jay were arguing. She embarrassed me. I was ashamed of watching her. The Mitchells destroy her as a character.

 

The amount of pointless shouting and aggression in this episode was like an Eastenders self-parody. None of it made sense and gave the impression the show was insecure over the scripts (no wonder - they sucked). Bex in particular annoyed me with this random shouting and sneering. It was also OOC for Pam Coker. Speaking of the Cokers, how contrived was Ben mentioning Johnny for Paul to feel jealous? Cheap writing. So was Jay mentioning Eric Mitchell, someone he has no ties or history with, to set off another Phil pity party.

 

The highlight by far was Jay grinding Phil to dust, and saying the simple truth - Phil is an utterly worthless failure, a lousy excuse for a man, and a burden to all around him. "Oh - he didn't mean it." Oh yes he did. He meant every word. And it needs to be said more often. 

 

I hope when this is over, if Jay is even still on the show, he tells all of them, except Honey and maybe Ben, to f!ck off. Phil, Sharon, and that child abuser Billy (who has no room to pass judgment on Jay after what he's done to Jay over the years) in particular. 

 

And this whole episode was one long example of why they should not have cast a bad-acting grown woman as Louise.

[NothinButAttitude]

Glad to know I wasn't the only one who found the episode to be infuriating. 

 

I just found it gross how everyone turned on Jay, with the exception of Louise, who is only doing it to gain brownie points with him. It was gross that Rebecca perpetuated the lies and Sonia declaring her daughter is too good to lie.  

 

Sharon and Billy flip-flopping was gross and Phil is just a monster. I felt all three of them were written out of character to the point it was ridiculous. 

 

When it comes to Denise, I feel like DTC hates her. Like seriously. He never throws her a bone and keeps her miserable and desperate on all fronts. 

 

These past two episodes are why I don't trust DTC with something serious like Peggy's death. He won't play the proper beats and he'll make it more about everyone else BUT Peggy. 

 

Only good thing about tonight was Jamie Borthwick's acting. That boy is too good for EE and I wish someone with connections to Hollywood would scoop him up and make him a star. 

[DRW50]

And then there was Mick telling Jack that this is why he needs to stay away from the Mitchells. What a joke. Why not stay away from your family, with a rapist who was deified by the mother you worship? Not to mention the horrid things the Mitchells have done that his dumb ass clearly knows nothing about. 

 

Beyond old woman Louise, there was also Honey, and Ben and Jack (although they weren't there when it counted), but it still wasn't enough. Sharon's behavior really really disappointed me. I lost a lot of respect for her today. 

 

I think DTC sees Kim as the natural matriarch of the Foxes and Denise as the scattershot sister. But that isn't who they are. Yes, Denise is a mess, but she's also capable of so much more. She is a complex character. She has been trashed and made so violently out of character to fit the plot. 

 

Jamie was born in the wrong era. He looks more like someone from the '30s or the '40s, which means that if he ever did leave I'm not sure he'd have a shot. But he's a wonderful actor, charismatic, and gorgeous, so I hope SOC sees his potential before its too late.

[NothinButAttitude]

Mick saying anything was so out of place, but again, it is just DTC determination to stick him in any and everything. He is determined to make this family stick. 

 

Even though Jamie looks a bit old for his age, I think he could still make it in Hollywood. Yeah, he couldn't do action blockbusters but he'd be a stellar dramatic actor. I just think he's so much better than this show.

[DRW50]

I agree, but given what comes out of Hollywood these days, where non-actors with a string of flop movies still get a dozen chances, he'd need a lot of luck.

[TimWil]

I really like Jamie Borthwick on EE but I don't see him "making it in Hollywood" at all, especially in blockbuster feature films. I can see him getting a specific role in a series, say, on Netflix or Amazon and doing nicely but that's it.  

[NothinButAttitude]

Child pornography. Why am I not surprised? 

Edited April 27, 2016 by Nothin'ButAttitude

[NothinButAttitude]

I truly loathe DTC after tonight. 

 

Denise stays getting written as miserable, Ian whines over missing Lucy as Kathy spews that Bobby is the Beale legacy, Jay gets beaten into a pulp in so many ways within a 24/hr span. None of these characters are recognizable. Nothing on this show is enjoyable. It's just a show filled with f-cking misery. 

 

Now we gotta start a new chapter of misery as Tina now cheats on that harpy, Sonia, which we all know will be draining. This show sucks. 

[DRW50]

The first episode felt like a hodgepodge, perhaps because the show knew they had to be careful with this story. Unlike the last two episodes, where many things that should have worked didn't thanks to poor writing, a number of scenes that really shouldn't have worked, like that meeting with Sonia, Sharon, Tina and the girls, somehow did. This was even the first episode since her debut that I actually believed Louise as a character. 

 

The moment where Jay learned he would be put on the list was the best work Jamie Borthwick's ever done on the show. This is such a depressing, ugly story I'm almost relieved if it is winding down, but I do worry about what his fate will be. All I could think was that if Jay had just lied, and lied some more, and kept lying, he would have found a way out, because that's what happens in Eastenders - in most soaps - now. 

 

I lost interest in any relationship between Billy and Jay a long time ago, but that scene where Jay rested his head on Billy's arm just about broke me. 

 

The Denise and Libby scenes are everything this mini-story always should have been. It also reminded me that I'm pretty sure the early material for the Foxes called Libby "Squiggle" until someone thought better. I didn't mind Kim either, but Vincent just feels superfluous. I don't hate him and I don't think he needs to go ASAP, as I might have at one point, but...is he needed now?

 

I assume I'm supposed to see Phil's behavior in this episode as yet another example of him being in a low place (poor poor Phil), but he's like this 95% of the time, year after year, so the end result was I just ended up seeing him as a drain and a deterrent. Steve McFadden gave a good performance, as he does 95% of the time, but it doesn't make me any less disgusted to see him, and even worse, to get the impression that Sharon was more upset over him finding a bed partner than she was over Jay's life being ruined.  

 

I just can't watch Ian's scenes at this point. At least not with any investment. None of these scenes work with Ian any more. At least not for me. I sit here and think about how even Kathy's return has not changed anything broken in the construction and execution of the character, and I'm completely lost as to what to do with him.

 

What a contrast between those scenes with Linzi and Tina (yes, even Tina for once) and the panto hamming and caterwauling of Thelma. Any time she is on the screen doing her Shouty Cora routine I'm completely thrown out of the story and am reminded of the general low opinion some at the show have of viewers.

 

Yet another episode of Mick being a massive hypocrite and generally unpleasant under the "nice" facade. If it had been him saying he had no choice, because of the law, I would understand, but he seemed to actually believe it was true. If only he cared so much about what's proper when he played happy families with Shirley after what she did to Linda. 

 

The scene with Sophie and Kyle was bizarre - what kind of friendship must they have if he needs to go out of his way to tell her they aren't getting back together? 

 

Denise wanting to better herself - this must mean she's pregnant, because she has to be put back in her place immediately for daring to hope.

 

Maybe it's because Johnny looks so innocent but I thought Tom was a bit pushy and full-on in their scene together. I wouldn't blame Johnny for being hesitant. Not that it matters anyway, unless he changes his name to Ben Mitchell... 

 

Tina humiliating Sonia is the classic example of a scene that seems brilliant and "soapy" but is mostly just too ludicrous and cliched to bother with when onscreen.

Edited April 27, 2016 by DRW50

[NothinButAttitude]

Ugh. Let's not talk about Mick. I wanted Jay and Ben to double team his ass when he kicked Jay out the pub. I need for his stankin' ass to get from behind that bar and give it back to Sharon. That's the FIRST thing the new regime need to do.

[DRW50]

I've learned to tolerate or like most of the Carters, but I just can't with him. He's a nasty man and gets away with so much. The only worthwhile thing about him is his ass.

[NothinButAttitude]

His ass ain't even that good, @DRW50. I still hate his ass and want him to go. 

[NothinButAttitude]

Funny how they used this market buyout with Lucy's death.  Just further shows the audience how low Ian has gotten and how Jane is so damn toxic. I just wish for once that Kathy would bust Jane in her sh-t and be done with it. SN: Isn't Corrie already doing a story like this with Fresco? Talk about being unoriginal...

 

With Kathy, I am growing to like her and Buster. One of the few (and I mean few) things this regime is getting right if they continue to pursue it. 

 

Tina hooking with Sophie is something I just don't care about. They scenes with all the Carters giving her advice was cheesy as f-ck seeing as many of them have done or will do heinous sh-t. 

 

Sonia interrupting Tina and telling her that she has a lump was so expected. Just another way to prolong this affair that occurred that I don't even care about. 

 

 

[DRW50]

I've seen people complaining about how Kathy is more upset over supermarket secrets than she was over covering up Bobby killing Lucy.

[NothinButAttitude]

That whole family is sick. They only redeeming thing Kathy has going for her at the moment is the potential budding relationship with Buster. Other than that, she is toxic as hell too. Just not as toxic as Jane. I find it so odd that they didn't have Kathy be the one person to stand up for the memory of Lucy and demand Ian turn Bobby in. Kathy's whole return has been a blunder.