EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I would like to see him with Stacey too. I'd mostly like to know they aren't going to use him to dredge up unearned sympathy for Jane and Ian and to try to mine the "self-hating gay" story that was so poorly done with Ben and with Steven himself at one point. I really wish it wasn't DTC doing this. He got it so wrong the last time with Steven. 

He's gorgeous. He's also a very good actor, which the show sometimes remembers. 

 

Bonnie's been great on the show. She won a lot of doubters over. I'm happy for her.

[Skylover]

What a silly decision if it's true that Lauren and Steven are together. I'd prefer them to come up with an unrealistic reason for Peter not to return.

Apparently

. From the preview it doesn't look like the actor has improved.

That scene where Sharon admitted she'd moved all of Peggy's things had a predictable outcome.

[BetterForgotten]

I can already tell this Steven Beale return story is going to be crap. I don't envy Sean O'Connor, DTC and team have left him with a show that's gutted and in shambles. The sad thing is he'll probably receive a lot more criticism from the press and general public because he likely won't have the same hype machine DTC has behind him. 

[DRW50]

I'm sorry, I know I should know this, but who wrote this episode? Some of the dialogue was so clunky - I think the worst was when Johnny said, "I didn't know you existed" to Steven. Ted Reilly plays Johnny in an awkward way, but I don't think Johnny is supposed to be THAT socially awkward, is he?

 

Another episode where the C-plot (Jay and Roxy) was probably the best, and the most true to the characters. A part of me wonders if some of this is better because they aren't making the effort with it. "Effort" gets you the brilliant twist of two sisters being beards for the resident self-hating gay psychos. 

 

I also liked the scene with Buster and Kathy.

 

A lot of the acting from the main stories was noticeably off. Lorna Fitzgerald in particular seemed to be resorting to her usual pout and flounce. She's becoming very difficult to watch. Aaron Sidwell was never much of an actor. I guess he's a little better now, but I could still mostly just see him acting. It's early days though, I know. Jacq Jossa is...oddly detached. Why does this character feel so spent after only one episode back? 

 

Ted Reilly and Aaron Sidwell did have a spark (one he's never had with Harry Reid), but I just don't care when it's all wrapped up in such a vile cliche. I'm still baffled that we were actually supposed to be shocked about Steven and Lauren. It's yet another mediocre, clumsy "twist" that fans guessed before it ever aired. And it sums up exactly why these types of stunts damage characters and make viewers cynical and distinterested. 

 

Was there any purpose whatsoever for Gavin the abortion and his aborted kidnapping? Was this supposed to just remind us he's a constant danger? If so, then they should have actually given the material some sense of urgency. Denny mostly just came off like a child actor angrily reading his lines, Sharon seemed mildly annoyed. Gavin was as lifeless as ever. Kathy, who was supposed to have been terrorized and abused for years by Gavin, came closest to actually being disturbed, but even that was oddly muted considering he was going to run away with a child, never to return.

 

Normally I think camp characters are best used in small doses (Belinda, Babe, et al), but Linda is an exception. She is pretty much the only interesting or entertaining thing about this story. The bit where Bobby was dragged out of Jane's room was one of Eliot Carrington's better moments. I think I was supposed to be touched by Ian's declaration to Jane. All I could feel was disbelief at the continual unearned sympathy shoveled in this soulless creature's direction. 

[cassadine1991]

What happened with Steven and Lauren?

Also when did DTC's last episode air?

[DRW50]

They made out and are having a secret relationship.

 

Not yet, sadly.

[DRW50]

My God the endless pity party from Jane is unbearable. The last episode, which should have been about Bobby finally facing some kind of justice, was instead all about her bleating, her damn whale noises, and her making the whole thing all about her by telling Ian she was going to leave him. I despise her. The amount of time the show is devoting to trying to make us feel sorry for her and for Ian is ridiculous at this point.

[NothinButAttitude]

I took a bit of sabbatical the past few days from all things online, and I am glad I did. Thanks for the recap, @DRW50 b/c I will not even bother going back to watch those episodes. From the sound of things, I might need to give up EE for the time being. I am NOT here for Lauren and Steven screwing. 

[Skylover]

Steven has been a positive these last few episodes. A saving grace. He's had quite a few scenes with Kathy and they've been quite insightful. Donna drunk was hilarious.

How Roxy manages to constantly pull all these guys who are always about ten years younger than her is beyond me. I know one of them turned out to be a rapist but still.

[DRW50]

The last one was a rapist and this one is using her to get to her sister.

 

The Kathy and Steven scene wasn't bad, but there was a huge history blunder (there were no "round trips" to New Zealand - Steven did not know Simon Wicks was his father for 12-13 years, and when he did find out, he moved to NZ permanently) that got in the way. The show is having more and more of those lately. 

[TimWil]

What about that line of Kathy's about Steven having parents who loved him. Who exactly was she referring to? Cindy and Simon? Ian and Laura? 

[Skylover]

I noticed that mistake too. I think Steven makes for a more interesting character than Peter. Hope they recast him if he ever comes back.

[cassadine1991]

Do you think they weren't able to write good for Peter once Ben Hardy played him or was it like that when Thomas Law played him too?

[DRW50]

Peter has never been a character. He was always overshadowed by Lucy, which is one of the reasons it was a mistake to kill her.

I imagine it's yet another writer who just skims Wikipedia rather than knowing the history of the show. Why else would Kathy say Steven had "round trips" to New Zealand throughout his childhood?

[TimWil]

Exactly, Carl. Wow. That's awful.