I see Digital Spy have jumped aboard the O'Connor Express pretty sharpish.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/feature/a808647/is-eastenders-going-back-down-to-earth-under-new-producer-sean-oconnor/

 

It's as if someone watched a few of his actual episodes and realised "oh, we quite like this"

I was surprised to see that, although I agree with most of it. I was especially glad to see them point out how shambolic the last months of the show were. I'm used to Digital Spy just having clickbait articles now, like all the other sites. 

Masood's sendoff what sh-tty. They could've given him a Julia's theme exit at the most. We could've seen him be seen off in a cab or on the tube. That exit was so anticlimactic....

 

I do appreciate that all of his final scenes were with Denise. No Jane. No Carmel. Just Masood and Denise. However, I don't believe for a sec that Zainab would allow Masood to travel all over the world with Kamil in tow. I can see her mouth being stretched from here to west Hell in protest over this. 

 

Kathy is a moron. I just can't with her. Her excuse for not wanting to leave Walford was stupid. Buster was a catch. A reformed, hardworking man that loves you. Gosh she is such an idiot. And Ian and Ben don't need Kathy. She's giving her life up once again for not one but TWO lying sociopaths ... her kids!

 

This episode focused too much on Phil and Mick for me. Honestly, both of them can drop dead for all I care. 

Apparently that wasn't his last episode. He'll be back in a week or two briefly. 

 

I think Ben needs Kathy a lot. He's a broken shell of a young man, and a lot of that is on her. This would have been a believable conflict if they'd bothered to develop her relationship with Buster or with her sons. As they did neither, it fell flat. She had to choose between a man who had so little respect for her that he pounded her in his girlfriend's bed, and two sons she barely shares scenes with. 

I'm about 10 episodes behind but I've watched 2 episodes and noticed a dramatic change in tone and came here to post, then saw you've all been talking about it, as has DS. The change was dramatic, the everyday scenes are more prominent and there seems to be depth in most scenes. I was getting so bored hence the build up of episodes but it captured my attention a lot more once I started again.

They've used Sonia a lot better, I love her.

Big spoilers on the Ronnie and Roxy exits:

 

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/1847143/eastenders-cast-up-in-arms-over-soap-chiefs-plan-to-kill-off-the-ronnie-and-roxy-mitchell/amp/ 

I really hope that's not true, silly idea.

Well I am totally behind behind Roxy and Ronnie going out that way. Both of them have been written to the point that you can go nowhere else with them. 

 

I wish they'd do the same with Phil. 

Frankly, I don't mind it or even care. 

I really don't want Roxy to die. It makes the most sense for Ronnie's character trajectory, but Roxy deserves to escape her sister once for all. Actually, I'd have Roxy come to the end of her tether and turn Ronnie in for all she's done. Maybe she confesses to Ronnie at the last minute, who makes a run for it. She's chased down by police, which leads to her 'explosive' death. Roxy leaves Walford, reuniting Matthew with Charlie. Hopefully, he gets his son back.

It cuts off future storyline possibilities, I agree it makes more sense for Ronnie than Roxy.

Both of them broads need to die. They are seriously at the end of the road. With Roxy, I don't want the door to be left open for her. Why should it? Roxy has been playing the same damn stories for a decade. Why leave it open for her when she'll come back and do the same crap again? Kill her off. Ronnie could've been viable until they had her killing off folks. It's only right to have her suffer the same fate. 

 

Kill both of their asses.

Why should Phil get away with his crimes any more than Ronnie though? I way prefer Ronnie and Roxy over Phil, Ben's the only reason I'd like Phil to stay, they'd never have anything happen to Phil.

Can't believe some of the episodes have had me liking Jane lately 

Did you not see my original post where I said I hope Phil would meet the same demise too? 

 

Everyone that posts here knows I've been wanting Phil, Jane, and the Carters to be offed for the longest. That's nothing new. I also don't care about R&R being offed either. They've served their purpose. Get rid of 'em. 

NBA when I saw this I thought of you:

 

http://walfordweb.com/topic/30027986/6/#post11015855

Both of them broads need to die. They are seriously at the end of the road. With Roxy, I don't want the door to be left open for her. Why should it? Roxy has been playing the same damn stories for a decade. Why leave it open for her when she'll come back and do the same crap again? Kill her off. Ronnie could've been viable until they had her killing off folks. It's only right to have her suffer the same fate. 

 

Kill both of their asses.

Yeah sorry, that wasn't aimed at you, it's just obvious that they won't ever get rid of Phil, but Ronnie and Roxy seemingly because they've been in it a shorter amount of time.

 

I've rather been enjoying the Denise baby story ironically, maybe because it doesn't seem as predictable as other stories, I've liked Kim's involvement too.