EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[Skylover]

I don't buy Phil and Sharon together it all. But then that leads us to another one of EE's problems - it feeds into its own ego.

 

If it was going to logically follow the story Phil and Sharon wouldn't be together at all. The writers just seem to be caught up in their own hype where they want those 2 together because they think they're iconic so they should be together. Plus they have history so they should be together. Wrong. To be honest though I struggle to see what the point was in bringing back Sharon's character. I do love her, but she was sort of drifting for her first 1-2 years anyway as they clearly lacked a purpose for her.

 

I fear they're not going to allow Ben to grown beyond his Mitchell tag. Maybe we will see a proper love story for Ben and Johnny when they finally get round to it. I want Ben and Steven together but hey, apparently I'm the only one. (I know they're related but not blood).

 

I like Denise but she hasn't really seemed to have a purpose for years either. I agree with the sentiment that Chelsea should be re-cast. It finally looked like something interesting was going to happen for her when Jordan returned but they stuffed that up too. I really liked the idea of Jordan and his son with the Foxes.

 

If EE didn't get caught up in its own hype all the time, it would be an infinitely better, more character-driven show.

 

Still, at least SOC seems to have some kind of plan. Whether it will work or not who knows, but it's nice to see some aspects of the show slightly changing.

[Vee]

I thought the stuff with Michelle and Martin at the allotment the other day was a bit better for Jenna Russell(?). She still seems a bit too matronly and serene to me, but it's hard to compare to Sue Tully. I'm giving her a chance and I do like their rapport.

[NothinButAttitude]

Wait a second ... I thought Mick knew that Kathy/Buster were having an affair? So odd now that they are pushing this narrative that Denise got knocked up by Buster of all people. 

 

Knew Roxy's drug usage would result in her demise; however, Jack can't blame her for Ronnie's demise. No one told Ronnie to dive into a damn pool with a damn lace wedding dress on. I hate how he is treating Glenda though as if she had a hand in their deaths. 

[DRW50]

 

He knew Buster was having an affair. He didn't know it was Kathy. 

 

I'll just repost my Walford Web comments.

 

Believe it or not I actually preferred this episode to most of last week, which was arguably better in quality, but had a lot more of the same unpleasant material day after day. At least this episode had a wider variety of uneven/poor material.

 

I liked the Tina and Mick scenes. When he isn't written as her father or mentor, just as her annoyed but loving big brother, they have a great bond, a believable one on a show that has very few believable sibling (increasingly any relatives...) bonds at the moment. Seeing her crash her bike was a bit of light relief that actually made me smile, and seeing them talk about their debt-ridden childhood brought Mick's money worries home in a way that no amount of badly acted scenes of Mick shouting down the line can. 

 

The money woe scenes with Babe were probably about as good as they were ever going to be. As tiresome as money woe stories are, at least Mick's fears are well-founded and based in history. If this was the main Carter story, rather than Lee's shrug of a suicide attempt and the out of nowhere revival of the Buster affair, this would have easily been the strong point of the episode. 

 

The scene with Mick and Shirley was utterly ridiculous. I thought the whole point of SOC's "normal" and "back-to-basics" Eastenders was to believably pace stories, but instead, after months on end of repetitive, tedious Carter scenes that seemingly were there to make the Lee reveal something big, it's minimized after only a few episodes so that we can get Mick desperate for cash and Mick, inexplicably, telling Shirley that Buster knocked up Denise. This is a story that was dropped months and months ago, with zero followup since. No scenes of Mick uneasily watching Denise and Shirley and confiding in Linda about Buster's affair. No scenes of Mick confronting Denise. No scenes of Mick telling Tina and asking her what she knows. Instead, in the space of an episode, he blurts out this suspicion for [!@#$%^&*] all reason beyond Denise being shifty in the pub. I felt bad for Linda Henry, who had to pull out tears and other silent film heroine reactions because there was nothing else to go on.

 

I can see where the show decided that having Mick resort to payday loans would be some type of dramatic bookend to Lee's debt problems (with payday loans getting them into this mess), but it doesn't work for me, in large part because the raid and the suicide attempt, both melodramatic bursts that there seems to be little interest in actually exploring, color Mick's behavior and make him extremely unsympathetic. I can't help wondering if Danny Dyer doesn't like the material, because his work in those scenes (like the one at the start of the episode) is noticeably poor compared to moments like his scenes with Tina.

The teens (or "teens" as this episode seemed to set a record for Tilly Keeper trying to act much younger than she is via gurning) are about as dull as ever. I'm sure I could say Shakil is realistic, but there are plenty of realistic portrayals I don't have any interest in watching. I also don't believe Shakil, who pressured and emotionally blackmailed bex into sending him nude photos, would take such a strong stand against his idiot friend's predatory photos. If this is to set up a situation where he eventually publishes her photos out of spite, it felt forced. 

 

Phil seems as fed up of Sharon's baby talking and cooing as I thought he would be. Michelle in his house offering to cook him food seemed very unlike her. The scenes with the alcohol and not understanding why it was supposed to be in the wrong were closer to what I might be able to see. While she was talking with Sharon, I could see the connection between Letitia Dean and Jenna Russell, but I can't see them as Michelle and Sharon. I think it's because Jenna is a softer actress than Sue Tully, so the contrast isn't there. There's more of a contrast between Jenna Russell and Lacey Turner, which means in episodes like that one that involve being written like actual human beings rather than robots from 1955, they are very good together. I'm still left to wonder whether they should have just brought Jenna in as a new character. 

 

I was very relieved that the Jack toy-throwing scenes, AKA hey remember those women that died and made him turn red with rage, you know the saint and that nasty druggie, took up less airtime. Not only do I feel nothing for Jack at this point (even thought Scott Maslen is giving a decent performance), I also find myself resenting that Glenda was brought back just because the show needed yet another woman for him to berate. How many women does he have to verbally abuse before he finally [!@#$%^&*] off? Ronnie and Roxy were on the show for a decade and he was never anything more than their sperm donor. I don't care about how he feels, or about his beet red rage. I just want him to go away. And I want endlessly dragged out storylines to have conclusions that don't involve 40-year old man-children stamping their feet and making everything all about themselves. 
 

[NothinButAttitude]

@DRW50, you'd think that the writers would write Jack as the humble, grieving widower, but they aren't. I'm just over him scolding everyone. Yes, I get he's upset but as you said, it's like watching a big ass child pout. Roxy did not cause Ronnie's death; she caused her own. Again, no one told Ronnie's dumb ass to jump in a pool with a big ass dress on knowing that it'd weigh even more with with water on it. I wish they'd just show his goofy ass the CCTV so he'd shut up. I wasn't Roxy's biggest fan, but Jack needs to quit using him as his crutch when all things go wrong. He knew Ronnie had a soft spot for Roxy always. This is nothing new. 

 

With Mick, I honestly skipped over all his scenes. I can't digest him anymore. He is 'woe is me' antics are old. I'm sure the scenes with Tina were cute, but I couldn't do it.

 

Thanks for clearing up that Mick didn't know Kathy was the other woman. I thought he did. I do agree that him instantly assuming Denise was Buster's mistress is f-cking bizarre. I just find the whole thing bizarre as he's a non-entity now. As you said, the story wrapped with Buster and months have passed. Why do this? Where were the looks and questioning from Mick before? Talk about just pulling something out of thin air. Sucks b/c I am sure Denise will be scolded, and Shirley will be made into some victim even though it isn't the truth. Shirley will probably play an even bigger victim (along with Sharon and Phil) once the truth comes out that Phil is the father. I just get this feeling that Denise is about to be made a punching bag for the Mitchell clan in 2017 with this baby.  

 

I knew that Michelle was gonna have marital problems, hence her return to Walford. 

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 They couldn't've had her hubby come back with her b/c that'd be too much for them. 

 

 

[InLoveWithSoaps]

A week later, and I'm thinking they made a big mistake, as good as it was. Outside of Denise & Kim they don't really have any iconic sister duo left. I mean who else, Abi & Lauren? Shirley & Tina (LOL)? This really should have been the end of Phil instead.

I already cannot stand Michelle.

[DRW50]

So glad Rita Simons tweeted this.

 

 

[Skylover]

 

I think they're gonna drag the paternity out, I don't think it will be revealed this year.

 

 

Agreed. I definitely think it's a mistake.

 

 

[Vee]

I thought I was hallucinating when I saw that redhead at Denise's party. That was Bonnie Langford, wasn't it? I remembered she was on the show now. Holy shît, she looks good.

 

The stuff with Stacey and Martin is the most interesting NuMichelle has been for me. Did Sharon really marry Phil? Eeesh.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Vee

[DRW50]

 

Bonnie's been on for about a year and a half. I think she's the third companion to have been on the show - Louise Jameson had a role 20 years ago (she didn't care for it) and Mary Tamm (RIP) had a guest role in 2009 as a Russian con artist who ripped off the Slater father. 

 

Yes, Sharon married Phil, sadly. Even after she learned he'd had her beloved husband killed and that he was cheating on her with Shirley, because...that's just what Phil does, apparently. 

[Vee]

I remember Louise Jameson's role.

[NothinButAttitude]

Lord have mercy! They got Michelle f-cking 17 year olds!!! Michelle has become Mary Letournou. 

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I guess things are coming full circle as Den f-cked her as a young girl. 

 

 

[DRW50]

 

I think he may have been 16, not 17. 

 

I hate the whole "that happened years ago so this has to happen now." I hate it. It's "honoring history" and MAB. It's also what DTC did to wreck the show. I'm sick to death of it. It has ruined this show. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Like seriously though. Michelle? Michelle of all people is messing with minors?! Seeing how her parents suffered over Den messing with her and she goes and does it too? It is so out of character for Michelle. Jesus. 

[DRW50]

 

It's lazy, self-indulgent wankery. I think they just decided, "It's Den all over again" and viewed this as clever. It annoys me a lot. And the whole ha ha about how if it were a man no one would care also annoys me. That's the type of comment that hurts women and hurts feminism. That a woman wrote it is sad.