I liked Laura, I sympathized with the underdogs or the miserable types I guess, but she could be very annoying.

There was a real fearlessness and a grit to Janine back then which isn't there these days, she is often too ridiculous to take seriously now. I think John Yorke and then Louise Berridge did a fantastic job of building Janine up into a real force of fury, one who never became too panto and who, even as she was always an outsider, never seemed like a spare part.

I've liked the fun side of Janine with Ryan over the past few months, but Santer and team have largely misunderstood the character. I don't know if she'll ever go back to who she was in the early 00's...

I think she could again, if she finds out Stacey's baby is Ryan's and feel threatened for a while. It could lead to some type of desperate breakdown. they need to stop playing Janine for laughs though, she and her self-destructiveness need to be taken more seriously.

Maybe she needs to push someone else off a cliff or go back to prostitution?

The thing with Janine is she needs to build as a character. If you look at her from 2000-2004 or whenever she left, she had an arc which built and built and built. She hit rock bottom, then she became increasingly conniving and got money and power, then she crashed again.

I think she's OK at the moment, because she's away from the stories about the Mitchells making her look stupid, and I do enjoy her with Ryan when they're having fun, but I think for her to really work as a character they need to figure out who she is. I don't mean having her yell at Pat or have her talk to Ricky about Frank, but I wish there were some way to reconnect who she was with what she is now and what she can be later on. Most of all I hope they make a decision to not treat her as a joke, because she's not a joke.

Finding out about Stacey's baby would probably be a good starting point. Since they are going with this stuff with the stupid bet she has regarding Lucas I wouldn't mind seeing her get deeper into that and starting a rivalry with Denise, and causing Lucas to go even further over the edge. That would also affect Patrick, and get Pat involved in the story.

The spoilers for World Cup Week don't seem too bad.

Glenda moves into the Vic and it looks like she may send Danny packing, as it looks like she pushes Danny's buttons and then there's something about how the girls stand by their mother.

There's also something about Charlie returning an item to Peggy. I wonder if they finally become a couple, and then he dies, which helps lead to her exit? Either that or they leave town together?

Maybe they leave town together. Charlie always fancied Peggy, but nothing ever came of it, I'd be surprised if they went there.

I've heard Peggy has another breast cancer scare before she leaves...

Edited May 27, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I guess these are the spoilers from Kirkwood's first full week. Glad we're seeing more of Denise, and the walls beginning to close on Danny.

Episode 1

Denise confronts Lucas about a series of suspicious findings, in the week's first visit to Albert Square.

Meanwhile, Vanessa falls victim to Janine and Ryan's wicked ways and Ronnie, Roxy and Danny have a surprise visitor at the Queen Vic.

Episode 2

Danny's bullying leads Glenda to tell Ronnie and Roxy that there is "something they need to know", in tonight's visit to Albert Square.

Elsewhere, Lucas goes to extreme lengths to persuade Denise that he isn't having an affair, while Stacey is overwhelmed during her baby shower.

Episode 3

Danny is caught red-handed in tonight's visit to Walford.

Meanwhile, Glenda has a shock announcement for Ronnie and Roxy.

Stacey is fed up of being pregnant and is furious when Ryan kisses her.

Episode 4

Ronnie and Roxy stand by their mum, in the week's final helping of drama from Walford.

At home, Charlie discovers something belonging to Peggy and returns it to her. Elsewhere, Stacey is pleasantly surprised by Ryan's actions.

Why is Abi acting like Jordan is her damn husband in Thursday's episode?

Janine reciting Biblical passages to Lucas. :lol:

I enjoyed the Stacey and Ryan scenes.

And glad Ben went to Ian with this problems, not Phil.

Michelle Ryan thinking her career is hot sh!t again.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a222138/ryan-enders-return-is-not-for-me.html

Not that I care for her to return, but with Kat back soon, it would make some sense for Zoe to come back. I hope they do eventually recast Zoe.

Edited May 28, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I have never liked Michelle Ryan, so I would be fine with Zoe being recast. I do think that she's just answering questions that are put on her, so I don't mind her comments so much.

There was a very negative reaction to this episode at various forums but I didn't think it was that bad. The show has been uneven for ages, and was even during the now halycon period of "let's have various characters stare at each other and get arrested every ten minutes and pass that off as a 'murder mystery'". Aside from the, as you mentioned, bizarre stuff with Abi, I thought the episode was fairly good. I do wish they wouldn't have Lucas go into preacher speak so much because it kind of comes across more like the writers picking passages out of the Bible than Lucas actually having religious fervor.

It was nice to hear them mention Nigel again. He was one of my favorite EE characters, he was so much fun yet his heart was in the right place. He was what they seemed to want Heather to be.

The Stacey/Ryan scenes were very good. Janine quoting the Bible to Lucas was amusing, especially when she looked up at the sky after he walked away.

They showed a lot more of Libby than they usually do, they were making a real effort with her, for a change. I'm not a big fan of that character but I like her as the voice of reason in the family (and I wish they could give her something beyond those hippie blouses with her breasts bouncing around). I also really liked the scene where Chelsea had to record a message for Jordan.

I skipped all the teen stuff, did you think it was any good? I'm still trying to figure out when Peter and Leon became friends.

I skipped all the teen stuff, did you think it was any good? I'm still trying to figure out when Peter and Leon became friends.

It was just filler, but aren't they always?

I think a few weeks ago at R&R, Leon mentioned something to Peter about putting that whole Zsa Zsa secret admirer crap behind them.

Edited May 28, 201015 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I guess Leon also wanted Peter to put Leon beating the crap out of him behind them.

I guess Leon also wanted Peter to put Leon beating the crap out of him behind them.

Peter seemed to be more accepting of Leon when he found out Lucy aborted the baby and lied about her miscarriage.

I was watching an episode from late 2005 and this Juley Smith is so awful. The actor is weak and he is also very odd looking -- he looks like Scatman Crothers, or the guy who ran the hangout on A Different World. That's fine for them but he was supposed to be hot enough to tempt a gangster's daughter.

I know and thats why he was so bad.

Who do you think was the worst EE character ever on the soap.

Well, his brother Gus would be high on the list.

Callum Monks

Billie Jackson

Minty Peterson

If his character doesn't manage to get to even one dimension and if the Masoods keep being damaged, Syed would be another.

Vicki Fowler

Mary and Conor Flaherty

Kevin Wicks

I'm sure there are a lot of others from 2004-2006 I haven't seen. Those from 2003 I have seen don't bother me as much as they bother a lot of other people (the cat lady, the Ferrieras), although Ronnie and Tariq are annoying.

Edited May 28, 201015 yr by CarlD2