EastEnders: Discussion Thread

[BadBoy93]

I agree about Lucy. That character can go nowhere but up.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think Ricky and Bianca and their million children need to be written off this show.

They had their time in the 90's, and that time is over. They've had no story and really as a happily married couple have little story potential left. No one wants to see either of them cheating again to create conflict, and I hate the fact that Bianca is tied down by so many damn children.

These characters should have stayed gone, and now that they've remarried and are happy, I think it's time they get written off again. They obviously don't know what to do with them.

I like Carol too, but at this point, she needs to go as well. She's too concerned with a dud like Billie and doesn't interact with anyone else. I wouldn't be sad to see Carol and Billie written out at this point. This show has too many wandering Branning/Jacksons, I would just keep Max's arm of the family and we know they're not going to get rid of Jack (and thus Ronnie).

Edited May 29, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[BadBoy93]

They could always bring back Natalie to kick off the love triangle again.

There is Whitney who i think has potential to grow on her own. She has Ryan so that is a key to stay on the show.

I think Carol needs a love interest maybe.

[DRW50]

I don't see why they can't get rid of Jack eventually. He's dead weight. Some fans may be upset but I don't think his presence alone affects ratings that much.

I don't believe that the problem with the Jacksons/Brannings is there are too many of them, it's that they don't know how to write for them as a family. They were far more interesting in those few months this year when they were written as a family unit than they were in 2007-2009, rarely interacting. Like the Fowlers and the Beales, who drove a ton of story in the 80s to the early 90s, all intertwined through family ties.

The other problem is that the way the show is structured now, so many characters are pointless. The show does not believe in ever having characters change. You can write out just about anyone and fans would not notice because Santer and Treadwell-Collins have spent years making the characters into props and chess pieces.

When Bianca left the show a decade ago she was on her way to become a fashion student. They regressed her as they regressed every other character they brought back. But that doesn't have to be permanent. I don't think Ricky/Bianca has to be permanent either. Patsy Palmer herself spoke to the press saying she did not want a Ricky/Bianca reunion. They have both cheated on each other and I won't be surprised if it happens again, because Bianca is a shrew, which annoys Ricky, and I don't think Bianca has ever loved Ricky.

They could make her a fashion designer again. They could get her a job somewhere important and have that affect her family life. They could kill off one of her kids. What if Whitney is killed while on the run with Billie? What if Morgan is killed because of Billie?

I love Carol, but I agree that as she is now, she has no real purpose on the show. I think that could change, if the show makes the effort. Carol has plenty of ties to a lot of the show's history and could be used to drive story for Pat, or they could tie her into new characters. They could bring back Alan. They could have David Wicks return, with a recast. They could have her interact with people already on the show that she might have interesting relationships with if they're explored. Will the show bother? I don't know. Lindsey is only on contract for a year and they may just be counting down until she's gone. I hope they will make an effort though because Lindsey is one of the best actresses EVER on Eastenders and if they can write for such talents as Rita Symons, surely they can write for Lindsey.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I wouldn't mind seeing Jack gone too, but I think they're invested in Jack and Ronnie in the long-term. They obviously see them as some supercouple they can bring together then breakup, and then bring together, and then break up, etc. I really hope Maslen or Womack decides to leave at one point. LOL!

I think Sam Womack is a great actress, but Ronnie just isn't that compelling of a character, nor is Roxy. I cringed when I think Santer said Ronnie was the new Sharon the of the show, the new tragic heroine. Ugh, first of all I thought you had to be likeable to be one of those? I don't find Ronnie as a person to be very likeable, whereas, even when Sharon was selfish, there was a very genuine person there that I miss.

I just think Ricky and Bianca's arm of the family is so useless, and it would be very lazy and kill them forever if there's another adultery story for them. I also don't think either character has any potential with anyone else on the canvas at the moment.

With the way Bianca dresses, I would laugh if she went back into fashion.

Bianca definitely shouldn't have as many kids as she does though. It really ties the character down, IMO.

Billie should die in war or something.

A lot of these returns were just pointless and were done in a way where little story could be tapped into after the initial return stories.

[DRW50]

Few soaps have ever done returns as badly as Santer did. I am still amazed at how bad some of them were and how casually, and pointlessly, they took a crap on what had been done before...like Sam's return.

I thought Bianca and Ricky were decent returns. Ricky fits in well as a part of Walford daily life. He is what the show seemed to see that pathetic braying jackass Minty as being.

The problem with Bianca, besides all the annoying kids, is that they rarely show a more contemplative, quiet side of her character. If you watch her first run, that was always there. She didn't just shout. Unfortunately Santer just saw her as a gimmick, RICKAY!!! and the tired idea that she had to have as many kids as her mother had had. They had a half-hearted commitment to the story which could have made Bianca more complex (Tony), but they only seemed to do that story to get PR for being "brave." In no time at all the story was reduced to Whitney repeating the same scene over and over (yelling at Bianca and running off), and then they just gave up altogether and had Whitney turned into some brainless bimbo who has sex with her adoptive uncle only a few weeks after she meets him.

They also had a chance to move both Ronnie and Bianca forward with yet another of their PR stunts, the episode with Dot, Bianca, and Ronnie. Many people responded positively to that friendship. Where did it end up? Totally forgotten.

It's all about labels and PR for Santer. Ronnie has blonde hair and she's a Mitchell and she is dramatic, so she has to be Sharon. Never mind that Sharon always had a sense of humor, and had actual relationships with people. Ronnie just suffers, and suffers, and has no ties to anyone. 3 years on the show and she has a paper-thin relationship with Jack and a "bond" with a sister who DISOWNED HER FOR BEING RAPED BY THEIR FATHER.

I think the problems with the writing for Bianca are problems which extend to the entire canvas. If Kirkwood can fix the aimlessness, the fear of character growth, and the awful continuity which are the hallmarks of Eastenders these past few years, then Bianca might have a chance. Ricky, I think he works well in a limited role and if they ever bother to give him a scene with Janine beyond her conning him. Carol, I don't think she'll be around much longer anyway, but if she is, they can do plenty with her.

Based on his Hollyoaks stint I would actually say Carol and Bianca are very Kirkwood characters.

I think, or hope, that the relationship with Ronnie and Jack will have to be significantly changed now. I think it was something which was very specific to the way Santer and Treadwell-Collins saw the characters, and their general fear of actually ending storylines. I wouldn't be surprised if they either stay together for good or break up for good, and if Jack becomes some Warren Fox type.

Edited May 29, 2010 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

What really got me was that the whole leadup to Ricky and Bianca getting married, there was little to no love or affection shown. SHE proposed to HIM, and yet everything after that was shouting, anger, and then the weird story where she suddenly wanted a huge wedding and where she was suddenly close enough to her father that she desperately needed him to be there.

I was looking forward to their wedding but by the time it happened, Bianca seemed so angry the whole time, I didn't even care that much.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think the friendship thing is very important. Bianca doesn't have anyone like Tiffany anymore to balance her out. The Tiffany/Bianca friendship was a big part of both characters and one of the strongest on the show.

I'd get rid of both Ronnie and Roxy if it meant we could get Sharon back on the show. I think Sharon adds a lot of heart to the show when she's around.

I wonder how much will change with Kirkwood there, John Yorke seems to think very little is wrong with the show and its currently the best its been in years. I don't know how he doesn't see the contrast between the show he led in the early 00's to the show that's going on now.

Maybe Kirkwood/York/Collins will be a better combination. Collins did say Kirkwood has a "brilliant storytelling mind" and Kirkwood did cut his teeth as a storyliner on Corrie in the early 00's, when that show was very strong.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Sylph]

Speak for yourself. It's a sweet statement , but not true.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

What's so compelling about Ronnie?

She just suffers, suffers, and suffers. After a while, who the hell cares anymore? Her "bond" with Jack is so weak too....

There's something strangely cold and unsympathetic about her too. Like no matter how much she's suffered, it's hard to sometimes feel anything for her. The Pauline Fowler syndrome?

I think Ben was right when he said he liked the idea of who Ronnie was supposed to be, just not what she translates to onscreen. I agree completely with that.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Sylph]

I really, really like those two. But that doesn't mean their storylines don't suck badly. Because God knows they do.

I'm just able to separate the two: great character and sucky story.

They started great on this show, but Treadwell-Collins threw them into mud and some just don't like them anymore. Which is a shame.

[DRW50]

There is no confirmation on this yet so it may not be true but the Daily Star is claiming Melissa Suffield (Lucy) was fired for bad behavior.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/137530/Eastender-the-line-for-Beale-life-tearaway-Melissa/

[Sylph]

I sure hope she is.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Sylph

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think the Lucy character had a lot of potential. Now they don't have any young female characters left, except Whitney...

I wonder if they'll recast in a year or so...

[DRW50]

If this is true then I can see them recasting within six months to a year. I also wonder if there were any stories planned for Lucy or the Beales which will now have to be rewritten, or was her storyline already winding down anyway, since Leon is going. Will this push up the reveal of the abortion?