Thanks for posting, Carl, but wowzer, John Middleton's hair looks an absolute fright!

It has for most of this year. I don't know what happened, as it looked fine up to last year. 

 

Did you see the Lawrence scenes today? I was shocked at how frank they were pre-watershed. I still have a lot of issues with this character, but John Bowe gave a good performance.

 

I enjoyed Lawrence's scenes tonight but I just don't care for the character at all. Maybe it is because he constantly babies Chrissie but I just don't care for him. But "Who shot Robert" isn't captivating b/c I already expect the shooter to be someone pointless like Lachlan. 

I don't think it will be Lachlan - it's too obvious. I have a feeling it will be Ashley and he talked Aaron out of shooting Robert and then had a seizure and forgot it.

 

It's not captivating to me because other than Edge of Night, I don't care about mysteries on soaps, and also because they have gone the cliched route (OTT rude cops, endless revolving door of arrests) that annoys me on Eastenders. 

 

They need to work more on characterization and less on stunts. Chas, who was an old favorite of mine, has been made to look awful for most of this year, and especially in this storyline, between having zero faith in her son and selling out her BFF Chrissie in a heartbeat.

I haven't enjoyed Chas in quite some time. Like YEARS. So for me, her selling out Chrissie and her actions towards Aaron is typical Chas for me. 

 

And I don't mind murder mysteries when they are well thought out. That hasn't been the case for EE and I doubt it will be for ED too.

Kate Oates said Chas is one of her favorite characters, but she has a very different view of Chas than I do. She really doesn't get the core of this character, especially her deep self-loathing and self-destructiveness. Lucy's plastic surgery has done the character few favors in recent years, but if they tried to stop writing her as a moral beacon, it would go a long way.

Kate Oates said Chas is one of her favorite characters, but she has a very different view of Chas than I do. She really doesn't get the core of this character, especially her deep self-loathing and self-destructiveness. Lucy's plastic surgery has done the character few favors in recent years, but if they tried to stop writing her as a moral beacon, it would go a long way.

That is the main reason why I can't stand Chas or any of the Dingles in recent years. Before, they were the 'have not' bunch with immoral flaws that we rooted for; however, they've become more pious and righteous as each year progresses. Lisa and Sam are the only Dingles I still care for. I like Cain & Charity to some extent as they owns who they are but the rest of them annoy me. Especially, Chas, Aaron, and Debbie, who are the most destructive of the bunch. 

Even though he's legit dumb as rocks there's something very sweet and sexy about Adam cooing at that baby in the hospital. Just watching him melted my heart.

I like the route they're going with Vanessa but I do hope she turns it around and starts to stay with her son more.

Enjoy as I'm not sure how long it will be up.

 

I don't think it will be Lachlan - it's too obvious. I have a feeling it will be Ashley and he talked Aaron out of shooting Robert and then had a seizure and forgot it.

 

It's not captivating to me because other than Edge of Night, I don't care about mysteries on soaps, and also because they have gone the cliched route (OTT rude cops, endless revolving door of arrests) that annoys me on Eastenders. 

 

They need to work more on characterization and less on stunts. Chas, who was an old favorite of mine, has been made to look awful for most of this year, and especially in this storyline, between having zero faith in her son and selling out her BFF Chrissie in a heartbeat.

Henry Slesar was a genius whose TEON  mystery stories were so often intricate, surprising, and suspenseful, yet he wove multi-dimensional characters into the mix. I never realized how spoiled I was, being lucky enough to enjoy his work, until I had to endure the painfully awful material of other soap opera writers whose skill at penning mysteries was non-existent.

 

EMMERDALE originally hooked me with the Aaron and Jackson storyline, at a time when characterization and interpersonal relationships were at the show's core. I find it so much less involving now, with all the stunts and the focus on "plot" over characterization.

Edited October 10, 201510 yr by vetsoapfan

It's funny, vetsoapfan, as I thought this week was one of the strongest in a while (most of this year, at the very least) for interpersonal relationships and conversations instead of plot points. Laurel's return to work and the Vanessa PPD (even if they aren't calling it that) struggles. I hope you get to see it. 

The mystery stuff is dull and not really worth talking about.

Enjoy as I'm not sure how long it will be up.

 

Take a bow, Steve Frost/November