Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Who is this stank b*tch who tried to set up poor Belle when it came to that baby? I hate her so much. I don't get why she's so against that guy spending time with his family. She's disgusting and miserable.

[DRW50]

Her name's Rachel. She's Ali's sister. She and Jai had a one-nighter when he was married to Charity. She passed the baby off as his father's for a while, but Charity eventually found out. By this time Rachel was dating Sam. Charity and Jai split and to get Rachel back, after Declan Macey set fire to Home Farm, she framed Rachel for it and made Rachel go on the run for a year. She fled with her and Jai's son, Archie.

Rachel returned to help send Charity down. The time away has, I guess, made her colder and harder, and she doesn't want to share Sam with his family.

Doesn't excuse her horrible behavior though.

[Ben]

I don't think Rachel approves of the Dingles visiting Charity; plus, the Dingles were against Sam getting back together with Rachel, as they believed she would hurt him again, and that he could do better. Lisa was quite antagonistic when Rachel moved back in.

I don't really get why Lisa has become so hateful, lately, as she used to like Rachel before, and I thought she would have had more empathy for her situation. I also don't understand why Rachel is being so schemy, as she was never quite like that before.

What has been a decent run for the show, has now taken a slight dive, again, now that the Dingles/Sam/Rachel are back on screen.

Not sure Robert hiring a hit man was all that great, either, as it seemed a bit random. After his guilt over Katie's death, I don't buy that he would be fine with hiring someone to take out Chas. This story doesn't feel like it has the clear direction it had before. I wonder if they'll have Lawrence find out soon? Could be a good way to tie-in his own past.

[DRW50]

There's some fan speculation that Gemma Oaten only came back so they could tie up Rachel's loose ends. I don't know, but with this and with Rachel and Ali soon to clash over Rachel getting more money while in Ali's job, I wonder.

Lisa has seemed much more unpleasant and shouty in recent years, although she's been a little better lately.

I liked the scene with Zack and Belle and Sam with the pigs, talking about the old days. The Dingles don't really feel like Dingles anymore, as they have no spirit and are all very disconnected in storylines, but that was a nice throwback.

I think they have either extended the Robert/Aaron story or are making changes - just guessing, as the hitman stuff feels silly and random. They had gone on and on in interviews about how Robert may "kill again" and how once you kill it becomes so easy, but this didn't really play out that way. I wonder if they wanted to remind us of how dangerous Robert is but also wanted us to see him choosing to stop it.

It's too bad, as there were some lovely, well-acted and written scenes peppering those two episodes, with Aaron/Paddy, Robert/Chas, even the one with Aaron/Robert.

I also have to wonder if the Whites were supposed to be this way. Lawrence is just a nasty man, and Chrissie is all but a dumb victim. Lachlan is the worst, but he's the one they will likely spend the most time redeeming.

As much as the Sharma story is obvious filler, the scene where Georgia let Rishi down was lovely. Of course it went back to silliness on Friday, but you take what you can get, I suppose.

I just wish I didn't have to be shocked when Priya interacts with other people. I wish we got more of her and David with the baby.

[Ben]

I just don't really know what loose ends Rachel had to tie up outside of Charity and Jai. Her and Sam could have left things where they were, and she and Ali weren't really on bad terms; all they had to do was sort out some kind of amicable arrangement with Jai, and Rachel could have gone back to where ever she was living. The way they are writing her, it does feel like she will be leaving, again, and I don't feel she needed to return for so long if that is the case.

I was disappointed that the fake Archie story didn't go anywhere interesting, and has ultimately been pointless.

There was some great scenes surrounding the random hitman stuff, and I've found that Aaron and Paddy work really well together. I loved their hospital scene where Aaron kinda broke down, but I hope Aaron finds a backbone at some point, b/c he doesn't deserve to be no-one's seconds. Robert is a great, complex villain, and I love how he justifies his actions by turning it on to somebody else and making it their fault by default. He even managed to blame Chas for him hiring the hitman.

The Whites are odd. I don't feel there's enough of them to have a decent family dynamics, and Lawrence is a lot more ruthless than I feel he needs to be - ruthlessness seems to translate into nastiness; Chrissie is so unlikeable and unsympathetic for me, who I find quite cold, but not in an interesting way - I don't know if she's supposed to be a bitch or not. Lachlan is the most interesting, and probably the most likely to be redeemed as you say; I guess the arrival of his father will shed some light on Lachlan's personality. Still, the Whites are better suited to Home Farm than Declan ever was, so that's a bonus in their favour.

I really wanted them to use Priya more in the David/Alicia story, as I feel she probably would have went for Chrissie publicly in defence of Alicia. I'm just glad Layla has stopped pining over Jai.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Ben

[DRW50]

What I meant was that when Rachel had to leave she was close to Sam and her sister. She could have just left them for the new job, but it may have still left people wondering when she'd be back or what have you. This way, no one will wonder if she'll be back.

What happened with fake Archie anyway? I know Megan ran off with him but that seemed to go nowhere.

I notice that ED doesn't seem to let a lot of characters go (other than poor Robbie last year, and there's some confusion over whether Kate Oates fired Sammy Winward or not), but I do wonder what is left for Megan and Jai. I can't believe Jai has been on for almost 6 years. Amazing. And so little to show for it. I wonder if Oates dislikes the character, as I seem to remember Blackburn having him a little more likeable.

I think we're supposed to feel sorry for Chrissie, but I can't forgive her horrible comments toward Alicia, and the rest of the time she's just so snively and whiny. I think she was miscast.

They could have done a lot more with Lawrence than they have. He's become so, as you said, nasty all the time, with zero relationships in the village...nothing really.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

OH Emma you loosey goosey

[DRW50]

This storyline makes James look like a huge idiot, but then he is a huge idiot. I'd feel sorry for him over Chas shutting him out, but they barely interacted for months before this storyline.

Carly gets so nasty in how she talks to people. I don't mind it, as I prefer the in-your-face to passive-aggressiveness, but I hope it hasn't turned fans off the character permanently. I do like her sparring with Brenda.

What was that huge extended closeup of a gravestone obscuring James and Emma while they were talking? Please tell me this means death for one or both of them, and not the act of a work experience director and budget cuts.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

I didn't quite catch what Carly said to that other lady that got her so riled up (when she shoved her against a wall or something). And yeah Carly is so abrasive but for some reason I kinda like her loud in your face attitude.

And yeah Chas and James have ZERO chemistry and outside of them speaking to each other I'd hardly know they were in a relationship. Its so platonic.

[DRW50]

What upset Debbie was when Carly threw in her face that she'd been a teenage mother.

[Bright Eyes]

I loved Carly not being afraid to take on Debbie, throwing her against the wall like the little mouse she was in comparison. Plus, Debbie deserved that teenage mother remark for butting in. Gemma Atkinson is gorgeous, but at the same time looks like she could even beat up some of the guys on the show. Like you though, I think they've peppered in the bitchyness nicely so far, without making her too much of a hard faced cow. I wouldn't say she's a major favouite at present, but she has potential to be, especially when she

[DRW50]

Georgia also seems to be going again for a while, which I will say "yay" to...

Edited April 15, 2015 by DRW50

[Bright Eyes]

I hope that doesn't include Kerry! Ali and Ruby are awful and the actress playing Ruby has no screen presence. Good riddance, if true. Dan would be sad to see go, but not an altogether huge loss. If Rachel is leaving, Sam should be going with her. Heaven forbid, we lose a Dingle.

[DRW50]

The rumor/spoiler said Kerry was staying behind and Dan was torn over whether to stay or go.

[DRW50]

Please register in order to view this content