Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[Bright Eyes]

Should be watching these episodes in the next half hour at the latest. I've already given up any hope that I'll keep it together with both of your pleasant reviews.

What a way to start a morning.

[All My Shadows]

So yesterday's episodes are probably a good place to start?

[anita30]

I personally think you should watch the whole storyline to really get the jist of it.

[DRW50]

There are a lot of clips on Youtube that go back to the start with Aaron, called Aaron's Story.

The other stories you may not need catchup on, except maybe the Wylde family stuff.

[DRW50]

Oh, and Aaron's lawyer apparently was in Beautiful Thing, and was in the big gay storyline Paul Marquess wrote for The Bill.

[Bright Eyes]

Why is the Eric Pollard so damn likable?

Poor Doug. I love it whenever the show plays up his relationship with Layla.

Now that the truth is out about Aaron we better freaking get a Victoria/Aaron scene stat. I still want her to be the first one he comes out to on his own accord. They have what it takes to be one of the best friendships in soap history.

[DRW50]

It's Holly's drug dealer friend:

http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2010/05/kirsty_fug_porter0511.html

[Bright Eyes]

I wish that girl was Holly instead, I like her.

[Bright Eyes]

What do you think the plan for Eve is?

Could this kiss, and, I'm guessing, the expected backlash cause her to screw trying to be the good girl and be some guns blazing bitch? Cause we need one of those living in the 'Dales.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Amello

[DRW50]

Supposedly

I'm glad we got to see a bit more of Pa Barton's upper torso; seeing the hints of chest hair so often can be distracting.

I am not a big Moira fan but I did love the scene where she pretended to be having a friendly girly chat with Eve in the bathroom and then threatened her. I like the way Emmerdale writes these relationships and rivalries, like Viv/Nicola or Declan/Nathan. It's not all shouting and histrionics and the "shocking" injury or death of the month.

This story with Diane is interesting, in that she has strung Doug along, unintentionally, but he acts like such a fussy baby it's hard to sympathize. And Charlie is probably a big con artist. Diane should be able to see sharks better, but then again, the big love of her life was Rodney...

The guy who plays Charlie was in a cult movie about 25 years ago called Rita, Sue, and Bob too, about a middle-aged married man who begins sleeping with two teenage girls. The women who played Rita and Sue have also been on Emmerdale (one played Terry Woods's first wife, Britt).

[Bright Eyes]

That could work with Eve. Chas would do good with a female rival. But hell, I want ADAM and EVE, mate, on name recognition alone!

Speaking of Terry, I have to wonder why the show keeps him, Brenda and Gennie around. It's clear Blyth has no use for them. Same with Betty.

At least the others, (Pearl, Edna, Sandy) have some sort of function.

[DRW50]

Is Sandy still around? I haven't seen him lately.

Do you watch Doctor Who? His (the actor, Freddie Jones) son Toby was on the show this past weekend.

I think there's a lot of potential with Gennie if they make the effort, they just never do. Perhaps they are waiting until Jamie is gone. I keep hoping she will integrate more with the Dingles. She was barely involved in Aaron's trial or the party afterward.

I think they may just have Terry and Brenda around for supporting/filler roles and to play off against Viv, Bob, Eric, Val. The guy who plays Terry is a very good actor when he gets the chance, they just don't give him much of one. I don't know if you ever saw the story he had where Terry suffered a stroke right after TJ was born, but it was pretty good.

I do think having these background characters kind of helps make the community more believable and the show more balanced. I'm sorry Jamie's going. It's only when background characters get on my nerves, like that fool Minty on Eastenders, that I want them gone.

[Bright Eyes]

Sandy's upstairs taking a nap somewhere, LoL. I chose him as one of the people being used for a purpose as he could be used as a babysitter for Ashley/Laurel's children, unlike Betty, who was used as excuse just yesterday.

No, I don't watch Doctor Who. I hate the sci-fi genre. Makes me ill. LoL

I especially brought up Terry with this new development that he'll be selling the B&B. What the heck will he be doing now? Being one of the longer time characters on the show, where the hell is his family at? He has no connections anymore. For newcomers to the show, he would seem completely useless.

And no, I haven't seen that Terry story you mentioned. I'll take your word that the actor is impressive, though. Historically, what kind of character has he been to the show?

Edited May 18, 2010 by Amello

[DRW50]

It's interesting because Terry has never really had any family on the show. He's just had his son, TJ. The only time he's had any other relative on the show was in 2007, when his father, Duke, who was a cricket coach or something, was around for a while.

Terry was brought in with his wife Britt in 1996 to run the Woolpack, then owned by Alan Turner. They struggled to fit in at first and their relationship fell apart for many reasons, including her remembering she'd been molested as a child. She left town to run a pub somewhere else and found another man. Terry began sleeping with Alan's granddaughter, Tricia (or as Marlon would say, "TRIIIICIA!!!"), and trying over and over to raise the money to buy the Woolpack, which he never managed. He did manage to accidentally put a box of fireworks near a flame and the Woolpack was heavily damaged.

Terry was best friends with Vic Windsor, which made for a mess when Terry and Viv became close when they went out to learn how to swing dance. They started sleeping together, and she and the kids moved in with him when Vic threw her out, but Terry couldn't deal with so many people. He and Viv remained close friends though -- he was a rock for her when she was stitched up and sent to prison a few years ago.

Terry was also close friends with Chris Tate (father of Charity's son Noah). He worked as Chris's driver and flunky. He was very upset when Chris committed suicide/framed Charity for his murder in 2003. Also around this time he had recently married Dawn Woods, after he met her on a holiday. He didn't know she was Bob's daughter, I don't think. Dawn got pregnant and had TJ. Then Terry had his stroke, and he became very distant from Dawn. She got involved with Viv's thuggish son Scott and she and Terry split up and had a bitter custody battle. For the sake of TJ, they worked it out, and Dawn had primary custody until she died in 2006.

Terry by that time was involved with Dawn's annoying mother. They planned to raise TJ together, but when the Kings, who had unintentionally caused Dawn's death in a show home explosion, offered a furious Bob/Terry/Jamie/etc. a settlement check, she took the check without them knowing it and fled for Spain, taking TJ with her. After a few weeks she decided to send TJ back to Terry.

There was another good story when Terry was involved with Australian barmaid Louise Appleton, who had been his friend but never returned his love. She got together with him after he divorced Dawn but she soon fell for the charms of Matthew King, not realizing Matthew was only interesting in winning her, and having some sex. Louise broke Terry's heart and then when she figured out what Matthew truly was she tried to beg Terry to take her back. Terry tried to be polite but finally had to basically berate her into giving up. Louise then lost it for a while and was thisclose to killing Matthew. She had killed her last Matthew-esque boyfriend, a sleazy man named Ray Mullan. Terry helped her cover this up, making her one of many Emmerdale residents who never really paid for murder. This secret will probably always be kept secret, since Louise left in 2008 and I doubt she'll be back.

Terry also stayed close friends with Louise, as he did with Viv and Dawn. That's something you don't see on soaps very often.

Terry has always been something of a supporting character with occasional main stories. I think he's a solid guy who can do comedy and drama and I wish they'd write more for him outside of this angry stuff about the B&B. I think they could have him run for the council or he could go back to working at the Woolpack, or work for the Kings.

I think Gavin Blyth has done a fantastic job in bringing in new characters but I do wish he'd give more stories to some of the more longtime characters. Unfortunately they've been around so long they are unfairly associated with some "bad" era of Emmerdale, when in fact they were never one of the serious problems with the show.

As for Betty, she was at one time very close friends with Laurel; Betty and her partner Seth were like her honorary parents. They also work together. That's why she helps with the kids, I guess.

Edited May 18, 2010 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

Oh, and none of this is on Youtube, I don't think, although I kind of hope it is, but for a while there, Terry and Vic and Zak and Lisa Dingle were all in a band together. The Woolpackers! They even released their own instructional line dancing video and had a hit single.

Zak and Terry don't spend that much time together now, I don't think, although I was surprised to see them fairly close about a year ago.

Here's the video...quite a classic...you can see a young Marlon, and then there's Eric almost being smothered by Mandy Dingle's enormous breasts.

Edited May 18, 2010 by CarlD2