Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[Bright Eyes]

I was waiting for you to put this in the right thead.

Everyone gives Ross a hard time because he deserves it for the most part, even if he is one of my favourites. But at least little April knows what's up.

I strongly disagree about Chrissie. I have to ascertain that you just caught an odd glimpse of her so far, because I see absolutely nothing of what you speak and even hearing it makes it sound like too easy a stance. I do, however, want to see her shuffled around the canvas a bit more, especially before anything huge happens with Robert regarding Andy/Katie or Aaron.

Robert/Katie/Andy is a SAGA, damn it! Katie needs to be put in her place, though. The last episode where she was so sure all Robert had done was all about her? She almost deserves Robert's vile attitude towards her. I really don't see anything in him since he came back that he cares one iota about her. Her unabsolved feelings for him on the other hand? I think that will get her into trouble.

On a more random note, I wonder, with both characters needing a place to live, if Bernice and Charity could end up living together. It would certainly be an interesting experiment. That is, if Charity doesn't end up going to prison, since the show is doing nothing to help the rumours that Emma Atkins is pregnant. This could also lead to those two children of the corns, Noah and Gabi, being under the same roof. I almost perish at the thought.

[DRW50]

I heard people complaining about Emmerdale's Facebook commenters, so I checked it out, and between the people who insisted Robert must leave immediately because he's so nasty and/or poor Aaron deserves better like Finn (do people really want to see him sitting and holding hands with Finn? - poor Finn deserves better than that), and the person who said Bernice is "92" and Andy is "6," I'm inclined to agree.

I hope these people don't have a heavy influence on decision-making. Robert is a bit of a Snidely Whiplash on the surface but it's always been surface. Maybe people are just stupid now, I don't know.

Anyway, Ryan Hawley is in this.

[DRW50]

I made my own icon for my beautiful beautiful Robert, and it fit and everything.

I'm far more proud than I should be!

Next step is to figure out how to make a damn gif, and then figure out how to write on them and all that crap...

Edited January 1, 2015 by DRW50

[Bright Eyes]

Seeing Aaron wanting and almost needy was a fascinating change for the character. Much more interesting than the tired hard man trope.

I'm also really excited for the Mama Barton story, who premieres tomorrow. I read an interview with Kate Oates about her and it seems she's going to be must see.

[DRW50]

I hope people in the UK are sending positive tweets or messages on the show's Facebook page (God Facebook sucks - it's full of so many bigots and idiots), as they're getting a lot of hate for the episode and the horror of showing two men post-coital. This is the main story that interests me on Emmerdale so if they cut it short because of bigots or ratings issues, I'm going to just go back into my British soaps coma.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Really? Those scenes weren't racy at all and I fail to see why people would be so bothered by them, What a load of bs considering all the heterosexual scenes we see like that.

I really am loving the two of them and it is interesting to see how Aaron is falling for Robert more and more. I don't know if it's because of loneliness or because he's really falling hard but his possessive nature was really showing thru in the barn. Along with a hint of trepidation about the future and where all this was going..

They both seem to be in serious denial.

[DRW50]

Pleased for Verity Rushworth and Michael Parr, even if they likely won't win.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a619485/eastenders-leads-national-television-awards-2015-soap-nominations.html?

It's a shame that the depressing, sour performances (that all pretty much felt like autopilot) from the Carters will sweep this. I have no idea what Maddy Hill has done to deserve awards. Is folding your arms, making a stink face, and putting your hair up like Pebbles really that difficult?

[Bright Eyes]

When it comes to Emmerdale I've resigned myself to accept that just getting nominated is validation enough. In a just world, the Emmerdale nominees would easily swipe, no contest. I'm so chuffed for Parr and Rushworth, the best coupling of 2014.

I agree about Maddy Hill. It was even worse when she won the BSA last year. Sam Strike was the obvious EE contender and he wasn't even nominated, while she didn't have any winning worth material and still hasn't done anything of note. Plus, that 'duh duh' voice is annoying.

[Bright Eyes]

I'm kind of disappointed Cain only has a brain tumour. That scene where his hand was shaking, I was hoping he had MS. They handled it brilliantly on Shortland Street with one of their most popular characters. Surely, another soap could tackle it just as well.

[DRW50]

That would have been interesting. I know Neighbours has tackled it with Susan and kept it going for nearly a decade now.

[Bright Eyes]

I cringed so hard at Chas' line today about Aaron not hanging around Robert because he's having an affair? This bitch. Katie, of course, is being a complete entitled witch, but I expect nothing less from her. I really hope Andy isn't blamed for the ending of their relationship because he doesn't support her getting all in Robert's business. I will scream if that happens.

Debbie is so much more likable when she doesn't have a story. Her scene with Finn, talking about why she initially gave up Sarah was great.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Bright Eyes

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Chas is Aaron's mother? Such an awesome name! And damnit I already feel myself being sucked into the world of Emmerdale. I already know the douchebag who collapsed is Cain and his wife is Moira. I like Aaron's best mate but I can't recall his name. I know Andy and Robert are step brothers but Robert and Victoria (Vic?) are half siblings I believe.

SIgh....oh well at least British soaps aren't as long as American ones....

[DRW50]

Adam.

Chas is Chastity. She's Cain's sister. To me she's never been the same without her hot piece of ass ex, Carl King (who was murdered a few years ago...), but I'll always have a soft spot for her. She let Aaron's father take him at a young age because she thought he could give Aaron a good life. He did, for a while, but Aaron went off the rails when his father's new wife got pregnant. He got into drugs and got violent. Then he came back on the show as Danny Miller (circa late 2008).

Jack and Pat Sugden had Robert in 1986. A few months later, Pat died in a car accident. Several years later, Jack met and married Sarah Sugden. They had Victoria in 1993, around the time of the plane crash that changed the village (and the show) forever. A few years later, Jack and Sarah adopted Andy, a friend of Robert's from school, who was being abused by his father.

Not too long after this, Jack began having an affair with his ex-stepniece, Rachel. Robert wanted to leave with Sarah, but the courts said he had to stay with Jack because Jack was his biological parent. A few years after this, while Sarah was living on the farm with Jack, Robert, Victoria, and Andy, Andy decided to set the barn on fire to help Jack with his debts. He didn't realize Sarah and her secret boyfriend were in the barn. Sarah was killed. When Robert learned the truth, and that Jack was going to keep quiet so that Andy wouldn't get into trouble, he was devastated by his father protecting Sarah's murderer above everyone else. He left the village to stay with his grandmother and get recast.

He returned played by the wonderful Karl Davies (you may remember him as the cousin Jaime murdered on GoT). He and Andy and Katie had the usual modern soap teen adventures (they accidentally killed one of their teachers...), and Robert dated Nicola and Donna. His hatred for Andy flared up again when he began an affair with Katie while she was engaged to Andy. I'm pretty sure they fucked while she was wearing her wedding dress, but it's been a while, so I can't remember. He did feel some guilt, so after the wedding, when they were going to run off, he left a note. This turned out to be a terrible idea, as Andy read the note before they left. He got drunk and planned to shoot Robert. Being Andy, he accidentally shot Jack instead. Robert blamed himself.

He and Katie stayed together for a while, but he began sleeping with her boss, Sadie King (Patsy Kensit). Andy found out and told Katie, who split town. Robert and the Kings had Andy beaten up, and Robert seduced Debbie, Andy's underaged fling who'd recently had his baby (Sarah). He was going to leave town with Debbie and baby mostly to spite Andy. This ended horribly, as he and Andy had a dangerous joyride that led to the death of the baby brother of the King family, Max. Jack blamed Robert and disowned him. Robert left town in shame, and hadn't been seen since a few months ago, minus a brief return to watch Jack's funeral from afar.

I'm very protective of Robert. He's one of my favorite soap characters of all time. If the show does wrong by him this time around my reaction will not be pretty. And the fans who hate Robert because he's "mean" or wants to hurt "nice" people are too precious and saintly to be watching anything but CBeebies. And the fans who think Ryan Hawley is "ugly" are, frankly, blind, and can kiss my ass.

Edited January 10, 2015 by DRW50

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Thanks for fhe synopsis! That was very interesting....Aaron got into drugs and became violent? And the current actor playing Aaron is Danny Miller?

I'm guessing Ryan Hawley is the guy playing Robert that I see onscreen now? To me he looks like an angel but I looked up the other guy you mentioned and he looks drop dead gorgeous so I can understand the friction lol.

As for the character of Robert I can only judge him off the way he's acted recently and he def seems like a piece of work. He just does not seem to give a damn bout anyone. Unless it helps him out somehow....I'll post more tomorrow since Im dead tired and about to fall asleep. see you guys later!

[DRW50]

Yes. The first Aaron viewers ever saw was a kid, maybe 10-11, I can't remember, played by Charley Webb (Debbie)'s kid brother (their other brother is Jamie Lomas, Warren from HO). He met Chas for the first time and didn't have a great reaction, but visited a few times. A few years later they aged Aaron up, with Miller in the role. This is his first scene (or close):

You can also see Nicola Stapleton (ex-Mandy, EE) wandering around - she did a great job in a very small role. I wouldn't mind seeing her again.

(I'm really glad he eventually grew his hair out)

Yes, Ryan Hawley plays Robert now.

Robert can be a huge !@#$%^&*], hurtful, cruel, etc. Most of it's a defense mechanism because he's never gotten over his father rejecting him. Sometimes he shows his decency. He's a little more of a caricature this time around but the decency is still there. Hopefully we will see more of it and he won't be turned one-note or into a psycho killer or rapist, the way many soaps now do.

This Christmas episode has a glimpse of the vulnerable Robert.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dei7a_aaron-robert-part-16-25-12-2014_shortfilms

I never know how long I'm going to stay with Emmerdale (a day, a month, a year - who knows) but of all the British soaps it's always the one that reminds me most of ATWT and GL, so I'm happy to talk about it if you have any more questions.

Edited January 10, 2015 by DRW50