Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[I Am A Swede]

Another one from the same era, and very much in the same vein as Nicola's, was Chloe's exit.

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[DRW50]

Chloe was an interesting character. So spiky, but she had a heart deep down underneath, when given the chance. Her plan at the end went on for a while and really did take a toll on Chas and Carl.

I used to have that episode where Carl was living with Chas and Chloe and he was walking around in tight white boxers (Chloe made sure she was in her slinkiest negligee, as she knew his ex wife and kids were coming by [he didn't] and she knew his ex would see this as a sin den and not let the kids visit). Tom Lister had such a hot body and such a natural, everyday charisma, and the show, when it tried, really knew how to display it.

I'll never understand why they killed Carl off.

[DRW50]

This time around it worked for me because it was supposed to be cringeworthy - sad really, because she'd lost so much and she didn't realize.

I didn't realize he was playing the vicar.

I've been avoiding Corrie because I'm so let down by the cheap ass, pathetic stories they've given to Todd to destroy the character, but I may have to watch some of this (I guess this is what Cotton has been talking about not getting any backlash - Sean is so asexual, no wonder).

I also didn't realize he was only 35. He looked 35 on Emmerdale.

[Bright Eyes]

You might want to hold off on that. By the sounds of it, Todd's destruction is far from over. The worst part about it is, they could have really done something with him working together and becoming friends with Tracy, but they are determined to make him this revenge seeking schemer. I don't get it. Hopefully Sarah's return will help things.

Though the serial killer story started the renaissance of this show becoming fantastic again, I still hate that they killed Carl off, too. I remember being glued to the screen during the climax of his marriage to Lexi on that hospital roof, but he did not have one good story after that. Another Blythe/Blackburn victim.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Bright Eyes

[DRW50]

Blythe pretty much ruined the show for me. I tuned out for what I thought was for good when Viv and Terry died.

If not for Robert I wouldn't have come back. Hell, he's even made me praise Aaron/Danny Miller, and you may remember how rare that was.

I guess I'll see how the show handles him as to whether I stay in or not.

I wonder if Adam Thomas is leaving. Something he tweeted makes me wonder.

Edited January 25, 2015 by DRW50

[I Am A Swede]

Getting rid of Terry and, especially, Viv the way they did was unforgivable. Viv could still have played a major part on the show, and I would rather have had her still on the show and gotten rid of Bob. Terry on the other hand lost some of his relevance back when Chris Tate died, so his death wasn't as upsetting as Viv's was. But I would still have preferred if a Dingle or two had died before him....

[Ben]

I've always felt Nicola's progression has been natural - may be it helped that I skipped the De Souza era? She still has moments of bitchiness and the schemer she once was, but pairing her off with Jimmy has really mellowed her for the better. Bright Eyes is right about N&J: they have become one of the backbone couples and heart of the show, and who would ever have believed that?!

I'd never have imagined David being a schemer - that's certainly not what he is today, or has ever been for the last few years. I'm glad they moved him away from that. Can't imagine he or Nicola would ever flirt with each other, let alone sleep together. Did this all happen in 2008/09?

I loved Chloe, but she was never used to her full potential really. I remember her being in the triangle with Syd and Scott (Syd was another character they wasted), and I do remember some of the Carl/Chas story. Didn't she concoct a fake pregnancy or something to snare Carl? I'm sure she faked something at the time.

I don't know why they killed off Carl; another silly, thoughtless stunt by Blackburn.

Don't watch - yet. I haven't watched Corrie for over a year, then yesterday I saw an episode, and it was so boringly dull. Nothing happened at all. It certainly had that Blackburn look and feel to it that ED had when he was exec producer: grey and miserable with not much happening half the time. It reminded me why I tuned out in the first place.

There was one scene with Sean and that guy; they looked like mates, when I think they are supposed to be dating. Todd was acting nasty and jealous for some reason. Tim spent the episode locked in a house being scared of a rat; Gary took some orders in the cafe and dropped a cup; Steph, I think, harped on about making sure Audrey knew how to do black hair; Les Dennis mopped around looking permanently miserable and melancholic for no reason that was stated (is he always like this?), which made Gail look like a ray of sunshine; Michelle outed Steve for being clinically depressed after Norris was being hateful.

Terry would have been much more interesting to keep on than Bob. I hated how they killed off Viv, and I think that was quite spiteful of TPTB at the time who were having "issues" with the actress (I forget her name). It would have been so much better if they had bumped her to recurring, that way when new producers would be hired to replace them, they could have reinstated Viv. Of course that's wishful thinking; most writers seem to let their egos do the thinking and they make decisions that ultimately damage the show.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Ben

[Bright Eyes]

Ben, I refer to Les Dennis' Michael as Winnie the Pooh. He is one of the most dull and irritating creations I have ever had the displeasure of witnessing first hand. Gail needs to be saved from the doldrums. At least I got a classic lovable bastard David scene with him phoning Kylie and lying that Gail had died right in front of her.

[DRW50]

Most of the David/Nicola stuff happened throughout 2008. They generally had comedic scheming stories once they bottled out of killing Donald. I remember a lot of screaming between Nicola and her sister Sharon during that hot air balloon wedding for Val and Eric. (now that we're seeing a little of the old Eric again I'm reminded of how just much the character has mellowed even from his 2008 period) I think they were on the outs but permanently split after she slept with Jimmy (didn't she and Jimmy have sex for the first time in the back of a haulage van or am I making that up?)

David's money schemes always seemed a little inept and he seemed as indecisive as his hair - sometimes soft sometimes snarly. I guess they eventually settled on whatever he is now.

Here is his intro to town, with yet another iffy hairstyle.

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I always forget how long Delilah was there, as it didn't seem like that long, but was about two years. One of the last of the "hey let's invent a new Dingle!" (Gennie was the last, I think) I read she was brought in to fill in for Chas, and it's so tough to remember Chas was ever like that.

She was with both Paddy and David. That's a great way to show that you don't know what to do with a character.

This was also toward the end of the Dingles R Us period, before Charity and Cain's return meant that Emmerdale could do what it should have done years earlier and start breaking the family into segments, rather than continuing to have Dingle Councils and Dingle Law and all that silliness. I'm pretty sure fragmenting the Dingles is the main reason so many of them are still on the show.

She fleeced David because she found out he slept with Katie. Some fans get upset when Katie is called the village bike, but she really has taken a ton of pipe (admittedly, mostly very good pipe) over the years.

Edited January 27, 2015 by DRW50

[Bright Eyes]

I have never seen anything of Delilah, but I hate her on prinicple for those bangs. I geuss it's ironic that Chas is now sporting them.

Katie and Andy both have been the welcome wagons for all newcomers for years. Andy even got to bang a black chick for awhile.

[DRW50]

Who was the black woman with Andy?

And who is the old woman in this clip?

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Victoria was so sour at this time (in some of the other clips). Maybe it's a Blackburn thing.

[Bright Eyes]

The old woman is Lizzie, the blind character.

The black woman was Adele. She was a minor character when she worked at Eric's factory. She carried over to the Sharma's sweet factory and in 2010 she briefly dated Andy, but he cheated on her with Katie. She then left town.

Blame Amy for anything wrong you see in Victoria. She was the most horrible creature. Eric, Val, Victoria and especially Kerry have shined without her. The worst was when she was with Andy. It was torture.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Bright Eyes

[DRW50]

I kept wondering why that woman looked familiar. I know she's had a lot of health problems. Sad.

Adele. I liked Adele. I don't know why I forgot her. And Andy/Katie yet again - that relationship never benefits anyone. Ever.

Amy/Andy? Were they just pulling names out of hats? And isn't he about a decade older? I guess you being such an Andy fan you must have spit nails.

[Bright Eyes]

Andy had moved Kerry into his place. He liked her spirit and found her charming. They started hooking up, but Andy was unsure what to do when Kerry wanted a relationship. Amy started sniffing around him and they kissed.

All Amy ever did was bitch and moan about being a victim. Kerry was the devil incarnate and how dare everyone not do exactly as she wanted or else they were immoral pigs. She took the Mary Sue trope and multiplied it by a million. It was the actress' fault, too. That nasty dread like thing she always wore didn't help any either.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Bright Eyes

[DRW50]

Since the actress wanted to leave I wonder if she'll be back at some point...

What did you think of the Alex/Moira story?

Geez, Andy was with a lot of women before his umpteenth reunion with Katie.

Edited January 29, 2015 by DRW50