This is exactly what Eastenders should be. Was it perfect tonight? No, there were still niggles, but this was genuinely a good episode - it was well-balanced and well-scripted; and step forward, Linda Henry and Joshua Pascoe. I can't remember when I've seen better performances; as I said, there were just a few worrying niggles.
The Niggles: Well, of course, it was inevitable that the Brannings would have to be involved. I accept Max is involved in Ian's storyline, and well he should be, but Jack was a deliberate plot device tonight in order to introduce him to Sharon.
It amazes me how Jack's gone from dour to gay divorce' - that's gay, as in happy - within months of crying aloud at his formerly-neglected daughter walking eight steps away to live with her mother. He's been positively wanton in parading his increasingly-younger women about the Square, revelling in his freed libido. Jack has always been prurient, but more laid-back and discreet about it.
Now we've got bantering Jack, Jack-the-lad, hanging out with people in the pub whom he'd never think about looking at, much less associating with. Horny Jack. Happy Jack.
I feel a song coming on ...
So here we have the introduction of Sharon to "New Walford," and note the assembling of Sharon, Ian and Phil in the Branning abode with the new Bruvs - yet another plot device in the increasingly frantic efforts to validate the Brannings.
I have to bring Sharon into this, but not in an entirely bad way. The non-wedding behind us, Letitia Dean seemed to settle down into the role of Sharon in this episode. Of course, it was catch-up time, but her scenes allowed us to see just how much chemistry there is between Dean and Steve McFadden, as well as allowing the viewers to see the softening effect Sharon still does have on Phil. Dean was lots better tonight, and the old Sharon was back.
A couple of observations ... Sharon was totally unaware that Pat had died. In the episode after New Year's Day, we saw Ian call Michelle in Florida to tell her of the news. I can't imagine Michelle not telling Sharon, but obviously she didn't. I'm sure along the way, we'll find out why the two are incomunicado for the moment, but it obviously has something to do with the "bad thing" which happened to Sharon in the US.
Secondly, one of the first people about whom Sharon inquires of Phil is Grant. Oddly enough, there's been no mention of Dennis at all by Sharon, but she wanted to know about Grant, and - as someone pointed out to me and as I noticed - she looked pretty sad about that fact, even though she, unconvincingly, replied that it was "good" that Grant was in Portugal.
Phil: Is it really?
(Meaning: Phil still has insecurities about Sharon with Grant, that much unsure about her preferring Grant to him. Sorry, Mona, but Phil still loves Sharon.)
I knew the old Sharon had returned when she quickly and decisively dispatched Jack the Turd; but what was niggling was that two seconds later, she was eyeing him flirtatiously in response to his arousal and suggestively straightening his tie.
Already the numpties on Digital Spy, those who can't or won't remember Grant and Sharon and those who worship at the altar of Shannis, are cooing and ooohing over the "chemistry" between Jack and Sharon. How long before I'm sickened by references to "Shack"?
Please. There is no chemistry, and those people are shallow, unable to fathom how an attractive woman like Sharon couldn't help but be attracted to a conventionally pretty man, no matter how much of a plank he was. Jack's handsome. Most of the other available women on the show are either too young or related to him, so the law of nature says he has to be reserved for Sharon. I call bullshit on that. Sharon the character is much better than a one-dimensional numpty like Jack. Oh, and let's see if they conveniently forget that Jack is also the father of a baby whose mother is Sam Mitchell.
(Sigh) ... it's been so pleasant without the Brannings. But there's Tanya yet to come.
Finally, the reveal: Well, what can I say? This was bloody brilliant. Linda Henry was word-perfect, and Joshua Pascoe really had you believing he was cacking himself blind. When he flinched when Henry screamed at him, that was real.
My heart was in my throat during those scenes, because I knew Ben's slip-up would come from admitting something only the killer would know, but I never imagined it would be that George was in the room next-door alone and asleep and he was left thus. I should have thought of this, especially with the benefit fund-raiser at the end of last week for George. Nice, subtle hint there.
(Just an aside ... it suddenly dawned on me tonight that the Mitchells' dining room table is actually their pool table. When they have a formal sit-down meal, they actually eat at the pool table, just like ...)
Does that make the Mitchells EastEnd hillbillies? Phil would be Jed; Peggy would be Granny; Roxy would be Elly May; Shirley would be Cousin Pearl and Ben would be an evil, murdering sociopathic Jethro.
Of course everything was in place - the bath filled upstairs for Ian, even the pep talk Phil gave Ian - and one could almost feel sorry for Phil here. Maybe he was snookered by Sharon's appearance too, maybe Sharon harkened back to a happier time when she was within Phil's reach; but he took a gentler tone with Ian, genuinely urging him from moving on - although I almost retched when he reminded Ian of all the bad things Phil had done to him (including flushing his head down the toilet several times), especially when Phil remarked about all the bad things that he, himself, had suffered. Sorry, Phil, but a woman has just been killed and killed by your son. I realised then that Phil simply doesn't realise the extent of Ben's sociopathy that he can really think it that easy to get over having killed someone.
And there was Ben, when Shirley suddenly realised that it wasn't Phil who'd killed Heather, but Ben - Ben was still denying responsibility, still saying, first, that nothing happened and then that it was an "accident" (the classic excuse), that he didn't mean to do that, that he'd just lashed out. The fact was that he was angry with Heather, angry enough to swat her hard enough to kill her. And through Shirley's persistence, we finally heard Ben admit what he'd done.
Good, intense episode. Could have done without the Branning fulfillment, however.
The Niggles: Well, of course, it was inevitable that the Brannings would have to be involved. I accept Max is involved in Ian's storyline, and well he should be, but Jack was a deliberate plot device tonight in order to introduce him to Sharon.
It amazes me how Jack's gone from dour to gay divorce' - that's gay, as in happy - within months of crying aloud at his formerly-neglected daughter walking eight steps away to live with her mother. He's been positively wanton in parading his increasingly-younger women about the Square, revelling in his freed libido. Jack has always been prurient, but more laid-back and discreet about it.
Now we've got bantering Jack, Jack-the-lad, hanging out with people in the pub whom he'd never think about looking at, much less associating with. Horny Jack. Happy Jack.
I feel a song coming on ...
So here we have the introduction of Sharon to "New Walford," and note the assembling of Sharon, Ian and Phil in the Branning abode with the new Bruvs - yet another plot device in the increasingly frantic efforts to validate the Brannings.
I have to bring Sharon into this, but not in an entirely bad way. The non-wedding behind us, Letitia Dean seemed to settle down into the role of Sharon in this episode. Of course, it was catch-up time, but her scenes allowed us to see just how much chemistry there is between Dean and Steve McFadden, as well as allowing the viewers to see the softening effect Sharon still does have on Phil. Dean was lots better tonight, and the old Sharon was back.
A couple of observations ... Sharon was totally unaware that Pat had died. In the episode after New Year's Day, we saw Ian call Michelle in Florida to tell her of the news. I can't imagine Michelle not telling Sharon, but obviously she didn't. I'm sure along the way, we'll find out why the two are incomunicado for the moment, but it obviously has something to do with the "bad thing" which happened to Sharon in the US.
Secondly, one of the first people about whom Sharon inquires of Phil is Grant. Oddly enough, there's been no mention of Dennis at all by Sharon, but she wanted to know about Grant, and - as someone pointed out to me and as I noticed - she looked pretty sad about that fact, even though she, unconvincingly, replied that it was "good" that Grant was in Portugal.
Phil: Is it really?
(Meaning: Phil still has insecurities about Sharon with Grant, that much unsure about her preferring Grant to him. Sorry, Mona, but Phil still loves Sharon.)
I knew the old Sharon had returned when she quickly and decisively dispatched Jack the Turd; but what was niggling was that two seconds later, she was eyeing him flirtatiously in response to his arousal and suggestively straightening his tie.
Already the numpties on Digital Spy, those who can't or won't remember Grant and Sharon and those who worship at the altar of Shannis, are cooing and ooohing over the "chemistry" between Jack and Sharon. How long before I'm sickened by references to "Shack"?
Please. There is no chemistry, and those people are shallow, unable to fathom how an attractive woman like Sharon couldn't help but be attracted to a conventionally pretty man, no matter how much of a plank he was. Jack's handsome. Most of the other available women on the show are either too young or related to him, so the law of nature says he has to be reserved for Sharon. I call bullshit on that. Sharon the character is much better than a one-dimensional numpty like Jack. Oh, and let's see if they conveniently forget that Jack is also the father of a baby whose mother is Sam Mitchell.
(Sigh) ... it's been so pleasant without the Brannings. But there's Tanya yet to come.
Finally, the reveal: Well, what can I say? This was bloody brilliant. Linda Henry was word-perfect, and Joshua Pascoe really had you believing he was cacking himself blind. When he flinched when Henry screamed at him, that was real.
My heart was in my throat during those scenes, because I knew Ben's slip-up would come from admitting something only the killer would know, but I never imagined it would be that George was in the room next-door alone and asleep and he was left thus. I should have thought of this, especially with the benefit fund-raiser at the end of last week for George. Nice, subtle hint there.
(Just an aside ... it suddenly dawned on me tonight that the Mitchells' dining room table is actually their pool table. When they have a formal sit-down meal, they actually eat at the pool table, just like ...)
Does that make the Mitchells EastEnd hillbillies? Phil would be Jed; Peggy would be Granny; Roxy would be Elly May; Shirley would be Cousin Pearl and Ben would be an evil, murdering sociopathic Jethro.
Of course everything was in place - the bath filled upstairs for Ian, even the pep talk Phil gave Ian - and one could almost feel sorry for Phil here. Maybe he was snookered by Sharon's appearance too, maybe Sharon harkened back to a happier time when she was within Phil's reach; but he took a gentler tone with Ian, genuinely urging him from moving on - although I almost retched when he reminded Ian of all the bad things Phil had done to him (including flushing his head down the toilet several times), especially when Phil remarked about all the bad things that he, himself, had suffered. Sorry, Phil, but a woman has just been killed and killed by your son. I realised then that Phil simply doesn't realise the extent of Ben's sociopathy that he can really think it that easy to get over having killed someone.
And there was Ben, when Shirley suddenly realised that it wasn't Phil who'd killed Heather, but Ben - Ben was still denying responsibility, still saying, first, that nothing happened and then that it was an "accident" (the classic excuse), that he didn't mean to do that, that he'd just lashed out. The fact was that he was angry with Heather, angry enough to swat her hard enough to kill her. And through Shirley's persistence, we finally heard Ben admit what he'd done.
Good, intense episode. Could have done without the Branning fulfillment, however.
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