Right. Everybody agrees about one thing in this episode ... Shirley's a mess.
Phil says ... She's a mess.
Mick says ... It's a mess.
The skewed morality of Walford was out in force tonight, and I loved it. Even the psychopaths were nice.
There's only niggle in this, and that's the incessant chatter about Shirley. Yes, I know that character is a personal favourite of the EP and that he wants to see her front and centre, but he has a propensity to ensure that she's mentioned in practically every episode where she doesn't appear. Examples? Dot mentions asking her for donations to the church boot sale. Since when did Shirley ever concern herself with church boot sales, except for the fact that she's an old boot, herself?
In Shirley-less episodes, it's usually Where's Shirl? Anybody seen Shirl? Has Shirl called?
Of course, tonight Shirley's absence is simmering along nicely in the background, Shirley being on the run, having been convinced that Phil Mitchell is at death's door and the bizzies are hot on her heels as she screams out of the area in a Reliant Robin with Aunt Babe's shopping money tucked in her back pocket.
Shirley's shot a man with an illegal handgun, two crimes for the price of one, and Saint Mick's shitting himself to try any method of begging or passive-aggressively bullying the victim and his family into lying about her involvement in the incident. Just so she can come home and nurture the bond with the man whom Mick thinks is his nephew, but who's really his brother and who's only just recently raped Mick's partner.
Got that?
Just another normal Sunday in Walford, where it's still 28th of September.
The stars of the show tonight were, arguably, Letitia Dean, Steve McFadden and Kellie Bright again.
Sharon Watts Out-Mitchells a Mitchell. Again. Twp actors played a blinder tonight. Kellie Bright was one. Letitia Dean was another. As I said, Ronnie should never underestimate Sharon, nor even patronise her by admonishing her to "act like a Mitchell." Sharon's been there before. And before that, she was Den Watts's daughter. The moment she walked into that hospital room, you knew she was going to snow the policemen. Like I said, Sharon has form in covering up a shooting.
Of course, the story was dodgy. There were more holes in that story than in Swiss cheese, but remember the cock-eyed story Lucy and Ian told the police in order to protect Steven back in 2007, and you realise we're dealing with the same sort of willful incompetence. All anyone would need to do is take a DNA sample of the blood found on the smashed glass in the kitchen, and someone would be revealed as a liar.
The scenes between Dean and McFadden were nothing short of electric, clearing the air in a way that was almost eerie, considering some of the forum comments, here and elsewhere, about the injustice and incongruity of Shirley as a victim. Sharon was spot-on in her assessment of Shirley, right from the beginning assuring Phil that she didn't lie to save Shirley, but because she felt guilty because she had kept the gun in the house. (Actually, Ronnie should be the one feeling guilt, but then, Ronnie's concern is all about herself). Yet, as Sharon said, she was tired of the attitude everyone was expected to assume about Shirley - that she was the victim for whom everyone should have sympathy. Shirley simply isn't. She does as Sharon said she does - she makes bad judgement calls, creates havoc, causes major trouble and then runs away. Someone else cleans up the mess - three times that sentence was used in this episode to describe Shirley: by Sharon, by Aunt Babe (who knows better) and by Dean. But, again, Sharon is right - every decision Shirley's made that's landed her on the wrong side of trouble has been made as an adult. She has no one to blame but herself; instead, she blames the circumstance and drowns her sorrows.
Shirley was never the victim in this escapade. Phil remarked that he thought Sharon hated him and was out to ruin him financially. He never once thought Sharon hated him - in fact, he went out of his way to tell Shirley, after finding out about Sharon's deception, that he still loved her. He never once believed Sharon hated him until Shirley planted that thought in his mind. It was Shirley who encouraged Phil's plan to dump Sharon at the altar, and it was Shirley who gleefully baited Sharon in the days leading up to the wedding, secure in the knowledge of Sharon's public humiliation.
Phil brought up Shirley's humiliation again tonight, in reference to her presence in the house with the gun, but he hasn't stopped to consider that Shirley was relishing the thought of Phil publically dumping Sharon in front of her son and the people of Walford. In fact, Shirley partly achieved her goal by revealing publically that Phil had slept with her the night before the wedding. At least, Sharon wanted to hear Phil finish with Shirley in her presence, but in the privacy of their own home.
The war of words between Sharon and Phil was fast, furious and pretty accurate, considering their history. Sharon made damned sure Phil wanted her and loved her before she gave an inch. I believe Phil now when he says he didn't really love Shirley, moreso that he pitied her. I'm glad Sharon mentioned Dennis in this tete-a-tete as well, reminding Phil of his part in the death of her husband.
Lines of the night:-
Phil: I assume you're talking about Dennis now.
Sharon: Oh? Were there other husbands?
Without going into detail, Sharon referenced everything Phil had done at odds with her in their previous relationships, but chiefly she was remembering when he effectively abandoned her with full blame for Sharongate. The climax in their dialogue came with Phil's declaration of love and Sharon's reference to Angie's enforced game-playing with Den's infidelities. Sharon's afraid that Phil's dalliance with Shirley precludes an existence similar to the one endured by Angie with Den. Phil's riposte is that he married her, she's a Mitchell now, they're on the same side. (The Mitchell tribal mentality). Phil's rationale is simplistic, compared to Sharon's - he loves her, after all, he married her, didn't he? Phil's baffled when Sharon won't respond the way he expects. He says he loves her, she says nothing.
Phil: You didn't say you loved me.
Sharon: I didn't.
Phil: So you don't love me.
Sharon: I didn't say that.
Phil: So you do love me?
Sharon: I didn't say that either.
Meaning that Sharon was going to make damned sure Phil earned her love, if, indeed, he really did love her.
What I liked about this entire vignette was not once did Sharon crack a smile or show any indication that she was softening.
Ronnie needn't tell Sharon to act like a Mitchell. Sharon cut her wisdom teeth on the Mitchells.
Linda. Kellie Bright played the other blinder tonight. So desperate for the comfort of a friend, she forced a bewildered Jay and Denny into letting her wait for Sharon at Ronnie's house.
Sharon's scenes with Linda were significant, but the most interesting scenes she had were with Ronnie, a character who only knows her slightly. The dialogue was quirky, Linda always putting her foot in it, which is easy to do with Ronnie, there are so many taboo subjects; but one subject hit home with Ronnie - Linda's quaint observation about how brave Ronnie was to go it alone and have a child as a single mother.
For all she and Mick aren't married, Linda is a very old-fashioned and traditional person - hence, the reason she told Sharon she'd die of shame if anyone found out she and Mick weren't married. Linda's assertion that she could have done nothing without Mick, regarding her three kids. That gives Ronnie food for thought and sends her to Charlie, to invite him to be a part of their child's life, beginning with attending the scan with Ronnie, which Charlie declines to do. In fact, in true Jack Branning-fashion, Charlie really doesn't want anything to do with the child, bar supporting him financially. Sound familiar?
Poor Linda. She is still so much in shock about what happened, she can't articulate. It's only when she finds that Sharon's as upset at what's happened in her life during the past 24 hours that she's able to open up somewhat, but only partly, by asking Sharon if she'd ever had anyone come onto her. Linda needs to speak out, but it's understandable why she can't. She's worded it in such a way that Sharon thinks it's a punter with whom she'd been flirting, but throughout all of this, she keeps reiterating that Linda needs to tell Mick. And throughout all of this, Linda keeps reiterating that she has only ever been with Mick, something Sharon thinks is special, and the articulation of that thought, I think, intimidates Linda to a degree.
Dean and Saint Mick. Meanwhile, back at theCarter RanchVic, Mick's first relief and concern is that Shirley's off the hook, and now it's time to get in touch with her, only she won't answer her phone. Dean forgets himself with Lee and mixes up the lie he told Mick - instead of meeting someone at The Albert, he's now picked up someone in the chip shop, and when Lee jokes with Mick about this, Dean is quick to cover his tracks.
The most bizarre scene was that between Dean and Linda. Dean honestly doesn't think he's done anything other than have a surreptitious bonk with his uncle's wife. He genuinely thinks this was consensual. In fact, even though he doesn't want to break up a marriage, he invites Linda for a reprise. He's wormed his way into the family dynamic, who seem to rally around him in order to get his mother back in his life. The tragedy of this is that Linda is desperate to tell Mick, but Mick's distracted about finding Shirley and Dean is hanging about.
The longer this is left, the harder it will be to convince anyone what happened.
And Babe is not going to call Shirley. Why?
Phil says ... She's a mess.
Mick says ... It's a mess.
The skewed morality of Walford was out in force tonight, and I loved it. Even the psychopaths were nice.
There's only niggle in this, and that's the incessant chatter about Shirley. Yes, I know that character is a personal favourite of the EP and that he wants to see her front and centre, but he has a propensity to ensure that she's mentioned in practically every episode where she doesn't appear. Examples? Dot mentions asking her for donations to the church boot sale. Since when did Shirley ever concern herself with church boot sales, except for the fact that she's an old boot, herself?
In Shirley-less episodes, it's usually Where's Shirl? Anybody seen Shirl? Has Shirl called?
Of course, tonight Shirley's absence is simmering along nicely in the background, Shirley being on the run, having been convinced that Phil Mitchell is at death's door and the bizzies are hot on her heels as she screams out of the area in a Reliant Robin with Aunt Babe's shopping money tucked in her back pocket.
Shirley's shot a man with an illegal handgun, two crimes for the price of one, and Saint Mick's shitting himself to try any method of begging or passive-aggressively bullying the victim and his family into lying about her involvement in the incident. Just so she can come home and nurture the bond with the man whom Mick thinks is his nephew, but who's really his brother and who's only just recently raped Mick's partner.
Got that?
Just another normal Sunday in Walford, where it's still 28th of September.
The stars of the show tonight were, arguably, Letitia Dean, Steve McFadden and Kellie Bright again.
Sharon Watts Out-Mitchells a Mitchell. Again. Twp actors played a blinder tonight. Kellie Bright was one. Letitia Dean was another. As I said, Ronnie should never underestimate Sharon, nor even patronise her by admonishing her to "act like a Mitchell." Sharon's been there before. And before that, she was Den Watts's daughter. The moment she walked into that hospital room, you knew she was going to snow the policemen. Like I said, Sharon has form in covering up a shooting.
Of course, the story was dodgy. There were more holes in that story than in Swiss cheese, but remember the cock-eyed story Lucy and Ian told the police in order to protect Steven back in 2007, and you realise we're dealing with the same sort of willful incompetence. All anyone would need to do is take a DNA sample of the blood found on the smashed glass in the kitchen, and someone would be revealed as a liar.
The scenes between Dean and McFadden were nothing short of electric, clearing the air in a way that was almost eerie, considering some of the forum comments, here and elsewhere, about the injustice and incongruity of Shirley as a victim. Sharon was spot-on in her assessment of Shirley, right from the beginning assuring Phil that she didn't lie to save Shirley, but because she felt guilty because she had kept the gun in the house. (Actually, Ronnie should be the one feeling guilt, but then, Ronnie's concern is all about herself). Yet, as Sharon said, she was tired of the attitude everyone was expected to assume about Shirley - that she was the victim for whom everyone should have sympathy. Shirley simply isn't. She does as Sharon said she does - she makes bad judgement calls, creates havoc, causes major trouble and then runs away. Someone else cleans up the mess - three times that sentence was used in this episode to describe Shirley: by Sharon, by Aunt Babe (who knows better) and by Dean. But, again, Sharon is right - every decision Shirley's made that's landed her on the wrong side of trouble has been made as an adult. She has no one to blame but herself; instead, she blames the circumstance and drowns her sorrows.
Shirley was never the victim in this escapade. Phil remarked that he thought Sharon hated him and was out to ruin him financially. He never once thought Sharon hated him - in fact, he went out of his way to tell Shirley, after finding out about Sharon's deception, that he still loved her. He never once believed Sharon hated him until Shirley planted that thought in his mind. It was Shirley who encouraged Phil's plan to dump Sharon at the altar, and it was Shirley who gleefully baited Sharon in the days leading up to the wedding, secure in the knowledge of Sharon's public humiliation.
Phil brought up Shirley's humiliation again tonight, in reference to her presence in the house with the gun, but he hasn't stopped to consider that Shirley was relishing the thought of Phil publically dumping Sharon in front of her son and the people of Walford. In fact, Shirley partly achieved her goal by revealing publically that Phil had slept with her the night before the wedding. At least, Sharon wanted to hear Phil finish with Shirley in her presence, but in the privacy of their own home.
The war of words between Sharon and Phil was fast, furious and pretty accurate, considering their history. Sharon made damned sure Phil wanted her and loved her before she gave an inch. I believe Phil now when he says he didn't really love Shirley, moreso that he pitied her. I'm glad Sharon mentioned Dennis in this tete-a-tete as well, reminding Phil of his part in the death of her husband.
Lines of the night:-
Phil: I assume you're talking about Dennis now.
Sharon: Oh? Were there other husbands?
Without going into detail, Sharon referenced everything Phil had done at odds with her in their previous relationships, but chiefly she was remembering when he effectively abandoned her with full blame for Sharongate. The climax in their dialogue came with Phil's declaration of love and Sharon's reference to Angie's enforced game-playing with Den's infidelities. Sharon's afraid that Phil's dalliance with Shirley precludes an existence similar to the one endured by Angie with Den. Phil's riposte is that he married her, she's a Mitchell now, they're on the same side. (The Mitchell tribal mentality). Phil's rationale is simplistic, compared to Sharon's - he loves her, after all, he married her, didn't he? Phil's baffled when Sharon won't respond the way he expects. He says he loves her, she says nothing.
Phil: You didn't say you loved me.
Sharon: I didn't.
Phil: So you don't love me.
Sharon: I didn't say that.
Phil: So you do love me?
Sharon: I didn't say that either.
Meaning that Sharon was going to make damned sure Phil earned her love, if, indeed, he really did love her.
What I liked about this entire vignette was not once did Sharon crack a smile or show any indication that she was softening.
Ronnie needn't tell Sharon to act like a Mitchell. Sharon cut her wisdom teeth on the Mitchells.
Linda. Kellie Bright played the other blinder tonight. So desperate for the comfort of a friend, she forced a bewildered Jay and Denny into letting her wait for Sharon at Ronnie's house.
Sharon's scenes with Linda were significant, but the most interesting scenes she had were with Ronnie, a character who only knows her slightly. The dialogue was quirky, Linda always putting her foot in it, which is easy to do with Ronnie, there are so many taboo subjects; but one subject hit home with Ronnie - Linda's quaint observation about how brave Ronnie was to go it alone and have a child as a single mother.
For all she and Mick aren't married, Linda is a very old-fashioned and traditional person - hence, the reason she told Sharon she'd die of shame if anyone found out she and Mick weren't married. Linda's assertion that she could have done nothing without Mick, regarding her three kids. That gives Ronnie food for thought and sends her to Charlie, to invite him to be a part of their child's life, beginning with attending the scan with Ronnie, which Charlie declines to do. In fact, in true Jack Branning-fashion, Charlie really doesn't want anything to do with the child, bar supporting him financially. Sound familiar?
Poor Linda. She is still so much in shock about what happened, she can't articulate. It's only when she finds that Sharon's as upset at what's happened in her life during the past 24 hours that she's able to open up somewhat, but only partly, by asking Sharon if she'd ever had anyone come onto her. Linda needs to speak out, but it's understandable why she can't. She's worded it in such a way that Sharon thinks it's a punter with whom she'd been flirting, but throughout all of this, she keeps reiterating that Linda needs to tell Mick. And throughout all of this, Linda keeps reiterating that she has only ever been with Mick, something Sharon thinks is special, and the articulation of that thought, I think, intimidates Linda to a degree.
Dean and Saint Mick. Meanwhile, back at the
The most bizarre scene was that between Dean and Linda. Dean honestly doesn't think he's done anything other than have a surreptitious bonk with his uncle's wife. He genuinely thinks this was consensual. In fact, even though he doesn't want to break up a marriage, he invites Linda for a reprise. He's wormed his way into the family dynamic, who seem to rally around him in order to get his mother back in his life. The tragedy of this is that Linda is desperate to tell Mick, but Mick's distracted about finding Shirley and Dean is hanging about.
The longer this is left, the harder it will be to convince anyone what happened.
And Babe is not going to call Shirley. Why?
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