A great description of Michael Moon in general by Dr Frank Ochberg. Having read the book to which he referred, by Dr Hare, I would disagree, somewhat, that psychopaths and sociopaths are one and the same. They do exhibit similar behavioural traits, but whereas a sociopath's characteristics and behaviour is entirely determined by the manner and environment in which they were nurtured, the psychopath is genetically lacking in some component of the brain which controls empathy, compassion and normal emotion - the conscience. Also, the psychopath can inherit his condition.
I would say that of the two, I would say Janine is the sociopath. Everything she has become has been brought about by the environment in which she was nurtured. She lost her mother when she was very young, was constantly being moved about by her father from his care to the care of her older sister and back again, was constantly abandoned by him, was made to feel from a very young age that she was a nuisance who didn't fully belong in the family dynamic that consisted of Frank, Pat, Ricky and Diane. Being constantly let down/abandoned/rejected, she obviously has trust issues.
But Janine is in possession of a conscience, especially when something concerns her family or people close to her. She was determined to rescue Whitney from Rob, and since that time, has been unflinchingly loyal to her. She's looked after Billy, even though Billy has betrayed her trust on occasion, and she's looked after her nieces and nephews. More to the point, she's bonded, early on, with her daughter, staying by her side 24/7 when the child was first born.
People will bring up Barry Evans. Janine did not kill Barry. His death was an accident, and for anyone who says she "watched him die," Barry was near death when she reached him, and her reaction when he fell was one of horror. Janine's association with Barry was, undoubtedly, her emotioal low point up until now, but the day before Barry died, she let her guard down in the hotel jacuzzi and told him of a story from her youth about her and her dad; Barry wasn't wrong when he told her something that she didn't want to hear - that she had a heart.
Michael, on the other hand, is sheer psychopath. I showed you that he matched perfectly the psychopath's characteristics in a previous blog. Ochberg elaborates: he references the genetic inability to form a conscience, triggered by something which happens when the person is about five or six: Michael's mother committed suicide (accidentally) when he was six. He was intended to find her before it was too late, but he played in the garden until it was dark, totally unconcerned about anything. He has a superiority complex. As Ochberg states, people are different, and psychopaths certainly are. They feel no pain, no remorse, no connection with ordinary people, whom they disdain. They do have the ability to appear to connect or relate to other people, but usually for their own manipulative gains.
Whatever the motive, the general consensus of opinion is that they are not nice people.
Janine knows exactly what Michael is like and vice versa. What she is doing now, is exactly what he did to her - emotionally and psychologically manipulating him. He won't feel the emotional part of it, he can't; but he will be frustrated because he knows she is playing him psychologically.
Believe me. Scarlett is with the better parent.
Mental Mick and Thick as Pigshit Katshit.
Actually, Michael and Kat deserve each other. Correction: Michael and Kat and MyAssholeAlice deserve each other. Nice threesome, don't you think?
Kat couldn't even pronounce the word "psychopath," much less understand what it means. I wanted to shout at the television screen when she upbraided him about his constantly saying "I don't know how to feel" ... it's because he doesn't know how to feel, you dumbass skank bitch.
Everyone's telling him or thnking he's so upset about losing Scarlett, but he's frustrated at losing her. Scarlett was his tool, his grand manipulative tool. Look at the poor man, deserted by his heartless wife, struggling to bring up his child on his own. People, men and women, flock to help him; yet a woman on her own, struggling with children, seems to be a pejorative figure. The single mum is pilloried, but the single dad is pitied.
Also, in a way, I think Michael, perversely, feels pressured to feel something for Scarlett. I wouldn't be at all surprised if his pithy remark about it being good news to have three hours to himself instead of feeding the animals with an infant held more than a grain of truth. Pschopaths don't give a rat's arse about anyone but themselves, and that's why he kept telling Kat to piss off.
The psychopath's shallow effect and lack of empathy was totally on show when he referred to Alice openly as an "idiot," when she accidentally broke his babygate, which was pretty shoddily put up (another pschopathic characteristice - shoddy workmanship due to an inability to concentrate or see a project through to its end).
He also exhibited poor behavioural control in his outburst in front of Billy at the Butcher's Joints office. That was wanton vandalism and it could be aggressive behaviour and - believe it or not - assault. Behaviour like that against a person or a person's property is assault, and he also was very aggressive towards Janine. That doesn't exonerate her in that she fed that behaviour; but she did so, knowing exactly how he would react, and it gives her fodder for her fire.
Retconning Incident Number One: Kat referenced Michael talking about his mother during their one-night-stand-summer-long-affair-whatever-depending-on-who's-writing-the-episode. Michael said he was drunk, which would have been true, because allegedly he got Kat drunk before he got into her dirty knickers. Either way, when Jean referenced Michael's mother last summer to Kat, this was the first she'd ever heard of what happened to his mother. She certainly didn't show any animosity towards Eddie when he was hanging about in 2011, and Michael would certainly have propagated his psychotic fantasy about Eddie killing his mother when he was boning Kat behind Alfie's back.
Actually, both Kat and Alice should butt the hell out of this situation. They are so fucking ignorant and have their heads up their arses, they think Michael is their friend. He couldn't give a monkey's about either of them. In that respect, they should listen to Michael. He doesn't know how to feel. To them, Scarlett is his daughter, but to him, she's a meal ticket. She's the means by which he doesn't have to pay for her care or upkeep. She is, as someone else pointed out, his possession.
The irony of this entire situation centres around Roxy, whose situation highlighted exactly how narcissistic Michael and Kat both are. First of all, there was Kat's morbid curiosity about Roxy's visit to the doctor, wondering if her condition could be "terminal" (not funny in the least). Then, there was Kat's eventual finding out about the reason behind Roxy's doctor's visit.
Kat is hurt that Roxy and Alfie are planning to have a baby. She's upset. Why? Once again, she is the mistress of her own distress. She is the one responsible for her marital breakdown. Her infidelity couldn't be tolerated indefinitely, nor could her perpetual excuse for it being her dirty girl motif, relinquishing all responsibilty for her bad behaviour. Apparently (although the audience knows differently) Alfie has moved on, something Kat can't fathom.
Also, who the hell is she to barge upstairs at the Vic, with Tommy? This is not her home anymore, This is the ultimate irony - that she was palming Tommy off on Alfie (again) in order to have quality time talking with Michael about Michael's problems - not that he would, you understand. Now, after discovering Roxy's plan to get pregnant, she suddenly wants to talk about her situation - as if Michael would understand.
Oh, and the wanton destruction of the babygate ... that's psychopathic behaviour as well.
Line of the night goes to Kat (speaking to Michael):-
It's not all about you.
No, and it's not all about you either, you slut.
Simmering in the background is the continuing story of Mr Lister and his discomfort at being blackmailed; although now, his concern that someone might have seen an inappropriate picture of him is supposed to be comedy, but it was heartless - especially seeing Kat smirk when Tamwar asked her about seeing such a picture.
One Serious Question: Why is it that so many women who are major players in EastEnders noticeably gain weight? Sharon's ballooned to the proportions of an NFL linebacker. Tanya's arse is never-ending, and Abi's thighs are legendary. Whitney's suddenly acquired a middle-aged double chin, and tonight, we see Kat's belly hanging down like an apron, as well as her tits on constant display. Is Jessie Wallace, by any chance, pregnant in real life, because she certainly looked like it. If so, please let this be her ticket to ride, like Jo Joyner, indefinitely into the sunset.
The Magic Negro Chronicles.
Ava the Rava confused me tonight. Well, the programme did. There she was, sewing away at a shirt given Cock by his gran (not Cora the Bora, but his proper grandmother, the one who helped raise him). It's lunchtime, so here I am assuming that The Magic Negro had, yet another day off work - when I remember that it's bank holiday! Silly me ... but wait ... the cafe is open. The market's open, and workmen are working on Ian Beale's newest venture, which means - if they're working on Bank Holiday - that they're getting time-and-half in wages. The play group's open and so is Butcher's Joints. And the post was delivered to Phil Mitchell's house. The launderette was open, and Dexter talked of going to work.
IT'S A FUCKING BANK HOLIDAY, EASTENDERS!!! GET YOUR FUCKING ACT TOGETHER.
The continuity in this programme is appalling, and you'd think an experienced and seasoned writer like Chris Reason would have fathomed that this was a bank holiday. Yes, Ava would have justifiably been off school. but we've had bank holidays before when the market, the cafe and all other discernable businesses are closed. Workmen don't work. Jesus, get it right. This is one of the pitfalls and pratfalls of this programme of late.
Retconning Incident Number Two: When Ava the Rava met up with Cora the Bora in the pub, Ava quite succinctly reminded Cora that Cora abandoned Ava to Social Services, yet last autumn, we (and Ava) were told that Cora's father had privately arranged an adoption with a middle-classed white couple and that Ava was adopted as soon as she popped out of Cora's cootch.
At least Chris Reason knew the score. Ava would have been left in the care of Social Services and adopted within several months of her birth. What a shame, it didn't fit in with the poorly-researched, badly made-up backstory we got in November 2012. Yet more pratfalls.
Still, now we know that Ava's parents are still alive - at least her mother is. And, no, I'm not talking about Cora. As much as Cora might preen and think she is, she isn't Ava's mother, and Ava told her as much tonight. Cora the Bora's feeling sorry for herself, and thinks to project some pity for her plight onto Ava's shoulders.
Ava's a bit narrow in assuming that Cora gave her up for adoption because of her skin colour, although that played a big part in the scheme of things, but if Ava's father had been white and had abandoned Cora, then the same thing would have happened as well.
Anyway, I can't invest in Ava or Cora and certainly not Cock. Cock got the unintelligible line of the night:-
We'adda dool.
Ava is pointless, Cora is unlikeable and Cock just hogs screentime which should be Jay's.
My Sharona.
Since last week and the Branningless scenes, I feel Sharon's come into her own. The addiction storyline is ticking along nicely. I know Lola is fearing for losing Lexi, and her advice for Sharon to tell Phil is good, but a little more compassion is wanting from this girl as well. Once again, this is a character who's all about herself and what's best for her, and the rest be damned. Yes, we know she grew up in care; but Sharon's seen both her parents die - her mother from drink, and she nursed Angie until the end. She's seen Den die, literally, twice. She's been made the pariah of the community when she was unfaithful to her husband with his brother, and she's seen another husband die in her arms. She's been on her own, far away from home, trying to raise a small child. Yes, I know, she's had a sister and a friend there, but somehow, she's been wanting in emotional and psychological support, and she's come to depend on narcotics.
Is that good? No. Excusable? Of course not. And an addict has got to want and ask for help. Threatening them and bullying them isn't going to help the situation either. Pardon me, but I thought Phil knew of her problem last December, when Derek blurted out that she was a pill-popper. He was even sceptical that she had the situation under control. She really needs to tell him now, but I can understand her fear of doing so.
Rolfie.
I like Roxy, and she deserves better than to be strung along by Alfie, which is what he's doing. It doesn't help her confidence either that Kat can just barge into her home like that. She's a sweet, loyal girl, who's isolated from her family and she's about to be sacrificed at the altar of Saint Kat. I want Kat to leave.
The Squeal Returns.
Ian Beale is back to his obnoxious self, I see. I didn't like Denise's attitude to Janine's observations. Janine, after all, is providing the financial impetus that enables Ian to open his restaurant, so she is entitled to question and query the name being given to the venture.
And for once, Lucy is right to call Ian down on his behaviour. The builder knew his rights when he took a fall, and Ian was under obligation to pay him for the rest of the day. In fact, as this was a bank holiday, Ian would have had to pay him time-and-half for working at least. Still, Denise wants to watch how she treats Janine; if it weren't for Janine, this would still be a pipe dream of Ian's. Who's minding the fruit and veg stall?
Josef ... OMIGOD, Could It Be?
OMIGOD ... there's that mysterious cast call for a teenaged girl of Eastern European appearance (but who's going to be named Kelly?)
OMIGOD ... Josef said his daughter is getting married in September. And dan2008 on Digital Spy confidently stated that the new family would arrive in September.
OMIGOD ... Josef said he had a wife and three kids. That's a family, right?
OMIGOD ... TPTB always only show Poles as being carers or builders. Just like the blacks are always jive and the Asians geeks.
OMIGOD ... people have been lobbying for an Eastern European family.
Shut up. He's just there to rob Roxy.
Watchable episode.
No comments:
Post a Comment