Well, that was pretty dire, wasn't it? The only hope to come from this is that DTC watched the rushes of this week and decides that, really, sending EastEnders in the youthful direction in which it's been going the past two years is one big, fat, rancid mistake.
However, it looks as though there may be a light on the dim horizon.
It's long been recognised by the fans who are turning off and on the verge of turning off, that - besides the dire writing, bad research and poor continuity (all problems of the backroom) that plague the show - two of its biggest problems have been the over-emphasis on youth and the Brannings.
Well, considering the news leaked this weekend, it looks as if DTC is killing two birds with one stone, with the departure/death of psychopath Michael Moon. One Branning and one youth down, because Alice Branning, arguably the least offensive and probably the most likeable of the clan, will be involved in his death.
Reading between the lines, this means she will probably kill him. I don't think she'll plot to murder him, and I don't think she'll hit him with home truths which will result in his suicide (note to the fangirls defending Moon: he's a fucking psychopath, you numpties; they're narcissists; they don't do suicide, although they try to drive others to do so).
Rather, I think she'll suddenly realise what seriously sick scum he is, get into an argument with him, try to stop him from doing what he planned to do and kill him. Accidentally. For which she'll pay. For Alice is no Stacey Slater, even though she is a Branning, and she'll be carted off to prison.
One youth down and one Branning also.
There were several candidates in tonight's episode who should seriously be in the firing line for firing. I counted at least three, maybe four.
This episode was, to put it bluntly, a crock of shit. Let's hope it's the last week of cack we ever have to suffer with this programme.
Clueless.
The lyrics to Lady Gaga's song sum up entirely exactly what's wrong with all the "yoof" who dominate EastEnders these days, and that includes the A-Team as well as the B-Team, which we saw tonight.
They are shallow, entitled, lazy, self-obsessed, spoiled, directionless and selfish. Most of the A-Team totally exhibit at least some of these qualities, if not all of them. Lauren certainly possesses all of these qualities; Whitney, most of them, including arrogance and self-righteousness. Lucy, at least, has a job; but she's cold and heartless and emotes no warmth, whatsoever.
The B-Team are almost just as bad. Three of the quartet might have jobs, but they are still shallow and self-obsessed and narrow-minded. Jesus Christ, how bloody narrow-minded! As well, harken back to the old adage I blame the parents, and you'll see what I mean. It was blatantly obvious tonight the difference in educational background and parental upbringing between Peter Beale and the rest of the numpties on the so-called "road trip."
Based on what I've seen in tonight's episode, were I DTC, I'd be putting x's by the names of Khali Best, Lorna Fitzgerald and Mimi Keen right away. I'd be hovering over the name of Jamie Borthwick and placing a question mark by his.
First of all, I find it very hard to believe that Phil Mitchell would entrust a bunch of kids - at least two so-called apprentices - to take a late-model Volvo SUV down to the New Forest for a sales transaction totalling in £10,000. I wouldn't trust Dexter with 10 pence, much less ten grand. Phil was right to insist that Jay drive the car.
I don't know if Dexter is deliberately written this way or if he's aware that he's acting this way, but he's awfully reminiscent of a 1930s cartoon depiction of a wired black kid.
As well as being totally unintelligible, here is another very bad actor employed by what is supposed to be the BBC's flagship programme. Yet another one hired right out of a provincial drama "course" right into the big time.
Not only that, but he's totally unlikeable. He is a spoiled brat, determined to have his own way, and acting out when he doesn't. He seriously needs a slap, and I wonder how the rest of his so-called "friends" (with whom, in the reality of London, he wouldn't associate at all) put up with his attitude - even Abi the Obese Dough-Faced Girl, who's his cousin. Cousin, my arse! A year ago, they were (and still are, for the most part) strangers.
Obviously, the presence of Peter Beale on this holiday is contrived, and the reason behind this is the one bright spot on what is - for the youth - a diminishing horizon. Peter has never associated with this group of youngsters before. He's nineteen, and even though that's one year older than Jay and a year younger than Dexter, he's usually associated with the likes of Lauren or Whitney. He certainly was a friend of Fatboy's in his former life.
It seems that there's going to be a Peter-Lola romance sometime in the near future. Danielle Harold's hinted that Lola's up for a romance in her recent interview, and I admit, I was hoping for a Peter-Lola association. I didn't really want them to re-visit his old haunts of Lauren or Whitney (the latter of whom treated him pretty badly). I kinda sorta hoped they'd put him with Alice, but the characters are too similar in certain respects.
If TPTB go with the ubiquitous Pola combination, that would be innovative. Peter is a nice guy. He's responsible, he's caring, he's mature and he's level-headed. If you're thinking along the lines of a reprise of Bradley-Stacey, you wouldn't be wrong. This could work.
Lola is flighty, capricious, sometimes pejoratively impulsive, hotheaded and can be rude and irresponsible. But, of all the youth, she is trying to forge a profession and care for her daughter, both emotionally and financially.
She's seventeen going on forty, sexually, and hasn't been above using sex, in the past, to get what she wants. She was raised in care, and she certainly is manipulative.
The romance, if it develops into something like that, will be a rocky road, and will probably end in tears. Add to this, the fact that Peter will be getting involved with the mother of his uncle's child, and - no doubt - Ian will not approve. But it was interesting to observe Lola's changing reaction to Peter - from irritation to respect.
Peter had horned in on their perceived holiday, but Lola had showed up with an unrealistic amount of luggage for a few days' camping in the country in a caravan. During the trip down, she joined in belittling his musical taste and the fact that, instead of relying on their expensive Smart- and Iphones to get them out of a situation where they appeared to be lost, Peter was actually able to read a paper map. Peter got them out of a jam, and when Lola was sprayed with mud, he offered her his teeshirt and shielded her from the eyes of the others - Dexter was clearly trying to ogle - as she changed her top.
The simplicity of her acknowledgement of this was actually quite touching.
Lola: When I changed into your teeshirt back there, you didn't look.
Peter: No.
Lola: Why?
Peter: Because I promised.
This is Peter entirely. His word is good and he's reliable. He was, for Whitney, the ubiquitous dependable bloke, whom she dumped in favour of Connor. It's debatable whether or not Lola would appreciate this quality Peter has, but she appeared to take this on board when she made the observation.
Once again, we have the incipience of a young couple behind whom the audience could support, but - once again - it does depend how TPTB continue with this liaision. Harold is, arguably, the best young actress on the show at the moment; and Ben Hardy was an inspired re-cast of Peter.
Although Peter knew Jay from his time on the Square before, I find it intriguing how he knew Dexter, who - I'll swear - referred to him as "Michael" in the initial scene in the cafe when the boys were ordering doughnuts for the journey. (At least, Peter had the prescience to bring chicken, instead). I'm also intrigued to know how Jay and Dexter were suddenly acquainted with Cindy.
I'm not liking Cindy the Greek at all.
She's another stageschool kid, and it shows. And yet another fourteen year-old wild child on the loose. She demands to go on holiday with "the big kids." Why? She hangs onto Peter like a leech. Please, stop with the "incest" shit, which has been shipped on Digital Spy, and which only goes to show how dank their imaginations are. When she's told, in no uncertain terms, by Peter that she can't go along, she insists and hides out in the boot of the car - as you do.
Do we like her? I don't. What is interesting is the open animosity felt toward her, not just by Peter, but also by Lucy, as well as the constant grudging remarks about her "being in their family." There's real antipathy. If we're supposed to feel sorry for her, I don't. She's yet another entitled, spoiled and selfish brat, who pays heed to no one and who does what she wants.
Peter is right. Ian will be livid with her for doing what she did, and especially for putting herself i such danger as hiding in the boot of a vehicle, which is not only silly, but dangerous. Of course, she won't go home the next day. They never do, but we can live in hope that she goes home after her six-month contract is finished.
I've no objection to Cindy's daughter making an appearance in Walford, but we already have Cindy's Beale daughter, and there's no room or way for this one in the plethora of youth characters abundant on the Square these days. There was scope to have introduced her at a later date, when she was significantly older. As things stand, she's expendable.
The Odd Couple.
All hail, Abi and Jay, the natural successors to Libby and Darren.
I don't know if Abi the Dough-Faced Girl is more annoying than Libby the Original Dough-Faced Girl. Maybe they are just as annoying as one another in different ways.
Libby was Walford's Brain of Britain, and she knew it. You knew that Oxford-bound Libby was never going to make a go of backstreet car-dealer Darren with is GCSE passes. Just like you know that there's no way in hell university-bound Abi would even want to be seen dead on campus with grease monkey Jay. In fact, Jay foreshadowed this tonight, when he was urging Abi to go to uni and veterinary school, whilst he "stayed in Walford", promising her he'd visit her every weekend.
Yeah ... yeah.
Why do I have a feeling that that was lip service in reverse psychology? Because I've never believed that Jay really, really wanted Abi to fulfill her ambition. He was ready enough to coerce her into running away to Gretna Green last summer, and of all the people involved in discovering she'd bombed her exams, he seemed the least supportive of alternative measures, including his sarcastic reaction to the newly-beatified Lauren's discovery that - hey presto! - there were other ways for Abi to become a vet.
And why the fuck is everyone talking about Abi as though she's suddenly got to do clearance or something? She has to re-sit her AS year, that's all.
I think this holiday will mark the end of Abi and Jay, and I'm in support of that. Abi has devolved into a selfish, self-centred, spoiled, entitled little bitch, demanding money from Jay to cover a scam her drunken sister had imposed upon her grandmother, demanding Jay pay for their holiday. Her attitude towards Jay mirrors that of Tanya's towards men in general. They're there to pay for everything, and when a woman asks for money, she should get it. Who can forget Abi threatening to withold sexual favours from Jay unless he gave her money for Lauren?
Well, maybe he should have done so, as she now thinks she's pregnant.
More stupidity.
Of course, she's not, but has neither she nor Jay heard of condoms? Has she not consulted a doctor about going on the Pill? Have they not heard of safe sex? Their ignorance isn't all that astounding, considering Lola thought Ben's performance in bed so worthless that he must, indeed, be gay, and now she's found herself with Lexi.
When Jay and Abi first had sex, they used no precautions.
Her attitude to this as opposed to Jay's will determine the course of their relationship. It will force Abi to declare what she really wants in life, as opposed to what Jay really wants for them. Jay's not as much of a modern male as he might think, considering his main role model has been Phil Mitchell.
Abi is easily dispensible by sending her away to study - the giggling and snorting is getting worse; and I wouldn't say Jay is out of the firing line either. He's peripheral to everyone now, consigned to the B and B, bearing the "Mitchell" name, but not associated anymore with any Mitchell, without any family or support.
I'm for paring the youth element right down to the Beale Twins, Lola and, maybe Fatboy and Poppy, if they found something more substantial for them to do.
Height of their ignorance tonight came in the reaction to the caravan. What the hell were they expecting in a caravan holiday camp? Five-Star accommodation? Typical entitled youth reaction.
Shiny Happy Jean.
Jean's hap-peeeeeeeeeee.
We know that because she's in screeching mode again. Ollie brings he strawberries, when I'd have thought that it's a bit late in the year for allotment strawberries. They're usually a late spring-early summer crop, but there you go. This is Walford, and anything can happen here.
Ollie's amazed at how eternally hap-peeeeee Jean is, which concerns Alfie.
This is Alfie Moon at his best, looking after and caring for his family. He's concerned for Jean, because she hasn't told Ollie that she suffers from bi-polar condition. Alfie knows how this condition works, and thinks it's fair that Ollie know about this. They are getting more serious, and this is the sort of secret that really shouldn't be kept from a prospective partner.
I can understand Jean's reluctance. She thinks that, knowing this, might scare Ollie away, but as Alfie says, if he can't handle it, he isn't worth it. And kudos for Alfie for pointing out to Jean that she isn't mentally ill. She has a medical condition, an illness, that's controlled by medication.
It's odd that Jean would suddenly decide her condition is a mental illness when she's always been at pains, especially during Stacey's bout, to explain that this is exactly what Alfie said it was - a medical condition, controlled by medication.
This is the beginning of the end of Jean. Good. Can Ollie stay, please?
Filler: Billy Sees a Pretty Woman.
Billy sees a pretty woman staying at the B and B for a "conference." He wins some money on the horses. She's suddenly attracted to him.
Barry Evans and Vanessa, anyone?
No, not that Vanessa, this Vanessa ...
One question ... Billy's without funds, again. Is he still squatting in that flat, and why can't he get a sub from Janine to cover the price of a babygro giraffe suit?
Let's hope this is the end of a long, bad time on EastEnders.
Final Observation: A whiny teen on Digital Spy has just whined "Why does everyone hate us in soaps?" and that rancid old troll vald, once again tries to make herself relevant by saying that teens have always been in the show and have always featured.
Yes, true to an extent, but they've always featured in storylines which involved older characters as well. It's a given that EastEnders' storylines concerning teens and people under twentyfive have always been integrated with older, more established cast members.
Michelle's pregnancy involved Den Watts, the fortysomething father of her child. Stax involved Stacey Slater's affair with another fortysomething, Max Branning, the father of her ex-boyfriend. Sharon was in her early twenties and married to Grant Mitchell, a few years her elder, when Sharongate surfaced. That featured a woman in her early twenties and two men in their late twenties/early thirties. Danielle, the "secret" Mitchell was more about her mother, thirtysomething Ronnie, than it was about Danielle.
It's only been in the past two years, when we've been asked to imbibe a diet of Whitney and Tyler, followed closely by Lauren and Joey and had various "teen weeks" foisted on us, not to mention entire episodes which dealt with nothing but teens griping, bitching and moaning and not aspiring to anything that the show has faltered badly.
Look, I know these actors are cheaper to use, but rather than paying peanuts and getting monkeys, return the soap to what it was, even though it might mean re-distributing budgetry. EastEnders was never a teen soap, and - as someone else said - the ethos of former teens on the show was to aspire to something better.
This entitled attitude came in with the Branning girls, who used to sit, slumped in front of the television like zombies whilst their mollycoddling mother picked up the detritus of their lives strewn around the floor.
Vald ...
Old trout.
However, it looks as though there may be a light on the dim horizon.
It's long been recognised by the fans who are turning off and on the verge of turning off, that - besides the dire writing, bad research and poor continuity (all problems of the backroom) that plague the show - two of its biggest problems have been the over-emphasis on youth and the Brannings.
Well, considering the news leaked this weekend, it looks as if DTC is killing two birds with one stone, with the departure/death of psychopath Michael Moon. One Branning and one youth down, because Alice Branning, arguably the least offensive and probably the most likeable of the clan, will be involved in his death.
Reading between the lines, this means she will probably kill him. I don't think she'll plot to murder him, and I don't think she'll hit him with home truths which will result in his suicide (note to the fangirls defending Moon: he's a fucking psychopath, you numpties; they're narcissists; they don't do suicide, although they try to drive others to do so).
Rather, I think she'll suddenly realise what seriously sick scum he is, get into an argument with him, try to stop him from doing what he planned to do and kill him. Accidentally. For which she'll pay. For Alice is no Stacey Slater, even though she is a Branning, and she'll be carted off to prison.
One youth down and one Branning also.
There were several candidates in tonight's episode who should seriously be in the firing line for firing. I counted at least three, maybe four.
This episode was, to put it bluntly, a crock of shit. Let's hope it's the last week of cack we ever have to suffer with this programme.
Clueless.
The lyrics to Lady Gaga's song sum up entirely exactly what's wrong with all the "yoof" who dominate EastEnders these days, and that includes the A-Team as well as the B-Team, which we saw tonight.
They are shallow, entitled, lazy, self-obsessed, spoiled, directionless and selfish. Most of the A-Team totally exhibit at least some of these qualities, if not all of them. Lauren certainly possesses all of these qualities; Whitney, most of them, including arrogance and self-righteousness. Lucy, at least, has a job; but she's cold and heartless and emotes no warmth, whatsoever.
The B-Team are almost just as bad. Three of the quartet might have jobs, but they are still shallow and self-obsessed and narrow-minded. Jesus Christ, how bloody narrow-minded! As well, harken back to the old adage I blame the parents, and you'll see what I mean. It was blatantly obvious tonight the difference in educational background and parental upbringing between Peter Beale and the rest of the numpties on the so-called "road trip."
Based on what I've seen in tonight's episode, were I DTC, I'd be putting x's by the names of Khali Best, Lorna Fitzgerald and Mimi Keen right away. I'd be hovering over the name of Jamie Borthwick and placing a question mark by his.
First of all, I find it very hard to believe that Phil Mitchell would entrust a bunch of kids - at least two so-called apprentices - to take a late-model Volvo SUV down to the New Forest for a sales transaction totalling in £10,000. I wouldn't trust Dexter with 10 pence, much less ten grand. Phil was right to insist that Jay drive the car.
I don't know if Dexter is deliberately written this way or if he's aware that he's acting this way, but he's awfully reminiscent of a 1930s cartoon depiction of a wired black kid.
As well as being totally unintelligible, here is another very bad actor employed by what is supposed to be the BBC's flagship programme. Yet another one hired right out of a provincial drama "course" right into the big time.
Not only that, but he's totally unlikeable. He is a spoiled brat, determined to have his own way, and acting out when he doesn't. He seriously needs a slap, and I wonder how the rest of his so-called "friends" (with whom, in the reality of London, he wouldn't associate at all) put up with his attitude - even Abi the Obese Dough-Faced Girl, who's his cousin. Cousin, my arse! A year ago, they were (and still are, for the most part) strangers.
Obviously, the presence of Peter Beale on this holiday is contrived, and the reason behind this is the one bright spot on what is - for the youth - a diminishing horizon. Peter has never associated with this group of youngsters before. He's nineteen, and even though that's one year older than Jay and a year younger than Dexter, he's usually associated with the likes of Lauren or Whitney. He certainly was a friend of Fatboy's in his former life.
It seems that there's going to be a Peter-Lola romance sometime in the near future. Danielle Harold's hinted that Lola's up for a romance in her recent interview, and I admit, I was hoping for a Peter-Lola association. I didn't really want them to re-visit his old haunts of Lauren or Whitney (the latter of whom treated him pretty badly). I kinda sorta hoped they'd put him with Alice, but the characters are too similar in certain respects.
If TPTB go with the ubiquitous Pola combination, that would be innovative. Peter is a nice guy. He's responsible, he's caring, he's mature and he's level-headed. If you're thinking along the lines of a reprise of Bradley-Stacey, you wouldn't be wrong. This could work.
Lola is flighty, capricious, sometimes pejoratively impulsive, hotheaded and can be rude and irresponsible. But, of all the youth, she is trying to forge a profession and care for her daughter, both emotionally and financially.
She's seventeen going on forty, sexually, and hasn't been above using sex, in the past, to get what she wants. She was raised in care, and she certainly is manipulative.
The romance, if it develops into something like that, will be a rocky road, and will probably end in tears. Add to this, the fact that Peter will be getting involved with the mother of his uncle's child, and - no doubt - Ian will not approve. But it was interesting to observe Lola's changing reaction to Peter - from irritation to respect.
Peter had horned in on their perceived holiday, but Lola had showed up with an unrealistic amount of luggage for a few days' camping in the country in a caravan. During the trip down, she joined in belittling his musical taste and the fact that, instead of relying on their expensive Smart- and Iphones to get them out of a situation where they appeared to be lost, Peter was actually able to read a paper map. Peter got them out of a jam, and when Lola was sprayed with mud, he offered her his teeshirt and shielded her from the eyes of the others - Dexter was clearly trying to ogle - as she changed her top.
The simplicity of her acknowledgement of this was actually quite touching.
Lola: When I changed into your teeshirt back there, you didn't look.
Peter: No.
Lola: Why?
Peter: Because I promised.
This is Peter entirely. His word is good and he's reliable. He was, for Whitney, the ubiquitous dependable bloke, whom she dumped in favour of Connor. It's debatable whether or not Lola would appreciate this quality Peter has, but she appeared to take this on board when she made the observation.
Once again, we have the incipience of a young couple behind whom the audience could support, but - once again - it does depend how TPTB continue with this liaision. Harold is, arguably, the best young actress on the show at the moment; and Ben Hardy was an inspired re-cast of Peter.
Although Peter knew Jay from his time on the Square before, I find it intriguing how he knew Dexter, who - I'll swear - referred to him as "Michael" in the initial scene in the cafe when the boys were ordering doughnuts for the journey. (At least, Peter had the prescience to bring chicken, instead). I'm also intrigued to know how Jay and Dexter were suddenly acquainted with Cindy.
I'm not liking Cindy the Greek at all.
She's another stageschool kid, and it shows. And yet another fourteen year-old wild child on the loose. She demands to go on holiday with "the big kids." Why? She hangs onto Peter like a leech. Please, stop with the "incest" shit, which has been shipped on Digital Spy, and which only goes to show how dank their imaginations are. When she's told, in no uncertain terms, by Peter that she can't go along, she insists and hides out in the boot of the car - as you do.
Do we like her? I don't. What is interesting is the open animosity felt toward her, not just by Peter, but also by Lucy, as well as the constant grudging remarks about her "being in their family." There's real antipathy. If we're supposed to feel sorry for her, I don't. She's yet another entitled, spoiled and selfish brat, who pays heed to no one and who does what she wants.
Peter is right. Ian will be livid with her for doing what she did, and especially for putting herself i such danger as hiding in the boot of a vehicle, which is not only silly, but dangerous. Of course, she won't go home the next day. They never do, but we can live in hope that she goes home after her six-month contract is finished.
I've no objection to Cindy's daughter making an appearance in Walford, but we already have Cindy's Beale daughter, and there's no room or way for this one in the plethora of youth characters abundant on the Square these days. There was scope to have introduced her at a later date, when she was significantly older. As things stand, she's expendable.
The Odd Couple.
All hail, Abi and Jay, the natural successors to Libby and Darren.
I don't know if Abi the Dough-Faced Girl is more annoying than Libby the Original Dough-Faced Girl. Maybe they are just as annoying as one another in different ways.
Libby was Walford's Brain of Britain, and she knew it. You knew that Oxford-bound Libby was never going to make a go of backstreet car-dealer Darren with is GCSE passes. Just like you know that there's no way in hell university-bound Abi would even want to be seen dead on campus with grease monkey Jay. In fact, Jay foreshadowed this tonight, when he was urging Abi to go to uni and veterinary school, whilst he "stayed in Walford", promising her he'd visit her every weekend.
Yeah ... yeah.
Why do I have a feeling that that was lip service in reverse psychology? Because I've never believed that Jay really, really wanted Abi to fulfill her ambition. He was ready enough to coerce her into running away to Gretna Green last summer, and of all the people involved in discovering she'd bombed her exams, he seemed the least supportive of alternative measures, including his sarcastic reaction to the newly-beatified Lauren's discovery that - hey presto! - there were other ways for Abi to become a vet.
And why the fuck is everyone talking about Abi as though she's suddenly got to do clearance or something? She has to re-sit her AS year, that's all.
I think this holiday will mark the end of Abi and Jay, and I'm in support of that. Abi has devolved into a selfish, self-centred, spoiled, entitled little bitch, demanding money from Jay to cover a scam her drunken sister had imposed upon her grandmother, demanding Jay pay for their holiday. Her attitude towards Jay mirrors that of Tanya's towards men in general. They're there to pay for everything, and when a woman asks for money, she should get it. Who can forget Abi threatening to withold sexual favours from Jay unless he gave her money for Lauren?
Well, maybe he should have done so, as she now thinks she's pregnant.
More stupidity.
Of course, she's not, but has neither she nor Jay heard of condoms? Has she not consulted a doctor about going on the Pill? Have they not heard of safe sex? Their ignorance isn't all that astounding, considering Lola thought Ben's performance in bed so worthless that he must, indeed, be gay, and now she's found herself with Lexi.
When Jay and Abi first had sex, they used no precautions.
Her attitude to this as opposed to Jay's will determine the course of their relationship. It will force Abi to declare what she really wants in life, as opposed to what Jay really wants for them. Jay's not as much of a modern male as he might think, considering his main role model has been Phil Mitchell.
Abi is easily dispensible by sending her away to study - the giggling and snorting is getting worse; and I wouldn't say Jay is out of the firing line either. He's peripheral to everyone now, consigned to the B and B, bearing the "Mitchell" name, but not associated anymore with any Mitchell, without any family or support.
I'm for paring the youth element right down to the Beale Twins, Lola and, maybe Fatboy and Poppy, if they found something more substantial for them to do.
Height of their ignorance tonight came in the reaction to the caravan. What the hell were they expecting in a caravan holiday camp? Five-Star accommodation? Typical entitled youth reaction.
Shiny Happy Jean.
Jean's hap-peeeeeeeeeee.
We know that because she's in screeching mode again. Ollie brings he strawberries, when I'd have thought that it's a bit late in the year for allotment strawberries. They're usually a late spring-early summer crop, but there you go. This is Walford, and anything can happen here.
Ollie's amazed at how eternally hap-peeeeee Jean is, which concerns Alfie.
This is Alfie Moon at his best, looking after and caring for his family. He's concerned for Jean, because she hasn't told Ollie that she suffers from bi-polar condition. Alfie knows how this condition works, and thinks it's fair that Ollie know about this. They are getting more serious, and this is the sort of secret that really shouldn't be kept from a prospective partner.
I can understand Jean's reluctance. She thinks that, knowing this, might scare Ollie away, but as Alfie says, if he can't handle it, he isn't worth it. And kudos for Alfie for pointing out to Jean that she isn't mentally ill. She has a medical condition, an illness, that's controlled by medication.
It's odd that Jean would suddenly decide her condition is a mental illness when she's always been at pains, especially during Stacey's bout, to explain that this is exactly what Alfie said it was - a medical condition, controlled by medication.
This is the beginning of the end of Jean. Good. Can Ollie stay, please?
Filler: Billy Sees a Pretty Woman.
Billy sees a pretty woman staying at the B and B for a "conference." He wins some money on the horses. She's suddenly attracted to him.
Barry Evans and Vanessa, anyone?
No, not that Vanessa, this Vanessa ...
One question ... Billy's without funds, again. Is he still squatting in that flat, and why can't he get a sub from Janine to cover the price of a babygro giraffe suit?
Let's hope this is the end of a long, bad time on EastEnders.
Final Observation: A whiny teen on Digital Spy has just whined "Why does everyone hate us in soaps?" and that rancid old troll vald, once again tries to make herself relevant by saying that teens have always been in the show and have always featured.
Yes, true to an extent, but they've always featured in storylines which involved older characters as well. It's a given that EastEnders' storylines concerning teens and people under twentyfive have always been integrated with older, more established cast members.
Michelle's pregnancy involved Den Watts, the fortysomething father of her child. Stax involved Stacey Slater's affair with another fortysomething, Max Branning, the father of her ex-boyfriend. Sharon was in her early twenties and married to Grant Mitchell, a few years her elder, when Sharongate surfaced. That featured a woman in her early twenties and two men in their late twenties/early thirties. Danielle, the "secret" Mitchell was more about her mother, thirtysomething Ronnie, than it was about Danielle.
It's only been in the past two years, when we've been asked to imbibe a diet of Whitney and Tyler, followed closely by Lauren and Joey and had various "teen weeks" foisted on us, not to mention entire episodes which dealt with nothing but teens griping, bitching and moaning and not aspiring to anything that the show has faltered badly.
Look, I know these actors are cheaper to use, but rather than paying peanuts and getting monkeys, return the soap to what it was, even though it might mean re-distributing budgetry. EastEnders was never a teen soap, and - as someone else said - the ethos of former teens on the show was to aspire to something better.
This entitled attitude came in with the Branning girls, who used to sit, slumped in front of the television like zombies whilst their mollycoddling mother picked up the detritus of their lives strewn around the floor.
Vald ...
Old trout.
Speaking of youths, here's the Digital Spy thread started by Vaslav37 where he suggests schoolboy Liam is bisexual. Now Vaslav37 is in his 40s and I find the idea of him wanting a teen sex story a tad distasteful.
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1820176