Nice, little watchable filler episode. Very Sharon Marshall, who's one of the better dialoguists in the writing room. And nicely paced, with the easing off a bit of the aftermath of Linda's rape, the introduction of a new character, the picking up of the Moon storyline and the continuation of Charlie and Ronnie. There was very little to dislike, actually.
An EastEnders' Tradition.
Pretty girl has an altercation with the new hunk on the block in his standard vehicle. Steve Owen splashes Mel. Jack Branning almost runs over Ronnie. Now we have Kush honking Shabnam out of the way and an exchange of words. Yes, yes, yes ... who didn't see this coming a mile off. Kush is so going to be Shabnam's squeeze. The snarky comments, his assessment of her as a harpy, eating crow with her dad and brother, the ritual of buying humble pie, and Shabnam's assessment of him to Tamwar as a "loser", whilst her words don't match the doey-eyed look with which she followed him out the door.
First impressions? He's easy on the eye, the right age dynamic and an experienced television actor. I liked him. He's got a link to the Square - mentioning Martin, who's just around the corner, himself - and there was the vague mention of parents, so his family can be extended in the future if he proves a hit.
He's street suss and seems to fit the market, and I liked the banter he had with Alfie and Mo. Cute line:-
Alfie: This is my grandmother-in-law. You may have seen her face on the Welsh flag.
He's certainly got the measure of Donna as well, and it's nice to have good continuation in that money talks with Aleks, ditching Donna's extra pitch because Kush paid over the odds.
I always felt Kush was going to be stating the bleeding obvious in being a romantic interest for Shabnam, but I also think this storyline is going to bring out whatever it is that's been being pitched as her "secret" since the time she returned.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Well, obviously, Nancy didn't have fun with Dexter in the back of the punter's car in the Arches. Either she had too much class to endure a rendezvous like that or he wasn't much in the pleasure market or both - probably both, with a heavy emphasis on the latter. Maybe in the cold light of day she realised that Dexter was pretty much a jerk. She'd find a lot of company in that opinion.
I loved the way she kept rejecting his phone calls, and I'd be willing to bet she's more than just attracted to Tamwar as a friend, the way she was surreptitiously eyeing him in the same manner as which Shabnam was eyeing Kush. I think Nancy's just afraid of maybe getting involved with someone she regards as a friend, thinking they might lose that special rapport in a different sort of relationship.
Tamwar is hard going, however, with his constant depressing outlook on the world. He is Walford's Eeyore, but even that attitude gets to be a bit much. I remember early Tamwar, with his dry wit, so maybe a Nancy association can bring some of that back.
Something a bit off, however, in Nancy's talk with Mick - Nancy said that when Mick and Linda were her age, they had two kids and didn't listen to anyone. Eh? Nancy is 21. By the time Mick and Linda were Nancy's age, they had three children and were still playing house out of Elaine's pub. They may not have listened to Elaine all the time, but living in her house, she certainly called the shots.
You go, Nancy. Ditch Dexter. Maybe he'll leave. Twerp.
The Carter Conundrum Continues ... And Stacey. How much do I love Stacey? Bet you'd never have thought to hear me say that, right? She's the best thing about EastEnders these days. The closest transformation to which I can liken her is the transformation of Tiffany Raymond Mitchell from flutey material girl to the sweet young woman she became eventually. Stacey was the lychpin for two older, leading ladies tonight - Linda and Kat - dealing with their major problems in a very mature way.
She was spot on in encouraging Kat, putting whatever suspicions she had of Alfie behind her to reassure Kat that Alfie still loved her, no matter what she looked like, that his love went deeper than that. (Actually, I didn't think Kat's scars looked that bad. It's early days, and they looked the sort which, in time, would heal to next to nothing. As things stand, a bit of slap, cleverly applied, and her hair styled in a certain way, would detract from them).
And Stacey came into her own with Linda, bonding over reminiscing about hair-dressing and raising little girls. The advice Stacey gave Linda was prescient also - you put your traumas behind you and move on, try to be happy. Boy, that's something the old Stacey would never have said, but this is NuStacey, accepting responsibility for what she'd done and moving onto try to make a happy life for her daughter. Contrast that with Ronnie's overt reluctance to confess a killing to Charlie (see below).
Foreshadowing?
Stacey to Linda about Mick:- Boy, you really have got Mr Perfect there, ain't ya?
Who'd have known that Stacey had a predilection for hair-dressing from the time she was a child? Last time around, she was a keen dress designer and dressmaker, according to Jean. And another revelation - that Dot had apprenticed to be a hairdresser in her youth!
I'm liking the new, mature Stacey at the moment, showing soupcons of Tiffany Mitchell and Michelle Fowler in her personality. It was good to see her bonding with Nancy as well.
Mick, meanwhile, still doesn't know why Linda is unhappy, and Linda still won't say, yet there are still situations where she's inevitably finding herself face-to-face with Dean. I know this is meant to be drawn out, but TPTB don't want to risk drawing it out that much that it loses its edge. The interesting thing about this storyline is that the rapist is not someone introduced for that sole purpose, i.e., like Frank Foster on Corrie, but he's a well-known and established character with whom we all are familiar. I do think Dean knows very well what he's done, and I still think he's spooked out by his encounter with Elaine, as opposed to his mind games with Linda.
New Moons.
Thus, begins the new chapter in Alfie's and Kat's lives. It seems that Alfie's been manning Kat's stall, and I do hope their luck changes this time around. Alfie and Kat are a couple who deserve to stay together. The constant yo-yoing of certain couples is both a bore and a parody. I know it's fashionable to hate Alfie at the moment, but on his day, Shane Richie is one of the stronger actors in the programme. When you consider a line-up of Richie, Steve McFadden, Danny Dyer and Jake Wood - when all are used correctly - there's no beating that faction of EastEnders' cast. If you remove Alfie from the Alfie-Kat equation, you are left with a single mother, over forty, with three young kids, ekeing out a living on a market stall. In short, you have another Bianca at her worst. Kat and Alfie are an endgame couple. I think the actors realise this, and the show should as well. The reason Alfie has been made unpopular is down to a lazy and somewhat ignorant writers' room. Sharon Marshall gets the character. Go with the flow.
The Mitchells Cotton On. It just dawned on me tonight that Ronnie still thinks Charlie is a policeman, which would make this the second policeman with whom she's had a child. Little does she know, however, that she's confessed murder to a bog-cleaner. Yet tonight, we got a glimpse of the NuMitchells, with Phil and Sharon at the helm. Phil is right to remember Carl. We all should remember Carl, because when his death comes to light, again, and it will, Phil, Sharon and Roxy are all heavily involved in the cover-up. as well as Shirley, who also knows the score there.
It's almost funny watching the Mitchells freak out over the fact that Ronnie the Murderer is seeing a policeman who's really a bog-cleaner. Still, I like Ronnie and Charlie together, although I know it's a calm before a storm that's bound to implode. The scenes with Dot were nice as well. Here's food for thought: Ronnie married Jack, which made her Dot's step-daughter-in-law, and now she's marrying Charlie, which will make her Dot's granddaughter-in-law.
Ronnie told Charlie she'd killed a man. She didn't tell him about having killed a woman, but then I suspect Charlie might know a bit about that also. Anyway, that's my theory, as they still remain my prime suspects.
Good episode.
An EastEnders' Tradition.
Pretty girl has an altercation with the new hunk on the block in his standard vehicle. Steve Owen splashes Mel. Jack Branning almost runs over Ronnie. Now we have Kush honking Shabnam out of the way and an exchange of words. Yes, yes, yes ... who didn't see this coming a mile off. Kush is so going to be Shabnam's squeeze. The snarky comments, his assessment of her as a harpy, eating crow with her dad and brother, the ritual of buying humble pie, and Shabnam's assessment of him to Tamwar as a "loser", whilst her words don't match the doey-eyed look with which she followed him out the door.
First impressions? He's easy on the eye, the right age dynamic and an experienced television actor. I liked him. He's got a link to the Square - mentioning Martin, who's just around the corner, himself - and there was the vague mention of parents, so his family can be extended in the future if he proves a hit.
He's street suss and seems to fit the market, and I liked the banter he had with Alfie and Mo. Cute line:-
Alfie: This is my grandmother-in-law. You may have seen her face on the Welsh flag.
He's certainly got the measure of Donna as well, and it's nice to have good continuation in that money talks with Aleks, ditching Donna's extra pitch because Kush paid over the odds.
I always felt Kush was going to be stating the bleeding obvious in being a romantic interest for Shabnam, but I also think this storyline is going to bring out whatever it is that's been being pitched as her "secret" since the time she returned.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Well, obviously, Nancy didn't have fun with Dexter in the back of the punter's car in the Arches. Either she had too much class to endure a rendezvous like that or he wasn't much in the pleasure market or both - probably both, with a heavy emphasis on the latter. Maybe in the cold light of day she realised that Dexter was pretty much a jerk. She'd find a lot of company in that opinion.
I loved the way she kept rejecting his phone calls, and I'd be willing to bet she's more than just attracted to Tamwar as a friend, the way she was surreptitiously eyeing him in the same manner as which Shabnam was eyeing Kush. I think Nancy's just afraid of maybe getting involved with someone she regards as a friend, thinking they might lose that special rapport in a different sort of relationship.
Tamwar is hard going, however, with his constant depressing outlook on the world. He is Walford's Eeyore, but even that attitude gets to be a bit much. I remember early Tamwar, with his dry wit, so maybe a Nancy association can bring some of that back.
Something a bit off, however, in Nancy's talk with Mick - Nancy said that when Mick and Linda were her age, they had two kids and didn't listen to anyone. Eh? Nancy is 21. By the time Mick and Linda were Nancy's age, they had three children and were still playing house out of Elaine's pub. They may not have listened to Elaine all the time, but living in her house, she certainly called the shots.
You go, Nancy. Ditch Dexter. Maybe he'll leave. Twerp.
The Carter Conundrum Continues ... And Stacey. How much do I love Stacey? Bet you'd never have thought to hear me say that, right? She's the best thing about EastEnders these days. The closest transformation to which I can liken her is the transformation of Tiffany Raymond Mitchell from flutey material girl to the sweet young woman she became eventually. Stacey was the lychpin for two older, leading ladies tonight - Linda and Kat - dealing with their major problems in a very mature way.
She was spot on in encouraging Kat, putting whatever suspicions she had of Alfie behind her to reassure Kat that Alfie still loved her, no matter what she looked like, that his love went deeper than that. (Actually, I didn't think Kat's scars looked that bad. It's early days, and they looked the sort which, in time, would heal to next to nothing. As things stand, a bit of slap, cleverly applied, and her hair styled in a certain way, would detract from them).
And Stacey came into her own with Linda, bonding over reminiscing about hair-dressing and raising little girls. The advice Stacey gave Linda was prescient also - you put your traumas behind you and move on, try to be happy. Boy, that's something the old Stacey would never have said, but this is NuStacey, accepting responsibility for what she'd done and moving onto try to make a happy life for her daughter. Contrast that with Ronnie's overt reluctance to confess a killing to Charlie (see below).
Foreshadowing?
Stacey to Linda about Mick:- Boy, you really have got Mr Perfect there, ain't ya?
Who'd have known that Stacey had a predilection for hair-dressing from the time she was a child? Last time around, she was a keen dress designer and dressmaker, according to Jean. And another revelation - that Dot had apprenticed to be a hairdresser in her youth!
I'm liking the new, mature Stacey at the moment, showing soupcons of Tiffany Mitchell and Michelle Fowler in her personality. It was good to see her bonding with Nancy as well.
Mick, meanwhile, still doesn't know why Linda is unhappy, and Linda still won't say, yet there are still situations where she's inevitably finding herself face-to-face with Dean. I know this is meant to be drawn out, but TPTB don't want to risk drawing it out that much that it loses its edge. The interesting thing about this storyline is that the rapist is not someone introduced for that sole purpose, i.e., like Frank Foster on Corrie, but he's a well-known and established character with whom we all are familiar. I do think Dean knows very well what he's done, and I still think he's spooked out by his encounter with Elaine, as opposed to his mind games with Linda.
New Moons.
Thus, begins the new chapter in Alfie's and Kat's lives. It seems that Alfie's been manning Kat's stall, and I do hope their luck changes this time around. Alfie and Kat are a couple who deserve to stay together. The constant yo-yoing of certain couples is both a bore and a parody. I know it's fashionable to hate Alfie at the moment, but on his day, Shane Richie is one of the stronger actors in the programme. When you consider a line-up of Richie, Steve McFadden, Danny Dyer and Jake Wood - when all are used correctly - there's no beating that faction of EastEnders' cast. If you remove Alfie from the Alfie-Kat equation, you are left with a single mother, over forty, with three young kids, ekeing out a living on a market stall. In short, you have another Bianca at her worst. Kat and Alfie are an endgame couple. I think the actors realise this, and the show should as well. The reason Alfie has been made unpopular is down to a lazy and somewhat ignorant writers' room. Sharon Marshall gets the character. Go with the flow.
The Mitchells Cotton On. It just dawned on me tonight that Ronnie still thinks Charlie is a policeman, which would make this the second policeman with whom she's had a child. Little does she know, however, that she's confessed murder to a bog-cleaner. Yet tonight, we got a glimpse of the NuMitchells, with Phil and Sharon at the helm. Phil is right to remember Carl. We all should remember Carl, because when his death comes to light, again, and it will, Phil, Sharon and Roxy are all heavily involved in the cover-up. as well as Shirley, who also knows the score there.
It's almost funny watching the Mitchells freak out over the fact that Ronnie the Murderer is seeing a policeman who's really a bog-cleaner. Still, I like Ronnie and Charlie together, although I know it's a calm before a storm that's bound to implode. The scenes with Dot were nice as well. Here's food for thought: Ronnie married Jack, which made her Dot's step-daughter-in-law, and now she's marrying Charlie, which will make her Dot's granddaughter-in-law.
Ronnie told Charlie she'd killed a man. She didn't tell him about having killed a woman, but then I suspect Charlie might know a bit about that also. Anyway, that's my theory, as they still remain my prime suspects.
Good episode.
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