Sometimes I love the Carters, and sometimes I don't. I haven't been the biggest fan of Shirley's in the past, and I still don't think she works as the central player of an ensemble piece, but she's played by one of the best actresses, if not the strongest actress, in the soap genre, and boy, Linda Henry owned that piece tonight.
This was an exemplary episode, with a brilliant, but poignant, twist at the end.
But let's concentrate on the other action at Walford General tonight first.
Moon Moaning.
After all the news that evolved this past weekend, it's hard to summon any interest or energy for the Moons, knowing what we know.
We know that they'll reconcile. We know that they'll win a big Lottery prize, and we know that they'll leave for pastures anew in Ireland.
What we don't know is how long they'll be there - hopefully, the move (and the subsequent spin-off series) is a success, and they remain in Ireland and raise their children there. I could tolerate the occasional visit back to Walford, but I think with this departure, that could be the end of the ultimate arc for the Moons. Unlike any other Walford resident, they got two happy endings.
So tonight was nothing new - Kat being rushed into the hospital on a gurney, with clever shot from Kat's angle of the overhead lights in the hospital corridor, Alfie babbling reassurances incoherently, only to have the final word being uttered by Kat, telling Alfie to go away.
Well, he doesn't go away, but he doesn't make any headway with Kat, when he sees her, as she's still having a massive self-pity party for herself, amassing into what appears to be a big sulk. In the meantime, before Alfie's called into see Kat, Stacey arrives, and that's the magic word Alfie utters to Kat.
Of course, Kat will see and listen to Stacey.
I have to admit, what Stacey talked was common sense, bourne of experience - the experience she felt when undergoing her severe bi-polar episode.
About feeling worthless and not understanding why people are acting normal and coping around you, etc. I must admit that that began to confuse me. Yes, Kat's got issues - massive psychological issues - but she's not bi-polar. Once again, we here what's become Kat's standard line about how she's not a good enough mother for her kids, and Stacey reassures her with an analogy of how she thought that when she was in prison (Stacey said "on remand," but she wasn't; she confesed to Archie's murder and was sentenced).
It took all of less than three minutes for Stacey to convince Kat that she was a good mother, and to get her wanting to return home for her kids. With Stacey leaving to find a nurse who'll tell her when Kat can go home, Alfie comes in for his big moment.
For all the Alfie-Haters, I suppose this was the moment for which they've been waiting - the moment when Alfie humbled himself before Kat's altar and apologised for all the trouble he caused her, most notably, blaming himself for bringing her to this state.
Well, I would call this the Fifty Per-Cent Moment, because there have been plenty of things for which Kat has never apologised to Alfie and never will - the numerous infidelities, the abusive and humiliating treatment, putting their tenancy at the Vic in peril. No apology for that at all. Yet Alfie bares his soul and confesses his love for her, even telling her he's willing to go miles away from her and live, if that's what she wants of him. Kat simply says nothing.
This reminded me of the abject apology that Max Branning gave to Tanya in the wake of Tanya having buried him alive. Yes, Alfie did a tremendously stupid thing in setting fire to the house, but before any of that, count the number of tremendously stupid and heartless things which Kat did to Alfie.
In the end, Stacey enteres with the news that Kat can leave hospital as soon as all the drugs are out of her system and after having been cleared by a psychiatric nurse - something that doesn't sit well with Kat, especially when Stacey suggests that either medication (nooooo) or counselling (an even bigger noooo in EastEndersLand) would be made available to her, and the piece de resistance, a visit from Social Services is on the cards. Of course, that horrifies Kat, who thinks that she's going to have her children taken from her, despite assurances from Alfie and Stacey of support.
The Moons were a byblow of tonight's action. They're dead men walking, and their leaving line can't come quick enough. They bring Stacey down.
Special Mention: The Denise and Shirley Show.
In the advent of Kathy's return, it's good to see DTC acknowledge the continuing friendship between Denise and Shirley,an obvious bonding which occurred after Kevin's death.
I mention Kathy because one of the strongest examples of female friendship on the show was the beautiful friendship that evolved between Pat and Kathy after Pete's death. I'm glad DTC has remembered that such a friendship exists. I like that Shirley found solace with Denise and Patrick, that Denise is remembered as Dean's stepmother.
There were soupcons of Pat about Denise tonight when she sussed that Shirley was going to do a bunk with Buster and Dean, when she called her out with the telltale phrase ...
A word.
With all the brouhaha in the background tonight, the scenes between Denise and Shirley were touchingly good. From the moment Denise upbraided her for encouraging Dean to run and for running, herself, to the moment when Denise finally told Shirley that if things didn't work out in Greece, there was always a place in her house for Shirley, even daring to criticise Buster as insincere and dismiss Kim's reaction to the drama surrounding Shirley, those were the things of real friendship. Most poignant of all were the little side squeeze to Denise's arms that Shirley did and the tight little smiles exchanged between the two women when Shirley was leaving.
It was interesting that Shirley, in a way, took Denise's advice. Denise was telling her that both she and Dean should stay now and front these accusations out, that if they were to leave, then people would always wonder about Dean's guilt. Shirley and Denise are just about the only two people fighting Dean's corner at the moment, but Dean had jumped bail, and there was only one place Dean was going now - remand -and the twist in the tale was the fact that Shirley, and not Mick as everyone was believing, who shopped Dean to the police; and the other mitigating factor in Shirley's decision was Phil, who told her that at least with Dean in prison, she'd know where he was.
The moment Shirley didn't take Buster's phonecall and the moment we saw her around the corner from where the police were arresting Dean, we knew that she'd shopped Dean, and her face was a picture of heartbreak.
The Continuing Story of Stan's Demise. There was a lot of welter about this tonight - first dealing with the return of Dean and Buster Bloodvessel ...
The downside of all of this is that this isn't about Linda's ordeal anymore. It's all about Dean and the affect his presence and his conduct is having on the family, specifically Mick's family, because it's Mick who precludes any contact with Dean. He includes Shirley in that as well, and she's determined to support Dean, which means Mick blanks her entirely.
More in this instance, the story has become one of Shirley and her dilemma facing her two sons. So determined is she to support Dean, and even moreso because Buster is now in the picture, that Tina has to remind her that she has two sons, not just one. Where does that leave Mick?
The main object of tonight's Carter dilemma was Shirley fighting for Dean's right to see his dying grandfather and Stan using his terminal status to demand to see his grandson.
For all Dean fled to Buster and now speaks about "getting to know the old man," I'm glad Mick is proving to be recalcitrant towards Buster. Stan is the father he's always known. It sticks in my craw just as much to hear Dean refer to his father as "Kevin," and the sperm donor as "Dad," as it does to hear Sharon refer to "Den" and "Ange" and then refer to Carol Hanley and Gavin Sullivan as her "real" mum and dad.
There was only a nod to poor Linda's dilemma when she, Nancy and Lee were left to muse over the possibility of Dean being able to swan off to a new life in Greece.
Somewhere in this storyline, Linda has been pitiably forgotten.
This was an exemplary episode, with a brilliant, but poignant, twist at the end.
But let's concentrate on the other action at Walford General tonight first.
Moon Moaning.
After all the news that evolved this past weekend, it's hard to summon any interest or energy for the Moons, knowing what we know.
We know that they'll reconcile. We know that they'll win a big Lottery prize, and we know that they'll leave for pastures anew in Ireland.
What we don't know is how long they'll be there - hopefully, the move (and the subsequent spin-off series) is a success, and they remain in Ireland and raise their children there. I could tolerate the occasional visit back to Walford, but I think with this departure, that could be the end of the ultimate arc for the Moons. Unlike any other Walford resident, they got two happy endings.
So tonight was nothing new - Kat being rushed into the hospital on a gurney, with clever shot from Kat's angle of the overhead lights in the hospital corridor, Alfie babbling reassurances incoherently, only to have the final word being uttered by Kat, telling Alfie to go away.
Well, he doesn't go away, but he doesn't make any headway with Kat, when he sees her, as she's still having a massive self-pity party for herself, amassing into what appears to be a big sulk. In the meantime, before Alfie's called into see Kat, Stacey arrives, and that's the magic word Alfie utters to Kat.
Of course, Kat will see and listen to Stacey.
I have to admit, what Stacey talked was common sense, bourne of experience - the experience she felt when undergoing her severe bi-polar episode.
About feeling worthless and not understanding why people are acting normal and coping around you, etc. I must admit that that began to confuse me. Yes, Kat's got issues - massive psychological issues - but she's not bi-polar. Once again, we here what's become Kat's standard line about how she's not a good enough mother for her kids, and Stacey reassures her with an analogy of how she thought that when she was in prison (Stacey said "on remand," but she wasn't; she confesed to Archie's murder and was sentenced).
It took all of less than three minutes for Stacey to convince Kat that she was a good mother, and to get her wanting to return home for her kids. With Stacey leaving to find a nurse who'll tell her when Kat can go home, Alfie comes in for his big moment.
For all the Alfie-Haters, I suppose this was the moment for which they've been waiting - the moment when Alfie humbled himself before Kat's altar and apologised for all the trouble he caused her, most notably, blaming himself for bringing her to this state.
Well, I would call this the Fifty Per-Cent Moment, because there have been plenty of things for which Kat has never apologised to Alfie and never will - the numerous infidelities, the abusive and humiliating treatment, putting their tenancy at the Vic in peril. No apology for that at all. Yet Alfie bares his soul and confesses his love for her, even telling her he's willing to go miles away from her and live, if that's what she wants of him. Kat simply says nothing.
This reminded me of the abject apology that Max Branning gave to Tanya in the wake of Tanya having buried him alive. Yes, Alfie did a tremendously stupid thing in setting fire to the house, but before any of that, count the number of tremendously stupid and heartless things which Kat did to Alfie.
In the end, Stacey enteres with the news that Kat can leave hospital as soon as all the drugs are out of her system and after having been cleared by a psychiatric nurse - something that doesn't sit well with Kat, especially when Stacey suggests that either medication (nooooo) or counselling (an even bigger noooo in EastEndersLand) would be made available to her, and the piece de resistance, a visit from Social Services is on the cards. Of course, that horrifies Kat, who thinks that she's going to have her children taken from her, despite assurances from Alfie and Stacey of support.
The Moons were a byblow of tonight's action. They're dead men walking, and their leaving line can't come quick enough. They bring Stacey down.
Special Mention: The Denise and Shirley Show.
In the advent of Kathy's return, it's good to see DTC acknowledge the continuing friendship between Denise and Shirley,an obvious bonding which occurred after Kevin's death.
I mention Kathy because one of the strongest examples of female friendship on the show was the beautiful friendship that evolved between Pat and Kathy after Pete's death. I'm glad DTC has remembered that such a friendship exists. I like that Shirley found solace with Denise and Patrick, that Denise is remembered as Dean's stepmother.
There were soupcons of Pat about Denise tonight when she sussed that Shirley was going to do a bunk with Buster and Dean, when she called her out with the telltale phrase ...
A word.
With all the brouhaha in the background tonight, the scenes between Denise and Shirley were touchingly good. From the moment Denise upbraided her for encouraging Dean to run and for running, herself, to the moment when Denise finally told Shirley that if things didn't work out in Greece, there was always a place in her house for Shirley, even daring to criticise Buster as insincere and dismiss Kim's reaction to the drama surrounding Shirley, those were the things of real friendship. Most poignant of all were the little side squeeze to Denise's arms that Shirley did and the tight little smiles exchanged between the two women when Shirley was leaving.
It was interesting that Shirley, in a way, took Denise's advice. Denise was telling her that both she and Dean should stay now and front these accusations out, that if they were to leave, then people would always wonder about Dean's guilt. Shirley and Denise are just about the only two people fighting Dean's corner at the moment, but Dean had jumped bail, and there was only one place Dean was going now - remand -and the twist in the tale was the fact that Shirley, and not Mick as everyone was believing, who shopped Dean to the police; and the other mitigating factor in Shirley's decision was Phil, who told her that at least with Dean in prison, she'd know where he was.
The moment Shirley didn't take Buster's phonecall and the moment we saw her around the corner from where the police were arresting Dean, we knew that she'd shopped Dean, and her face was a picture of heartbreak.
The Continuing Story of Stan's Demise. There was a lot of welter about this tonight - first dealing with the return of Dean and Buster Bloodvessel ...
The downside of all of this is that this isn't about Linda's ordeal anymore. It's all about Dean and the affect his presence and his conduct is having on the family, specifically Mick's family, because it's Mick who precludes any contact with Dean. He includes Shirley in that as well, and she's determined to support Dean, which means Mick blanks her entirely.
More in this instance, the story has become one of Shirley and her dilemma facing her two sons. So determined is she to support Dean, and even moreso because Buster is now in the picture, that Tina has to remind her that she has two sons, not just one. Where does that leave Mick?
The main object of tonight's Carter dilemma was Shirley fighting for Dean's right to see his dying grandfather and Stan using his terminal status to demand to see his grandson.
For all Dean fled to Buster and now speaks about "getting to know the old man," I'm glad Mick is proving to be recalcitrant towards Buster. Stan is the father he's always known. It sticks in my craw just as much to hear Dean refer to his father as "Kevin," and the sperm donor as "Dad," as it does to hear Sharon refer to "Den" and "Ange" and then refer to Carol Hanley and Gavin Sullivan as her "real" mum and dad.
There was only a nod to poor Linda's dilemma when she, Nancy and Lee were left to muse over the possibility of Dean being able to swan off to a new life in Greece.
Somewhere in this storyline, Linda has been pitiably forgotten.
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