2025 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Slade]

I will also say that I didn't have much sympathy for Harper and certainly with regards to Tane, she really should have known better.  I do feel she is definitely punishing him for being rejected and it's not right, but I have even less sympathy for him.  I actually found his reaction quite amusing when Harper told him he wasn't allowed to be in Archie's life.  He doesn't see her as anything other than a baby holder, so I'm actually glad that he was out of shape.  I was actually pleased Cash stepped in.  Again, Harper is in the wrong, but she was not going to listen to reason at that particular point and given she and Cash have a friendship that's pre Summer Bay, I don't realistically think he could have stood there without doing anything.  I will say I pretty much loathed him when he went crazy and obsessed with keeping Eden safe, but I think he's been OK as of late.

[H&Alover]

It was a knee jerk reaction by Harper telling Tane he couldn't be involved in Archie's life and she had asked to meet him on the beach.  It was rather poignant with Dana and Harper standing there waiting for Tane and people were carrying the flower arrangements away and  you could see other people taking the props down. l in the background taking down the He can get a bit gung ho when it comes to babiesl look at how he was with starting a family with Flick and Maia/Poppy.  Him shouting at her wasn't helping and she is due next week  so didn't need that.  I thought the reason she didn't want to tell Tane about the baby was because it was a one night stand so they weren't even an item back  then so didn't want to say "Hey guess what, you're going to be  daddy".  Many a guy gets trapped like that.   We may be forgetting that not long after Tane and Flick broke up Tane misread the messages he thought Harper was sending him and moved in to kiss her after one of their lessons and she backed off. 

Harper was happy or so it seemed to let Tane make all the Wedding arrangements, small service, only  a few friends no fuss, no fancy clobber, he had been there and his and Flick's wedding was beautiful so no way could that be topped.  But it wasn't just his Wedding it was Harper's so she deserved a say in it. 

Cash again was the one talking  sense, even mentioning his mistake about dumping Eden for the wrong reasons.   Brave in a way for Tane to go and see Harper after that altercation.  He accepted the fact he wasn't going to be allowed at the birth but hoped he'd be involved in his life and she didn't say no. He would be a  good dad so hope they can reach an arrangement that suits both them and Archie without going down the legal route which can get very messy.   

It did put the kibbosh on Eden's proposal when Cash said she was right about taking it slowly, hope she tells Kirby so she doesn't put her foot in it. 

Talking of Kirby yes she  can't expect Mali to let her off work when the muse hits, but to give her due she has now told him it's not just writing the songs, she's got an album to record so would be leaving anyway.  Hopefully he can find someone new, he certainly can't do it all on his own.  Even Abby was willing to pitch in if he needed help despite their earlier agreement it wasn't a good idea to be together 24/7. 

I have to say Abby's dress for the Wedding was lovely - so her, slightly hippiesh.  Mali scrubs up well too.  Then Cash tips up and breaks the news.  Credit to all of them going back to Salt and packing things away.  That was an ultra cringe moment when Levi blurted out why he and Mac wanted Home Farm to themselves.  Definitely something neither Mali and especially Abby will find easy to get out of their minds. It's like kids realising their mums and dads don't just got to bed to sleep.   Ok they are all adults but what goes on behind their respective bedrooms doors is their concern and doesn't need thinking about let alone saying out loud. Anyways why couldn't Mac and Levi go away for the  night instead of paying Mali and Abby to stay away? 

Mali has said the L word to Abby who didn't take it too well. 

Mac has visited Dean, Ziggy and Izzy before this trip so Izzy isn't that much of a stranger to her. 

[Red Ranger 1]

This Eliza storyline is shockingly badly written. It feels as though we're meant to see Roo, who's coming from a place of compassion, as in the wrong, and the utterly awful attitudes of Alf and Marilyn, wanting a vulnerable child to be locked up or made someone else's problem, as somehow right. Well, sorry, but the more we get of this, the more I feel like I'd rather side with Roo than be wrong than side with the not-in-my-back-yard brigade and be right. It doesn't help that Marilyn's a pretty unpleasant character most of the time anyway (I really hoped to see some humility over her smug matchmaking towards Tane and Harper going wrong but nope), and that one of Alf's biggest weaknesses is his tendency to ignore her faults and overindulge her, so naturally he takes her side over Roo and doesn't even consider that Marilyn might be the one causing trouble.

Abigail was being ridiculous as well.So, the problem isn't that she doesn't love Mali back (which, ironically, was the issue with Tane and Harper, not that she knows that), the problem is that she thinks moving in together isn't a big scary commitment but saying the L word is? I think the only way to sum that up is "first world problems". Oh well, she seems to have decided that being in love isn't relationship death by the end, so that's that little drama sorted.

I wasn't too keen on another storyline of everyone talking about someone who isn't in the episode either.There was a brief moment of interest when Remi challenged Justin's assumption that Sonny's involved in stolen car parts despite being at odds with him presently, but then he just slipped back into towing the line. So Justin tells Remi and Bree what Cash said, even though he hasn't told Leah? Is he trying to create marital problems?

[H&Alover]

Roo though is so in denial that Eliza has problems she can't be expected to handle, she's letting her compassion rule her heart when her head is telling her something different.  She does have doubts but  but doesn't want to admit them. Did you notice she told Alf to be quiet in case Eliza heard them talking about her.  Alf had been on Eliza's side before he went to Martha's don't forget,  until Roo told him Eliza had stolen his knife, has she put it back where is should be btw?  To give Marilyn some credit she didn't tell Alf why she didn't feel safe at home, just said he'd need to talk to Roo.  Did Roo have to air her grievances  in public like that?  

I wouldn't have said Abby was being ridiculous about Mali saying the L word - twice, Levi echoed what Eden said to him about him and Mac starting a family.  Abby had seen her family break  apart when she thought her mum and dad were  a solid couple and she was pretty young when it happened, as Levi and Imogen were but as Levi said no-one can guarantee a Happy Ever After, you just have to be brave enough to take the risk.  You may get hurt but you may not. Mali's mum and dad  from what he's said had  a  good marriage so not able to see it from her side.  Anyways as we saw Abby bit the bullet and told him she loved him.  Come to think of it has there an instance of  a long and happy marriage/partnership in the bay?  I suppose you could count Alf and Martha, but she feigned her death and was away for many years before they reunited. 

Both Justin, who OK hasn't known Sonny that long and Remi are ready to blame him for Theo getting involved with the RB's.  Sonny, unlike us,  didn't have a clue who they were but it didn't take him long to cotton on they were bad news and want out.  The way they are talking it comes across as Sonny leading Theo astray because he's older, Theo is an adult and perfectly capable of doing his own thing, it's the excitement of racing and Lacey of course.  Remi said himself he doesn't know what Sonny has been up since he last saw him just thinking the worst.   At least Bree, on the quiet, has reached out to him. 

Not looking good for Theo and Lacey as we saw in the trailer  as Gage caught them  having  a 'secret' snog in broad daylight.

 

[Medea Fleecestealer]

Surprised that Lacey at least doesn't take more care.  She knows what the River Boys are like since she hangs around with them.  Would you really want to risk pissing your bf off like that?  If you must, at least get a room and do it in private.  

[Red Ranger 1]

My issue with Abigail was that she's already in a relationship with Mali, and living with him, and it'd already hurt if they break up.Whether or not they exchange the L word didn't make a scrap of difference.

I'm afraid that I have to agree that Alf was being ridiculous here.He has a frustrating habit of doing this, coming down hard on someone that he thinks other people are being soft on.He was the same with Maddy when she first lived there, deciding Roo was spoiling her and taking it upon himself to bully her and arbitrarily order her to do chores.He was the same with Theo, deciding Justin and John hadn't punished him enough so he was going to make his life a misery.And maybe Eliza's worse than them, but getting her to clean toilets is no magic solution and I'm glad Roo stepped in.Irene continues to lap up Marilyn's whining without actually meeting Eliza or even hearing Roo's side of the story, although she did at least point out she changed, and there was no real sign she wanted to when we first met her, as Marilyn should know given she didn't like her much when she first came back to town (partly because of that, partly because Marilyn's self-absorbed). Not that it made any impact on Marilyn, who's obviously decided Eliza's bad and therefore she doesn't have to treat her fairly. (I guess we see things differently because I found her "You'll have to ask Roo" a bit manipulative: It put all the responsibility on Roo and inevitably let to Alf charging in demanding to know what Roo had done to upset Marilyn.) Alf did finally make the point that Eliza's only meant to be there temporarily, but no-one followed up on it. Maybe something ambiguous on Eliza's face at the end? She looked triumphant but maybe there was a slight trace of vulnerability in there? I think a part of her likes having someone on her side.

Elsewhere, Theo continues to be into fast cars and fast women. Bree trying to warn off Gage and Lacey was utterly ridiculous, did she really expect them to be cowed? (There was someone we didn't know behind the counter at the board shop at the time.Has Mali got new staff or was he being robbed?) Still, it's got Sonny sharing with Remi. And Justin's shared what little he knows with Leah, so that's that source of marital strife shut down.

[H&Alover]

But the thing is the L word being spoken does make a difference, if it's not been said they can act as if they are just girlfriend/boyfriend who like each other a lot who happen to live together, not as if they are on their own, they are sharing a home with Mac and Levi. Once it's been said not easy at all to backtrack. 

Alf, let's  not forget is very old school, though he has softened over the years and he does now admit his mistakes like he did with Theo who was a bit of a wild child when he first arrived and Leah did use to make excuses for him and still does.  I had the feeling if it hadn't been a knife Eliza had stolen but something 'safe' like a reel from a fishing rod, he wouldn't have been so uptight but a knife is a whole different matter.  He may have been trying to treat her as a normal kid who's done something wrong, we did see before with John she couldn't grasp why the batteries on the walkie-talkies were so important that she had to check them.  It is still hard to make her out, is she bad or has problems no-ones been bothered look into and get help for?  It  was a good point Alf made about Eliza being an Emergency foster child, as usually they are only with them overnight or  a couple of days until SW or the authorities place them in a  more 'permanent' home.  We'll have to see how it goes with Roo going to see who it is she's going to see but is it wise for Harper to be seeing Eliza what with her obsession with Harper's pregnancy and is due any day now.  Why are they - Eliza and Harper - seemingly in the middle of nowhere and it looking like Harper is going into labour?  

What happened to Wednesday's trailer of Gage spotting Theo and Lacey?    Btw Meda it wouldn't be so nerve racking if they had got a room. Gage is very determined to have Theo's car, I know nuffin about cars but it did look very impressive, prompting Gage to offer 25,000 for it.  Gage did come across as being very controlling the way he was  with Lacey, his arm round her neck  and leading her away, Bree could relate to that.  

I was mightily relieved Bree told Remi  the truth about who she was meeting and loved her 'now play nicely' to them when she left them.     They did make up and and Sonny let Remi in on what was happening with the RB's  and why he had got out, but did express concern about Theo.  Theo may be into his racing  and knows what the RB's  are into but no way would he be fitting stolen  parts in his own motor.  Phew with Justin sharing what little he knows with Leah so no secrets.  

 

[Medea Fleecestealer]

Well, Gage did spot them today so expect fireworks next week I guess.  How can it be nervewracking when it's obvious they're going to be found out if they do that sort of thing where anyone can see them.  Not to mention that the storyline, as we all know, has to have it happen sooner or later.  That's H&A drama for you.

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm still not seeing any logic to Abigail's attitude.Either she'd be upset if they broke up or she wouldn't.Saying the L word doesn't change it.

Alf's episode count this week:Three.

I am absolutely loving the way Eliza doesn't feel the need to treat Marilyn with anything other than disdain.Marilyn's constant hovering and nannying didn't help at all, and Harper and Eliza might even have stayed at the house if not for her getting in the way all the time.Eliza does seem to ask a lot of questions that most people would find a teeny bit uncomfortable, I have to admit.It was interesting that Harper didn't know John and Marilyn used to be married.Whilst he was a bit abrupt at times, John did have the gem of some good advice for Tane.

Yep, this is why you should not treat promos as if they're part of the episode or even what's definitely going to happen next time:They're just some stuff that will probably happen in the future.And I've pretty much given up complaining about them giving away cliffhangers by this point.Sonny was another one that probably did more harm than good, as his attempt at an intervention simply led to Theo and Lacey having another liaison in one of the spots where they were most likely to be spotted by someone they know.

[pembie]

It’s quite bizarre really with me always trying to become a actor or writer with all those years I have wasted I should have asked a mechanic to help me I don’t know how Kirby will make it with Justin as manager and yet the person who she needs Forest Kirby insults 

Theo his a right wally this isn’t fast and furious and you aren’t Paul Walker and you won’t be invited to join Vin Diesel’s family 

Lacey gosh she’s very easily impressed I still don’t know or begin to understand where these new gang of River Boys have come from Maybe they regenerate like Doctor Who speaking of that by the way that was a bonkers finale 

Harper I would say you had a lucky escape but you have boring Tanes baby still but at least you still have your nice hair

Levi and Mac are going to have a baby because apparently kidnapping holiday puts you in the mood 

I think that’s all the nonsense I watched so far

Edited June 1 by pembie