2025 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

Yes, even after reading on here that it was coming, I was still surprised by the intro. I haven’t gone through it with a checklist seeing who’s there and who isn’t but there were definitely some individual and couples shots of Levi and Mackenzie on the beach in the middle. (I think it started with Remi and Bree.) Bit odd that all the oldies are bunched together at the end. Having first learned we weren’t going to have them, I’m trying to work out what this means. Have we now got them for good? Did someone send out the wrong copy of the episode by mistake? Did Channel 5 get bombarded with e-mails and make a special request?

As to the stuff after the titles, you have to admire Roo trying her best to be the person Eliza needs, even if she’s clearly out of her depth by now. Aside from usual TV “the main characters do everything” rules, the question remains as to why it’s down to Roo to call the department, who appear to have dumped Eliza and vanished. Her only support is a seminar she had to arrange herself and a social worker on maternity leave who’s her neighbour. I did quite enjoy the opening scene of Eliza being ultra-nice. Her expression while watching the video was interesting again: It was like she was trying to fight off any emotional reaction to it and keep the stoic detached mindset in place. No word yet on her motivation with Alf, and even though she says the stories behind the box item were lies, we don’t get the truth. Ironic that she kept missing Harper and Archie even when they were in the same building. I continue to find Tane’s Leah-like attempts to dictate who can and can’t see Harper frustrating. I was disappointed that Harper wasn’t there with Roo and hope she’s been held up rather than bowing to the will of the patriarch like a good little woman. I still find it hard to believe Eliza would actually do anything to hurt Harper or Archie, her actions have been mostly passive.

Aside from a couple of scenes of John worrying about the River Boys, the only other thing of note is Mali and Abigail’s latest spat. The show seems to be using a trick Neighbours is fond of: Dealing with an age gap relationship by making the older party immature. The result being that I’m left wondering if Mali is mature enough for Abby.

[pembie]

I think Eliza’s motivations with Alf because he tried to overrule Roo with her punishment and making her work at the Surf Club for free She sees Roo as a pushover or only takes notice of her because she’s the person as been put in charge of looking after her so nobody else can tell her what to do something like that 

[Red Ranger 1]

I kind of wonder why Tane waited until now to mention the phone call. Was he waiting until he thought the storyline was nearly over?

[Dan F]

43 minutes ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Having first learned we weren’t going to have them, I’m trying to work out what this means. Have we now got them for good? Did someone send out the wrong copy of the episode by mistake? Did Channel 5 get bombarded with e-mails and make a special request?

Despite what's been claimed, they've always been provided alongside the episodes for C5 to use if they wish (though they'd have to edit them on themselves). They just chose not to until now.

They were actually the sixth set used at Oz pace - at this point, Sonny is the latest addition and there's three versions on rotation with the different theme songs.

[c120701]

1 hour ago, Dan F said:

Despite what's been claimed, they've always been provided alongside the episodes for C5 to use if they wish (though they'd have to edit them on themselves). They just chose not to until now.

They were actually the sixth set used at Oz pace - at this point, Sonny is the latest addition and there's three versions on rotation with the different theme songs.

It’s a bit jarring going from the titles to the recaps, but I’m just glad they’re back so no complaining!

[H&Alover]

Was a shock - a nice one - to see the new titles at least all the moaners can shut up now.   I was wondering why Alf and co were at the end.  

Roo as we know doesn't like to be seen as failing at anything but she did finally admit she can't handle Eliza.   That was spooky Eliza being so nice, throwing deflection from her previous behaviour?  That seminar Roo  went on wouldn't have helped her to cope better with Eliza it's a  completely different situation. I'm guessing they don't hold seminars for foster parents who may have a fire starter, stalker, strange obsessions on their hands. 

Didn't both Alf and Roo say Harper didn't want to see Eliza? 

I was with Tane about Harper not seeing Eliza with Roo.  A SW is supposed to be impartial, a step back from the people she is talking to so able to give an  informed unbiased assessment on where to go from the initial talk. In this case now she knows the truth she wouldn't be able to do that as she is involved in it, very much so.  It  did come to her as a shock that Eliza had filmed the birth, she may not have believed Tane but Roo had seen it, as she then revealed Eliza told her her phone was out of charge so she lent her hers to call 000 so Tane was able  to check that no call had been made.

That is the problem we don't know what Eliza's motivations are  about any of her obsessions, morbid fascination about possible death from certain situations.  The op Harper had to save Archie, the fact Harper, though one thing not to lay at Eliza's door, it was Harper's idea to go for a drive so was forced to give birth in the middle of nowhere instead of a hospital and Alf's health scare.  Her being passive didn't help Alf though did it? She didn't instigate  his heart scare but she hardly rushed to get his pills or get help. 

Where did she disappear to after ducking out on John? She turned up after Roo got home?  Did she go back to Irene's? 

Another peculiar thing, her asking John why they cleaned the buggies when they only got dirty again, more something someone with Autism may ask. 

Is what she said  about those things in her box not being what she said they were another lie?   We did see Alf's pills and the photo of Harper.  May seem odd but I'm more interested in who's hank of hair that is, it's not  a child's or babies but an adults.  As with her many problems and the objects in her box I hope we do find out some of the truth.  

We don't know what the age gap is between Mali and Abbey, though both can act like teenagers at times.   Mac had to come across as big 'sis'  to get Mali to see sense.  Mac had been stubborn herself in that regard in the past as not needing help but having to finally admitting she did.  Loved they both apologised to each other, some may not like them as a couple but some couples thrive on the way they carry on, can bounce off each other but other times really wind each other up.  Makes making up really fun though. 

Wouldn't the local NW have anything to say about the RB's hanging around?   I guess as they aren't actually causing an obstruction parking where they are not a lot the cops can do.  No need to ask why they are there. 

[c120701]

The oldies being at the end of the titles is nostalgic, 1996 crammed most of them in to the chorus, 2000 was similar pre-Sutherlands.

[Red Ranger 1]

I feel obliged to point out that Harper never said she wanted nothing to do with Eliza. Tane went behind her back and told Alf and Roo to keep Eliza away from her like a heavy Victorian patriarch. Alf, being something of a heavy Victorian patriarch himself, falsely attributed the words to Harper, because god forbid she be allowed to have a different opinion to Tane.

Anyway, that's it for Eliza it would appear. Harper tries to soften the blow by saying she'll only be institutionalised for "the short term" but it's hard to imagine her suddenly being all cured of her destructive impulses in a matter of days or weeks. At least she's not facing criminal charges, but other than that, she's likely to end up on the same ward as Heather. Some questions remain unanswered but I'd rather that than the show suddenly pulling a load of last minute reveals about how awful she is out of a hat. We don't know whether she started the fire at her old house or not, we don't know whether there's more to what happened her to her grandmother, we don't know if these dangerous fixations have happened in similar circumstances at the past. And without that, Irene, Marilyn and Tane continue to snip about her as if she's the devil's spawn makes me think badly of them rather than Eliza. Again, despite lots of predictions that she'd stab Harper or set fire to the house with Marilyn and Roo tied up inside, the only time she actively hurt someone was when she punched Scott. She didn't drag Harper into the bush or cause her to go into labour, she didn't make Alf have heart problems. Yes, she stopped them getting help, and that's dangerous behaviour, but people both on screen and off have been acting like she's a serial killer, which is ridiculous. Oh, and another reminder of how utterly incompetent and unprofessional social services have been: They're apparently "not surprised" at what Eliza's done, yet gave Roo no warning or support, which is downright negligent to a level on a par with Eliza's own. I'm glad Harper was there to support them all at the end rather than staying away like a little woman, and while Roo and Eliza don't end on a good note, I hope Roo realises she did all she could. Eliza remains ambiguous up to the end, with it unclear how much of her upset about being sent away was real. (She did, after all, have time to prepare after eavesdropping on Roo.)

Elsewhere, we have Mackenzie's cluckiness and Cash being rather casual with Lacey, although his straight talking is probably the best way to handle the situation. Justin doesn't seem to share Leah's myopic belief that it's all Lacey's fault, but it's not clear whether he still thinks the same about Remi and Sonny. I understand Theo being worried about Lacey but he still needs to look after his recovery.

Edited June 17 by Red Ranger 1

[H&Alover]

It was a bit of an anti climax with Eliza going so quietly but she did get that last jibe in about Roo not being  a bad carer but she was the worst. That was after her saying she wanted to stay but as Roo said she wasn't able to give her the help she needed.  I do hope we do find something about her history as we'll be left hanging as will Roo, Alf and Marilyn. She is one very complex character so for someone so young. 

Very vague this 'short term' comment, what do they class as 'short term' for a teenager even a few weeks could be seen as for ever. Bad enough they dumped -  sorry placed her with a very inexperienced carer with no history but they've also landed Harper a woman who has only just recently given birth and should be on maternity leave  looking after her new born with the job of clearing their mess up. 

I bet all those people who were ready with the flaming torches and pitchforks were utterly disappointed, nothing got burnt down, no-one got stabbed. But TPTB did lead us up the garden path a bit by hinting that is what she could have done. 

I think we will have to agree to disagree about the reason Tane was keeping Eliza away from Harper and Archie was because he was being controlling, he's seen Eliza's behaviour, she stole the scan photo, secretly filmed the birth, didn't ring 000. he was just worried about what Eliza may have done.  Harper was 'seeing' it from a SW's point of view but it was more personal this time. 

Eliza was giving off very bad vibes all over the place, but yes the only person she physically attacked was Scott. 

Roo can be pretty controlling herself not wanting to accept help, insisting she knew what she was doing but had to admit she wasn't the right person to help Eliza.

Getting away from all the drama,  I'm loving the dynamics   between Harper and Tane and how they are co-parenting Archie so well please let it last. Tane's  more than happy doing all the daddy stuff, walking him, feeding him - subtly dropped in that Harper is expressing her milk - burping him, even changing nappies.  I'm supposing Archie goes home to Irene's at the end of the day as he'd have all his stuff there and he'd be comfy with familiar surroundings.   

Mac not so subtly suggesting she and Levi take time out to make babies, but he got called into see Theo who is digging his heels in about getting his psyhio.  What are his actual injuries btw?  I can see why Theo is bothered that Lacey seems to have forgotten about him and Leah is so not helping by nagging him all the time.  Justin has been there hasn't he so knows how tough psyhio can be as did Remi so able to chip in with his words of wisdom.  

I  did love Cash's to the RB's  as he drove past their car.  Very clever/sneaky that Cash is keeping Lacey  at Yabbie Creek cop shop as it makes it more frustrating for them thinking he'll lead them to her when it's what he's doing everyday and they don't know it. They must be pretty scared of Gage as  sitting around all day, doing nothing isn't what they signed up for when they joined the RB's. Did I hear him say Eden had gone away?  Her choice or his or both?  It would make sense she'd want to be out of the way so he's not fretting about her. 

Cash did have to give it to Lacey straight, telling her she can go anytime she wants but would have to dodge the RB's hanging around outside.  She did put back the safe house option when she skipped off last time they were trying to keep her safe. 

YEH I did  get it right re Dana and Sonny, though it seems Remi wants to shut it down before it even starts because of the danger Sonny could be putting Dana in.  The RB's would be after him too. 

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, with Roo and Harper off screen dealing with the fallout of Eliza, and Alf and Marilyn getting a couple of (mildly annoying) contractually obligated scenes, it's onto other matters.Which basically means the River Boys, who continue to follow Cash about.They're not even really being subtle, or particularly useful, as evidenced with them parking up a few yards away out of earshot while Cash chats to Remi and Bree. So Sonny gets his own bodyguards.Hopefully they're not from the same firm Cash worked for or he could be in trouble.It was Bree who gave Dana a way of finding him, although to be fair, she doesn't seem to know what Remi was planning. I'd have thought Marilyn would have learned about enthusiastically getting vicarious about someone else's romance after Tane and Harper!

Meanwhile, Leah comes clean to first Justin and then Theo. I'm glad Justin extended an olive branch to Remi and Sonny and shook Sonny's hand (and that Sonny acknowledged he wasn't entirely wrong), otherwise he would have seemed like a bit of a hypocrite. He really didn't seem to grasp Cash's "You can't tell anyone" instruction since he immediately tells Theo he's seen Lacey! Levi did a pretty good job getting Theo to play ball.

1 hour ago, H&Alover said:

Did I hear him say Eden had gone away?

No, Cash has just been staying away from her while the River Boys are after him.

 

21 hours ago, c120701 said:

The oldies being at the end of the titles is nostalgic, 1996 crammed most of them in to the chorus, 2000 was similar pre-Sutherlands.

Well, 1996 started with Pippa, as pretty much every version for the first ten years did (but ironically not the first version, where Tom's on his own with her following) although I accept Alf, Ailsa, Irene and Marilyn are right at the end (Donald's kind of in the middle). Fair point on original 2000, which starts off with a bunch of youngsters and has Alf, Ailsa, Donald and Irene virtually at the end.

Edited June 18 by Red Ranger 1