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When did Alf become the show's linchpin?


adam436

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I am just curious at what point to do you think that Alf came to be considered the show's linchpin/backbone? He was obviously very much a supporting role in the early days to the Fletchers/Rosses, but even in the Sutherland years, he didn't really feel like the backbone of the show. In fact, I'd say from 1998 to the mid 2000s, I didn't really feel like the show didn't really have a central linchpin figure (even though we had 2-4 original cast members during that time), like we had in the early days of Pippa and Tom/Michael. 

 

At the same time, I feel like he fell into that he fell into that role well before he was sole surviving original cast member. For me, I feel like it was around episode 4000 (which focused on him), as he moved into Summer Bay House not long after that. Around this time he was also given two grandchildren and I feel like the writers really started to realise they had a strong surrogate father/daughter relationship with Sally too. 

 

Any thoughts? 

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To be honest I think Alf was a much stronger and more interesting character when he wasn't considered a 'linchpin' and was just one of the cast in his own home living his own life - with Ailsa. My interest in Alf has never been the same as it was when Ailsa was alive and he ran his own businesses, which sort of suggests to me that the writers haven't successfully been able to develop Alf as a character in his own right and have sort of allowed his longevity and 'linchpin' status to carry him.

They could have done so many other things with Alf over the past 17 years but he's just felt very unsettled Imo which is why he's never been a strong enough reason for me to continue watching, I don't feel attached to him whereas I used to feel like I knew him, I don't anymore because he's just been badly, or boringly, developed over the years. His relationship with Ailsa allowed us to see multiple sides to his character which gave him a lot more depth. Losing Fisher also damaged the flow of his character and contributed to him drifting.

I think he gained his 'linchpin' status around 2005 but it was further cemented when Sally left in 08.

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Yes, I'm tempted to say "when Sally left". She was the last link to the Fletchers and suddenly Alf had to take on her role of being the one to regard Summer Bay as a welcoming town for anyone who needed help and invite everyone and their uncle to come and live in his house.(To be fair, that was always an aspect of the character but it seemed to get more cemented then.)It had been building for a long time before that, with Ailsa and Don going and with Alf moving into the big house, so I think maybe it was a slow journey from his brain tumour story in 2003, which was the point where they first began to show Summer Bay as a place that would collapse without Alf to keep an eye on things, with the whole town affected by what would happen to him and that near death experience of a nightmarish Summer Bay Without Alf (which pretty much came true but that's another story).

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5 hours ago, alexx said:

To be honest I think Alf was a much stronger and more interesting character when he wasn't considered a 'linchpin' and was just one of the cast in his own home living his own life - with Ailsa. My interest in Alf has never been the same as it was when Ailsa was alive and he ran his own businesses, which sort of suggests to me that the writers haven't successfully been able to develop Alf as a character in his own right and have sort of allowed his longevity and 'linchpin' status to carry him.

They could have done so many other things with Alf over the past 17 years but he's just felt very unsettled Imo which is why he's never been a strong enough reason for me to continue watching, I don't feel attached to him whereas I used to feel like I knew him, I don't anymore because he's just been badly, or boringly, developed over the years. His relationship with Ailsa allowed us to see multiple sides to his character which gave him a lot more depth. Losing Fisher also damaged the flow of his character and contributed to him drifting.

I think he gained his 'linchpin' status around 2005 but it was further cemented when Sally left in 08.

 

I agree pretty much with all of that. The Ailsa and Duncan years were certainly Alf's heyday and I too feel his "linchpin" status have probably carried him in the last 10 years or so. I used to quite like him back then, but now I feel he is a bit over-rated. Sometimes I feel like it is almost like his iconic phrases and behaviour are being shoehorned into the show to keep "classic Alf" alive. 

 

I do find it interesting that the sole surviving original character is one of the few to have lived in SB their whole life (as opposed to say the Fletchers, Ailsa or Fisher!), which probably makes his "guardian of Summer Bay" more believable. 

 

 

5 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

They should have brought in a new wife for Alf. 

 

I disagree. While it might have given him more of a purpose, I think not giving him a long-term interest show just how much he loved Ailsa and that no one could replace her. Also depending on who they paired him with, he may have been widowed or divorced within a few years anyway. Neighbours never gave Harold a long-term love interest after Madge (I am ignoring Carolyn, as that was during a bad period of the show and she was just a guest!), and I think it showed a similar characteristic in their relationship too. 

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5 hours ago, j.laur5 said:

They should have brought in a new wife for Alf. 

Far to late now but think could have put him with Irene she had just lost Ken (or was about to can't remember who died first) so could have work and they of been together for last 17 years 

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1 hour ago, adam436 said:

 

I agree pretty much with all of that. The Ailsa and Duncan years were certainly Alf's heyday and I too feel his "linchpin" status have probably carried him in the last 10 years or so. I used to quite like him back then, but now I feel he is a bit over-rated. Sometimes I feel like it is almost like his iconic phrases and behaviour are being shoehorned into the show to keep "classic Alf" alive. 

 

I do find it interesting that the sole surviving original character is one of the few to have lived in SB their whole life (as opposed to say the Fletchers, Ailsa or Fisher!), which probably makes his "guardian of Summer Bay" more believable. 

I thought Donald lived in Summer Bay his whole life?. 

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I'm pretty sure Donald moved there as an adult.I don't think he and Barbara had known each other long when they got married, I seem to remember her reflecting that in those days he was a newcomer in town who seemed like the most eligible bachelor compared to the uneducated locals.

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