2019 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[baywatcher]

2 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

Is it me or is Mason sporting some kind of 70s look akin to a Pop Star/Tennis player of that time period?

I thought he was going for Maggie's recent wet look.

[baywatcher]

I really like those low key episodes where not much happens and lots of characters talk to and look out for each other.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Four.

Leah's still struggling in the stepmother role, although no arson attacks yet so she's had a better start than last time.It probably wasn't a good idea to make the whole visit about Ava meeting Leah, especially if Justin didn't mention her until they were already on the way.I'd have hoped after all the lengths he went to to get access that he'd have been visiting Ava quite regularly, so not sure why he hasn't mentioned Leah before, although I guess they haven't been out and proud that often and she's only just told her family.Anyway, Leah briefly hit the spot with the tie-dye, making it about them having fun together rather than her being Justin's girlfriend.It might even have worked if Justin hadn't sent her to get those pillow cases...

It's understandable that John would feel a bit lost now he's not running back and forth looking after Jett, the surf club and everything else.Good that, with a lot of prompting from the women in their lives, Alf and Ben had a quiet chat with him and brought him back to his old self.Mind you, they didn't seem to agree when they remembered what exactly John's old self is like!

I'm glad Mason is taking the internship after his insistence he'd take anything.So, is this actually setting up his exit then? It sounds like he'll be around until at least the end of the season, which is an awful lot of time for something to happen, so it seems rather premature.If we do say goodbye to him early next year, for this reason, then I guess it'd be appropriate to the character.It's an awful lot of groundwork for something so far off though!

21 hours ago, CaptainHulk said:

Is it me or is Mason sporting some kind of 70s look akin to a Pop Star/Tennis player of that time period?

I was going to say yesterday that he seemed to be rocking the unshaven look!

[H&Alover]

I may be being dumb here but as Ava has been to the bay before wouldn't Justin have taken her to the Diner so more than likely she had met Leah so why did Leah introduce herself to Ava making it look like they had never met before?  Ava did have a point none of Justin's girlfriends have lasted long so not surprising she doesn't want  to know Leah better, she is also now a pre teen with  all the hormones that go with it. Leah did restrain herself somewhat and wasn't too pushy, backing off when she saw Ava wasn't keen on her hanging around. Got to be more to it though, maybe and just my thoughts maybe Nina  and Brian are having problems which is making her feel insecure?  I liked the comparing step children talk and Leah was right Hunter was something altogether different, he'd grown up thinking Zac didn't want to know him. 

Good that Mason finally got to tell Robbo his feelings about the way he and Willow were treated, just expected to take up the slack when he, Robbo, wants to take off.  He has given him plenty of notice to get someone else trained up.  Tori took Mason's news he'd be going to the other side of the country better than Justin, not as if he's going next week!

Of course it takes the women, Maggie, Roo and Marilyn to pick up on John's mood men being men and they did make the effort to listen to John when he unloaded.  His caught up with himself work wise but has nothing else to occupy his hours. Alf did roll his eyes when John was banging on about his service days. Are we meaning the old John Red or the old old John that Alf remembers?

I think raffy is great is referring to Tommy knowing where Bella lives?  Sorry for speaking for you raffy.  Bella obviously isn't aware her laptop has a web cam.

I guess after being through what Robbo went through he is entitled to be somewhat on the paranoid side, it was his family the guys went for not him. It was a nice thought of Tori's though and she is trying to include him more. I think it was Jasmine who was more uncomfortable with moving into the cottage than Robbo was, she's been behind Tori and Robbo all the way but that could have been a step too far!   Smiled when Tori was running through girl's names and I think Jasmine suggested Jasmine.  I think it would be a lovely idea to call her Kate after their mum.

Irene's back this week.  The Rick/Mac/Dean storyline goes up a gear.

[CaptainHulk]

The trailers seem like this show may be worth watching again.

Can't speak for Red, but I'm guessing Six of one "Flamin' Palmer, he'd talk the hind leg off a donkey!" ! 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

On ‎11‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 16:00, H&Alover said:

I may be being dumb here but as Ava has been to the bay before wouldn't Justin have taken her to the Diner so more than likely she had met Leah so why did Leah introduce herself to Ava making it look like they had never met before? 

Are we meaning the old John Red or the old old John that Alf remembers?

Bella obviously isn't aware her laptop has a web cam.

As I recall, Leah did say that Ava had probably seen her in the Diner, but I guess they've never been formally introduced.We have seen Ava in the Diner on previous visits but I'm getting this odd feeling that Leah might have been out of town for at least some of it... I meant the John that bores everyone with his navy stories. And Bella must be aware that the camera's there because she sent Tommy that photo she took with it.

Today!

I'm reaching the conclusion that things would probably have blown up with Ava whatever Justin and Leah did.She's obviously in a hyper-sensitive mood, but she did seem to be getting on with them and Tori before Justin accidentally hit the trigger again.He did do a good job with her in the end, and Leah also did a good job advising him and then stepping back.I hope we get to see some Raffy/Ava interaction at some point, I still tend to think of their first meeting every time she appears.

Ziggy was a bit hard on Ben but it did push him into making a big gesture that Maggie appreciated.Cue Ziggy looking on bemused and Dean again making things awkward by giving an unexpected answer.I was kind of looking forward to seeing how Karen would react to Rick being on the scene but I understand Dean's reasons for not telling her.So...could Rick be on the level? It's hard to tell.He's certainly moved on from throwing money at Dean and disappearing like he did last time, although the promo didn't look particularly promising.

[H&Alover]

That did occur to me that whenever Ava was in town Leah wasn't. Depends how computer savvy Bella is, I think she would have been very uneasy if she'd known 'Tommy' was watching her every move.

Well blow me down  it was problems at home that was causing Ava to act the way she was, Brian's moved out and as Justin said for quite a big part of her life he was her 'dad'.  It explains why she wanted it just to be her and Justin with no outside interference.  How did they get from having a laugh about the baby name to her telling Justin she hates him, something all soap children say to their parents at some point.  Though I do have to ask how come Nina never said anything to Justin, she could have warned him Ava may be upset.

Seemed to be the theme yesterday with family related issues the other being Dean and Rick.  Dean was rather put out Willow had told Ziggy about his early family life but Willow only did it so Ziggy could get some understanding how tough it was for him.  I can understand him not saying anything as she was in a good place and didn't want to upset her.  I only hope she doesn't find out some other way.   He did open up to Ziggy a bit when he was talking about when he was playing footie as a kid and wishing his dad was standing on the touch line watching him.  It may not go or end up well but as Ziggy told Dean he'd never know if he didn't give Rick half  a chance, glad she's going with him.  Is Rick on the level - no way!   His flash yacht spoke volumes about him, boys and their very big toys.  He gives me the creeps. That smug smirk we saw.

Nothing wrong with  a picnic on the beach!  Ziggy did do a fair bit of eye rolling when Ben & Maggie were talking about visiting all the historical sites, not her idea of a romantic holiday in Italy.  

Dean proving again he's not the materialistic type when Ben said he'd be able to pay him some money out his profit by saying he didn't do it for any gain.  A lot of people who had humble beginnings like Dean did would be eager to make as money as they could to show the people who put them down that they are something.  Unless they are careful of course they end up alone and more bitter than when they started. We don't know Rick's background apart from the fact he's an ex AFL player, he may have started off as an ordinary guy who got lucky was able to play footie for as long as he could and got paid very well for it, then went into business(?), it just turned him into someone who thinks money can buy anything or anyone. 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

I feel as though I'm happy with the way things turned out with Rick but not with the way it happened.As Ziggy said yesterday, Dean needed to at least give him a chance...and I'm not entirely sure he did.And I'm not entirely sure how on the level Rick was.Sure, the fact he took time out to ring up Mackenzie and gloat to her didn't say much but what was the plan? Throw Dean a few titbits and hope it would keep him sweet and he didn't have to see him anymore? Drop him once the election was over? Or was he actually going to make good on his promises whatever his agenda? In the end, Ziggy shuts the whole thing down on the basis of a few cryptic remarks about keeping Dean away from Mackenzie, Colby backs her up on the grounds that Mackenzie was a bit upset earlier and Dean decides on the back of this not-exactly-smoking-gun that Rick's the bad guy and Mackenzie can use whatever information she wants against him.I am glad that Mackenzie waited, but I hope she wasn't relying on that $100,000 for the renovations, because it looks like she'll have to settle for ruining Rick's reputation instead.Which, to be fair, will probably hurt him more.

Ava finally gets to relax with Leah and Justin.Until a couple of years or so ago when Justin re-entered her life, Ava thought Brian was her father, so it'd naturally hurt for him to be suddenly gone...and actually I'm surprised he has, because despite his hostility towards Justin, he did seem to care about her.Anyway, Justin having regularly scheduled visits with Ava is something that should have happened a long time ago.I'm not entirely keen on her being given Raffy's room, especially when Brody's old (pre-cottage) room is presumably available somewhere, but I guess she isn't going to be using it that much so it's still available for Raffy if needed.

[Slade]

Thought Brody and Simone leaving in the end was the right thing to do (and the fair thing on all parties) given the effect their relationship had on other people.  I think in a way it's a shame as I recall really disliking Brody when he first turned up then really liked him for the most of his time subsequently although he did go down in my estimation towards the end.

Coco's brief return reminded my exactly why I dislike her so much - Self centred, self-entitled, annoying.  I hated when she made Raffy's party all about her and humiliated Brody in front of everybody.  I was glad her appearance was so brief.  Hopefully she won't be coming back.

Despite the fact that Ava wasn't particularly pleasant to Leah, I did hugely sympathise with her because I could tell something was wrong.  I'm glad she appears to be OK with Leah now.

Main storyline that's got me interested at the moment is the whole Dean, Mackenzie, Rick thing.  I wasn't sure what to make of Mackenzie at first.  I mean she's easy on the eye, I'll give her that but I did find it odd that she would buy a restaurant just to be close to her brother.  So when the stuff came out about Rick and that her meeting Dean was part of an elaborate payback plan it did make me wonder whether she was a nice person or not.  In a way she's acting like a milder version of Rick i.e. manipulation.  Although when Rick told her last week no wonder nobody loves her, she was very upset by it so I would imagine the whole payback thing is motivated by hurt as opposed to complete and total malice.  I do have to admit though, I kind of enjoyed Rick gloating about it to Mackenzie on the phone even though it wasn't necessarily the smartest thing to do.  Similarly, if he is playing Dean then I don't understand why he made that remark to Ziggy to effectively try and keep Dean onside away from Mackenzie.

[baywatcher]

I'm glad what was troubling Ava came to light and she was then able to open up about it and feel more comfortable with Leah being the new lady in her Dad's life.  Good that the writers covered this, as it must happen to lots of kids i.r.l.

Maybe it's just me but I don't think Slick Rick actually said anything to Ziggy that really warranted their flight from the yacht, nor do I think Dean's sudden change of heart over Mac's revenge plan tallied with him previously not wanting a bar of it.

I like Mac but I'm not that interested in her "poor little me" trip.

Have to say I find the new-look Salt very underwhelming.  Very dark and dingy.  I will miss the old set, which looked fresh and airy and somewhere that I would want to dine.  You would think that Mac would have more taste. 

At least her taste in men is better than interior design.  Colby had some good scenes around the party.

John's shoddy treatment of Ryder finally came back to bite him.  He seemed to be settling in at his new job behind the bar but I'm surprised Mac left him on his own so quickly, even if it was only a private party.