2019 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[D.B]

Have a Lovely Christmas everyone!!!!

[H&Alover]

Me too.  See you in the New Year. 

[H&Alover]

Happy New Year everyone - it's back tonight and by the look of the trailers a lot is going to be happening.

[Red Ranger 1]

Aaaand we're back! Having a bit of a gap after last episode's dramatic events possibly added to a bit of an "old news" feel to it: We're known for six weeks that all the bad guys have been caught, so it's a bit hard to care that Justin, Tori and Jasmine didn't know.I don't mind the name Grace, but the list of possible names Tori read out, taken together, did sound a bit...pompous. Did she not like any names that weren't so on the nose with what they meant? Anyway, it seems the drama isn't over yet by any means, as right on the verge of everything be all right, Tori's suddenly taken ill again.Can that family not catch a break?

On balance, I think Ryder did the right thing in telling Maggie the truth, but I don't think it's as black and white as John painted it so I hope we get at least some nuance going forward.Blake's home life seems pretty abusive so I think more care needs to be taken that simply expelling him and reporting him to the police, no matter that what he did was wrong.I would hope there'd be some sort of soft treading and maybe getting social services involved as soon as possible so he's safe when the truth comes out.

[H&Alover]

Yeh is hard to see all we knew had happened as new news.  Would it have taken longer for a chopper to pick up and drop Robbo off at the safe house, instead of that mad car ride?  Stubborn moo Tori wasn't she hanging on for dear life until Robbo arrived, I wonder if that had anything to do with her later collapse?   We are talking about the Morgan's here remember.  Robbo's fault for saying everything was going to be OK, though Justin was guilty of it too. Robbo had to do the shouting at the poor doc thing.  Nice to hear Scott talking about the birth of his son and how he made it to his birth just in time.   Everyone, well the ones we saw, were very pleased to hear the news and the fact they were all coming home.  The safe house did look a nice place if a tad isolated.

Back to ND Hospital tonight then with Dr. Alex in charge, Mason hovering and bring told to get out.

Ryder didn't get the full implications of hat he had done until Maggie splelt it out. Seems in the absence of Alf John is the senior man to ask advice from and although it doesn't happen often he did give Ryder good advice.  Would Blake have done the same thing if the situation had been reversed, somehow I don't think so, shows how much Ryder has grown, he would have put Blake first even if just to save him from his dad who is a first class bully.  But as John said what would he learn from that, he'd just cruise through life getting people to cover up and lie for him.  Took a lot for Ryder to tell Maggie and it would have been his word against Blake's whose dad is a lawyer but luckily Maggie still had the bottle.  Hope Ryder tells Maggie about what Blake's dad did but I dare say both will deny it. Back when we first knew him John was a bully to his stepson Trey and not  a very nice person at all. 

 

[Red Ranger 1]

Not looking too good for Tori at the moment.I guess it's because they need something to cover the rest of Penny's maternity leave, but it still feels like that family can't catch a break.The thing that frustrated me most was the continued sidelining of Ava, did no-one learn anything from when they used to do this to Raffy? The most ridiculous thing was Leah sending her away so she could tell Marilyn things that Ava already knows, which didn't serve any purpose except to make it look like they're keeping secrets.I was annoyed too at Marilyn's child snatcher tendencies targeting another Morgan girl and glad Leah turned her down: It was difficult enough Ava being left with Leah, who she doesn't really know, without her being handed over to Marilyn, who she doesn't know at all.Mason is a much better choice of guardian.I think I said before the break that we haven't seen much of them together, but the scenes at the top of the episode showed that he's good with her.

I'm glad Ryder and Maggie showed a certain amount of sensitivity where Blake was concerned, which may have led to him accepting they were doing what they had to.I kind of hope that is the last we hear of him: It adds a certain level of discomfort if we never know the outcome and whether things actually did work out for the best.Seem to be some inconsistencies: Yesterday, we were told Ryder had one more exam at midday, but here he says he has another exam tomorrow.

John is definitely stepping up as the town's elder statesman in Alf's absence, with both Ben and Ryder.I can't 100% disagree with Ben throwing the pills away if they were just making things worse, as long as he makes sure he gets some sort of help: Handling it on his own wasn't working.

[CaptainHulk]

Yay more Ada/Leah beach scenes!

[Red Ranger 1]

I found Ziggy extremely annoying in that episode, at least with regards Dean (she handled things okay with her parents).She was pretty much leading him around like a dog, telling him when to do surfing lessons, when to pose for photos and when to call round and service her, and not letting him have a minute to himself.It was only a matter of time before he snapped, and we're probably past the point where the free surfing lessons are doing any good as well.At least he took the time out to have a word with Ben and get him to see the psychologist.It's a start.

Mason was in a very difficult position here.Irene was right that putting on a smile and telling Ava everything's fine isn't doing any good, but at the end of the day, he's the uncle and it wasn't his place to decide to tell her off his own back.So I think he did the right thing calling Justin and getting him to do it.

[CaptainHulk]

on the subject of Mason, I guess that Lovechild-of-a-Bee-Gee-Stroke-Tennis-Player look finally  played out!

[H&Alover]

My thoughts exactly Red re Ava and everyone deciding she shouldn't be told about Tori, answer to your question they learnt nothing from keeping secrets from Raffy.  Ava may be younger than  Raffy but she is not stupid, all that sending her to her room,  getting her to go and feed Buddy, outside, huddling in corners got her antenna twitching.  Willow nearly blew it but Mason covered it nearly, but it only aroused Ava's suspicions even more. Until Leah comes back Mason is going to have to fit looking after Ava round his shifts so perhaps Marilyn - yeh I know -  and Irene could help out. Ava is a lot more comfortable with Leah now, especially as Leah is living at the Morgan house.  I suppose Mason could have got Justin's OK to tell Ava but it was Justin's role as head of house and Ava's dad to tell her.  Of course it would be hard to explain to a nine/10 year old what a stroke is but there would be ways that she could understand.  Sweet scene of Mason and Ava cuddling up to watch the film.  I'm guessing they have told Raffy rather decide to 'shelter' her to prevent any seizures and how about Brody? 

Maggie it seemed had a taste of what Blake's dad was like, would have been good for us to see him maybe steaming out of Maggie's office.  After Blake's initial flinging Ryder up against the lockers he seemed to have calmed down and accepted his fate. I think she did say she had informed people about Blake's dads behaviour.  I'm sure Ryder said he only had one more exam to go.  John has certainly become the wise old stick, giving advice rather than his opinion.

Oh Ziggy I get you were trying to help boost Dean's surfing business but to go wildly ahead by booking  lessons left right and centre wasn't wise, posting up his photo without checking with him was a step too far.   How would she have liked it if he had done the same with the garage and put photos of her in her overalls up on social media.   He also has his shifts at Salt, needs to get a business plan together so he can start charging people and get Public Liability insurance sorted.   I don't see how Willow could have helped him with the business plan thing, the gym isn't her business, Ben would know or Mac. 

Willow has been left floundering, Robbo has of course other things on his mind.  Tricky thing hiring for the gym how are you going to know if the prospective employee has the right qualifications, she didn't,  if a customer got injured not like getting scalded by a cup of tea or coffee if it got spilt on you at the Diner. 

Yes Maggie got sick on her tablets when she was having her cancer treatment but she persisted, but then Ben has never been the patient type - no pun intended. I think the advice was to give them a month to  kick in but if you are feeling that sick and it's only been a couple of weeks could you stick with it.  With all due respect Maggie can't understand what he is going through mentally John could kind of.  More words of wisdom from Dean re having therapy who also neatly dropped in the fact it was the meds Karen was on that also helped.  Did I miss the fact he'd had therapy inside - albeit reluctantly - but said that it had saved his life.