2019 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Two.Tori appeared for the first time in ages, but she was comatose and it was only one episode.

Colby took the news of Willow's new relationship well once he'd got over the initial shock.Mackenzie might be being a bit extreme, but it is her business, so I guess she's got the right to ban Colby for personal reasons if she wants.Bella's like the boy who cried wolf in reverse: No-one believed her when she was telling the truth, so now they're believing her all the time.Assuming she is faking, it seems she's now doing it just to stop Colby going out: I doubt he was on his way to see Mackenzie, given that he'd just promised Dean he wouldn't.

Well, looks like Ziggy was kidding herself saying she was pleased she hadn't got the job, as she didn't hesitate to accept it once offered and only then realised how complicated the situation is.Keeping it from Dean just makes it more complicated though.

[H&Alover]

Colby seemed just as astounded by the fact Bella had known for a while but hadn't told him as  she  had promised Alex and Willow she'd keep it secret and had kept her word not so say anything as he did finding out.  Just as well he doesn't know how Bella discovered their relationship!  I liked his "Welcome to the family" to Alex. At least he knows Dean doesn't know yet and has offered to tell him, but it is down to Willow do get on with it girl. I think as she told Alex Dean will be harder to break it to as she has slept with him whereas she's just friends with Colby. 

Of course Mac can bar anyone she likes, but rather cowardly getting Dean to do her dirty work, besides what is wrong with him going there when she's not on duty, does leave him with  only the diner to go to for a meal out and they don't serve alcohol  - do they?  I rather think he was on his way to see her and Bella twigged that, she had overheard his conversation with Dean after all.  Ought to be careful feigning tetanus symptoms, it'll have her banished back to Irene's to protect Grace.  Talking of whom, she's not very keen on her is she? Is this being 'ill' going to mess with her intensive work to keep her in Year 11?

Seems Dean is going to be hit with two pieces of shocking news.  Of course, we all know Ziggy was disappointed not to get the track job and we saw on her face the joy when she got offered it, then how it changed when she realised she has to tell Dean, which she nearly did, then chickened it. 

Only two weeks to go before Australia's end of season finale.   

[Red Ranger 1]

On ‎16‎/‎02‎/‎2020 at 15:06, H&Alover said:

Only two weeks to go before Australia's end of season finale.   

Three weeks to go including this one?

It was probably extremely bad luck of the type that only happens in soap operas that both Ziggy and Willow had something to tell Dean at the same time.He could probably have coped with Ziggy waiting to tell him about the job or Willow waiting to tell him about seeing Alex individually.But finding out that Willow kept something from him on top of knowing Ziggy's doing so didn't leave him in the right frame of mind to take it well, and likely hasn't left him in the right frame of mind to go along with Ziggy's plan to break the news to him. Was Maggie meant to have been to the gym before meeting Ben and Dean at the surf club? She wasn't dressed for it but maybe someone's finally remembered what the changing rooms are for...

I thought Bella realising she was messing up her schooling might cause her to have a rethink.Instead it's pushed her even further down a dangerous path.It's not the lack of support that makes her leaving school a problem so much as the lack of human contact: It's distressing that she's gone so quickly from looking forward to her first school trip to shutting herself away with Colby. It's like she's trying to recreate her old life of just her and Ross with him, to the point that I wonder how long it will be before she decides Willow and Dean are getting in the way.It is coming from her rather than Colby, but it again leaves me thinking her family situation hasn't really improved since she's stopped living with Ross.Actually, with her being the only school age character still on the show, I wonder if we might be losing Summer Bay High entirely...

[Razabaza]

It would be interesting to see how Bella would behave in a romantic relationship. I usually have no interest in teen love stories, but she has psychotic tendencies so it might be more entertaining. Also, if Colby isn't allowed to date, would she even try herself?

 

Leah and Alex look quite alike, no?

 

I really don't like that girl Ryder is with, very arrogant and rude, plus the constant smirking bugs me.

[H&Alover]

Yep three including this week. 

Oh Bella you've shot yourself in the foot there haven't you girlie?  All that faking being sick has scuppered you getting tuition from Maggie and Roo as Colby rightly - or so he thinks - believes you're too ill to be able to manage to do the catch up work.  Maybe she thought she couldn't 'confess' as it would get her into trouble, but Colby would keep quiet and just tell others it had been some kind of bug and she'd panicked.  She's not only preventing Colby from having a social life but now it looks like she stopping him going to work which he can't keep doing,  because (1) they can't keep covering  for him and (2) he needs to have money coming in.  He'll definitely need cash if he's going to have to pay out for home tutors. Does seem Bella has regressed wanting it to be just her and Colby but she seems to have taken over from Ross in the control role.  The only young people she got close to were Coco and Raffy who have both gone and by extension Ryder. 

Classic soap bad timing with Dean, Ziggy and Willow.  Dean wasn't snooping at all - Ziggy was just careless leaving her mobile on the table with Kurt's message on the screen in plain view for all and sundry to read.  It had been that day she'd got the call so hasn't been hiding it for long.  Never seems the right time for Willow to break her news to Dean, but there never will be a' right' time, he did agree with Willow he could be hard to break bad news to as people weren't sure how he'd respond.  Willow backtracked neatly when he questioned her about Ziggy's news.  Ben is now in on the 'secret'  and I did like how Ziggy hustled him out of the house so she could make Deana a special meal to soften the blow.   Dean got huffy with Willow as he was behind Colby and Bella finding out her news, though both of them finding out was by accident,  just as well she didn't mention Irene and Jasmine also being in on it, this being on top of the fact Ziggy is holding out on him.  Willow knows she's keeping something from him but not what.  I like to think it's because she wanted to actually tell him herself  because of their special connection.  Alex has been exceptionally patient with Willow so I hope all this angst on Willow's part has been worth it. 

 

[Dan F]

6 minutes ago, H&Alover said:

Ziggy was just careless leaving her mobile on the table with Kurt's message on the screen in plain view for all and sundry to read.

Ziggy wasn't aware of it at that point - the message came through at that moment when she stepped out the room, hence the notification sound attracting Dean's attention and the message coming up on screen

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, I'm glad that Dean and Willow cleared the air and that he told her he was pleased for her.Not so cool between him and Ziggy though, as she leaves it until just before she leaves to talk to him.(Maggie was apparently told off screen!) I can kind of see both sides of it, but yeah, Ziggy should have told him straightaway, although he contributed to things by not turning up for her dinner.To be blunt though, it's hard to care. I don't really mind Ziggy and Dean as a couple, but for all that the show keeps pushing them and have Ben trying to make out they're the younger version of him and Maggie, they've never really convinced as a long term pairing, just something that's okay for now.

I'd have said out of the three youngsters Ryder was the one Bella was closest to (he was the one she turned to after her assault, after all), but as Roo said the other day, he's focused on Jade and Salt these days and not really touching base with her.So, in effect she's having Roo and Maggie's catch-up session after all, except it's preparing her for a permanent tutor rather than going back to school.I guess Bella decided to let Colby out of her sight, given the way he turned up at Dean's in his police get-up: Has he decided she's well enough to be left alone, or did he appoint Willow and Alex to babysitting duty?

[Slade]

I hope we don't have to see Dean like this for very long.  He was quite unpleasant to Ben (who gave him a shot when others wouldn't) and was very unprofessional with his clients.  If I was taking surfing lessons from him, I'm not sure I would want him to continue teaching me seeing him like that.  Ben seems to be adopting the approach that Dean will be like this for a short amount of time but he will be OK to go back to work after not too long.  It didn't actually occur to me that taking on Dean's surfing lessons could impact his own recovery when he first suggested it to Maggie.

I do accept that Mackenzie was definitely trying to be a good sister.  No doubt she cares deeply for Dean but it did seem as though her trying to focus him was also a way to take her mind of Colby.  I'm struggling to understand why she's still even in the Bay.  From what I recall, she had a good life prior to that and went there purely to enlist Dean's help to get revenge on Rick.  She doesn't seem to have many friends, all she is does is work and seems quite unhappy.  If she moves back to the city it's not as if she won't ever see Dean anyway.  I did find it interesting today it was kind of a role reversal when she was drunk a didn't turn up to work on time last week.

So not only does Jade like to sleep around but apparently she's also a thief.  The fact that Ryder covered for her and used $50 of his own cash when Mackenzie spotted the discrepancy with the cash register shows how bad he's got it.  Add to that the recap with Roo's cynicism towards Jade being girlfriend material and Alf's he's-going-to-learn-the-hard-way attitude earlier on in the episode when Ryder went to give Jade flowers.  Up until the end of the episode after seeing Jade steal the money from salt, I was of the belief she's not a particularly nice person but I'm hoping there's more depth to the character now.

[Red Ranger 1]

Colby should take notes, as Mackenzie shows what a caring sibling looks like: She supported Dean but didn't take any nonsense from him, and I did really enjoy their scenes. I guess having bought Salt Mackenzie wants to stay in town and see it through: She seemed a pretty miserable person underneath the sass when she first came to the Bay, and her mother doesn't sound like a very positive person to be around, so maybe Dean's the best she's got.Hopefully this will pull him up by his laces: It's ironic that he finally starts getting paying customers and has to give them all refunds.

Definitely another black mark against Jade, who clearly has very little interest in being Ryder's girlfriend.He's not quite as green as she expected though: I think she thought a night of passion would be enough to make him forget about what he'd seen, but instead he just carried on with the questions next morning.I guess Alf (and presumably Martha) came back from the city when we weren't looking?

I was slightly amused by Justin saying Tori's given her life to Northern Districts: She's only been there about three and a half years.He seems to be pinning all his hopes on this transfer leading to a miracle recovery. Meanwhile, Robbo is probably having mixed feelings about the whole thing: He's making these plans on the basis of Tori not being around, so it'll definitely knock him off his stride if she wakes up, even if he does want the best for her.

[H&Alover]

Exactly my thoughts Red that Justin was exaggerating somewhat about Tori having given her  life to NDH, most of her doctoring life she and the rest of the Morgan clan were moving around the country keeping one step ahead of the Syndicate.  Of course they would do all they would for  a well respected and loved doctor, but sometimes it's not possible. But golly but hasn't he - and by extension -  Tori been lucky an ICU bed has become available, I hope it was for a good  reason as in the patient recovered and not the alternative.  Her doctors in the city feel it's safe to move her, but he is expecting too much, they tried removing her ventilator before and it didn't work but he's not in the mood to listen to anything he sees as a negative reaction. As we saw Justin and Robbo clash antlers again and of course over Tori!!!  Even if Tori does manage to breath on her own and starts to come round it's going to be a while yet for a full recovery and we don't know what state her mind will be in. 

I definitely like Mac when she is on her own, with her staff or being a good sister to Dean, it's just when she's with Colby her character doesn't work for me.   She was really good with Dean last night, patient, not too pushy but not being willing to walk off and leave him, just wanting to be a sister  Did it really take most of the day to sort out?   If Mac has now whisked him off to the city that's two days he's missed on his surfing lessons.  Playing amateur psychologist here but I think Dean has ended it now and the way he did as he feared it would end at sometime in the future and would rather get hurt sooner than later.  Dean is being the Dean we all know and love and once he's had time to lick his wounds he'll be back ready to pick up his business if Ben has managed to keep it going without having a melt down himself.  I'm surmising Willow has done her three days which is why she wasn't around to help Dean.  

Did have to smile at Bella telling Dean of for having a tantrum because he'd only just found out about Willow and Alex, Colby has known him long enough to tell him to pull his neck in and see a reason why Willow had put off telling him.  He swallowed his pride the next day and gave Willow his blessing and really meant it when he said he was happy for her.  

If Dean hadn't read that text message he would have turned up for the essentially a farewell, dinner but he had so chickened out - oops no pun intended - he didn't want to hear what he knew she was going to say.  Did get  tad childish between him and Ziggy when she fetched up at his caravan, but I was wiling both of them to ring the other when Ziggy was driving out of town. 

Maybe Bella has fitted Colby with a tracker so she knows where he is when he's out of her sight.  This home tutoring by Maggie and Roo, very good of them btw giving up most of their summer holidays for her, may refocus Bella's mind and she won't be so fixated by having Colby by her side 24/7.   

Very sneaky return  by Alf, though they had only gone to the city,  guess Martha was in the house or shopping.   OK Jade isn't your conventional girlfriend and isn't into flowers but her just treading on them then just chucking  them to one side wasn't necessary was it?  She didn't seem that bothered when Ryder questioned her about the $50 she took out of the till, if she had been an honest type she would have made the same 'confession' Ryder did, he'd pocketed it by mistake.  Ryder has got up to some things in his past, he's no saint, but he's grown up a lot and he likes Mac, she's his on and off mate's sister.  Jade managed to distract him by taking him back to hers not the first time she's pulled that ploy methinks,  but as been said, she didn't expect him to pick it up the next day.  

Robbo and Grace are back from him giving his statement to the AFP, but Jasmine is still there.  Grace had her arms free, sorry to keep on about it but it seems strange for a young 'un not be kicking or waving their arms about.