2020 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Shortiepam1987]

Leah did find out about Robbo. She said to Justin something like 'poor Robbo too just as things were going good for him'. The main point was Mason however so j can see why some missed her say it and it was blink and you miss it. But Ive watched it twice and she mentions Robbo so she does know.

[Red Ranger 1]

Apologies if I missed a Robbo mention. That does sound vaguely familiar but I'm too lazy to go back and check!

Leah's in kind of a muddle here.She knows on an intellectual level that she's safe with Justin, but her fight or flight instincts are in full flow and she can't control her reactions.It's a shame she didn't make the party but it does feel as though it was perhaps too big a step for her to be taking this early.Am I remembering wrong again or did Justin imply Grace was in the bedroom with Tori last episode?

Well, after a couple of weeks where the emphasis seemed to be on "bad John", things do at least seem to be a bit more even now.Whilst that did seem to be his intention until Dean talked him into it, it seemed like people were just assuming John wouldn't go to the party.Marilyn seems at times to be acting as though Ari's her whole world, hijacking him at the Diner and dragging him along to the party.I guess if it was an open invite then there's nothing wrong with her bringing a friend or three along, but it seems to be yet another case of her getting overinvolved with someone she should be giving space, while simultaneously shutting out the person she's supposed to be close to.I believe that's the first time Ari's brother has had a name:Not before time, all the "my brother" references were getting a bit much.

I had read, but had forgotten until H&Alover dropped the hint, that the guy playing Marco was previously Sally and Miles' father in flashbacks way back in 2008.Them all ignoring each other at family gatherings does at least explain why Marco and Ziggy recognise each other.The ending is a disappointment, given that the show has done a good job of portraying Ben and Maggie as a devoted couple who've been together since they were at school.

[baywatcher]

So Marilyn seems prepared to throw her marriage away without even trying.  I usually like her but recently I've seen a side that I'm not keen on.

Bella was reasonably calm when saying her piece to Ryder.  I hope she will come to realise that he was only looking out for her and that they remain friends.  (I stand by my opinion that he did the right thing telling Nik that she had been groomed but when she said it should have been up to her to tell him I did have a twinge). I kind of think that Nik made the situation with Bella worse by avoiding her.  I guess he was worried about doing anything inappropriate.

How did Dean get out to the Astoni's place if his car was available for Bella & Nik to take?  Ok he could have had a lift out there but he wasn't getting one back, as everyone else had left by then.

[H&Alover]

Good job someone is on the ball.

Not unusual for someone who has been through what Leah has been through to still have mixed feelings - the sensible Leah part of her knows she's safe but the emotional side doesn't know that. The normally innocent  action of him reaching across her  unnerved her. I saw the subject of a counsellor was mentioned for when she was ready, hopefully she will take her own advice - persuading Irene to see one. I had the same thought that  the party would be too much, too many people in one hit.  Wasn't sure if her dithering about what dress to wear was part of the old Leah or Douglas' influence again.  The putting on her make up bought back memories of her 'wedding day'. Did you mean when Marilyn came back with Grace and he put her in her bedroom?  Leah did look uncomfortable when Justin said he'd be there every step of the way for her, maybe he needs to step back and give her some space. 

Has Roo let Alf and Martha know Leah is back in the bay? 

Good advice from Roo that one of them as in John and Marilyn make the first step and give John his due he did, I thought he overreacted when he saw Ari walk by and Marilyn looked round assuming she'd rather be talking to him. Was Marilyn asking all the Parata's along to the party a cover so it didn't look like she was making it all about Ari?  I missed Ari's brother name actually being named.

Knew you'd know what I meant Red.  Seeing as that assault on Marco was over 20 years ago why did it result in Ben being banged up when he hit Brody?  Oh, now we know why Maggie is so on edge, her and Marco had a one night stand after her and Ben had split up briefly.  Then they got back together and maybe Marco not knowing that - he did say he thought they were over -  tried it on with her. It does seems such a shame they were, despite their various ups and downs, the most stable couple in the bay.  Would Ben forgive such a betrayal even if they weren't a couple when it happened? Of course it does now raise an ugly question to me at least.  The way Maggie was talking I was expecting Mama and Papa  Astoni to turn  up seeing as it appears it was it was them who told Marco about the party.  

 

[Red Ranger 1]

8 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Did you mean when Marilyn came back with Grace and he put her in her bedroom? 

No, that was my point: In the previous episode it sounded like Grace was already there!

Well, this is a very awkward situation with the Astonis.Ben and Ziggy think everything's great but there are things they don't know.Marco hasn't made any overt threats but Maggie's on edge all the time and clearly doesn't trust him.I think she needs to make a choice: Either she tells Ben the truth or she accepts Marco.Going behind Ben's back trying to get Marco to leave them alone is just going to make things worse.

Marilyn is coming across as curiously deluded and heartless.She said Ari's the only person that understands her but the way she was gushing over Gemma as well feels once more she's overcompensating for being lonely by taking over someone else's family.And for once John isn't on board with it, so she's cut him out.I wonder how she'll feel if Ari and Gemma actually do get enough money to move out, which I don't think she wants: She could end up even more lonely.Her attempts to ignore the problems with Nikau suggest she really needs the Paratas to be perfect, because if they're not then maybe she's the one that's wrong.

Wow, Nikau wasn't subtle at all, was he? I do understand that Ryder's intentions were good, and I hope Bella realises that, but I found myself agreeing with her when she chastised Ryder for telling Nikau about her: It was much the same thing that Roo told him, it wasn't his place to say anything.And Nikau promptly jumps from one extreme to the other, dragging her off to a party full of dodgy older guys, which bizarrely just seemed to get glossed over with an out-of-place grin from her.I suggested a while back that Nikau seemed to blame Ari for Mikaere's death but I've slowly changed my mind.I think he's just resentful of Ari taking it upon himself to act like a father figure, and I kind of saw his point here: I get that Ari feels responsible and wants to look after them, but Gemma was handling things with Nikau and he should have backed off and left it to her, there was no need for him to be constantly butting in.Nikau doesn't want to go back? How's that going to work? Did he forget he's got Bella and Dean's car with him?

[baywatcher]

Welcome home Colby!  Maybe giving Bella some tough love will make her see sense.  At least Mac put a smile on his face.  Could they be getting back together?

I'm glad Bella and Ryder are still friends.

Roo is concerned about Marilyn & John and Marilyn seems conflicted, so perhaps she is regretting what she said.

[H&Alover]

Maybe Grace snuck in while no-one was looking.

I thought Marco did threaten Maggie the day before when he said he'd rather not tell Ben about them sleeping together?   So far Maggie has got away with avoiding Marco as much as she can, the party helped in that respect.  Marco is a real charmer isn't he, certainly has the gift of the gab, reeled in Roo pretty quick and had her all weak at the knees.   Trouble thought with charmers like him they do tend to have a dark side.  I have the feeling back in the day, Ben was the quiet one, which he still is, and just got on with  the more practical side of things and Marco was talker but maybe couldn't always follow up on what he promised.  They did mention the family business, do we know what that is?   Ziggy almost revealed all about Ben's trouble with the drugs and his breakdown, but thankfully she just said the business had been in trouble.  Maybe some instinct told her to keep quiet about it, it's up to Ben if he wants to tell Marco. 

Roo asked Marilyn a loaded question about if she had feelings for Ari, I don't think she has any romantic feelings for him, think it's more she feels grateful to him for being there for her and although John wants to be the one to comfort her now, Marilyn was right, he wasn't there through no fault of his own and only someone who was could understand.  It could have been anyone else plenty of people there just it's Ari who's drawn the short straw.  I partly see John's argument Gemma and Ari are adults and can look after themselves so don't need 'nursing'.  But equally I can see Marilyn's argument asking them to the party was a  good way of introducing them to more of the bay folk.  Wonder if Ari has any feelings towards Marilyn?

Nikau did deserve the slagging off he got from John, Ari and Gemma, the place was a tip, you don't treat someone else's home like that, he's old enough to have done what Gemma asked him to do.  Trouble is he let himself get distracted by Bella who was bugging him about why he was avoiding her.  Like most young guys I dare say he hasn't come across the problem Bella has had so would be at a loss as what to do.  I could see why Bella was cross with Ryder Nik was treating her as normal, now he sees her as the girl who nearly got raped, though that word wasn't mentioned.  I still think Ryder did what he did with the best intentions, just didn't think it all the way through. When though would Bella have told Nik when he made a pass, went to kiss her and she freaked out and it left him wondering what he had done wrong? Wasn't it Bella who suggested to Nik they get out of there and do 'something'?  Just how far away was Tane's - it was Tane wasn't it - place from the bay, Nik knew where he lived.  Give Tane his due he did try and make Nik see things from Ari's point of view, he's looking out for his sister and Nik is her son, his nephew, it's what families do. From what we saw which wasn't much nothing off happened and the last we saw of Bella she was asleep in bed.  Like to think Nik would have kept her safe.  Seeing as Dean's car can't have been at the Astoni's how did he get there, he did say he needed to get back for Bella but Ziggy persuaded him to stay, guessing he rang/texted Bella to say he wasn't coming home.  

All that explodes the next morning  - with Dean threatening Nik. Plus Colby, as was to be expected, finds out Bella hadn't been making her counselling appointments.  Whether he called Patricia asking how they're going or she called him asking  how he is as Bella hadn't been attending her sessions as he was ill and she, Bella, didn't want to leave him - either way oops Bella.

Edited May 14, 2020 by H&Alover

[Red Ranger 1]

I'm glad that Bella and Ryder made up quickly. Colby actually managed to behave like a decent brother for a short while, calmly pointing out that if Bella stays out all night without telling people then they're going to worry, but not treating her like the devil for being with a boy all night and accepting that it's going to happen.And I can't blame him for being upset or worried about her not attending counselling, but yet again Bella points out to him that counselling can't help her because she can't be honest about what he did to Ross and yet again he ignores the issue entirely and just throws his toys out of the pram and pretends he's been helping her and everything's her fault.I really hope there's going to be a pay-off for this that doesn't involve Bella being blamed for everything because it feels like we've been here far too many times for Colby to be constantly let off the hook.After his brief spell of going aggro with Nikau, Dean is back in laidback "When we were her age..." mode now that Colby's around to be the literal bad cop.

And now we've got Marilyn's obligatory episode without John for the week, meaning that storyline just runs on the spot a bit, although at least Irene and Roo are starting to question her decisions a bit more.It was also good to see some proper interaction between Irene and Gemma, who haven't really spoken much.Nikau was unnecessarily obnoxious towards Gemma but maybe that bit of tough love has actually worked.

[H&Alover]

Dean soon cooled down thanks to Bella's intervention saying it was her idea Nik 'borrowed' his car and absolutely nothing had happened between them.    A small niggle, again, but how did Dean get to and back from the Astoni's if he didn't have his car.    Dean's panicking about how is he meant to look for Bella and pick up Colby, till Mac steps in and volunteers, what did she tell Colby as to why it wasn't Dean.  Ryder fesses' up Bella may have gone off with Nik because of their row just in time for Bella and Nik to drive up.  Naturally Bella,  Willow and Dean having their row happened just as Colby limps up the stairs.  So he gave her a grilling about what she'd been doing and how trustworthy was Nik.  Despite his other faults, Nik looked after Bella well without going into over protective mode.  Fair enough Bella is 17 plenty old enough to be on her own but Dean knows what she's been through and Colby wouldn't have liked it which he didn't.  Was a nice reminisce  and good to see Willow again, but  I had the feeling Mac felt out of it.  

I'm glad Bella, obviously after having thought it through, forgave Ryder and admitted he was right she does like Nik. 

Gemma didn't deserve the way Nik spoke to her, partly guilt on his part as he knows she wouldn't have liked knowing where he had been.  OK he's an adult but he could have least texted her so say he'd be out all night. 

Talking of Willow she's avoiding discussing Alex which will rebound on her when she's another one who urges others to resolve things.  Appears she hasn't even rung her to see if she's settled in. Mac isn't much better being evasive about her feelings for Colby.  

What did Bella expect from Colby they had made a deal - he lets her go to TAFE and she continues with her counselling - which is another promise she's broken. Although they had made another way earlier regarding Nik, she just keeps him updated.  

Marilyn really does seem to believe her marriage is over.  They have been through tough times before as Roo pointed out but maybe this time it can't be fixed. 

Colby has received his divorce papers which has certainly thrown him and as we saw Mac sees them because as usual people do tend to leave private stuff lying around for all to see.  Seeing as they had only been married a matter of weeks Chelsea wouldn't be able submit the application until now.

[Red Ranger 1]

I get where Justin was coming from: Leah got herself all worked up about going to the party and he's worried that she's going to overreach herself and end up having another fall.But good grief, did he get it wrong.I was wincing right from the start when he wouldn't let her go to the Diner with her friends.Walking her there later on was fair enough, it probably is a smart idea to have someone with her at the moment in case she has another panic attack.But what on earth was he playing at, insisting she leave the Diner with him when Irene was there and willing to take her home? It was taking overprotective to a whole new level.Leah calling him just like Douglas was harsh and unfair, but maybe he needed something like that to wake him up.

A bit strange that Willow suggested Colby and Chelsea's break-up was "almost" a year ago: It should be more than that, it was during the school holidays if nothing else.I was surprised Colby called her (their first contact since he called her when he was planning to hand himself in?) and not sure why he did, since he just needed to sign the papers.Mackenzie jumped the gun a bit in assuming Colby was keeping things from her, but it was probably a lucky escape anyway.The show's been writing it as though Marilyn and Ari were the only ones at the siege at times, with her saying he's the only one that understands and him apparently not knowing anyone else, so nice to get a reminder that Mackenzie was there too.So was Jasmine of course, although that didn't come up when they were all together.