2020 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[Psychic Wombat]

It seemed  bit naive of Maggie to expect Coco and Ziggy to up sticks and go to Italy to start a new life. Coco is in the middle of a Uni course and Ziggy is happy with Dean and work at the garage.

Here's hoping the Parata's boys get what's coming to them, I'm still waiting for redeeming features, the bay magic will have to work hard on this one lol. I agree Colby had some balls turning up at their house after what happened at the airport, I think I would have steered clear as the point was made. Bella and Mac seem to be as reactionary as ever in their choice of boyfriends, H&A seem to like putting opposites together in relationships. Marilyn and John being a case in point - don't think I've ever seen them actually kiss each other ever. Arri seems to light Marilyns fire, I wonder if that will be a future liaison...

[UK_fan]

Marilyn really annoys me, she's just so fake.   John is suffering after having a stroke, yes he's stubborn and sometimes doesn't do himself any favours and is too proud to ask for help, but I really like John and how complex he is.

I think what I am disliking the most is that the SL seems to all be about Marilyn's point of view and how she's thinking and her getting advice from other characters.   Shane is always amazing as John though.

Alf can do one too, he's always slagging off John and thinks the sun shines out of Marilyn's backside like most of the other characters do like she can't do no wrong, but she's written that way by TPTB, so they're the ones to blame.

Everything that goes wrong between John/Marilyn he always gets the blame and that is what annoys me when he's not always in the wrong.

[H&Alover]

I had already wondered if the Parata boys would be allowed to leave the state let alone the country considering they were under investigation so they were either being ignorant of the fact or very naïve.  In that regard it was right they were stopped for leaving the country but Colby didn't need to go to theirs and gloat about it.  Of course he only did it to push Ari's buttons which worked, Tane did well to hold him back when he must have itching  to do the same. He would have had to pass that info to someone higher up, he doesn't have the clout to block someone leaving the country.  I felt so sorry for Gemma, but the guys were right she had to go to do what needed to be done. They would have got away if Alf hadn't told Colby in passing he would be short handed as the Parata's were going home to NZ for a few days. Tougher for Nikau because he's lost out on the chance to say a goodbye to his dad.

Alf has asked Marilyn several times why she is with John and she just keeps avoiding the question.  Even if things were fine between them it would still be a hard adjustment, but there's this distance between them now. Marilyn is putting  on this face of pretending everything is fine which isn't fair on either of them.  Alf is concerned for both of them. I did blink when Alf came out with the cockney term 'kick up the arris' referring to John.  I don't know where you've been all these years Psychic  but we have seen John and Marilyn kiss and as for her and Ari that is what started this latest problem between them John thought there was more to their friendship than there was. 

Maggie has decided then that she is happy to go to Italy with Ben alone - 24 hours away according to Ben, but according to google it's 18 hours so his timing is out.   John did initially think it would only be a matter of time that he and Marilyn  where back together as before but I think he's realising it won't be happening that way so hence the advice to Ben.  If I remember right John was ready to throw Ben to the wolves when he was under investigation over the drugs in his boards. 

 

[Psychic Wombat]

On 09/08/2020 at 14:13, H&Alover said:

  I don't know where you've been all these years Psychic  but we have seen John and Marilyn kiss and as for her and Ari that is what started this latest problem between them John thought there was more to their friendship than there was. 

I don't mean a peck on the cheek I mean a proper kiss lol

[Slade]

Despite not being Maggie's biggest fan, I'm glad Ben has decided to give her another go and that he didn't end up sleeping with Gemma.  They've been married a long time and it would have been a shame to throw it away because of Marco.

I would say I have mixed feelings about the Paratas.  I personally find Gemma to be just dreadful.  Don't find anything likeable about her and don't find her very interesting as a character at all.  After having high hopes for Nikau, I've found myself to be quite disappointed with him.  He's going to be in so much trouble when it comes out he stole Tori's car with Grace and it wouldn't surprise me if he also was behind the break in at the Diner injuring Leah.  Interestingly, after making it clear she wasn't after anything romantically, Bella seems to be giving off the opposite signals.

I've mentioned before that I don't like Ari.  I think he has serious anger management issues, however I am interested in seeing how his character progresses - For now anyway.

Tane, I actually quite like (even though he's as dodgy as).  He's a lot more controlled than Ari.  I find him quite funny i.e. hitting on Mackenzie which annoyed Ari and I also loved the way he was in Colby's face re Ari with his "You lost...get over it" line.  On a more serious note though, Ari hooking up with Mackenzie is causing a big problem for the Paratas as even though Colby's right to be suspicious about them, he's made it personal as it seems mainly motivated by a woman he wasn't even that into.

I had a lot of sympathy for her after Robbo died but now she's crazy Jasmine (who obviously wants to take Tori's baby from her mother).  I was concerned about this when Jasmine first started spending time with Grace after Robbo passed as she seemed to get very attached quite quickly (which was why I was glad when I initially thought she was pregnant herself).  The sad thing is even though I hate to say he was right, Justin called this almost immediately.  And every time he calls out Jasmine's behaviour he's made out to be unreasonable.  Jasmine is in so deep now that the best thing for her would be to leave Summer Bay and start again.  Preferably without grace assuming things escalate that far.

It's funny that I prefer Marilyn to John although despite my usual dislike for him, whilst I don't condone how he's acting towards her, I do find it understandable.  To me it seems as though she's no longer in love with him and is offering to be his carer because she signed a contract.  I did like the way she went round to the Paratas at the end of last week for some reason.  Maybe because I feel the friendship is genuine.

[Red Ranger 1]

I continue to be vaguely torn over the Paratas. I'm glad that Bella ignored Colby and went to support her friend, and found Colby's claim that there's things she doesn't know quite laughable: Like what, that Ari owns a black hoodie?! But at the same time, I don't think Nikau deserves her. My sympathy for him is severely limited by the fact that he's been threatening to walk out on Gemma and the rest of the family multiple times, the most recent one being a big cause of this mess, so there's a touch of "See how you like it now then." Plus I can't shake the feeling that this karmic punishment is the only punishment he's going to get for what happened with Tori's car and Grace. (Have they still not found it, by the way? Nikau and Tane appeared to just leave it in the middle of the road. Did someone else steal it?!) Especially since, the minute Gemma's out of the country, the Parata males are suddenly listed as regulars, so probably not going anywhere any time soon. Tane is obviously finding being on the straight and narrow difficult: Suddenly all the dismissive comments about getting a job aren't so funny. I wish he and Ari had thought up a better response for Colby than an awkward "Nothing." When did Bella find out the Paratas were going away, incidentally? Last episode they made a point of saying she didn't know.

And Ben and Maggie are all set, despite that last minute wobble from Ziggy. Seem to be a few more I's to dot and T's to cross but they've got a set date and looks like the sunset ending's awaiting them.

[CaptainHulk]

Stop... Haka Time!

 

[H&Alover]

Wow how amazing, dignified, heart breaking and beautiful was that tribute/goodbye to Mikaere by the Parata men. It blew me away, I'd recorded it so rewound it and watched it again.  The backdrop of  a deserted beach just added to the ambience.  Akin to the kind of send off The River Boys give when one of their own dies, paddle into the sea on their boards and leave wreathes in the sea. They may scrap a lot, but when it comes down to it family is family and it's only been a year.  I thought Ari explained the process of the ceremony to Mac very well. I hope Mac's idea of having a video link to Gemma and the family in NZ comes off.   Said before they are all very fit, though I think Tane is a bit too muscly.

Perhaps Bella still didn't know?  Adults never learn, yes you Colby, but they still tell their kids, younger brothers/sisters not to see someone, like that has ever, ever worked. Plus Bella is 18 so he can't tell her who to see or not to see.  One thing the therapy Farm has taught her is patience, excluding Colby of course, she sat it out outside Nik's door until he was ready to come out, not pushing him to talk and just gave him a hug when he did come out, it meant he was in a better frame of mind for the later scene.   Someone sitting outside someone else's bedroom door  seems to be a thing in the bay. 

Be interesting to see how the guys manage without Gemma, she kept them together and more or less calm, she'd obviously cleared the fridge as they'd be away so hence the panic at it being empty, are any of them cooks of any kind of description, otherwise, it'll be a lot of takeaways, cereal, toast. 

Interesting that in that confrontation between Ari, Colby and Tane after Tane had informed Ari the DD had been refused it was Ari stopping Tane from going for Colby.   

Colby had to defend his, well not his actions in blocking the male Parata's passports, again, they are under investigation, if there was proof one of the three (or all of them) - would have been  locked up so they wouldn't have got as far as the airport. It's just his attitude, any other Yabbie Creek cop would more detached.  Bella called it right he is a control freak. 

Nik drove Tane's car back to town and Tane disposed of/hid Tori's car somewhere in the bush. 

Jasmine isn't crazy Slade, just in  a very bad place mentally and emotionally, she needs professional help, but of course no way is she going to admit she needs it.  She 'admits' she is acting out of order, says she's going to calm down, get it sorted but then does something else.  

Is it just a soap thing or is it possible for a couple like Ben and Maggie to arrange  everything so quick - Italy isn't NZ or even the next nearest country to Australia. Fair enough it's been decided they are renting the house to Ziggy and Dean, Ben is letting Dean run Ben's Boards, I think that is what he said,  but there has to be other things to get sorted.   No goodbye to Coco for instance? Have they sorted out somewhere to stay when they get to Italy? Ziggy must feel torn, it was her idea they go on their own as it was there dream, but no matter how old the woman is  she'll always want her mum near, in most cases anyway.  Which reminds me, does Diana know? 

[Dan F]

2 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Nik drove Tane's car back to town and Tane disposed of/hid Tori's car somewhere in the bush. 

No they both came back to town in Tane's car - Tane dropped Nik off outside the bait shop before going around to the Morgan House to drop off Grace. There was no mention of what happened to Tori's car or whether it had been found.

2 hours ago, H&Alover said:

No goodbye to Coco for instance?

They're driving up to Cairns to see Coco and are flying to Italy from there.

[Red Ranger 1]

8 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Perhaps Bella still didn't know?

When Bella and Mackenzie were on the beach at the start, they compared notes on not having heard from Ari or Nikau. I can't remember who said "They should have landed by now" but it wasn't treated as though it was new information to Bella.

6 hours ago, Dan F said:

There was no mention of what happened to Tori's car or whether it had been found.

I think the last we heard was when Nikau was at the police station and Colby wanted to fingerprint him for comparison with the car. Tane asked if they'd found it and Colby said something like "When we do."

I agree that Ari has anger management issues, which came out again here.And he does need to learn that barking orders at people in an aggressive manner isn't always going to have the desired effect: Tane was unlikely to be any more pleased about Ari getting him a job on the building site than Nikau was, so it's perhaps a good thing that Ari never got around to telling him.But I do have to respect him for trying to provide for his extended family in an honest manner.(Well, you know, aside from keeping quiet about his nephew's crime.)Tane seemingly doesn't have the patience for that, but it seems unlikely he's gone for good so we'll see what happens there.

It's a low-key departure for Ben and Maggie in many ways but that's kind of refreshing after three years of high drama. I am liking all the little call-backs to how far they've come, such as Ziggy remembering her first sight of the farm house and Alf and Leah recalling their first impressions of the family. Truth to be told, aside from Ben and Maggie always being a believably close married couple, they were not a close family when they first appeared: Ben and Maggie didn't seem to be particularly good parents, Ziggy was a pretty poor daughter and sister, Coco was kind of the most likable by virtue of being constantly dumped on and even she was kind of annoying. That whole cancer storyline in their second year was what really bonded them with each other and with us. Maggie practically seemed to have Ziggy and Dean married off her but it may or may not be as simple as that: She didn't seem to notice how put out he was at her saying she had no-one left in the Bay, and taking that wedding album was always going to cause trouble...