2022 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[pembie]

Of course there’s a crash on the way to the ED department for Xander to prove his up for the job how silly that would never happen 

Also Theo is abit annoying but it’s one exam you failed not desperate enough to have annoying Ziggy as your teacher just yet is it 

[Red Ranger 1]

Xander was kind of caught between a rock and a hard place here. Misleading Millie (not exactly outright lying to her) was probably the lesser evil, even if she might not thank him for it. Rose learns that Summer Bay isn't always as quiet as she thought: Three days in and she's having to deal with a death.I quite liked Jasmine being the supportive big sister to Xander.Logan once again demonstrates what a terrible patient he is.

Dean and Ziggy were smart to give Theo some practical work to focus on, although no apology from Ziggy for losing her temper with him! Sadly, Theo's attempt to not let Justin down has just left him hurt that Theo didn't trust him, and Theo down about upsetting him.I guess at this point I'm just going to have to accept that Theo's had a complete personality transplant since last year and stop commenting on the inconsistencies! I dunno, I guess he was always mistrustful of Justin, but he never seemed to be bothered about annoying him or letting him down when they first met?

[Dan F]

Fun fact for those that haven't already seen it on the site or elsewhere- Zara Zoe (Millie) is the sister of Nicholas Cartwright (Cash).

[H&Alover]

Xander wasn't going to the ED Department, he and Jas were going to Rifton(?) Lakes. 

To Theo  it is a  big deal or have you missed how his dad was about him failing everything.    He mentioned to Leah later that Dimitri got angry with him for failing his L's, any other parent would  just be disappointed for their child.

Part of Theo knows Justin is nothing like his dad, but he's been well indoctrinated over the years so it's hard to get those thoughts out of his brain, Leah gets it, it's not a personal thing with Justin. Justin did get frustrated with Theo when he first arrived, Theo did have the knack of winding him up. He did want to run off again and avoid the issue like he did before because he knew what would happen, or used to.  

Dean & Ziggy made a good teaching team.  Theo had no problem recognising the parts in real form unlike seeing them in a book.  Although he'll still have to put it down in writing now he can look at actual machines and their parts.  Ziggy admitted the written work  was her failing. She also said she was lucky she has parents who backed what she wanted to do and believed she could do it. 

I know Xander doesn't see it that way but he did make the right call, he needed to keep Millie  calm so he could work on her. If he'd told her  the truth then she would have panicked or got upset, even tried to get out of the car. He didn't exactly lie to her, he said someone was with Jo which was true.  Understandably Millie was angry that no-one helped Jo but she doesn't know that she was already dead when Xander and Jasmine found her.  He does seem to be going overboard on looking after her - is there something we should know?  He did good with that emergency op even if he hadn't actually done one before, that ought to get him Brownie points to get him a job.  Typical the ambulance(s) had to get held up so Xander and Jasmine had to work on the victims on their own, though Logan was busting to.

It looks from initial police enquiries that one car crossed over into the oncoming lane and crashed into the other,  no idea of who it was yet, we don't know who was going which way, tyre tracks should help, and Logan and Millie's account.  I don't want to assume anything but it may be that Millie and her friend Jo may have been talking and Millie may have just drifted into the other lane.  But it may be Logan drifted into the wrong lane for whatever reason. 

Red, have you not leant by now - Logan is a doctor so of course he's going to ignore medical advice, not a doctor (and nurse  not let's forget) in soap or drama history that does what they are told.   You know the old saying don't you?

[Red Ranger 1]

What is up with Alf this year? He's always been grumpy, but usually there's a heart of gold buried in there. For most of the last few months, he's just come across as a jerk a lot of the time. So Ryder's saying his farewells: I'll miss him but good he's getting to do what he wants. Roo seemed to knock a year off his age at one point before we were reminded he had a 21st! I like how determined Bella is to give him a good time, and I guess it fits that Chloe would be involved given she and Ryder were close once. I really do not get Nikau's problem. He already knew, or at least suspected, that Chloe was manipulating them, but he got past it and they made up...so why bring it up again? 

Okay, trying to rationalise this, I guess it's only recently that Theo's started to see Justin as some sort of father figure and doesn't know how to deal with having an actual positive father figure? I'm glad they smoothed things over, even if Justin did then send him off to the lion's den while he holds Jasmine's hand!

Xander kind of put himself in the firing line with Millie but it's nice that Jasmine gently put a word in for him and hopefully he'll get a chance to thank her.

[pembie]

Shame Ryder is going even though I find his exit quite abrupt and quite silly

[Red Ranger 1]

So after all Theo's worries about spoiling the party, turns out Nikau does it for him. I don't even particularly like Chloe, but I don't particularly like Nikau either, and with Theo showing some growth, Nikau seems to have reclaimed his position as the most immature one in the group. I'm not sure what Bella sees in him either. Not too keen on Theo and Chloe getting close, which feels oddly-timed with Ryder not around to be uncomfortable about it.

John's gift to Ryder was surprisingly thoughtful. I'm not sure Alf fully redeemed himself by being nice to Ryder for about five seconds after a day of being abrupt with him: He seemed to be nicer about him when he wasn't there! It's a shame we didn't get a proper last moment between Ryder and Mackenzie given how close they were, episode counts getting in the way again I suppose. I was willing to take that hug at the house as Ryder and Bella's farewell but then she came back for another one and I really did tear up, because that was always the most important relationship to me: Ryder was a positive part of her life at a time when she was badly in need of those and he's been one ever since.

Ryder says Marilyn's the baby of the house now. I think Roo was younger than her originally but goodness only knows if that's still true...

[pembie]

All these quick exits of characters at the moment seems quite naff to me I quite liked Ryder he was funny character he should have stuck around to at least the end of the poker story at least I didn’t quite buy him being what they claim best mates with Theo that was ridiculous 

[CaptainHulk]

Ryder's send off was great., low-key yet emotional. Though some of the music made me wince. Palmer's gift was nice. I'm amazed he didn't bring him a captain's hat (John was in the navy and won't let people forget it)

Not defending Nikau's behaviour but a light *needed* to be shone on Chloe, who the writers LOVE to give a free pass... Just not at the bleeding party!

When Bella flagged him down I was all like "Kiss her already!"

(Once I get my fic muscles going, they'll be a thing)

Also Alf/Martha and the lights was nice. I'd have preferred it was just THEM in that scene tbh.

 

[H&Alover]

I'm guessing it may have been the short notice so hadn't got the chance to get used to him going. Then of course there is the continuing worry of Martha.   I know it was short notice but nobody got him anything to take with him,  Bella's idea was lovely making the photo album, actual photos too and sticking them in with glue!!! Chloe got 'that' diary out to get the photo of Ryder, more of that later.*  I was getting worried that Theo seemed to have been excluded, Bella, Nik, Roo, Marilyn, Chloe, even John and Justin  got invited, but then Ryder bumped into him.  John must have paid out some extra wonga seeing he would gave to persuade the engravers to  have all those bar tags - is the right name -   done in such short a time.   I did love that Bella caught up with Ryder to have that last hug, good too to see that TPTB felt they didn't have to go down the romance route just be friends.  After his initial bad start he's been a good friend to many young folk though his romances never worked out well.  Chloe and Ryder made their peace, remembering the good times.  

Nik and even Bella had some idea  Chloe was playing them but seeing it in writing in the diary* on how she went about it would have looked so calculating and cold.  Glad Theo was persuaded to go to the party even though he knew Chloe was there, he played it it cool by avoiding her as much as he could. He was more confused as to why Nik was so cold to her.  But Chloe was in a bad place when she wrote what she did and has come out of it now.  I'm glad she and Theo had that talk and it was a genuine apology.  Her trying to kiss Theo was a mistake but as he said when he caught up with it was wrong as they both had been damaged so needed to take it slow. 

it was good that Millie apologised to Xander once Jasmine told her Jo had already died when she and Xander found her. I hope we'll find out who caused the crash, we haven't seen the cops interview either Millie or Logan. Do we have to assume Mac was out of town as that is why she didn't come to see Logan in the hospital? Again not wanting to second guess what happened but maybe Jo distracted Millie so she swerved into the oncoming lane. From what Millie was telling Jasmine Jo was the more adventurous of the two.  It also seems Millie doesn't have any family to call on. 

 that dance with Alf & Martha, him worried about it being too much for her, it wasn't the can-can just a slow waltz.