2022 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[H&Alover]

Jai was smart enough not to fall for "She's my girlfriend" line.  Not as if he was alone with Karen and seeing his dad and Ziggy relaxed with her probably put him at ease.  I do see what you mean Red, I don't think her name was mentioned, but Jai is going to say to Amber he met this nice lady on the beach.  Hopefully neither Dean or Ziggy said to Jai don't tell your mum about this lady, cos that never works. The look on Karen's face when she saw Jai was lovely then when she actually met him!  She can be out there but a lot of that is down to her mental conditions but I like Karen.

Dean called Karen out again on why she is avoiding Brett - it is so obvious she likes him as much as he likes her - OK calling a spade a spade time, she loves him!  I can see why she doesn't want to risk hurting him or getting hurt herself, she's been there, done that, got the t-shirt ,several times. 

I said John had a soft spot for Karen.  He did fess up to knowing about Jai, then Karen 'conned' him into breakfast.  That is one thing that can be said for Amber she is a good mum, she's brought Jai up mostly by herself for six years, he's healthy and happy, a confident little lad, cheeky but well behaved too.  John just told Karen how it was for him and Amber, he knew her as his therapist before all the rest of it came out  and what a great little fella Jai was. He soon got roped in to help Dean, then Ziggy tried the same trick with getting him to buy her a coffee. 

Wow shock horror a van stayer locks his door!  I was expecting  Flick just to burst in on Cash and Jasmine.  Flick had the best intentions  to celebrate Jasmine's Birthday + 1 but is rather overpowering.  I don't think Flick does subtle hints so you have to be direct with her or fib, but I'm glad Jas felt she deserved the truth which she did take well.   at her sitting with her friends Marg and Rita.  Sad later on though with her sitting on her own in her van. I guess most of her social life beforehand was linked to the club where she used to work.  Even Tane isn't on hand for her to call on she seems pretty laid back about him taking off to do what he had to do. 

OK trivial comment coming - I liked her dress. 

[CaptainHulk]

Unsure what to make of this Brett fella.

He's not Mr Debonair but he's not Satan Incarnate... Gonna need more than 1 ep!

[Red Ranger 1]

Brett seems to be an ordinary decent bloke on the basis of his few scenes, which is probably just what Karen needs. Dean pulls one of Ziggy's old tricks, using the discarded phone to contact him. John was utterly befuddled at Karen's desperate lunge at him but seemed to go along with it in a bemused kind of way. I did like the bit of interaction between Karen and Felicity: Rather kindred spirits!

Also glad that Tane has relaxed when it comes to spending time with people outside the family, which was doubly pointless when it came to Nikau and Bella since she already knows the big secret anyway. Tane and Nikau do seem more relaxed but Mia continues to run around like a headless chicken instead of accepting reality. Bella is again left wondering why everyone insists on declaring people "friends" just because they've chatted a few times: She might have lent Chloe an ear lately but they're hardly besties!

[H&Alover]

Brett did come across as an OK bloke - he certainly wasn't fooled by Karen's declaration that she was John's girlfriend then snogging him.  He's known her for a year so not a sudden pash for him, he knows her.  He's persistent - but in a good way - not a stalkerish way. 

If Karen keeps the same password to her phone, then it's her own fault Dean was able to get into it so easily. 

More lovely scenes of Tane and Nik completing their rites of passage procedure and Tane handing Nik him the  taiaha he had been using saying it was now his has it really been a week since they went on it.     

Obviously something that is very important to Maori's. Hopefully it has put them in a better place to cope with what's coming. 

I'm not  normally a person who picks up on little things like this but they must have taken some shaving gear with them as they left looking the same as they did when they arrived.

Theo really does seem to be taking the whole court appearance thing seriously even going shopping for  a suit.  OK yes it's a first offence - but the Polaris is what could be classed as an emergency vehicle so a little more serious than your average joy riding.  Justin is being very brave in still keeping it from Leah, he told Irene he'll tell her once he knows what the outcome is.  Where did you put your hard hat? 

Bella may not be Chloe's BFF but maybe that is better in way,  Bella can be more honest with her.  Bella had to keep her secret from the cops and always will have to, though she wasn't there where Ross died and she didn't do the deed unlike Chloe who did do the deed.  Also while Colby did mean to kill Ross Chloe didn't mean to kill Matthew which must make it worse. Chloe did thank Bella via text so who knows maybe they will be friends.

Loved the Tane Felicity re-union and he stayed the night and didn't dash off to go back to the family.  Big step him inviting her to have dinner with the family, it seemed to mean such a lot to her, got the feeling that hadn't happened a lot in her past. Seemed to fit in very well though  and the Parata's certainly know how to eat!  Bella, Chloe & Flick were certainly enjoying themselves looking at wedding dresses and take taking the mick out of the more horrendous ones.  Maybe all this mad wedding planning is Mia's way of distracting herself from what is really going on. 

Alf still alienating Ryder and Roo is more on his side than Alf's.    Was Alf really surprised Ryder wasn't in a hurry to come home after work?   Then there was his little dig about Martha finding it very peaceful at Merimbula even if it was a bit of a trek to the hospital to get her dialysis.  

Another rather nasty reminder of his experience for Ryder when he got stuck in the storage room, confined space and in the dark, just as well Justin, of course, managed to get him out and keep him calm as anyone else wouldn't have known what had happened  to him. 

 

 

[Slade]

Struggling to understand what that guy sees in Karen.

Wow a Ryder/Felicity scene.  I sensed a little bit of the green eyed monster when he called her out for staring at Tane although that's not the main reason he's miserable.  I do completely understand why he had another panic attack.

So Tane has completely throw out the rulebook asking Felicity over for dinner but allowing Bella to come too.  Good.  The more people that find out, the better.

[c120701]

I loved the drone shot of the Caravan Park in today’s episode, it was nice to get a proper look at it.

[Red Ranger 1]

To be fair to Chloe, while she does carry a share of the blame, it was Ari and Mia’s own stupid decisions that led to this. So, yes, it seems like storyline over, she doesn’t feel guilty anymore, and they’re all happily having a meal together and discussing wedding plans as though Ari spending the rest of his life in jail for someone else’s crime is perfectly fine. The only thing I liked was Tane including Felicity: We got a first hint of that when Ari found her slumped outside and put her to bed, but looks like she’s got that social circle at last.

It’s reached the point where I’m starting to sympathise with Alf being on the receiving end of the same black and white view he was expressing. Roo’s comments were very unhelpful: Why bring up Theo’s court appearance, when it was only going to cause another argument? It’s as if she likes provoking him. Ryder was like a bear with a sore head at Salt and pretty much deserved that teasing from Felicity, but his panic attack was pretty serious: Lucky Justin was there. At least he seemed more like his usual self talking to Mackenzie. Alf kicking Justin out was silly but I really can’t deal with Theo acting the victim. Yes, Alf had a personal agenda when he reported him, but it was Theo that gave him something to report him for, and he was partly to blame for what happened to Ryder so accusing Alf of blaming other people was rather pot-kettle-black.

I can’t say I mind Dean punching Logan that much, even if it wasn’t very helpful, since Logan’s priorities seem rather out of whack. It’s hard to see what either he or Neve thinks the endgame is: He can’t keep on hiding her from the authorities forever.

[H&Alover]

Just because Chloe seemed fine it doesn't mean she isn't still feeling it inside.  Bella will have to hide the fact she knew Colby had killed Ross long before the truth cam out for life. Chloe is honouring Ari's wishes.  That reminds me Chloe said to Bella the other day Mia kept her from seeing Ari last time he was inside.  Actually Ari decided that he didn't want anyone visiting or contacting him during his term inside. 

Alf didn't let anyone explain why Justin was there - no wonder Ryder has decided to rent a van, I hope he's paying for it, all the tension won't be good for him.  Flick of course doesn't know the full extent of what Ryder went through, just thought he'd had a bad night,  and I don't imagine he'd want to keep explaining it to all and sundry. Mac wasn't that sympathetic either. 

Alf, even if he had been there, couldn't have stopped Ryder doing what he did- he's an adult, and they would have kept it quiet, maybe that is what Theo was referring to blaming others as he couldn't stop him.   A proper sign of the times Justin having to show Theo how to tie a tie, mind Theo is in his 20's not a teenager and I'm surprised his dad hadn't shown him in the past because isn't or wasn't Dimitri a suit wearing  type of guy so you would have thought he's make sure his only son knew how to dress when he was younger?  He did scrub up well though. 

Community service - fair punishment I suppose - I would have very been surprised if he'd got off completely. Is Justin now going to tell Leah?

Logan so far by the looks of it has been kipping on the sofa in the motel room so nothing going on on his part, that isn't to say Neve would prefer that there was something  going on. Has he been working btw or just babysitting her? Rather awkward meeting between Mac and Logan and it doesn't help she can't tell Dean why Logan is with Neve - cue the usual "it's complicated" comment.   I know he's 'shacked up' with his ex but Logan didn't deserve that punch, especially  as it landed on the same spot where Neve had hit him. 

It is a different situation from Ari and Mia so Mac shouldn't feel she is second best, but I can understand her feeling it's happening again which is why she felt she had to dump him until it's resolved one way or the other.  She changed her mind about reporting Neve but then walked in at the worse possible moment when Neve was kissing Logan's war wound better - why was the door wide open anyway? Next scene Mac is ringing them again. 

Neve is still in total denial she has PTSD and until she does admit it Logan is stuck and feels he has to hang in on there. 

[Slade]

I actually wasn't keen on Dean hitting Logan although I do agree from his perspective it looks dubious Logan staying at the same motel room as Neve.

Whilst his motives were petty, I agree Alf was right about Theo.  Actions have consequences.

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Four.

Neve did the usual thing of not listening to the whole conversation.She was very lucky not to get taken down the station, although I guess Cash did what was required of him in checking with Mackenzie whether she wanted to press charges.Of course, now she seems to have disappeared again...

Pretty bad boyfriend behaviour from Cash at the end.I mean, it was a bit unhinged for Jasmine to suddenly ask him to move in just because Irene said he could if they wanted to.And if Cash doesn't want to, then that's perfectly fair enough.But to just give her a blunt no and then bail on her, rather than giving an explanation or saying he's just not ready yet? Poor form.

While I don't think Theo's got much to complain about with regards the community service, Alf has treated him and Justin pretty badly this year, so the apology was needed. I'm glad they seem to have accepted it rather than it going like his last apology attempt! It's going to be hard to keep Theo's community service from Leah at least if he's still doing it when she comes back...

11 hours ago, H&Alover said:

Just because Chloe seemed fine it doesn't mean she isn't still feeling it inside.  Bella will have to hide the fact she knew Colby had killed Ross long before the truth cam out for life. Chloe is honouring Ari's wishes. 

To be honest, I don't think there's any comparison about the two situations. Glib "He was protecting me" comments aside, Bella wasn't there when her father was killed, couldn't have done anything to protect it and I doubt the subject of whether or not she knew Colby killed him a bit earlier than everyone else will come up much. (In fact, it hasn't been mentioned at all throughout this storyline!) Where the official version of how Ross died is correct in all major details, the cover-up of who killed Matthew is much more extensive and Chloe's much more responsible, yet is going to have to repeatedly blame Ari for something she did in order to keep the lie going.