2023 Season - UK Episode Discussion

[H&Alover]

I'm on the telling Felicity the truth team, I was shouting that last night!  Of course it will be shocking to know, but at least it will stop her torturing herself that it was all her fault! It looks like she is going to start drinking to numb the pain/guilt.   OK Eden would have been safe if the original plan had happened, but she still would have been in the crash.  Cash moving out, which was a wise decision on Tane's part, isn't helping her as to me it'll make her blame herself all the more.   Cash's reassurance he was the one the bikies are after doesn't necessarily make it safe for the Parata's, it was their house that was/is bugged.  Tane just wants, himself, Felicity and Nik to be safe.  Oh did Flick visit Eden before she left the hospital, nothing was said.  Flick is going to be need of counselling, she was having mild panic attacks on the way home and she has got a history of them.  

Tex got a bit too sure of himself by accidentally letting Cash  know he knew who had been in the car crash, not once but twice.  Cash played it clever by not letting on.   We did find out 'Tex's' real name.  Rose did some good work there tracking down that guy Lloyd.  What is Cash hoping to achieve when he and Lloyd meet up?  Wouldn't  it be a better idea be to arrange to meet up with him and tip off the Task Force - but what do I know?

It was four years ago then Gabe accepted that money from Rick and we found out how and why.  He wasn't from the wrong side of the tracks, but in business himself which wasn't doing so good at the time.  Rick offered him a life line on the condition he leave Mac.  I think the Mac we know now may have been more high maintenance back then so may not have been able to accept Gabe's reduced circumstances- only a theory though.    He certainly isn't above himself, gladly helped Dean pick up his boards with no complaint.   Dean knows his back history and put Gabe's case across very well to Mac.  He does know Rick's manipulative ways. The older Dean does listen to people more and can put across a good argument.  Anyways it worked Mac is willing to see Gabe, not quite in a romantic way - yet.  Gabe doesn't need to pay Mac back a much better idea would be to give Rick that cheque!

We still don't know where Irene was on on her time off? All she said to Cash was sorry for not being there.  Clever duck out with Rose and Bree with Irene blathering on about divorces.  She and the rest of the bay, don't know the half of it.  

Izzy and Dean should definitely have read the baby books, well at least one of them! Even I realised  it must have been Braxton Hicks.  It'll certainly save then panicking too much when it happens for real.  

Mali from never having been seen on screen before now and now popping up on a regular basis  is odd.  It looks like, maybe, he will be there on a more permanent basis if he takes up Dean's offer. How will he  run his business though? 

 

[Foellfan]

On 14/03/2023 at 22:26, Dan F said:

Shameer Birges

We do include the guest cast lists in our ep guides on the site if you need them again at any point - https://www.backtothebay.net/episodes/2023/episode-7951/

Thank you, good to know!

On 14/03/2023 at 23:50, CaptainHulk said:

I can just see Alf in a Big Bird costume ala Sesame Street

"Today's episode is brought to you by the letters "N" and "O"! Can't believe I let you galahs talk me into this!"

I am sitting here in tears of laughter, the image is so striking! 

[Red Ranger 1]

So, yep, Leah is still appearing and we got Roo back as well, so the gang's finally back together! Leah seemed to get over barely being able to walk very quickly (and major surgery even quicker!) and in some ways, Justin may be the worse off of the two.What started off as simply being a bit of an overprotective mother hen soon seemed to turn into full-blown obsession and paranoia, as he shouts at family and friends and gets separation anxiety when Leah's out of his sight.

So it falls to Justin to let Felicity know about the brakes being cut.And even with her knowing that, Tane still won't be honest with her and passes the buck to Cash (who isn't in the episode, so Felicity doesn't get any answers yet).

Theo's fan girl seems to be bubbling away in the background and Mali is convinced to take a job in Summer Bay pretty quickly.

[H&Alover]

Oh I don't know Leah seemed to be shuffling/hobbling along in the right way as you would expect someone to be after what she went through.  Just about the correct way to sit and stand, not overdoing it.  Emmerdale and Corrie both have miracle hospitals where patients seems to make quick recoveries once they have had an op and come round.  I'd imagine she's glad to be home and in her own bed and being able look at  a different four walls.  I can get why Justin is so worried but the way he is going on will not help Leah's recovery, she'll be more stressed with him hovering over her all the time.  She practically had to order him out of the house. Not letting her stand, she does need to go to the loo, bedroom, have a wash. He can't always be there though he'd like to be.  It wasn't mentioned what her actual injuries are, guessing no interior organs were damaged.    Company would be good for her, despite him saying it'd tire her out, did no-one but Justin and Theo visit her in hospital?   It must have bucked her up seeing Roo and Alf.  Alf was despatched to take him out for a walk (and a talk) but unusually for Alf he didn't get through to him. Not good for either of them. We haven't seen  Irene or Marilyn visit yet and I'm sure Leah is perfectly capable of telling someone when she has had enough. 

Justin, in the one form of soaps many cliches, 'thought' Flick knew about the brakes being cut.  Flick may not have clicked right away, booze not letting her think clearly, but she's  a smart cookie and will work it out, but as you said Tane could have let her know it wasn't anything she or Eden had done to deserve that., maybe he's decided, wrongly or rightly, it's Cash's place to do that.  She still would have been in the Ute though.  

Theo and Kirby are having to pick up on Justin's slack by letting their fans and venues know they won't be appearing.  Theo's Fangirl/boy made an appearance, sort of, with us seeing their hands putting that portrait together.  They could have been a woman's hands or a younger man's.  Kirby wondered how they knew he worked at the garage so either they are watching him or it's on his social media page.

Mali does appear to have a busy home life, his sister, Elandra, asking him to pick up the kids, his mum asking him to pick up some shopping on his way home.   That's along with with him running his business.  Maybe he feels  he can have  more time to himself  by being in the bay which is why he's taken up Dean's offer to work for hm.   He will be selling his own boards after all so know what he is talking about to Dean's customers. Like his nickname for John - JP.  He's now met Nik already made a friend. 

[Red Ranger 1]

Alf's episode count this week:Three.Eden was in two but spent the whole week unconscious.Marilyn was only in one, although she was credited on Tuesday for no appearance.

Well, it took some doing, but the tag team of Alf and Roo got Justin and Leah on the same page eventually.Despite promising Justin she wouldn't let Leah know he sent her, Roo pretty much said so straightaway! It's understandable that Justin would be scared, much like Felicity is I guess, but it seems a few considerate words from Leah got him back to his old self.

They might not know the player personally, but I'm sure if you sent a gift for one of them to the team sponsor, they'd know a way to pass it on. (Whether or not they'd bother is another matter.)I like that Theo and Kirby both respected the other's opinion.Kirby suggests Theo's fangirl might not be a girl, although from what we saw of them, the evidence leans in that direction.But yeah, scrap book plastered with photos, definite red flag.

I'd have hoped if Stacey was going to abandon her attempt at monogamy it wasn't going to be with someone who came across as a complete sleaze.Maybe his comment about seeing someone else made her think he was a kindred spirit.Rose is in an awkward position having already cried wolf once.Not sure why Xander lied to Kirby and Theo about Stacey coming:Pride?

[H&Alover]

Joint effort there with Roo and Alf and agreeing the right way to go about it and not clashing.   I had the feeling Roo would tell Leah Justin had sent her.  They did need to see it from each other's point of view.   At least Leah didn't tell Roo to say she was 'fine' when Roo  offered to pour out the water into the cup.  He's agreed to back off and give her some breathing space so along as she obeys the docs orders.  Be better for both of them to give each other some leeway.  Justin has got himself back into his managerial mode. 

All it would have shown on the van was it was sponsored by Morgan's  (or whatever name it was) not where they were based, unless they looked it up, suggesting they are local or just moved there.    They, and the clues where there that  it was definitely a woman when we saw them again, seemed very intense.  Theo's picture was couriered over not sent by post and as Kirby said that wouldn't have been cheap.  I suppose Theo did have to let them know he'd received it OK.

OK the first encounter with the brash guy was pretty innocent, bit of banter/mild flirting, must come with the job,  and Rose was included in it.  Even the next meet up was fairly innocent but Nik picked up some vibes, enough to mention it to Rose.   She did try and put him off by saying he was a client so against the rules.  The "So am I" response to Rose's "I'm with someone"  did put a different slant on it.   Was she expecting it would be just a dinner date or have a suspicion it would end up where it did?   I'm guessing she's not been a local long enough to know the spot she and (?) picked was a no-go spot.   Naturally enough it had to be Rose who knocked on the window, so it'll be a will she, won't she  time for Rose. 

I'd go for Xander being embarrassed.  Not a good look for either males or females sitting at a table, twiddling a drink about trying to look casual.  

[Red Ranger 1]

Well, I'm glad that Rose told Xander the truth, after a respectful wait to give Stacey a chance, and that Xander believed her straightaway.It's a shame that this has meant an end to Rose and Stacey's blossoming friendship.And it'll be a shame if this means the end of Xander and Stacey, because I do think she wanted things to work and this is just a blip, but I can't really blame Xander if he wants to call it quits.

Things kind of blowing hot and cold between Mackenzie and Gabe.They started off getting on well, but then he insisted on pushing it just that little bit too much in trying to run Salt with her...and then they fall back into each other's arms (and the rest...) anyway.It's a shame Mackenzie didn't feel like employing Kirby, but Leah was quick to step up and offer an alternative, and I guess with Irene back, things aren't quite as hectic at the Diner as they have been, so there is time to train her.Although it felt mostly like an excuse to have Roo and Marilyn in the episode, it was good to see Roo's friends rallying around her and Justin learning to take a step back.

[Slade]

So Jacob's dead...yay!  It may not seem like it to her now but Bree's life is going to be so much better eventually.  Whilst I'm glad she's free of Jacob, I don't want her with Remi either although I suspect they will end up together.

I am finding this storyline with Felicity interesting.  I hope this isn't the start of a relapse as she was pretty anti-social when she turned up and whilst I do find her annoying occasionally, I think she's done very well to turn her life around and be more responsible.

I was glad Justin was "smothering" Leah, if only so she would know what it's like when someone's constantly on her case.  The way she reacted though reminded me of when Justin went through his addiction phase.

I'm not surprised Stacey's cheated on Xander already.  As I said before she is simply doing what comes naturally to her (Just look at her expression of excitement when she met up with that guy).  It is a shame as she and Rose were getting on and I even enjoyed their interaction on the beach when Stacey was doing one of her training sessions.  Have to admit, Rose was really professional when she caught them.  I'm glad she told Xander.  She did the right thing.  It will be interesting to see if Stacey can talk Xander around.

I laughed when Mackenzie was telling Gabe how she successfully ran the business.  She left out the part that she was in so much trouble financially, she hosted illegal poker nights, had to go court because of it and the only reason the business didn't go under was because Felicity invested her own savings and got Lyric on board.

So Theo has his own stalker now.  Hope she's hot.

[H&Alover]

Rose did give Stacey the chance to come clean to Xander so she, and I know it's a cliche, but she felt she had no choice.  Flirting a bit on the beach is not a crime, a lot of people in couples do flirt but they know where to stop.  I'm glad Rose took advice from Kirby before she decided.  To give Stacey her due she did try and give an exclusive relationship a go and she does like Xander, but she knew his terms for being with her and if she can crack that soon it doesn't bode well.  It'd be better for Xander if they broke up now rather than carrying on and him wondering who she may be with when she's not with him and whether to believe her reasons.

Talking about Rose and going off piste but Rose offered Bree a place to stay but (a) shouldn't she run it by Xander first and (b) more importantly would she be allowed to seeing  as Bree is still under investigation for Jacob's death and Rose even took Bree's statement.  Surely she'd have to get her sarge's or the departments OK.   Xander who is one of the few who know about Jacob being dead and he wouldn't say anything but it could be awkward. 

Glad it wasn't just me who thought it was funny when Mac was boasting to Gabe about her having run SALT successfully for years.  Well she did if you don't count the trouble she got in financially wise, a touch of selective amnesia there.  Also didn't she set it up with money she'd 'borrowed' from Rick?  From what we've seen, so far, Gabe does seem genuine, but he did try and take over just because Mac was on her own due to Felicity being off.  She did forgive him though and in what a way - steamy or what.  She did have enough about her to remember which room was hers. 

When Felicity first showed up she did like a drink or six but it was for fun or we thought but it was to mask her pain about her dad which she hadn't yet acknowledged.  This time it's to hide what she mistakenly thinks is her guilt for Eden's injury.  

We never have seen Kirby do any non band work have we, Theo does have his job at the garage, but he wouldn't get paid much, Remi did his busking - what did Eden do btw?   Seeing as SALT is a bar/restaurant Mac would be needing someone who could tend bar which Kirby can't, I know she could collect glasses, empty tables, serve food but Mac hasn't got the time to teach her.  How handy then the Diner will be needing someone, Maz, Irene and other workers there can oversee her training.  Justin, wisely, kept out of Leah's decision to take her on. 

Not giving anything away as we saw her in the promo but Karen's back - yeh! I do like her, she will liven things up, though neither Dean or Ziggy looked overjoyed to see her.  

 

[Slade]

I did find Dean's reaction quite amusing when he came home, immediately realised what was going on with MacKenzie and Gabe together and wasn't falling for their attempts to convince him that nothing had happened.  Find it hard to believe Gabe would seek out someone after 4 years.  Mackenzie I can understand getting with him because she's lonely.  If he lives in the city, surely there's lots of other people he's met.  Dean seems very pro them being together.

I did wonder if Stacey would talk Xander around towards the end of yesterday's episode but I guess leaving it overnight he went for his head as opposed to his heart.  It's a shame as I did quite like Stacey and I liked her and Xander together.  She clearly likes him more than any other guy she's met but obviously can't give up seeing other people.  Even her farewell to him, she really, really didn't want things to end.

Alf seemed a lot better with Mali when he introduced himself at the Surf Club than when he was when he bumped into him at the Diner earlier on.  Although admittedly he was probably just being professional.

Ziggy's completely lost expression when Karen rocked up was funny.