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Wtaf is going on with eastenders??

999 replies

Bakingnovice · 24/08/2013 21:30

I know it's been shit for ages but its just dire atm. I'm a bit behind and stopped watching when bunhead Lauren was getting drunk. Switched back on and she's back from rehab. Was her rehab in the Maldives? I'm sick to the back teeth of her and joey. What a mockery they've made of teen drinking showing her recovered. She's a terrible actress.

Lucy is weird and for an eastender she's got a v posh accent. As has bobby. And Dennis. And Sharon.

And I really don't like how every victim of sexual abuse is portrayed as promiscuous. In one episode we see Kat dragging a guy into an alley for a quickie and Whitney getting into a car with strange men. Not every child victim is like kat and bloody Whitney. Utter tosh. I need another long break from it. I only came back to it cos corrie is terrible these days.

OP posts:
burberryqueen · 13/09/2013 21:12

*characters

YoureBeingADick · 13/09/2013 21:20

no Chinese people either, the masoods are the only Asian people and until a few years ago Winston and carol's husband (cant remember his name) were the only black people. hardly representative of east London is it? don't get me started on the absence of any kind of disability!

youbethemummylion · 13/09/2013 21:22

I dont get how one goes about taking over someones business when they are away. If they enter premises without permission take stock or money etc have them arrested. If they start working there let them then dont pay them when you return. I mean without lots of paperwork and solicitors etc how can they take the business over?

givemeaboost · 13/09/2013 21:26

billys daughter janet has downs and jean has mental health issues, both disabilities!

YoureBeingADick · 13/09/2013 21:37

"billys daughter janet has downs"

when was the last time she was even referred to in the show never mind seen? they whisked her away as soon as they thought they'd ticked the 'disability' box. it's a joke.

burberryqueen · 13/09/2013 21:38

have never seen any child with Downs in 'stenders, ever....mind u i only watch it now and again - it is just too depressing.

Original poster
Bakingnovice · 13/09/2013 22:18

And the masoods are hardly representative. I have lots of Muslim mates and none of them go to the pub every night for a juice. And although I quite like jean her character is unrealistic. She's more bonkers than she is bipolar.

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YoureBeingADick · 13/09/2013 22:49

I agree- that's why I said "hardly representative of east London" although I was actually talking about the fact they are Asian rather than their religion. but I still agree- not representative. I agree about jean too- not a good or accurate IME representation of someone with bi polar.

cheerfulweatherforthewedding · 14/09/2013 01:07

I don't think Jean's portrayal of bi polar is great.

I've enjoyed the couple of episodes I've watched this week (haven't been able to say that for a while), I think Ronnie's a decent actress, by EE standards. I noticed Carl said "Game on, Ronnie!" I wondered if that was deliberate (That's the only programme I remember her from).

I wonder if Shirley's dead? It looks likely, which would be a shame.

burberryqueen · 14/09/2013 07:24

I guess we are supposed to think that Shirl is dead, in which case she probably is not - in true Eastenders style....

GwendolineMaryLacey · 14/09/2013 07:31

I've just started watching again after the baby swap boycott. Who the hell is Carl? Who is Kirsty? Why is that horrible Michael still in it?

oinktopus · 14/09/2013 10:55

It's a bit ropey and there are some awful stereotypes that Eastenders seem to have invented. Such as bad guys all speak with a gruff whisper and do a lot of smiling when they're being threatening. I can barely look at Lucy. She is weird. I don't like the rent-a-goons either. Joey, Jack, Tyler. They're like a different species (that perhaps once occupied Easter Island) and just bumble around occasionally breaking into "Woss a matter? You want some?" and pushing someone back a step.

There are high points, though. Kim is extremely believable and generally hilarious. The whole pseudo-family with Patrick and Denise works really well. I like Bianca too. She's not a caricature and she can also be really funny. Lola is believable too, as are the remaining three members of the Masoud family. Pessimist Tamwar is so funny in his misery. And Nitin Ganatra is by far the best actor in any British soap. Eastenders is lucky to have him. The Fats/Dot relationship is kind of sweet too.

I love Jean. Sometimes her pain and confusion is heartbreaking (especially during the Stacey era. I miss Stacey) but I wish they hadn't explained her behaviour as bipolar. That's not what bipolar generally looks like. I've got a sneaking love of Michael as well. He's weird, but he's weird in a very watchable way. The delicacy of the acting (or sometimes the lack of acting) is really refreshing.

What Eastenders does well now is what Coronation Street used to be wonderful at (but now fails entirely): the little observations and tribulations of daily life. Not the big stories, so much, but the seemingly insignificant ones. I think there might be a lot of Beale/Truman humour to come.

TrueStory · 15/09/2013 00:14

Agree with everything you say Oinktopus .

I also find Lucy weird, and hard to watch. Kim a joy to watch, a naturelle comedienne. Bianca good too. Michael interesting (that kiss actually seemed quite real , a rarity on any TV programme let a soap).

But all let down by other factors.

"Ronnie" just seems like another blank, blonde soapstar to me, not convincing.

cheerfulweatherforthewedding · 15/09/2013 00:26

I didn't like how Ronnie fell into Jack's arms immediately, how predictable (how like Frankenstein's monster he looks, remembering others mentioning this on the old thread).

" I don't like the rent-a-goons either. Joey, Jack, Tyler. They're like a different species (that perhaps once occupied Easter Island) and just bumble around occasionally breaking into "Woss a matter? You want some?" and pushing someone back a step."

Wonderful! Agree. Grin

cheerfulweatherforthewedding · 15/09/2013 00:28

I think Joey has overdone the body building a bit. He cannot walk properly, he ambles along, with apparent difficulty, like a great bear.

oinktopus · 15/09/2013 04:01

TrueStory Hard to watch. Those were the three little words evading me and what I dearly wanted to say. That's exactly it! Hard to watch.

oinktopus · 15/09/2013 04:16

cheerfulweatherforthewedding I love the confused look on their faces when they have to do such incredibly difficult brainwork such as speaking... some... words... and... having... feelings.

BlatantRedhead · 16/09/2013 20:33

I know most of you hate EastEnders, even though you're still watching it, but this really made me laugh out loud in tonight's episode:

Random dude Jean's known 5 minutes: "When I've had a few glasses at Christmas I like a crafty fag." To which Kat acidly replied, "And that's very similar to living with a mental health issue."

Might be morbidly amused, since my mum has bipolar and schizo-affective disorder. Still, genuine LOL from me, well done EE writers for once.

oinktopus · 16/09/2013 20:38

BlatantRedhead I criticise but I watch it (and like it) despite being from Manchester and having watched Corrie since the age of three (it was like a religion near me). If I made the switch to Eastenders, it must have something good going for it.

Kat's line made me laugh too as did Billy's mobile (that looked like farting in the bath). Although I don't understand why everyone is trying to control Jean's love life for her. Let the poor woman get on with it!

TwllBach · 16/09/2013 20:47

I quite liked Abbey's rant about her dad today. Only bit of logical, honest script for a long time. It was quite painful...because my dad is a twat

oinktopus · 16/09/2013 20:50

TwllBach She's turning into a really good actress and they seem to be allowing her more range. It breaks my heart when her face is trying to be happy but you can see the truth in her eyes. She's getting very good at being cross, too. Little wonder in that family!

TwllBach · 16/09/2013 21:13

And her and Jay are unbelievably adorable. I hope they let cheating Jay fade into the background and bring back sweet, kind, loyal Jay.

I think it's quite clever how every time Abbey mentions uni, he looks a little bit sad because he knows she will leave him behind.

oinktopus · 17/09/2013 03:10

TwllBach Aww, they really are. I like how he both has a plan to stick with his clever future wife and also how he's slightly resigned to losing her. I've no idea why they inserted cheating Jay in there (seems a bit incongruous) or why Dexter was unpeturbed about it. Either way, she seems like she deserves only good things and I hope they don't test that too much.

YoureBeingADick · 17/09/2013 09:35

I have no idea why they put the whole 'taking a car to be sold' story in- nor why sindy is in it.

Fakebook · 17/09/2013 12:50

This has been annoying me for weeks now but I absolutely hate the way Abbey is always saying UZZ, instead of US.

"No one cares about UZZ"...."it's UZZ that are left alone"...

I'm catching myself waiting for her to say it in every episode now and cringe when I hear it.