Hollyoaks Favourites: #KillerCameron

(Wednesday 8th April 2020)

On Wednesday, Keiron Richardson introduced the first of the week’s Hollyoaks Favourites. The first episode focusses on the big reveal of Killer Cameron’s rampage through the village. It begins with Cameron, Leela, Tegan, Peri and Courtney all playing happy families in a cabin in the woods, which is just never going to end well. Have none of these people ever seen a horror film before?

Back in the Village, Cleo is missing her sister, Celine, who has disappeared. Cameron has told everyone that she has gone away to a retreat but actually, he killed her. Down at the lake where they are staying, Tegan and Courtney are horrified to find Celine’s body in the lake and quickly connect the dots. I mean, it’s careless really. Why would he bring his family to the place where he buried the bodies? That is bound to go wrong! Anyway, Tegan works out that Cameron is the one who deflected the search for Celine and he also gave Leela a ring that belonged to her. However, Cameron soon rushes down to the lake to silence them. Despite Courtney’s heartfelt attempt to reason with him, which she bravely persists with regardless of him admitting that he killed Lockie (has Ziggy already died at this point?), he locks them in a shed and rushes back to the cabin to deal with Leela and Peri.

Cameron attacks Tegan and Courtney…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Meanwhile, Warren has taken Ste under his wing. Having worked out that Cameron is a bad guy, Ste has tried to make his family see sense, only to be rejected. He was attacked by Cameron at the cabin the night before. Ryan, who obviously still had some good in him at this point, locates Ste and informs him that Courtney made a 999 call and hung up. Together, they rush to the cabin, as any normal police officer would of course bring a member of the public to a potential, dangerous crime scene.

This is back in the day when Lisa was having an affair with Mac, her boyfriend, Nathan’s father. While Nathan frets about his girlfriend’s whereabouts and leaves loving messages for her on her voicemail, Lisa and Mac are at it in a campervan. When she hears Nathan’s messages, Lisa ends things with Mac and insists they go home. Mac is not a happy bunny. He is not used to being told no. They drive home, despite the fact that Mac has been drinking.

Inside the cabin, Cameron claims to have dealt with Tegan and Courtney and informs Leela and Peri that this is the end now. He admits to killing Leela’s parents as well as Nico. He then covers the cabin in accelerant and is set to burn them all alive before they make their escape with the help of the timely arrival of Ste and Ryan. Cue: terrified running through the woods followed by a frantic, enraged chase from Cameron who promptly gets hit by Mac and Lisa’s van, which just happens to be trundling along the road. Lisa rushes out and obviously wants to call an ambulance but Mac refuses and they drive off, knowing they can’t be caught together.

The others arrive, including Tegan and Courtney, who have been rescued by Ryan (if only Tegan could see the future, she wouldn’t be so grateful to Ryan right now…) While they wait for an ambulance, Leela stands over Cameron and warns him that he will be locked up for a long time. He tells her that he won’t be the only one. Elsewhere, Zack Loveday is locked up in a van, crying out for help.

I cannot for the life of me remember what poor Zack had to do with any of this but my overwhelming sense from this episode is that it’s rather alarming to realise how many characters from it are now dead: Tegan, Mac, Nathan, Ryan, Amy and Ziggy. (Celine, Lockie, Nico (who actually turns out to be an unknown female), Danny and Sam have already been killed – all by Cameron).

Due to the Coronavirus, Hollyoaks has had to suspend filming

Hollyoaks Favourites airs Wednesdays – Fridays 7pm on E4 to fill to gap

Normal Hollyoaks episodes will air on Mondays and Tuesdays at 6:30pm on Channel 4 with a sneak peek on E4 at 7pm

Hollyoaks Favourites: When Mercedes Married Browning

(Thursday 2^nd & Friday 3^rd April 2020)

As a tonic to our loss of Hollyoaks, fans are being treated to classic episodes of Hollyoaks, as chosen by cast members. What a fabulous idea! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if other shows followed suit? Coronation Street and Emmerdale are offering a steady flow of episodes, three times a week and Doctors so far hasn’t reduced its output. But with only two episodes of Eastenders and both of them at the beginning of the week and Home and Away and Neighbours only airing on Mondays and Fridays, classic episodes in between would be fantastic. So, thank you Hollyoaks for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Thursday and Friday’s offerings focussed on the infamous wedding of Mercedes McQueen (then Fisher – RIP Malachy, you were definitely one of the good ones) and Doctor Browning, as chosen by Jorgie Porter (Theresa McQueen), back in 2013. This is Mercedes’ fourth wedding of seven (so far!)

The first episode begins with Theresa finishing off the preparations at the venue while Mercedes leisurely gets ready for the wedding with John Paul and Nanna. However, Myra has got hold of a compromising photo of Browning and Lindsey and doesn’t know what to do about it. John Paul advises caution. He offers to walk Mercedes down the aisle. Rather than cause problems for Mercy, Myra speaks to Browning who denies everything and blames it all on Lindsey. Just as an aside, I had forgotten about his weird, annoying friend, Jim.

Meanwhile, Joe has got hold of a text between Lindsey and Browning and the truth comes tumbling out – Browning forced himself on her and that’s what has been evidenced in the photo. This is obviously still when she was a nice, kindly Doctor whose only crime was to be a bit whingy. Joe then bursts into the McQueen house, demanding answers over Browning forcing himself on Lindsey. Mercedes defends him and then charges out of the house, determined to get answers of her own.

Mercedes charges past Maxine (they are obviously not friends) and launches into a scrap with Lindsey, who is quick to fight back, insisting that she did nothing wrong and Browning didn’t take no for an answer. Browning and Joe soon get involved. Freddie informs Browning that he has one hour to pay up or he won’t stop Lindsey from going to the police. Browning forces Jim to help him. He then returns to Mercedes, who is a mess of tears and smudged makeup and attempts to explain himself. Not realising that Myra has got herself shut in the cupboard in the bedroom and is listening to their conversation, Browning accidentally reveals their secret, that he killed Lyndsey Nolan. Oh, I remember that! That was one of the most shocking soap deaths ever, the moment that Hollyoaks proved it is capable of anything. Usually, you know a character is going to die because you know a cast member is leaving or has left but Lyndsey’s death came from nowhere!

Anyway, Browning pretty much gives Mercedes no choice in marrying him and literally carries her to the car. The family follow, minus Myra who has been accidentally locked in the cupboard (she was searching for the engagement ring that Mercedes threw away – well, it would have been a terrible waste of money!) Now, Myra is desperately worried about her daughter marrying a murderer. Well, you would be, wouldn’t you?

Mercedes and Doctor Browning get married…

Browning literally carries Mercedes down the aisle. They argue at the altar but do get married. Everyone is amused that Doctor Paul Browning’s first name is actually Shirley.

After the wedding, Mercedes returns home and discovers her mother stuck in the cupboard. Myra is heartbroken to realise that despite knowing that Browning is a murderer, Mercedes still married him. She attempts to give her daughter an ultimatum – leave him or she will report him to the police. But it’s no good. Mercedes is desperately in love with Browning (and we all know how that ends!) and informs her mother that she has no evidence and faced with a choice, she will always choose her husband. Not wanting to lose her daughter, Myra tearfully attends the reception and pretends that everything is okay.

At the reception, Browning receives a ‘gift’ and a note warning him that someone knows what he did. I’m afraid I can’t remember who it is from! But he assumes it is Freddie, who denies it. And he is too busy getting his job back at the garage, complete with his £10,000 and making Joe and Lindsey make up (I assume all of this is before the big affair and she turned into one of the biggest serial killers Hollyoaks has ever seen!)

Meanwhile, let’s all take a moment to coo over just how tiny Tom is. I mean, he is just adorable! So cute! Back in 2013, we were amid the Psycho Sienna storyline (there were a lot of these in Hollyoaks back then), where she had torn Darren and Nancy apart and firmly placed herself in the role of ‘mother’ and ‘wife’ and she was not happy that Esther and Tom were not buying it. Tom has walked in on Sienna breastfeeding Oscar and feels completely unsettled by it (obviously). Sienna then manipulates the situation by telling Darren that Tom has a crush on her, fabricating video evidence of Tom spying on her in the bathroom. The boys then end up talking at cross purposes about the breastfeeding/crush, making Tom think Darren is telling him that Sienna’s behaviour is normal. It’s not! Oscar is also on the verge of getting his cochlear implant and Sienna is poised to insert herself as his ‘Mummy’.

Meanwhile, Esther had her own problems as she faced the prospect of girlfriend, Tilly moving away. And I disappointed myself as I spent the entire episode trying to remember Esther’s name. She was a character I absolutely adored! Oh, we soapies can be fickle sometimes…

We appear to be at the beginning of the incredible story of domestic abuse/coercive control that Hollyoaks portrayed between Patrick and Maxine. Right now, Maxine seems very happy while Patrick is frustrated with her lack of focus. He gets her a job photocopying/shredding at the school, which she immediately rebels against. Poor Maxine started out as such a free spirited, fun loving character. At this point in her life, she had no idea what was to come. She gets a job at the café with George (who I adored and had completely forgotten about) and was so bolshy and annoying that he ended up quitting. Patrick spends the whole day watching her and disapproving. Sadly, it won’t be long before he will stamp that spark out of her, which will have ramifications to this very day.

Also worth noting that Patrick and Sienna are not on good terms. The way he speaks to her is really unsettling.

Due to the Coronavirus, Hollyoaks has had to suspend filming

Hollyoaks Favourites airs Wednesdays – Fridays 7pm on E4 to fill to gap

Normal Hollyoaks episodes will air on Mondays and Tuesdays at 6:30pm on Channel 4 with a sneak peek on E4 at 7pm

These reviews are based on the E4 episodes

Hollyoaks: Dodgy Dealings

(Monday 6^th & Tuesday 7^th April 2020)

Sid is left disappointed when he discovers that Juliet has invited Imran and Ollie to their romantic, seaside getaway. They end up in an argument about their sex life and break up. While Sid turns to Jordan for support, wanting to step up in Juliet’s place for the deals he had set up during the trip, Juliet turns to Peri for advice. She is surprised (and interested) to learn that Peri is bisexual. She tells Peri that she can do better than Jordan. Peri agrees and only sees Jordan as a short-term love interest.

Is this the beginning of a romance between Peri and Juliet…?
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Jordan sends Sid out to do a drug deal to prove that he will be capable of completing all the jobs he has set up for the trip he was supposed to take with Juliet. The deal goes wrong and Sid ends up handing the drugs over for no cash and ends up in trouble with Jordan. Jordan then asks Juliet to get back with Sid, if only for show, reminding her what happened to Romeo last time she backed out on him. Juliet steps up, offering to go along with Sid as a friend. And of course, as it turns out, Jordan intended the deal to go wrong in the first place; he wants to keep Juliet firmly under his control.

Jordan is firmly in control of Sid and Juliet
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Excited about their trip, Imran grows the tiniest little moustache in the world. It is so cute. Then in some of the most excruciating scenes ever, Ollie notices Imran’s sudden crush on Cindy (it’s as if they’ve never met before) and pays her to flirt like crazy with him to the point he completely panics. It’s the epitome of cringe.

Liberty decides to move out of the flat but Sienna is desperate for her to stay. Things are awkward between Liberty and Brody. He is in love with Sienna and wants to be with her but the last few weeks with Liberty still happened. Eventually, Liberty agrees to stay and make things work with Sienna and Brody and their baby.

Warren is furious to overhear Felix blackmailing Walter into persuading Mitchell to see him again. Grace interrupts an argument between Warren and Felix and at first, makes it clear that she is not a woman to be messed with. He then charms her into bed. I know she killed her brother last week but I’m starting to think Grace has lost her edge…! She claims that her spontaneous sex with Felix was unexpected but it was obviously going to happen from their first scene together! Unexpected? I don’t think so.

Scott overhears Felix and Walter’s secret…
(photo credit: Digital Spy)

Walter and Mitchell do go for a drink with Felix. Later, Scott overhears Walter and Felix arguing over the fact that Felix sold Toby and Celeste to the Doctor for money when they were born and Walter knew about it. Scott confronts Walter about his deception and warns him that if he doesn’t tell Mitchell the truth, he will. When they all meet up at the pub, Felix persuades Scott to keep quiet. For now. I’m telling you now, Scott, you are making a terrible mistake! Keeping this secret will make you just as bad as them when Mitchell does eventually find out…

Darren offers to help Kyle plan his wedding to Nancy, who just won’t stop criticising him. Mandy seems completely oblivious to her partner’s depression and his genuine lack of reaction to DJ’s steps. Nancy contacts Kyle’s Mum.

Due to the Coronavirus, Hollyoaks has had to suspend filming

Hollyoaks will now air Mondays and Tuesdays at 6:30pm on Channel 4 with a sneak peek on E4 at 7pm

These reviews are based on the E4 episodes

In place of normal episodes, Hollyoaks will air ‘Hollyoaks Favourites’, Wednesdays-Fridays, 7pm on E4

Eastenders: I’m Proud of You

(Monday 6^th & Tuesday 7^th April 2020)

During our two visits to The Square this week, Phil wakes up in a police cell and is all set to declare responsibility for causing Denny’s death. However, being that he caused it fighting with Keanu, the police are set to charge him with attempted murder – twice, as they have a statement from Sharon regarding the attack at Christmas. Ritchie is unable to get through to Phil, who throws her out of the interview room. It’s only when Ben persuades Sharon to withdraw her statement, the police have no choice but to let him go. How frustrating for them! They finally have Phil Mitchell (willingly) in their grasp and they have to let him go!

Phil and Sharon reunite a lot more easily than this huge Sheanu/baby/boat crash/Denny storyline would suggest and she breaks the news that Ben has lost his hearing. Ben is resistant to talking to his father about it but Phil is genuinely lovely. He is sad for his son and he struggles to communicate with him (well, he is a mumbler at the best of times) but eventually, he just writes down: I’m proud of you. That’s all he needs to do. It’s all Ben’s ever wanted him to say.

Vinny attempts to score a DJ job at the club, which I’ve only recently realised has been renamed Ruby’s. Where was I? Having sent Kheerat and his mother away, he arranges a house party in a bid to prove himself. Well, that’s not going to go wrong, is it?

Dotty confides in Vinny about the situation with Ian, who has taken the phone from The Arches, deleted the voicemail, smashed the phone and binned it (although Sharon has since found the phone in the bin and fished it out). Dotty takes Vinny’s advice and decides to stick close to the family, staying in Ian’s face and reminding him of his guilt as he plays the dutiful friend to Sharon, something made easier by Bobby’s obvious crush on her. Ian confronts Dotty over her inviting herself for dinner, reminding her that she no longer has any evidence. She tells him that it’s not about The Arches anymore; it’s about his own guilt and his own behaviour – Sharon might not be ready to hear the truth yet but one day, she will be. There’s a very sweet moment when Dotty enables Sharon to actually speak about her son, which she is very grateful for. You know, I’m actually starting to warm to Dotty…

Mick and Linda fail to keep their plan to sell The Vic under wraps, meaning that Shirley and Tina hear it from the locals instead. Thankfully, they are supportive, just wanting Linda to be well.

Mitch makes a play for Karen as she prepares to leave The Square. She is horrified and they agree to forget it ever happened. Billy is also feeling worried about Karen’s departure and how they are going to find time to see each other.

Due to the Coronavirus, Eastenders has had to suspend filming

It will air from now on only on Mondays (8pm) and Tuesdays (7:30pm) on BBC1