The second Lockdown Episode from Emmerdale was another brilliant two-hander, this time featuring Cain and Aaron, the two grumpiest characters on the show so you can imagine it was full of tension from the get-go! It was a really intense, intricate episode, full of high emotion, despite Cain setting down rules about no emotions and feelings. As Aaron pointed out – anger is an emotion!
As with the previous episode, this covered several weeks of Lockdown as Cain and Aaron battled their own personal demons and Liv remained invisible upstairs. Cain was still running the garage and Aaron was stuck at home. Both of them had rather fetching new haircuts. There were some moments of light relief, including one fabulous moment with the boys enjoying a face mask. Cain Dingle in a face mask. I mean, the episode is worth it just for that!
Cain is still in love with Moira… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
But while Cain was struggling to deal with his feelings for Moira and how he can possibly reconcile his love for her and his grief over her infidelity, not to mention how he feels about Nate, a letter came from the prison for Aaron. Concerned about contact from Robert just as Aaron has started to put things behind him, Cain mistakenly hid the letter but it all came tumbling out one drunken night. Needless to say, Aaron was not a happy boy, especially when Cain couldn’t quite remember where he hid the letter!
Aaron still misses Robert… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
I think these episodes so far have been really good. They are filmed very cleverly so you don’t even really notice that the cast are social distancing. It’s nice to see the show tackling the subject of Covid-19 head on rather than pretending it hasn’t happened. It’s a good documentation. It would feel kind of strange for our soaps to pretend that one of the biggest things to happen to us all, never happened and it will be interesting to see what each soap does now. Emmerdale and Doctors have both tacked the subject and I wonder what the others will do. I know Home and Away are going to skip it, as they want to keep Summer Bay as a place to escape to. But anyway, Emmerdale have been very creative with filming and with the script and slotting these episodes into their timeframe. I think they should be very proud of what they’re achieving.
Emmerdale has resumed filming and is showing special lockdown episodes
Ben attempts to navigate his way through life without his hearing… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
On Monday 1st June, Eastenders aired a fantastic, somewhat ground breaking episode, all told from Ben’s perspective, with very limited sound and snatched subtitles. It really is a tough challenge to navigate our way through his day, as people try to talk to him and he (and we) struggle to understand what they’re saying. It gave a huge insight to those of us who have no idea what it must be like to experience a world with no/little sound.
Through the day, Ben unearthed Lola’s one night stand with Peter and was of course, absolutely livid. He was also upset to realise that she had had an abortion largely due to her devotion to him and her role in his life.
He was determined to carry out the warehouse job with his Dad and dodgy Danny Hardcastle, although Phil warned him off. When Phil charged off on his own, Ben was convinced that he was going to be done over and followed him. And for once, Ben was actually right! He found his Dad in a very tight spot and sort of managed to save the day, although in the process, Danny deliberately shot off a gun right by Ben’s ear.
Phil and Ben escaped with the cash and managed to lose the police car that chased them but in the morning, Callum was shocked to find that Ben’s pillow was covered in blood. Ben’s hearing also seemed to have been lost completely, although he didn’t let on. Callum then became very suspicious when Jack mentioned the warehouse job (thanks to the conversation he and Ben had had at the hospital) but Ben had created a false alibi with Lexi. What a great Dad.
Unable to cope with everything that had happened to him recently, Keegan told Tiffany he was moving to Croydon (which appeared to be on the other side the world according to this family) with his mother. In fact, he didn’t look like he was even going to tell her. She caught him about to leave. But then suddenly, it was all off, as Sharon changed her mind. She wanted Kayden back! And then Keegan didn’t bother to tell his wife he was staying. This poor kid is all of the place right now. And subsequently, so is his poor wife. I am very sad about this. They are a very sweet couple. But I did say at the time, they got married too young… Still, I hope they pull through.
Now she is staying in The Square, Karen decided to give Billy a drawer in the flat for when he stays over. However, the battles lines seem to be drawn between Billy and Mitch with both men starting to vie for her affection – starting with Mitch flattering Karen with attention and playing a trick on Billy. I love that Karen, who started as quite a harsh character and at best a figure of fun, has men fighting over her and is part of the beating heart of The Square. She is absolutely one of my favourite characters on Eastenders. She is so funny but more than that, she is so kind. She would do anything for those she loves.
As for Sharon, she told Phil that she needed to be a mother to Kayden. Unfortunately, although he tried for about ten minutes, he decided that he could not be a father to him and threw her out, informing her that he was buying The Vic without her and she was dead to him. Charming! Just as I was starting to like him…
Is it really the end for Sharon and Phil…? (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Former ladies’ man, Max, made yet more blunders with Ruby before agreeing to an open relationship. It’s weird to see him like this. He has always been so in control of all his relationships and yet with Ruby, he’s a mess. Also, as a serial cheater, you’d think an open relationship would suit him down to the ground! But suddenly, all he wants is monogamy. Maybe it’s not as fun if you have permission. Anyway, he requested that she just didn’t sleep with Martin. She refused and broke up with him! So, I think we can all guess what will happen next! And hopefully that will prepare the way for Stacey to return. Jean certainly needs her to!
Chantelle and Gray showed great kindness to Whitney as Gray supported her through her case. They even took her in for a night or two, fed her up and welcomed her in as part of their family. And they kept up their pretence of being happy despite him threatening Chantelle quietly and putting a tracker in her car. He was furious when she had to take the car for work and had to do more errands than she initially told him. Then he discovered that the car had been taken out the previous Thursday, which she denied, as it was at the garage. Now, I assume this was the car that Ben took out for the warehouse job. But with the way the episodes are stacked at the moment, I can’t say 100%. And I’m not someone who would recognise a car by sight! I hardly recognise my own!
Alongside this, Gray walked Whitney through the exact scene of Leo’s death. When it all got a bit emotional and stressful, he plied her with kindness. Overwhelmed and confused, Whitney kissed him. Really unhelpful! And very disrespectful to Chantelle, one of her biggest champions and closest friends during this whole thing. For now, Gray has done the right thing and backed off, making it clear that there was nothing but a professional relationship between them. Whitney was embarrassed and apologetic in equal measure. As she should be. But I mean, how much Gray manipulated the situation or how much he will manipulate the situation…
Emotional Whitney kissed Gray… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Peter and Dotty shared a kiss but she panicked and rejected him. After a bit of faffing about and crossed wires, they finally got it together, just in time for Ian to walk in. I am sure he will be pleased that the one person who knows he is responsible for Denny’s death is now dating his son. Excellent!
Eastenders is due to resume filming shortly, however, it will go off air before this
For now, let’s enjoy episodes airing on Mondays 8pm and Tuesdays 7:30pm, BBC1
Alya really worked hard this week, making one last effort to persuade Yasmeen to plead not guilty to attempted murder. In some really powerful scenes, Yasmeen finally told the truth about what had been happening behind closed doors, including that Geoff killed Charlotte the Chicken and fed her to her. Although she continued to defend Geoff, Alya clearly got to her and by the time she reached court, despite some hesitation, she changed her plea to not guilty. I am so relieved! Now, at least the poor woman has a fighting chance! And it was nice to see Eileen and Cathy in the gallery supporting her. Better late than never.
Yasmeen pleads not guilty! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
With Yasmeen now pleading not guilty, Sally finally made her position clear to Tim – she isn’t comfortable with Geoff and he can’t stay with them anymore. Tim was horrified and the situation is clearly going to cause a rift between them, especially when she told him that he had to be the one to ask his Dad to leave. He was very diplomatic about it but Geoff wasn’t happy. Sally’s card is clearly marked with him. Well, he doesn’t like women calling the shots, does he? But I am so proud of Sally for standing up for what she believes in, for standing up for Yasmeen. She knows what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship and she knows what it’s like to be in prison for something you haven’t done. And I was reminded the other day that Yasmeen came to visit her during that time to pledge her support so their bond is long standing.
Tim has no option but to ask his Dad to leave… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Dev was relieved to see Asha beginning to settle into her new school and looking to the future. My concern here, aside from how on earth he is going to afford everything he is throwing at his daughter’s well being, is that he is quite clearly favouring Asha. Aadi needs love and attention too and I think things are going to sour very quickly. Dev is criticising him, if only in a joke and heaping praise and compliments on Asha, trying to make her feel better about what happened. Aadi is already a very angry young man, as we’ve witnessed in fights with Corey and other boys. I think we have a storyline with Aadi bubbling away under the surface (presumably because they have recently changed the actor) so Dev needs to be careful!
Gary took matters into her own hands regarding Kelly and tracked down her mother, demanding that she took her back into her care. Now, this woman is clearly not fit to look after a child. I’m not a Kelly fan. She was hideous to Asha. But she also has problems and you can see a very vulnerable side to her. So, it was sad to see her being manhandled into the car by her mother when she just wanted to stay safely with Billy and Paul. And anytime Gary gets a win makes me unhappy anyway!
A stranger turns up at the newsagent’s, spinning a line about needing cash to pick her son up. Despite knowing she’s lying, Cathy and Toyah both put their hands in their pockets, only for Brian and Cathy to find her in the pub later. Of course, Brian caused a scene, much to Cathy’s mortification. Now, the reason she was in the pub, was to watch Carla, who is running the pub while Johnny and Jenny are away. After closing, the woman tracked Carla down in the toilets, demanding to talk. The only problem is that while the woman clearly knew Carla, poor Carla had no idea who she was…
New girl, Chelsey has some unexplained history with Carla… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Coronation Street has now resumed filming
It still airs on ITV on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 7:30pm
Sheila was concerned that Naomi didn’t like Clive so Clive decided to attempt to bond with her by buying wrestling tickets for the two of them. However, not knowing anything about wrestling, Clive took a crash course from Shane. Cue a hilarious physical training scene in the lounge! Clearly Shane never heeded the ‘don’t try this at home’ warnings! But I really did love all the WWE references, including Rick Flair having the best hair! Yes. Yes, he did. Woo! Ahem. Anyway…
Paul connected the dots and discovered that Pierce once pursued Naomi, which he was more than eager to share with oblivious Chloe. Terese was furious with him for letting his feud with Pierce hurt Chloe, who she has always been very protective of. Chloe was understandably upset with both Pierce and Naomi for lying to her and Sheila’s well meaning interference did not help. Funnily enough, it was Toadie of all people who put in a good word for Naomi in the end and Chloe accepted that Naomi had genuinely accepted that Chloe and Pierce were happy and in love and that she just wanted to be friends with both of them. Personally, I think Chloe and Naomi make a better match than Pierce makes with either of them!!!
Chloe and Naomi have bonded… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
And it seemed like Chloe thought the same thing as, determined to make things work, she arranged dinner with Naomi and Pierce and the women got on like a house on fire. Remarking to Paul that he hadn’t succeeded, she told him that Naomi was her type. He then set about winding Pierce up about them. Could he actually have a point about this one?
Unable to stay out of trouble in any area of her life, Naomi got her new project for the Breast Cancer Fundraiser underway by commissioning Ned to create a bust of her… well, bust. Unfortunately, Shane walked in just as he was getting the measurements! Of course, Shane lost it, believing that Ned was cheating on his daughter and charged outside to tell Yashvi what he saw, leaving him utterly confused over the fact that she and Dipi already knew. Dipi was deeply concerned about the level of stress and anger her husband has been carrying around recently, not knowing that he has secretly transferred a lot of money to Grant.
In prison, Andrea was shocked when her mother, Heather turned up in the wing, having passed all her psych tests and been told that she can mingle with other prisoners. When Dee heard about the move, she considered visiting her mother but Toadie, who had already been hassling Karl about her ‘relationship’ with Olivia, persuaded his friend to attend in her place. Karl found Heather to be reasonable and apologetic for her behaviour. And indeed, when she returned to Andrea, she turned her down flat when she attempted to get her involved in her plans to get to Hugo. Has she changed? I mean, it seems unlikely…
Heather was brought back into mainstream prison life… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Dee then decided to go and see Heather herself and was drawn in by how she seemed to have changed and the brief mention of her father. While Toadie hoped that was the end of it, Dee wanted to visit again, wanting to get to know her mother and find out more about her father. If Dee wants to continue a relationship with Heather, I think this could spell the end of her and Toadie. With a big, massive storyline in between, of course. They clearly haven’t brought these characters back for nothing!
Susan was horrified to find Karl having an intimate conversation with Olivia at Harold’s, prompting a blazing row between them. Well, we all knew this was coming. Awful. Just awful. I mean, at least Karl decided that he couldn’t see Olivia anymore so hopefully he won’t be having an affair. And he did point out to Susan that she wouldn’t talk to him so he had to talk to someone. I do hope they will find a way forward together.
Out of prison, Elly seemed to have created a cell of her own inside the Kennedy house, attached to the baby and refusing to go outside. She seemed quite happy, receiving visitors and enjoying her time with Aster but she didn’t want to go out, even into the garden. The damage done to her goes very deep. Meanwhile, Shaun found a confidant in David regarding his own experiences of loss and confusion regarding Finn and how he can fit into his own life, having been absent from it for so long.
Neighbours has returned to filming
Episodes air on Channel 5, Monday – Friday, 1:45pm and 6pm
While Ben was away on his surfing trip, Ziggy continued to ignore her mother, even though their broken relationship was clearly hurting her. Colby in turn was also struggling with his new housemate. I can imagine that Dean is messy enough but throwing Ziggy, especially angry, thoughtless Ziggy, into the mix would seriously drive you to distraction! After a lovely afternoon with Jasmine and Grace, Colby decided to take matters into his own hands and threw their stuff out onto the beach, including their mattress! Lugging the items back in, Dean and Ziggy apologised for their behaviour and agreed that Colby had made his point.
When Dean expressed his concerns about Ziggy and Maggie, Ziggy completely lost it with him, unreasonably so and stormed off, declaring that it wasn’t his place and he was not part of her family. Bit harsh. The poor bloke spent the entire night worrying about her as she refused to come home.
Ben arrived back in the Bay the next morning to continued tension with his wife but thankfully, he persuaded Ziggy to sort things out with her mother (and Dean). Ziggy and Maggie finally talked things through and although Ziggy cannot forgive, she was able to at least let go of her anger in order to begin to move their relationship on. A lot of her anger is clearly built on her own pain over ex-husband, Brody cheating on her and also, understandably, the fact that Ben and Maggie have always been such a solid foundation and if they are broken, what does that mean for everyone else, including her and Dean? When she finally opened up to her boyfriend, he pledged his full commitment to her. And she confirmed that he is indeed part of her family. Too right!
Maggie thanked Ben for his help but things are still not good between them as they try and fail to talk things through. Ben was clearly not looking well, as noticed by Maggie, Ari and John but he continually shrugged it off until he finally collapsed in the kitchen, prompting Maggie to call an ambulance. Is it something to do with his medication, I wonder?
Gemma was disappointed to lose her hours at The Diner… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Feeling much stronger, Leah and Justin were definitely back on track, including in the bedroom! She also decided that she was ready to come back to the Diner full time, which is great, apart from it having a knock on effect for Gemma, who had her hours cut, just as she and her family were starting to get back on their feet. Bless Marilyn, she really did try to help but her efforts were not appreciated. She also made it clear that Gemma and Nik were welcome to stay for as long as they liked. To be honest, I think she wants them, even needs them to stay. But all of a sudden, they seem desperate to leave, which feels a bit rude to me after everything. However, Gemma did get a job very quickly at Salt, which is brilliant news.
Roo encouraged John to approach Marilyn, certain that she was ready to finally start talking. However, when he approached, she was having a private chat with Ari so he walked away. Was he jealous? Have we gone back ten steps? Actually, no. Thankfully, he had just decided to give her some space to talk and then later, he was able to give her all the reassurance she needed. Hooray for these two starting to get things back on track.
Ryder got his P plates (I think driving tests work differently in the UK to Australia) so after yet another argument between Nik and Ari, Nik persuaded him to drive him to see his Uncle, Tane, who clearly lives a life of random sex and drinking. Once there, Nik begged to move in with his Uncle. Just as an aside, would a very cautious driver (and person), who had literally just passed his test, such as Ryder, be having a beer, even one, while driving? Just seems odd to me.
Anyway, at first Tane refused to let Nik stay but after he dragged the truth out of Ryder about how things really were in the Bay for his nephew – living in the car until Marilyn took them in, things going south with Belle and the constant tension with Ari – he agreed to one night. Ryder headed home but Nik was confident that he could persuade him to keep him. The next day, back in Summer Bay, Ari was just getting stuck into Ryder, demanding answers about Nik when who should turn up but Tane and Nik? Let’s get ready for the fight!
Ari was NOT happy to see his brother! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Home and Away has now resumed filming
It currently airs on weekdays a week @ 1:15pm & 6pm on Channel 5 with a sneak peek on 5Star, weekdays @ 6:30pm
These reviews are based on the lunch time episodes
On Friday, Doctors absolutely excelled themselves with a ground breaking episode, all filmed remotely from the actors’ homes. It was a forty five minute episode to round off for their summer break. (I actually don’t know how I am going to cope this summer without it – it’s been the only stable soap!) But wow, they went out in style! I just don’t know how many ways I can compliment this show and this episode. It was absolutely amazing.
It was so well crafted, perfectly paced and had a fantastic blend of humour and drama. One minute, I was howling over Valerie’s dance moves (Sarah Moyle has the best comic timing), to actually weeping at the thought of losing one of our beloved characters to Coivd-19. We had the fantastic story of Jimmi counselling an intensive care Doctor, the hilarity of Emma and Zara and I enjoyed having a look at all their backgrounds, as I have been doing for the past few months during every piece of news!
The Doctors Cast Came Together to Film a Special Isolation Episode (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
The episode covered several weeks of lockdown and it did genuinely cover everything that we have all been dealing with every day. It was relatable. It was creative. It was the first time a soap has every attempted such a thing. And if it doesn’t get Best Single Episode at the British Soap Awards, it will be an absolute travesty!
Ruhma arranged to take Tanya away for a few days. Not only was Tanya’s baby crying in the background when she spoke to Bear, also lurking in the background were Tanya’s phone calls to her mother, trying to organise moving away from Ruhma at the right time.
Deborah was really beginning to grate on Emma, keeping pestering her for basic advice on her patients. When Emma complained to Daniel, he dismissed her.
Al and Lily plan Jimmi’s birthday… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
New temp receptionist (shouldn’t they prioritise looking for a nurse first?!), Lily, played by former Emmerdale actress, Verity Rushworth, started, bonding with the staff much more easily than poor, old Deborah did, namely connecting with Al. She even helped him organise Jimmi’s birthday, starting by reminding him that it was his birthday in the first place!
Silly Lily gets locked in the surgery… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
On Wednesday, there was one of the best episodes ever, where Bear accidentally locked Lily in the building, where there was promptly a power cut. With her phone in her handbag in her car, there was no way out for poor Lily until a young, autistic man happened by. He had set the smoke alarm off in his house and the noise had sent him to The Mill which he knew was a safe place to get help. Lily succeeded in directing him into her car to get her phone.
Zachery rescued Lily… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
The bond that formed between them turned out to be very special as across town, Sid and his new trainee were attempting to save the life of his father, who had just attempted suicide. As a standalone episode, I would recommend this episode to everyone. It was absolutely fantastic and the actor that played Zachery was outstanding. He stole the show!
Sid attempted to save Zachery’s father’s life… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
Regarding recruiting a new nurse, I can’t say Zara has not put her best effort in. After her announcement on the radio, applications from vastly inappropriate people have come flooding in! Everyone wants to work at The Mill! In the meantime, Zara persuaded Al to play nurse for the day. He almost finds a newfound respect for nurses. Almost.
Zara is under a lot of stress… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
Daniel became very worried about the level of stress his partner was under with so much on her plate with work, including everything that recently happened with Ayesha. He was concerned when he witnessed her having a panic attack and then hurt when she turned to Harper’s meditation app to calm herself down instead of letting him help. When the school called to alert him to a problem with Joe’s homework (he has been cheating using Harper), he decided to deal with it himself instead of worrying Zara with it. Joe got into further trouble that night when he continued to cheat despite having already been caught out!
Karen was devastated that Jay was being moved on and Jay did not want to go. He opened up to Rob about his past and Rob in turn was honest about his own father. The two of them had a lovely day together, with Rob able to reassure Jay that nothing that has happened to him in his life has been his fault.
Goodbye, Jay (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
And so, today, we look forward to the very exciting, history-making, extended-length Isolation Episode, although sadly, this leads us into a summer break… I always miss this show when it’s not on. It is one of my most favourite soaps.
I’ll be upfront with you. This past fortnight in Hollyoaks has been truly devastating. I wept. So, I’ll first write about the other stories and then get to the main plot: the death of Kyle Kelly. And just to be warned, this tackles the subject of suicide and may contain some triggering material. There were some complaints online this week that the show had spoilt the story by revealing the plot. However, I completely disagree. It would have been completely irresponsible for the show not to have pre-warned viewers of what was to come, considering the subject matter.
So, concerning the rest of The Village… Sylver and Mercedes had their vow renewal and it was all very lovely, including John Paul inviting PC George Kiss to be his date, until Sylver’s secret daughter (he didn’t even know about her) crashed the wedding. At first, Sylver denied that she was his but then everything fell into place and he had to admit the truth. It was all a bit awkward as he had previously said that Mercedes was the only woman he had ever been with. Hasty script rewrites, anyone?
Apparently this girl’s mother had been a dental nurse in the prison and they’d had a bit of a fling. Nine months later, Cher (yes really) had come along. Now, she has had a big row with her Mum who is taking the kids abroad with her and leaving Cher to get to know Sylver and his family. And probably Romeo who is desperately in love with her. Just like he was recently in love with Celeste. And just like he was in love with Lily before her. He is so fickle. But what looks like it will be a lovely relationship is the one between Cher and Mercedes as Mercedes is already training the young woman up to be a true McQueen, the most fabulous soap family since The Slaters!
Meanwhile, deluded Peri really thought her relationship with vile Jordan was actually going somewhere, little realising that he was far more into her Mum. Now, I confess that it had actually escaped me that their relationship had been kept a secret so, I apologise. I did think it was a bit weird that Leela had been happily flirting away with Jordan when he was dating her daughter but now, it’s all clicked into place! Jordan broke up with Peri, explaining that he couldn’t, in good conscience date her when Leela had been kind enough to allow him to live in the house. Just the idea of him having a conscience is laughable, really! Especially as he then promptly made a move on Leela who put up the weakest piece of resistance anyone has ever put up ever. I am getting flashbacks of Rhys sleeping with Sarah’s mother behind her back from years gone by! Well Jordan, he didn’t end up with either of them and he’s dead now, so…
And so… to Kyle… Last week began with Kyle begging Darren for help in winning Nancy back but with Mandy so worried about Darren’s own mental health, she persuaded him to abandon his friend in order to get well himself. Despite his own misgivings, Darren ignored Kyle’s pleas for help and completely cut him off, something that would later come back to haunt him. When Darren continued to refuse to see a Doctor, Mandy went to the GP on his behalf who suggested she found a friend for him to talk to himself. Overlooking Kyle, who desperately needed Darren, Mandy asked Luke to be there for Darren, which turned out to be a massive mistake. Luke said the absolute worst thing someone could possibly say to someone suffering with depression. He told him he had nothing to be depressed about, compared his situation to his own and literally told him to man up and get on with it. Really helpful, Luke. Really helpful.
Kyle’s death will have a huge effect on Darren… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Kyle was able to get things back on track with Nancy without Darren’s help eventually. It was actually Oscar who resolved things between them via his family tree project. He included Kyle on his family tree, labelling him as the ‘best step-dad ever’. Both Kyle and Nancy were overwhelmed by the inclusion, allowing Nancy to thaw and hear Kyle out as he promised no more drugs, even offering to hand over full control of his finances so he would have no capability to buy any. She agreed to give him another chance but it’s during this scene that I wonder if he decided to end his life, when Nancy wondered aloud if she and the kids would be better off without him.
It’s the ultimate question, isn’t it, for someone who already wonders if their life is worth living? So for the woman he loves to suggest that she may be better off without him, when he is already on the precipice of severe depression and suicide, it feels like it could be the thing to push him over the edge. And it’s so sad because if only Nancy knew and understood what he was going through, we all know that she would have been there for him. All she understood in this moment was that he had let her down and he smoked too much weed. She thought he was a raucous, naughty boy. She had no depth of understanding of everything he was going through and so many of the uncaring things, the criticisms and harsh words she has delivered to him over these weeks are going to come back and haunt her for years to come. And that, amongst many things, is a tragedy.
This Monday (on E4), we saw Kyle arrange one last perfect day for Nancy and the boys, calling in sick to school for them. They had a lovely day at home watching films before he took Nancy out for a romantic dinner at The Hutch, just the two of them. He had also booked a holiday for the family to Disneyland Paris. At dinner, Nancy still couldn’t quite trust that everything will go right for them, although they did have a good time. The script is just brilliant as Nancy told him she needed someone she could rely on and he replied that he knew what was expected of him. Knowing what he was about to do, that line is just heartbreaking; the idea that he truly feels he has no choice.
Kyle arranges one last perfect day for Nancy… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
While Darren tried and failed to contact Kyle, upset about Luke and regretful of rejecting his friend, Kyle and Nancy’s evening was cut short due to the kids. Nancy left Kyle to clear up, both saying I love you before she left. In the most devastating moment of the episode, Darren found Kyle in The Hutch. Hollyoaks were very good about not actually showing anything but it was enough just to hear Darren’s voice, saying his friend’s name in absolute shock and devastation before he ran out of the building and phoned for help, explaining that his friend had killed himself.
The next episode solely covered the aftermath of Kyle’s death, beginning with Darren and the police visiting Nancy and breaking the news. Nancy was understandably in shock. She had no idea of any of Kyle’s mental health problems and was heartbroken, devastated and furious to discover that Darren had known about it, was also suffering from depression, had confided in Mandy and nobody had bothered to tell her anything. Suddenly, Kyle felt like a stranger to her.
Nancy cannot cope… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Jack was equally distraught to learn that his son had been suffering with depression alone for so long and hadn’t told him. Their conversation was so moving. With the phone number of Kyle’s parents in his pocket, he begged Darren to get help. He did not want to be the recipient of the same phone call one night.
Jack supports his son… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
They also had to tell the children what had happened. Ollie was a wonderful support to Brooke and also had kind words for Nancy. And by the end of the episode, all three children – Brooke, Charlie and Oscar were all huddled up in bed together for comfort, with Nancy curled up at the end. But not before Jack had to break the news to Kyle’s parents and Nancy finally listened to Kyle’s heartbreaking voicemail from the week before, breaking down and begging her for help.
The episode was so perfectly paced, not rushed or overdramatic. It followed this cloud of shock and grief as the family began to attempt to deal with this suicide that seemingly came out of nowhere. I wept from beginning to end. I have to heap so much praise on the writers, the whole cast and everyone involved in this. This story took me completely by surprise. When they began it, it seemed to be about Darren and of course, it still is but the introduction of Kyle’s story has been so overwhelming and so moving. It’s been done amazingly well. Yes, it’s potentially triggering, which is why I think it was very important that they pre-warned everyone about what was going to happen. But it has been sensitively handled with so much patience and compassion and for personal reasons, this story has touched me more than any story has in a very long time.
Due to the Coronavirus, Hollyoaks has had to suspend filming
Hollyoaks now airs Mondays & Tuesdays, 6:30pm on Channel 4 (sneak peek on E4, 7pm)
These reviews are based on the E4 episodes
In place of normal episodes, Hollyoaks airs ‘Hollyoaks Favourites’, Wednesdays-Fridays, 7pm on E4
Shane attempted to contact Grant for Mackenzie, only to discover that he has been injured at work and is in a lot of trouble both with his health and financially. He confided in Dipi but kept things secret from Mackenzie and against Dipi’s wishes, sent money to Grant to help him out. In one sweet moment, Dipi had a photo from Mackenzie’s party framed and put in pride of place, confirming her as a member of their family. I adore Mackenzie and I am so happy she is a fully fledged member of the cast with such great relationships with so many characters, including the Rebecchi family, Harlow and Roxy. Now she has turned eighteen, I think we’re about to go on a hugely educational journey as she embarks on having her operation and all the different challenges that will involve. I love Neighbours for doing this story and I love Georgie Stone (who plays her) for prompting them to create this character.
Harlow became despondent after the party, feeling like she and Hendrix are too different in their interests and are therefore doomed. She then decided to rebel and behave badly but Hendrix didn’t like the idea at all, pointing out that he didn’t want to date himself, he wanted to be with her. Could these two get any cuter? However, we’ll soon see if he is up to the task of creating a memorable (in a good way) eighteenth birthday for her like Ritchie did for Mackenzie… No pressure!
Toadie and Dee finally decided it was time to be intimate. After a lot of faffing about, not to mention some tears at the enormity of being together after so many years apart, they finally did it. I mean, I am starting to accept this. Dee is nice and I want Toadie to be happy. He deserves it. But I just… I miss Sonya, okay?
Chloe and Aaron overheard Claudia talking in the hotel lobby with a guy who turned out to be a dodgy policeman (thanks to a call to Mark) about getting rid of evidence, which they immediately concluded must mean that Claudia was behind the fire during Finn’s trial. Now, I’m sorry. I love Neighbours. It is one of my most favourite soaps. But I take so much issue with this. Why on earth would Claudia be chatting away to a dodgy contact in a busy hotel lobby? And more than this, why on earth would she be chatting about the fire now? That whole thing was done and dusted a million moons ago. So many things have happened since then, not least that Finn has regained his memory, gone bonkers and murdered two people and accidentally drowned in a grave intended for Susan. Why be chatting about the fire now? Why would it happen? Apart from a lazy way to move the story on. And an unnecessary way. There were so many ways for the truth to be unearthed.
Anyway, Aaron opted to confront Claudia who rather outlandishly attempted to buy his silence by offering to ‘get’ him and David a baby! Despite their utter shock, they kept Claudia talking while Chloe, Bea and Susan took the opportunity to search her hotel room for any possible evidence that she is rancid with guilt. When she did return, she bumped into the women stepping out of the lift, all of whom were terrible at giving a reason as to why they were there. I mean, you’d come up with a reason ahead of time, just in case, wouldn’t you? She became even more suspicious when she saw a couple of things out of place, phoning Sam in panic as she had just had a phone call from the police – Mark had reported the dodgy cop Chloe and Aaron saw her with earlier.
Meanwhile, Toadie was heartbroken to have to tell Elly that her appeal had failed. However, he refused to let things lie and investigated the judge who sentenced Elly. He has overruled the prosecution recommendations a handful of times and each time, Sam was the lawyer involved. After a bit more digging, he discovered that the judge was indeed being blackmailed due to gambling debts. Sam and Claudia are now under investigation. Hooray!
However, this didn’t immediately help Elly, who was still trapped behind bars with Andrea who was making her life hell. Frightened for her life, Elly hid a weapon under her mattress, which she ended up pulling out when Andrea forced her into a ‘paid’ fight with Patrice.
Susan, Bea and Chloe charged over to the hotel to confront Claudia but she had vanished – with Aster! Immediately contacting the police, Susan and Bea attempted to track down Claudia to her private plane, fearful that she intended to illegally leave the country with the baby, which of course was exactly what she planned. At the airport, Claudia was all set to depart when, in the least shocking plot twist to ever happen in the history of soap, who should turn up but… Shaun! Who would ever have imagined that he wasn’t dead after all? Apart from… everybody. It would have been more of a shock if he had actually turned out to have died. Basically, they ‘killed him off’ so that Elly and Finn could have their ‘Buffy and Angel’ moment in order to turn Finn evil and create this whole story. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the whole Finn plot. I am not complaining. But Shaun being alive was the worst ‘shock’ comeback ever. Also, he is meant to have been to hell and back and yet he was able to get out of the hospital and fly to Australia from Switzerland all within two days? Really?! And he’s not even jet-lagged? And there’s no physical sign of injury? Come off it.
However, it was a very sweet moment when he was able to meet his daughter for the very first time. And he forced his mother to confess all and turn herself into the police. Susan and Bea (not to mention everyone else) got the shock of their lives to see him – unlike the viewers. With Claudia having had no choice but to confess, Sam abandoned her like a rat on a sinking ship. Shaun couldn’t forgive his mother for her actions.
While Toadie succeeded in getting Elly’s sentence reduced back to a suspended sentence, it really was just in time as she was in the middle of having to fight Patrice. Andrea was utterly livid. Before heading home to see her daughter, Elly confronted Claudia but her anger dissolved into unwanted pity. While Claudia continued to accuse Elly of murdering Finn and being an unfit mother to Aster, Elly got the last word – if anyone is unfit, it’s Claudia, look what she turned her son into. That’s what I’ve been saying all along!
As Elly returned home, she was delighted to see Aster and overwhelmed to see Shaun, although things were not as easy between them as we would have hoped. Everyone in the Kennedy house has been through so much and everyone is processing what happened with Finn in different ways. While Shaun offered to leave, Elly asked him to stay. His family put her family through hell but it wasn’t his fault and he deserves to be a father to Aster. Now, with Jodi Anasta about to depart the show, perhaps it would be nice for Elly, Shaun and Aster to have a fresh start together?
A family reunion… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
One thing that isn’t going well right now, is Karl and Susan. Through this whole thing, the gulf between them is getting wider and wider. They worked on the Elly and Claudia situation separately and although Karl tried to communicate with Susan, she did not want to communicate with him. And even at the end, she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. It’s very, very sad. And it’s also very worrying that his first port of call is to call this Olivia woman and talk to her instead. Karl and Susan are the best! I can’t go through them breaking up! I just can’t!
Dee was deeply concerned when Aaron mentioned that Claudia had paid money into Andrea’s account in prison, prompting her to confront her twin. Andrea admitted everything, sending her into an angry rant about how easy Dee’s life has been (so easy, driving off a cliff and being ‘dead’ for however many years) and how hard it was for her to be dragged up by a crazy woman and have to fight for everything she has. Subsequently, she was pulled away by a guard.
Across the Street, Naomi struggled to keep her feelings for Pierce under control almost as much as Pierce struggled to keep his clothes on at inappropriate moments. Eventually, when Naomi made it clear that she didn’t want to work closely with him, ‘oblivious’ Pierce challenged her, wanting to know what he had done wrong, forcing her to confess her true feelings for him. I think this situation is going to go from amusing to murky fairly soon…
Things get intense between Naomi and Pierce… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Speaking of feelings, Kyle finally got his act together and ended things with Jess in order to try and make things work with Roxy. Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late and Roxy had had enough of being heartbroken and gone to stay in Darwin to try and heal her heart. Kyle, you are a bit rubbish sometimes. That girl has done nothing but try to be there for you and you’ve treated her so badly. Let’s just hope she still likes you when she gets home!
Neighbours has returned to filming
Episodes air on Channel 5, Monday – Friday, 1:45pm and 6pm
Bella meets her horse, Bullet (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Colby and Willow took Bella to an amazing looking equine therapy centre where she was given her own horse to work with (she was very reluctant about this), which she had to care for and learn from, alongside group therapy and counselling and all those kinds of things. Colby was even more on edge than Bella was and took a lot of persuading to actually leave her there. It was a really lovely moment when Bella actually got the hang of communicating with the horse after being really resistant to doing anything with him at all. But it was really sad when she realised it was time to say goodbye to her brother and literally chased the car down the drive as he and Willow drove away. Colby was so devastated that he nearly turned around and went back for her but thankfully, Willow persuaded him that he would not be doing Bella any good. Bella has a lot of problems and Colby is a huge part of that. Sadly, in trying to help her, he has not done her a lot of good and their attachment to each other isn’t just one way. Or very healthy.
Bella chases after Colby… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Back in Summer Bay, Nikau was distraught to discover the truth about why Bella was hospitalised but after a lot of rowing with his family, John was really kind to him and helped him make up with both Ryder and his mother. This is yet another credit when it comes to healing John and Marilyn’s relationship so yay for that! Angry about the discovery that Tane has been involved in Nik’s life recently, Ari aggressively confronted him and warned him away.
Ari warns Tane away… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
That night, Mac stood Ari up in favour of comforting Colby over having to send Bella away. Things abruptly came to an end with Ari soon after that when he realised he had been used. I feel sorry for him. She went to such a lot of effort to win the guy over and then dropped him the second Colby had his little lost puppy look. I’m sure Ari has feelings too! Having forgotten all about Ari, Mac caught Colby attempting to sneak off and visit Bella and persuades him to change his plans. The therapy centre then returned his call and reassured him that Bella is doing well.
Hurt over the situation with her mother, Ziggy moved in with Dean and Colby, prompting a lot of ‘third wheel’ feelings for Colby at a time when he probably really didn’t need it. But Dean has been a star of a boyfriend. I like him. Anyway, the paternity test results arrived and… hooray! Ben is Ziggy’s Dad! Yay! Marco made one last desperate play for Maggie – emphasis on desperate – who made her position very, very clear. Sending Marco packing once and for all, Maggie is now tasked with trying to win her family back. Good luck, Maggie. Good luck.
The results are in… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Douglas faced court and was sentenced to twenty five years, fifteen without parole! Excellent! We get both justice and a future storyline they can pull out in fifteen years’ time! Or sooner somehow if storylines get thin on the ground. Leah was grateful to be able to start moving on and move on, she did. She helped Justin create a beautiful nursery for Grace, complete with photographs of her loved ones on the wall – including Robbo and Mason. She and Justin also took the next step in their relationship for the first time since her ordeal.
Leah and Justin grow closer… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Poor Jasmine was still convinced she was pregnant until today, not helped by everyone being so very excited that Robbo’s memory will live on not just through Grace but now through his and Jasmine’s child. Willow swapped their rooms over so she would have more space and Tori handed over a load of old baby clothes and the cot that Robbo made for Grace. Wendy turned up for the twelve week scan, was very rude to Tori about going back to work so quickly (I’d stand up for her but I am still smarting about Alex’s departure – no, I won’t be over it for a very long time) and then tried to elbow her out of the scan herself.
Thankfully, Jasmine insisted that they all went to the scan as sadly, it was discovered that Jasmine was experiencing a phantom pregnancy. Her brain her persuaded her body that it was pregnant, meaning that she had all the symptoms, even so far as giving her a false positive pregnancy test. Wendy was awful, expressing sheer frustration and even accusing Jasmine of making the whole thing up. Tori was amazing and so kind to Jasmine, calming the situation down and explaining everything. Of course, Jasmine was absolutely devastated, as it confirmed that her last possible connection to Robbo truly was gone. Later, Tori and Willow had to pull her out of the sea, as she had walked in, fully clothed. What a sad, sad storyline. But just as an aside, how cute is baby Grace?
Jasmine falls apart… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Home and Away has now resumed filming
It currently airs on weekdays a week @ 1:15pm & 6pm on Channel 5 with a sneak peek on 5Star, weekdays @ 6:30pm
These reviews are based on the lunch time episodes
The Soap Dish 