Eastenders 2023

For my sins I recently got back into this for the first time in YEARS because, apart from being curious about The Six plot, everyone seemed to be raving about it and well I just needed to see what the fuss was about. I came back for the Cindy return if only to see what nonsense was going to explain that, drifted off again, but I've been watching solidly for a few weeks now. A few thoughts aside from the Christmas storyline..

The writing is SO GOOD compared to when I last watched. Characters feel real, conversations and arguments sound natural and believable, I was quite shocked :o Still much of the usual contrived, unrealistic soap stories (Karen's exit for one) but MUCH IMPROVED.

It's both comforting and worrying to tune back in and recognise 95% of the cast. I do think soaps have an unhealthy obsession with "legacy" characters and families. I'm really not up for that if it means they constantly get recycled plots and stay past their sell by date but get a free pass because they've been there so long or part of an ingrained family. I haven't watched for years but never need to see a Phil Mitchell storyline again. I think it's telling that Suki and her family have made it a LOT more interesting even when I didn't know who they were before I tuned back in. Less of the old guard and more fresh faces please, or at least a better mix. Not really Eastenders specific, it applies to all of them.

I didn't appreciate Sharon much before, probably because she was part of some dreadful eras, but I really love how Letitia/the writers/wardrobe have just leaned into full on camp for the character, she feels like she escaped from a US soap and accidentally ended up in Albert Square and I'm very much here for it now.

Linda is so much better away from Mick, and so is the show. I didn't mind Danny Dyer but the character infiltrated EVERY story and character. It feels like a weight is gone and everyone can breathe a bit

The Cindy return feels a bit of a step too far, despite trying to explain everything it's still ludicrous, and seeing Ian and Cindy together feels like a parody. And the scenes of her and Kathy despite both being DEAD for years is just :D But on the flip side, one benefit of soap views plummeting, is they can probably get away with more "out there" stuff and some fan service when they previously might not have done. Although it does feed into the obsession with legacy characters again...

But right now it seems to be the best it's been in at least 10 years surely? I think it's enhanced somewhat by the fact Emmerdale (the only one I still watch on and off, mostly off) has been fucking dreadful the last couple of years.

Not sure I'll ever commit full time to a soap again unless they reduce the episode numbers but right now I'm BACK ON BOARD
 
"A nail-biting wait" is an understatement for me. At this point I'm chewing my cheeks.
 
Is Call The Midwife always the length of a fucking FILM? I swear it's normally an hour, and usually finishes earlier.
 
Imagine BBC1 trolling everybody and all of the "Six" stuff was just a ruse to get us all to watch that midwife BILGE
 
Surely they've exhausted every plot about boring babies imaginable?

Also like Heartbeat, it's been on so long it's now set in 2007
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top Bottom