EastEnders in "good episode" shock!

[Steven]

Okay, I'll admit it: I really enjoyed it last night.

I usually find it quite irritating when soaps do an entire episode devoted to one character or storyline, but this was one of the better examples (rubbish final few minutes with the Sonia/Sarah tussle and the Saskia-esque bonking of the head with the fruit bowl aside).

I have to say, much as she irritated me at first, I'm really going to be sad to see the back of Sarah, because I think the girl who plays her is actually a really good actress. She was saddled with some dodgy scripting in a few points last night, but I thought she really sold the situation: the danger, the unpredictability, the sadness and the delusion. Not to mention the fact that, let's face it, it does take an actor of some calibre to appear that convinced that Martin Fowler is your ideal man.

A bit annoying then, that in two weeks we've got an entire week of episodes focusing solely on The Bloody Slaters.

[mackenzie]

Bugger. I can't believe I actually missed the first decent episode in ages. Although, in my defence, my interest has waned since Dennis did a runner.

And on a similar note... has anyone else noticed that Mickey is slowly turning into Alfie? The dodgy shirts, the winking, the mannerisms, that grin that you just want to slap... It's all the same!

[FWWM]

I really enjoyed it as well, apart from the 'big twist' at the end. Such a cop out.

Farewell, then, Psycho Sarah with the weird flat face. We hardly knew ye.

[si]

The fruitbowl was a nice touch.

The dialogue was typically Eastenders, which I'm not sure is a shame or a good thing. A mis of the two, I think.

[Deleted]

I thought this was actually one of the better-written episodes in months. I cringed on average only every 4 minutes, which is a major improvement. Plus there was a nice bit of physical comedy with the fruitbowl (completely unexpected - I mean, do Sonia and Martin look much like the sort of couple who enjoy a healthy fruit snack now and then?) and Sarah's 6-year-old voice before she went fully mental made it a shoutalong episode. Much better than Shelley wailing at Gail Platt's remaining facial features on Coronation Street.

[klee]

Flat Face Sarah is, like Tamzin Ouzthwaite before her, one of playwright Alan Ayckbourn protegees. She's starred in a lot of his plays over the past couple of years and he thinks the sun shines out of her proverbia. To be fair, I've seen her do a decent part in a decent (for Ayckbourn) plays and she is an extremely good actress.

Fruitbowl? Ha ha. Missed this. Shame I didn't know sooner, otherwise I might have actually watched it. No, perhaps not. I can't take Sonia seriously since I worked out that she looks a bit like Tom McFly in drag.

[toby3000]

Mr said:

Much better than Shelley wailing at Gail Platt's remaining facial features on Coronation Street.

Are you mad?? Shelly shouting was hilarious, especially that she brought up Richard Hillman! Genius.

[mackenzie]

Last ngiht's episode was shite. Whoever directed the camerawork should be shot; there were so many fast cuts from one worried, close-up of a face to another I started to feel nauseous.

[si]

I really enjoyed Eastenders last night.

As overrated as Jessie Wallace is (and as vauge and constantly changing the script writers' characterisation is), I really love Kat. Jessie Wallace is never going to get into a golden handcuffs ITV tussle because she'll never be able to play anyone but Kat.

I hope the baby sorts out JW, so when Kat comes back proper, they'll sort her out and make her as good as she was a year into the Slaters arriving.