RIP Dirty Den

[Steven]

So? What did we all think, then?

I experienced various reactions during the programme.

My first reaction was disappointment that the first 40 minutes or so were so very dull. It was full of dull exposition and clunky anvil-dropping of the "you'll get your comeuppance one of these days, Den", "not me, Mo, I'm invincible" variety.

Then it started getting quite good when Sam, Chrissie and Zoe confronted Den.

Then Chrissie's plan started unfolding and I went "is that it?"

Then Sharon turned up, and although I knew she was coming back, I had completely forgotten and actually considered that a really good twist, so nice one, production team, I salute you.

Then I was momentarily distracted by the fact that Sharon didn't appear to be in the same scene as everyone else as she was delivering all her lines more or less to camera in front of a black background. The black background also appeared behind Zoe and Sam at one point, which was very odd because they didn't appear to have moved and the area behind them had been lit well enough up until that point. I know her scenes were filmed in secret ages ago, and therefore may well have been done separately to the rest of it, but they could have smoothed out the joins a bit more neatly.

Then it all went gloriously camp. Screaming, eyes popping out of their respective heads, wrestling, heads being smashed - and then Zoe walloped Den on the head with Pauline's little dog made of lead (or whatever). The only thing that detracted from my enjoyment of this scene was the fact that I recently saw the Steve/Saskia/Matthew scene on UKTV Gold and it was almost exactly the same, so I felt a bit cheated there. I could have done without the really clichéd bit where Chrissie talks to Den's ostensibly dead body only for him to suddenly lurch back into life and attack her, just before she beans him good and proper one last time.

And just to pay lip service to the other plotlines, I'm glad we're finally rid of Andy the unthreatening gangster. That said, his death scene was pathetic, and the big cliché of the mafia guy listening to classical music as he sat alone in his car just made me laugh. Although I was pleased to note the underlying motif that no good can come of turning off Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

[JellyShoos]

T'was good although missed the first 40 mins but Den should have realised bonding with Pauline would signal the beginning of the end. Sam 'I'm a Mitchell' Mitchell was pretty inert when Den attacked Chrissy, couldn't she have waded in with a stilletoe or sommat.

Andy Hunter over the bridge was tremendous. Perhaps Enders can have some real storylines now the faux gangsters have been offed.

[Cherubic]

My only hope is that Chrissy gets away with it as Eric Pollard seems to have done for thirteen years. And then Andy comes back from the dead and begins the whole sorry cycle again.

[Rabbit]

I loveeeed the end of it! I had no idea about Sharon so my jaw hit the floor when she came out of the darkness, I thought it would have been Zoe who wolloped him as she is leaving soon - but then when he came back to life and grabbed Chrissys leg! Wow! It was like some take off of the Scream movies. Ohhh I wonder if Sam is gonna say anything as to the fact Chrissy then wolloped him and finished him off?

[si]

I had no idea that Sharon was making a cameo, so my mouth fell open too -- I'd not seen any promo for last night featuring Letitia Dean.

I didn't really understand why she was so upset -- I mean, yeah, he slept with Zoe to keep Dennis away from Sharon -- and yet... I think that Den was right when he attacked Zoe for allowing him to get her pregnant because I find characters who're too easily manipulated annoyingly weak. It was still a shocker.

Eastenders doesn't do subtle very well though. Ian, Pat and Pauline all had something to do in last night's episode, what with being the only original characters left; as soon as the lead dog turned up, boyfriend and I were shouting 'foreshadowing!' at the tv; were Den's final words an homage to his panto career or were they just plain comical?

I was pleased that Zoe did the deed because I can't see them getting rid of a Slater who they're obviously keen to use in major plots. Which is what was so disappointing that Sam saw Chrissie deliver the final blow because this of course means her days are numbered. She might be popular but unlike Pat, she's not an Eastenders legend enough to have the producers bringing in new characters in order to keep her around. When this all goes off, I think Tracey Ann Ooberman is off too.

Question: What's Pat's relationship with Andy? I don't watch that often and I was confused.

[Steven]

Zoe's meant to be leaving later in the year, though, isn't she?

[si]

For good?

[mackenzie]

Well she's leaving to persue a career in Hollywood/modelling/similar unlikely vocation so it's quite possible they will 'leave the door open' for her.

I thought last night was quite good, and although high-lariously panto in style was a bit of a shock when a) Sharon appeared and b) Den grabbed Chrissie's ankle. I did think Sharon's cameo was a bit of a waste of time however, as my initial thught when she appeared was that shee'd come to do Den in. Or that she'd brought Dennis with her, and HE was going to do Den in. But sadly, no Dennis. Sob.

[toby3000]

I only saw the last ten minutes, not being an Eastenders fan these days, but saw both deaths. Can't say I was too fussed, but I doubt anyone will be brought to book for this. Unless it is Zoe, in a Janine style so she can be brought back on appeal at some point.

On a side note, I thought we never knew whether Eric Pollard actually killed his wife, or if she died in the plane crash.

[Cherubic]

toby3000 said:

On a side note, I thought we never knew whether Eric Pollard actually killed his wife, or if she died in the plane crash.

I'm sure he saw bits of plane falling willy nilly, put two and two together, clubbed his wife with an antique vase and then dragged her outside to some wreckage, cackling as he went.

[pauliepoos]

If I recall correctly was Pollard's wife the one who had the fit son who looked a bit like Tim Vincent before he became a wanker?

I thought both deaths were quite surprising and reasonably well done but they don't compare to the best soap death ever, which was Families when Jude Law's uncle stabbed his father to death with a letter opener? I always found Den to be quite horrifically unappealing, and could never understand why he was a ladies' man.

[Rabbit]

Back to Eastenders - As if that man could have shoved Andy over that bridge so easily? It was almost as if Andy climbed over himself

[Robbing the Dead]

I wasn't in the country. So was it Den and Andy that died?

[jamie]

I felt the lead dog was very obvious at least the way they kept shoving it around and making it such an integral part of the episode that I knew something was going to happen.

I found the episode quite boring to be honest. All the classical music stuff is very Steve Owen all over again. And the gangster and grrr.

I like the Millers and that new girl who seems a bit like Janine. I say I like them this was the first episode I saw them/her in.

I saw no Fereiras which I'm sure is a good thing.

[si]

I think a week on, the fact this thread is only on page one speaks volumes.

Poor Dirty Den ):

[raspberry]

As much as I do like Chrissie, Zoe and Sam have been rubbish characters for years. The acting of those two has been questionable at best. I didn't watch grotty old Den's death and I don't think I can see myself returning to Easties for a long time yet.

Mind you, I haven't seen Sonia's new boobs yet.

[klee]

Zoe was on the radio last weekend talking about the shambles storyline.

Dear me, didn't she sound posh? So very Surrey, don't you know.

They would have been better off having Pauline wake up in the middle of the night and realising (a la Pam Ewing) that the past three years in Albert Square had been a dream.

[raspberry]

Try ten years and we can get Cindy Beale back to finish off Iain properly. Mind you the twins do seem overtly sinister, perhaps possed by their dead mother?

Am I alone in thinking the Zoe and Sam are badly acted (and poorly scripted) parts?