Dot learns to drive

[FWWM]

I hate it when Eastenders tries to do humour, it's always so cliched, forced and awkward that it ends up being more depressing than Mo Slater's seventeenth rape of the week. This isn't funny, it's shit. And oh what a surprise, Derek tries to teach her how to drive and he's useless, but Jane has a go and she's an absolute pro. Who comes up with these storylines?

And please, will someone kill off Pauline Fowler. Please, I'll do anything. Christ I'll kill her myself if that's what it takes.

[toby3000]

i know, its all so forced somehow. Especially the 'juxtaposition' with the serious storyline of Pauline-Sonia. Desperatly trying to ape Corrie but failing so badly- mainly because the characters aren't actually funny in themselves(compared to Fred, Cilla, Blanche et al)

[si]

FWWM said:

And please, will someone kill off Pauline Fowler. Please, I'll do anything. Christ I'll kill her myself if that's what it takes.

It is all contrived, yes. I think perhaps it's because it's dramatic characters doing comedy as opposed to comedic characters doing drama? I think the latter works much better.

re: Pauline. She has such potential as a character but is wasted on storylines which use her as 'the miserable old battleaxe'. Same with Pat. Eastenders doesn't know a good thing when it has one in it's cast.

[Steven]

si said:

re: Pauline. She has such potential as a character but is wasted on storylines which use her as 'the miserable old battleaxe'. Same with Pat. Eastenders doesn't know a good thing when it has one in it's cast.

Indeed. She wasn't always like this, was she? I'm sure I can remember a time when I didn't hate Pauline at all, and now I just want her to SHUT UP every time she appears on screen (quite often before she's even said anything).

[Snuff]

FWWM said:

I hate it when Eastenders tries to do humour, it's always so cliched, forced and awkward that it ends up being more depressing than Mo Slater's seventeenth rape of the week. This isn't funny, it's shit. And oh what a surprise, Derek tries to teach her how to drive and he's useless, but Jane has a go and she's an absolute pro. Who comes up with these storylines?

It's something you could see Corrie doing with Blanche and it being really funny.

[MoondialSlater]

si said:

Eastenders doesn't know a good thing when it has one in it's cast.

Ahem!

[passionoia]

MoondialSlater said:

Ahem!

I agree.

Like I've said before they're the only real decent thing the show has going for it at the moment. But I'm sure it's only a matter of time before a shock storyline is deemed more important than the actual characters and all will be ruined forever.

What baffles me though is a big part of Stacey's character is pointing out what's irritating about every other character in the square. It's like through her the writers are telling us everything that's wrong with the soap, obviously without realising it.

As for Pauline, I agree, I can't stand her at the mo. But I'm not sure it's her character that's the problem. What's wrong I think lies in the characters she interacts with. Martin and Sonya are the most depressing couple going and having her play the miserable old sow of a battleaxe to these even more miserable pair of drudges just isn't any fun.

When she wants to Pauline shines for example when she had that confrontation in the Vic with Peggy during the Louise debacle a few years back ('Strawberry blonde at 70...), it was a fantastic piece of Eastenders and showed how great Pauline could be and had you rooting for her all the way, and that was due to the characters involved. It was enjoyable seeing Pauline defend her family by telling Peggy a few home truths about her own but when she does the same to a sorry figure like Sonya it's just horrible.

[MoondialSlater]

Though I've said this before what I loved about Stacey from the beginning is that she seemed to be the only person who went "But why can no-one else see that Zoe is very, very annoying." Frankly the fact she's moved onto other characters is a bonus and I look forward to any disparaging comments she makes about Kat when she returns.

As long as Stacey and Ruby don't share an ill-advised lesbian kiss on New Year's Eve they'll be OK.

Even if one of them does think they're going to die.

Just don't.