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“Welcome to Summer Bay”: Rewatching the early years.
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<blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 210050" data-attributes="member: 23"><p><u><span style="font-size: 22px">Episodes 359-364</span></u></p><p></p><p></p><p>So far, episodes from August 1989 are helping me feel very much at peace with the fact that there are only around 35 episodes outstanding from those available on Prime. The series still has its moments, but there are also great chunks of the series which feel like meaningless, inconsequential filler. My most recently watched episode - #364 - has the dubious honour of being perhaps the most uninteresting episode of the entire series to date.</p><p></p><p>Pippa’s recent mention of Sandra Barlow has proven to be somewhat providential. The storyline with Viv’s abusive father has turned out to be at times a cartoony replaying of some key points in the Barlow storyline, with Steven as the rescuer and the heroine (then Sandra, now Viv) being rescued from their locked bedroom by an ally in the house (then Kerry, now Tamar).</p><p></p><p>The current version, though, lacks intensity and tension. Reverend Newton doesn’t feel so much an enduring threat as he does a temporary obstacle to boo and hiss. But John Gregg has such a class to him that it’s entirely forgivable. He remains fun to watch. When forcing Viv to cook but not allowing her to eat the food (as penance for her mortal sin of leaving a ring of dirt round the shower), the Rev has also had the best line in recent weeks:</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.vgy.me/8E85wx.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>Bobby and Steven show up on the doorstep in a bid to rescue Viv and her sister:</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.vgy.me/dPspkO.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/G8KOoK.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>And left alone with Tamar:</p><p></p><p></p><p>Tamar, by the way, is played by one of those child actresses who’s very good at looking permanently worried or troubled. Rather like Danielle Harris from the <em>Halloween</em> sequels that were being made at this time.</p><p></p><p></p><p>While waiting to rescue Tamar, Bobby’s theme plays as she chats to Viv in the car:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.vgy.me/vPBZ69.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Naturally, they rescue Tamar after Bobby locks the Reverend in the cupboard under his stairs, just as he had both his daughters:</p><p><img src="https://i.vgy.me/CxFKIU.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/wnYWc6.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Teen soap instant karma. The kids get one over on the mean adult. It's like something a cute Disney sidekick would do towards the end of the film.</p><p></p><p>Viv and Tamar end up guests of Donald. Howard West - Miss Molloy’s social services associate, last seen bringing Dodge to live with the Fletchers - now ends up next door to chat with Donald and his guests, as well as the Rev himself, who may not have fooled Donald, but makes up for it by manipulating his youngest daughter:</p><p></p><p></p><p>Long story short, Tamar ends up going back to live with her father:</p><p><img src="https://i.vgy.me/9N7xjr.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/5QRIiA.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/vqMwUt.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/Y5qX8a.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/IxLGD8.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="https://i.vgy.me/smZxH0.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>This means Donald is stuck with Viv. Which means we are also stuck with her. I can’t help feeling Miss Molloy would have given us a happier ending. I believe Reverend Newton is gone for good, which is something of a shame. He was written very broadly but played wonderfully. In many ways he's too big a character for the series. His threat feels almost superhuman, and so lacks the intimacy that's most effective. But the same could also be said for Morag in her intitial appearances, and look how that turned out. I'd like to have seen more of the Rev.</p><p></p><p>A one-to-one scene between he and Donald proved interesting to watch for subtext. It’s not spoken, or even suggested, but I couldn’t help thinking that the Rev’s current role in the series is similar to that of Donald himself in the earliest days of the show. The strict authoritarian who is willing to go to extremes to achieve the desired result. It's a reminder of the Donald who found the Fletchers' foster brood a source of contempt. In turn, that proved a reminder of the very different Donald we see on screen today: warm and avuncular. Increasingly called “Dad” by one Bobby Simpson. And now technically a foster parent himself.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: right"><em>continued...</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spells & Karma, post: 210050, member: 23"] [U][SIZE=6]Episodes 359-364[/SIZE][/U] So far, episodes from August 1989 are helping me feel very much at peace with the fact that there are only around 35 episodes outstanding from those available on Prime. The series still has its moments, but there are also great chunks of the series which feel like meaningless, inconsequential filler. My most recently watched episode - #364 - has the dubious honour of being perhaps the most uninteresting episode of the entire series to date. Pippa’s recent mention of Sandra Barlow has proven to be somewhat providential. The storyline with Viv’s abusive father has turned out to be at times a cartoony replaying of some key points in the Barlow storyline, with Steven as the rescuer and the heroine (then Sandra, now Viv) being rescued from their locked bedroom by an ally in the house (then Kerry, now Tamar). The current version, though, lacks intensity and tension. Reverend Newton doesn’t feel so much an enduring threat as he does a temporary obstacle to boo and hiss. But John Gregg has such a class to him that it’s entirely forgivable. He remains fun to watch. When forcing Viv to cook but not allowing her to eat the food (as penance for her mortal sin of leaving a ring of dirt round the shower), the Rev has also had the best line in recent weeks: [IMG]https://i.vgy.me/8E85wx.jpg[/IMG] Bobby and Steven show up on the doorstep in a bid to rescue Viv and her sister: [IMG]https://i.vgy.me/dPspkO.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/G8KOoK.jpg[/IMG] And left alone with Tamar: Tamar, by the way, is played by one of those child actresses who’s very good at looking permanently worried or troubled. Rather like Danielle Harris from the [I]Halloween[/I] sequels that were being made at this time. While waiting to rescue Tamar, Bobby’s theme plays as she chats to Viv in the car: [IMG]https://i.vgy.me/vPBZ69.jpg[/IMG] Naturally, they rescue Tamar after Bobby locks the Reverend in the cupboard under his stairs, just as he had both his daughters: [IMG]https://i.vgy.me/CxFKIU.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/wnYWc6.jpg[/IMG] Teen soap instant karma. The kids get one over on the mean adult. It's like something a cute Disney sidekick would do towards the end of the film. Viv and Tamar end up guests of Donald. Howard West - Miss Molloy’s social services associate, last seen bringing Dodge to live with the Fletchers - now ends up next door to chat with Donald and his guests, as well as the Rev himself, who may not have fooled Donald, but makes up for it by manipulating his youngest daughter: Long story short, Tamar ends up going back to live with her father: [IMG]https://i.vgy.me/9N7xjr.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/5QRIiA.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/vqMwUt.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/Y5qX8a.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/IxLGD8.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://i.vgy.me/smZxH0.jpg[/IMG] This means Donald is stuck with Viv. Which means we are also stuck with her. I can’t help feeling Miss Molloy would have given us a happier ending. I believe Reverend Newton is gone for good, which is something of a shame. He was written very broadly but played wonderfully. In many ways he's too big a character for the series. His threat feels almost superhuman, and so lacks the intimacy that's most effective. But the same could also be said for Morag in her intitial appearances, and look how that turned out. I'd like to have seen more of the Rev. A one-to-one scene between he and Donald proved interesting to watch for subtext. It’s not spoken, or even suggested, but I couldn’t help thinking that the Rev’s current role in the series is similar to that of Donald himself in the earliest days of the show. The strict authoritarian who is willing to go to extremes to achieve the desired result. It's a reminder of the Donald who found the Fletchers' foster brood a source of contempt. In turn, that proved a reminder of the very different Donald we see on screen today: warm and avuncular. Increasingly called “Dad” by one Bobby Simpson. And now technically a foster parent himself. [RIGHT][I]continued...[/I][/RIGHT] [/QUOTE]
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“Welcome to Summer Bay”: Rewatching the early years.
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