I didn't watch this until Saturday. I've got a new type of contact lenses, and one eye isn't taking to them all that nicely, so I opted for an evening of long-awaited sleep, my eyes were watering so badly. Well, I've watched it now, and my eyes are still watering badly, but not because of inflammation. It was truly a nice episode - well-balanced, well-written, poignant and gently funny, and it's surprise was that we finally got to meet Fat Elvis. The downside was the presence of Sonia and Tina, who stank more than Fat Elvis's rotten fish.
The Moon Beams.
Alfie pulls it off. Alfie Moon always does. For the incipient Alfie-haters, he wasn't lying to Kat. He's simply trying to protect her. It seems as if this departure was really final, that the Moons - complete with a brand-new Tommy - are off to pastures new. Even if Shane Richie has decided to pack it in entirely or even if he hasn't, I don't think a return next year or even the year after, is on the cards. One has to remember the ubiquity of the word "break" in EastEnders' parlance. Jo Joyner, busy with other projects, is still on a "break." Alison King, who's leaving Corrie to pursue other roles, will be on a "break" for however long she, herself, determines.
Sonia, a nurse who knows nothing, but who is consulted about everything, suddenly sounds like a walking textbook of medicine, when Alfie quizzes her about the efficacy of someone flying with a "mass" in his brain. Her answer deems it not adviseable for Alfie to fly - so how do he and Kat end up in Ireland later on this year? That's a long trip by sea.
The Moons were at their best in their last episode. So they won't have a bar - and why have a mortgage? Bars in Torremolinos of the sort the Moons would have an interest start at €100,000. They'd be quids in. The fact that Kat felt moved to reiterate the No More Secrets ultimatum for their marriage moved Alfie to confess that he'd failed the medical, but the look on Kat's face of worry meant that he couldn't tell her the real nature of what was wrong. As the doctor said, this mass could be benign. From the MRI scan, it looked fairly big - big enough for Alfie to be suffering some sort of symptoms from such a thing; but as he said, he feels fine, he's lost no weight, he's functioning normally. What was amazing was how quickly, upon hearing Dr Sonia's expert verdict, he managed to organise the purchase of his old car, plus a trailer, and how everything was packed up and ready to go without Kat's knowledge, driving all the way, the length of France and Spain to their new home.
The irony of the departure is not so much Alfie leaving with his usual dark secret, but that Kat's dark secret came seeking her out (Sister Judith, obviously with news of the secret son), but left when she realised how much the nature of her secret would affect a so-called happy ending. One wonders how the couple do end up in Ireland on a mission of sorts.
In truth, they really aren't leaving with a million in their pocket, having paid the rent on Stacey's flat for a year, bought back the Capri (a classic car), and paid Stacey's pitch fees for a year. but - hey! - this is EastEnders.
The real big surprise of the night was, finally, the introduction of Fat Elvis, who is now Big Mo's legal husband (and it looks like her toy boy as well). Big Mo and Fat Elvis are now husband and wife. Does that mean Mo is finished as a character as well, or will she recur from time to time? I'd like to see more of Fat Elvis. For fifteen years, we've heard of the man, and now his presence also reeks of a finality for Mo. I hope not.
The farewell do in the pub was a nice and touching gesture, and Mick served the community well, reminding Walford that Alfie was their former landlord and continuous friend. Alfie's speech was a master of continuity - with nods to Big Mo, Billy being a loser and Ian paying his debts. The parting between Alfie and Billy and Alfie and Ian was touching too, the man hugs, and Ian's charmingly puerile plea that Alfie still be his best mate. You have to remember that Alfie was Ian's only mate, and Ian's going to be in need of mates a lot in the coming months.
The two other significant moments were Alfie, harbouring his secret, reaching out to Kush, who seemed in the depths of despair, advising him with what was essentially a Cockney version of Carpe diem (Seize the day), and then his final message before leaving Walford - how much the community meant to him and how he loved them.
I daresay, I'll watch the episode again, just for that part.
The Moons have been on a momentous journey. They left on a high in 2005, and they returned five years later, only to be destroyed by an inept executive producer. Just now, however, at the end of their tenure, they recaptured their magic, and they're leaving on another poignant and bittersweet high. I loved that Alfie paraphrased his 2005 remark to Kat before scurrying off in the Capri this time:-
I've got two furry dice and a million quid in my pocket.
I love the Moons. Bloody love them. But having said that, I don't want them back a third time. Not either of them. No death off-screen, no death in Ireland, no new family members. Just let's remember them as they were in this episode. Happy.
The Carters and The Masoods Are Now Linked.
Well, Shirley will believe anything that comes out of Dean's mouth. She believes he isn't a rapist because he says so, so she believes what he says about Shabnam having his daughter. Smart Dean, for picking up on Shabnam's slip-up in her lie.
And so we are given the image of Shirley's party piece - stomping around to the Masoods' first thing in the morning and demanding of Shabnam where her "granddaughter" is. Even if she believes Dean, why would she even think Shabnam knows? If the child has been adopted, she won't know. This is Shirley at her worst, even though she was cautioned to leave this well enough alone by Buster, who's actually turned into a stabilising and sensible influence on her, even though she disregards everything he advises.
How incongruent are hers and Buster's presence in what is supposed to be a trendy-wendy hair salon? The salon and this adventure with Dean seems to indicate that Dean is sticking around, like a bad smell, which is an absolute slap in the face to women in general and anyone who's ever been a victim of rape.
Shabnam manages to fend off Shirley, who recognises the lie she's telling. However, Buster still cautions carefulness. Maybe she wasn't lying when she said the child had died. Maybe this was still too much, emotionally, for her to deal with. As Buster said, coming from her faith and culture, this isn't something she'd go shouting the odds about.
Shabnam, however, is in full fear mode, and -once again, in true EastEnders' fashion - she organises an escape route. But not before Kush confronts her with the fact that he now knows her secret. Of course, Shabnam knows how he's found out, and I honestly couldn't believe Stacey's justification that Kush had a right to know, being her reason for telling him. Yes, he did have the right to know, but from Shabnam, not from Stacey. Stacey betraying a trust didn't give her the right to tell Kush something that needed only to come from Shabnam.
Still, Stacey is right about one thing: Kush does still love Shabnam. She's his choice, not Stacey, so anything hampering that relationship will surely come from Stacey's dissatisfaction.
The Masood luncheon party was the one genuinely funny situation in the entire episode. It was tragic, because Shabnam thought, in her own immature fashion, that the only way to escape from Dean bothering her and from Mas potentially finding out, was to accept a marriage proposal (that had yet to be given) from a man whose name she didn't even know - she called Asim "Asher" - and to get out of Walford that very night and go to Newcastle.
I liked Asim. He's a vet - could he be the vet for whom Abi will now work? Poor guy, he was totally bemused by the fact that he'd been summoned to a celebratory lunch. He looked even more amused when Shabnam announced ... We're getting married.
Fatima saw through everything, even though Masood was placated, but it was Tamwar who saved the day, escaping, unnoticed, to find Kush in the cafe and urge him to Shabnam's side. That was as passionate as I've seen Tamwar in years, and Nancy wasn't around to see it.
You're needed at the house right away!
The second big surprise of the night was Kush heeding Alfie's cryptic advice about keeping the people you love closest to you, and barging in on the Masood proceedings to propose to Shabnam. Even bigger was the fact that she accepted.
Poor Asim - Does that mean the engagement is over?
That day must have been like a dream to Mas - first Shirley barging in, then Shabnam announcing she was marrying one man, then deciding to marry another.
The Endpieces.
Sonia finds Martin's burping at the table offensve, yet she's charmed by the fact that Tina farts in her sleep? Please. Remove these two dumbasses from my screen without further ado. Sonia isn't the Wise Woman of Walford and Tina is so up her own arse, her stupidity can't even be recognised. Axe, please.
And Mick and Shirley have reached a reconciliation of sorts. Mick is right. He's accepted that they have to be business partners, but nothing has changed on the personal front, as long as she defends Dean and badmouths Linda, to whom she owes a lifetime of apologies. That's as much as he can do, but Shirley reckons, slyly, that she can alter the situation.
Nothing can be altered until the rapist admits his guilt and goes.
The Moon Beams.
Alfie pulls it off. Alfie Moon always does. For the incipient Alfie-haters, he wasn't lying to Kat. He's simply trying to protect her. It seems as if this departure was really final, that the Moons - complete with a brand-new Tommy - are off to pastures new. Even if Shane Richie has decided to pack it in entirely or even if he hasn't, I don't think a return next year or even the year after, is on the cards. One has to remember the ubiquity of the word "break" in EastEnders' parlance. Jo Joyner, busy with other projects, is still on a "break." Alison King, who's leaving Corrie to pursue other roles, will be on a "break" for however long she, herself, determines.
Sonia, a nurse who knows nothing, but who is consulted about everything, suddenly sounds like a walking textbook of medicine, when Alfie quizzes her about the efficacy of someone flying with a "mass" in his brain. Her answer deems it not adviseable for Alfie to fly - so how do he and Kat end up in Ireland later on this year? That's a long trip by sea.
The Moons were at their best in their last episode. So they won't have a bar - and why have a mortgage? Bars in Torremolinos of the sort the Moons would have an interest start at €100,000. They'd be quids in. The fact that Kat felt moved to reiterate the No More Secrets ultimatum for their marriage moved Alfie to confess that he'd failed the medical, but the look on Kat's face of worry meant that he couldn't tell her the real nature of what was wrong. As the doctor said, this mass could be benign. From the MRI scan, it looked fairly big - big enough for Alfie to be suffering some sort of symptoms from such a thing; but as he said, he feels fine, he's lost no weight, he's functioning normally. What was amazing was how quickly, upon hearing Dr Sonia's expert verdict, he managed to organise the purchase of his old car, plus a trailer, and how everything was packed up and ready to go without Kat's knowledge, driving all the way, the length of France and Spain to their new home.
The irony of the departure is not so much Alfie leaving with his usual dark secret, but that Kat's dark secret came seeking her out (Sister Judith, obviously with news of the secret son), but left when she realised how much the nature of her secret would affect a so-called happy ending. One wonders how the couple do end up in Ireland on a mission of sorts.
In truth, they really aren't leaving with a million in their pocket, having paid the rent on Stacey's flat for a year, bought back the Capri (a classic car), and paid Stacey's pitch fees for a year. but - hey! - this is EastEnders.
The real big surprise of the night was, finally, the introduction of Fat Elvis, who is now Big Mo's legal husband (and it looks like her toy boy as well). Big Mo and Fat Elvis are now husband and wife. Does that mean Mo is finished as a character as well, or will she recur from time to time? I'd like to see more of Fat Elvis. For fifteen years, we've heard of the man, and now his presence also reeks of a finality for Mo. I hope not.
The farewell do in the pub was a nice and touching gesture, and Mick served the community well, reminding Walford that Alfie was their former landlord and continuous friend. Alfie's speech was a master of continuity - with nods to Big Mo, Billy being a loser and Ian paying his debts. The parting between Alfie and Billy and Alfie and Ian was touching too, the man hugs, and Ian's charmingly puerile plea that Alfie still be his best mate. You have to remember that Alfie was Ian's only mate, and Ian's going to be in need of mates a lot in the coming months.
The two other significant moments were Alfie, harbouring his secret, reaching out to Kush, who seemed in the depths of despair, advising him with what was essentially a Cockney version of Carpe diem (Seize the day), and then his final message before leaving Walford - how much the community meant to him and how he loved them.
I daresay, I'll watch the episode again, just for that part.
The Moons have been on a momentous journey. They left on a high in 2005, and they returned five years later, only to be destroyed by an inept executive producer. Just now, however, at the end of their tenure, they recaptured their magic, and they're leaving on another poignant and bittersweet high. I loved that Alfie paraphrased his 2005 remark to Kat before scurrying off in the Capri this time:-
I've got two furry dice and a million quid in my pocket.
I love the Moons. Bloody love them. But having said that, I don't want them back a third time. Not either of them. No death off-screen, no death in Ireland, no new family members. Just let's remember them as they were in this episode. Happy.
The Carters and The Masoods Are Now Linked.
Well, Shirley will believe anything that comes out of Dean's mouth. She believes he isn't a rapist because he says so, so she believes what he says about Shabnam having his daughter. Smart Dean, for picking up on Shabnam's slip-up in her lie.
And so we are given the image of Shirley's party piece - stomping around to the Masoods' first thing in the morning and demanding of Shabnam where her "granddaughter" is. Even if she believes Dean, why would she even think Shabnam knows? If the child has been adopted, she won't know. This is Shirley at her worst, even though she was cautioned to leave this well enough alone by Buster, who's actually turned into a stabilising and sensible influence on her, even though she disregards everything he advises.
How incongruent are hers and Buster's presence in what is supposed to be a trendy-wendy hair salon? The salon and this adventure with Dean seems to indicate that Dean is sticking around, like a bad smell, which is an absolute slap in the face to women in general and anyone who's ever been a victim of rape.
Shabnam manages to fend off Shirley, who recognises the lie she's telling. However, Buster still cautions carefulness. Maybe she wasn't lying when she said the child had died. Maybe this was still too much, emotionally, for her to deal with. As Buster said, coming from her faith and culture, this isn't something she'd go shouting the odds about.
Shabnam, however, is in full fear mode, and -once again, in true EastEnders' fashion - she organises an escape route. But not before Kush confronts her with the fact that he now knows her secret. Of course, Shabnam knows how he's found out, and I honestly couldn't believe Stacey's justification that Kush had a right to know, being her reason for telling him. Yes, he did have the right to know, but from Shabnam, not from Stacey. Stacey betraying a trust didn't give her the right to tell Kush something that needed only to come from Shabnam.
Still, Stacey is right about one thing: Kush does still love Shabnam. She's his choice, not Stacey, so anything hampering that relationship will surely come from Stacey's dissatisfaction.
The Masood luncheon party was the one genuinely funny situation in the entire episode. It was tragic, because Shabnam thought, in her own immature fashion, that the only way to escape from Dean bothering her and from Mas potentially finding out, was to accept a marriage proposal (that had yet to be given) from a man whose name she didn't even know - she called Asim "Asher" - and to get out of Walford that very night and go to Newcastle.
I liked Asim. He's a vet - could he be the vet for whom Abi will now work? Poor guy, he was totally bemused by the fact that he'd been summoned to a celebratory lunch. He looked even more amused when Shabnam announced ... We're getting married.
Fatima saw through everything, even though Masood was placated, but it was Tamwar who saved the day, escaping, unnoticed, to find Kush in the cafe and urge him to Shabnam's side. That was as passionate as I've seen Tamwar in years, and Nancy wasn't around to see it.
You're needed at the house right away!
The second big surprise of the night was Kush heeding Alfie's cryptic advice about keeping the people you love closest to you, and barging in on the Masood proceedings to propose to Shabnam. Even bigger was the fact that she accepted.
Poor Asim - Does that mean the engagement is over?
That day must have been like a dream to Mas - first Shirley barging in, then Shabnam announcing she was marrying one man, then deciding to marry another.
The Endpieces.
Sonia finds Martin's burping at the table offensve, yet she's charmed by the fact that Tina farts in her sleep? Please. Remove these two dumbasses from my screen without further ado. Sonia isn't the Wise Woman of Walford and Tina is so up her own arse, her stupidity can't even be recognised. Axe, please.
And Mick and Shirley have reached a reconciliation of sorts. Mick is right. He's accepted that they have to be business partners, but nothing has changed on the personal front, as long as she defends Dean and badmouths Linda, to whom she owes a lifetime of apologies. That's as much as he can do, but Shirley reckons, slyly, that she can alter the situation.
Nothing can be altered until the rapist admits his guilt and goes.
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