neighbours 2012

Monday: Karl and Rhys meet Rhys’ mother (well, Rhys has met her before) a thirty five year old paraplegic who presumably had Rhys when she was about eight. Mia just pointed out that every time they have an outdoor scene there’s bellbirds on the soundtrack. Rhys’ mother has spinal degeneration, which is why she says the words ‘spinal degeneration’ carefully and cautiously as though she was talking a foreign language. Here’s Audrey, the dog whose name I was uncertain about, who seems unable to get out of her basket. Rhys has a popeye chin. Dig that tattooed guy with the mobile phone at Harold’s table when Karl and Susan had their Audrey chat. Callum has a picture of Sonya on her t-shirt. Does he know she’s his real mother? I was always a bit confused about that. Hey, Kyle and Callum, great chemistry. Karl has towels in his office, Room 23. Hey, Rhys just quoted Corey Worthington, kind of, when Kate told him to take a good long look at himself and he said ‘I do, every day’ then something else I can’t remember but quite a bit like what whatsername said to Corey Worthington. I wish I wrote for Neighbours.

Tuesday: Labby and Stav are – get this – to me, kind of annoying. Did you watch The Loop last weekend? I really enjoyed it, it reminded me of a lot of things, it didn’t go on long enough for me though, admittedly I started watching it about an hour in. Now Neighbours has started. Sophie in the opening credits should reflect Sophie in the show – the mature young lady. I wonder what’s going on with miserable Kate. Also, I wonder why Kyle’s got all this weird white shit all over his flanny. Also, why is Paul so into Kate doing office management. Does Andrew ever think about his dead brother? That kind of thing ruins some people’s lives. He has about fifty other siblings anyway. Summer was reading Truman Capote, but I’m not sure what. Corey is a crazy liar. Green girl brought a coke to Sophie and Corey’s table but did not do or say anything to expand her storyline. Oh, I saw her again and it wasn’t green girl at all, I guess they all wear green t-shirts in that establishment.

Here are Erin and Kate drinking amongst the reeds. Erin is a really annoying person, I've figured that much. She and Kate are going on the road, with 'a hot guy to do the driving'. Jade just asked Kate to a dance party in St Kilda and I thought she said Dad's party in St Kilda and I thought well, who's Jade's dad? That got me nowhere and then I thought maybe Dad's Party is a club in St Kilda, great name for a club. But actually she said dance party, one more example of how what you misunderstand in Neighbours is actually much more interesting than what is actually there. I mean Dad's Party isn't great, as a club name, but it is 20 times greater than what was actually said, right?

pip end january 2010 (two years ago)

We went to see Pip Proud at Colton Close today. He was as usual happy to see us and he looked better than the last couple of times I've seen him but he obviously isn't. He says the cancer is back (actually, it never went away let's face it) and he may have to have more radiation therapy or chemotherapy but as far as I know those things were just mooted as possibilities that weren't going to cure him just prolong his life a while. He wore out more quickly than ever today and ended up wanting to lie down when we took him back to his room. I think this is the home stretch. He is still very lucid though. Talking about Obama, Haiti earthquake, etc. Very keen on Tom Waits (I downloaded some TW for him).

neighbours 2012

This is funny I guess but just wanted to add an irrelevant postscript: who decided that when you extend the number of 'e's on a word ending in 'e' you actually extend the consonant preceding it? I.e., 'sameeee' is said 'sammmmme'. It's just one more example of what a pathetic, wrong-headed, drab, irritating language English is.

neighbours 2012

Do you think that despite himself Dr Rhys is becoming drawn to Erin? I don't know enough about Dr Rhys to know whether he has a heart or not. Erin seemingly wears the same clothes all the time, that's interesting. No, now he's doing extra devious and appalling things to suggest Erin is an alcoholic. He really needs a moustache to twirl.

The woman who is talking with Karl looks very familiar. She must have been in something. I wonder what. Nice how Dr Rhys is lurking round corners to listen in to their discussions.

Sonya is going to have Susan's baby. Oh no, a sex montage. That was horrible. I'm glad it was really short. I assume if you see fireworks and trains in stations, that conception has taken hold. Certainly Sonya's head has gotten bigger.

Dr Rhys is going to celebrate getting into the surgery programme by cutting someone's hand off and attaching it to their head like a cocky crest.

Well, Dr Rhys isn't the only person who knows how to lurk.

Then it ceased. Good show what! I am very much anticipating next week's run of instalments.

local scene

A few things happening locally this week. One is the odd placement of a big fence around a part of the reserve on the western side of the creek (we are on the eastern side). This has been fenced off then a bunch of bulldozers have been working it - particularly on Tues/Wed. Have to call the council and sort out what it's about.

Then less curiously the extra carparking at Broady Plaza (as we call it but I can never remember its real name). A few years ago they built a deck over the original car park on the south side. Now they're doing the same on the north side. It's not that exciting but as my grandmother Mavis used to say, 'it's something in your life'.

neighbours 2012

I already liked Sharpies (the pens), or should I say, I did at one stage really like Sharpies. Now they’re being sold to me so constantly on Channel 11 as a groovy thing that writes only groovy words and designs, I am somewhat over them. I also have something stuck in my molar which is bullshit. Labby and Stav are also very annoying. I must say I am keen to hear more about this show The Loop, is it my demographic? Apparently it’s been going two weeks. I should watch it on Saturday. These presenters seem kind of old. However, how weird to ask as a music question ‘what was the name of Eric Clapton’s band?’

In the opening credits of Neighbours, Karl and Susan are with a silky. Who is it?

The recap of the show was all about exes. Kyle is still wearing his Dead Kennedys t-shirt. Jade is still wearing her skirty pants outfit. So I guess the last few days of Neighbours have been one day – yesterday, because they’re talking about how they’re going to go to an Australia Day barbecue ‘tomorrow’. How weird that Tash, who when I last watched Neighbours in 2011 was pretending to be pregnant, is now musing over whether someone is ‘pregnant or too much pasta’ in a magazine. I wonder what her massive, massive, massive earrings are all about.

Kyle’s name, particularly as pronounced by many on this show such as Sonya, sounds a lot like ‘Karl’ which would make for fun if it could be incorporated into a storyline. Lucas and Kyle are in the same boat really. Sonya is wearing an amazing silk tent today, I don’t know why, it’s very orange.

Chris is apparently too dirty to be seen out, according to Tash, yet curiously he has absolutely no dirt on him. I guess Chris is the new Charlene – works in a masculine trade such as the auto mechanics, likes guys. If Tash so wants Aden and Chris to get together why doesn’t she dak them and push them in the bushes. Man, her sexual tension over their reluctance (or at least Chris’) to get it on is s-c-a-r-e-y. (Later: ‘I’m not forcing them to pash or anything’ she says.)

I have to say that although I have loved the last three (or has it only been two) weeks of Neighbours, I am somewhat feeling the urge to give it a miss for a day or two as not much is really happening (and I am becoming massively sick of the ads for instance that stupid overdubbed Star Trek ad). I wish Dr Rhys was doing something really, really evil and so on.

Kyle just told me and Jade that Zeke Kinski disappeared for two months and that he thought he’d killed him. I wonder what did happen to Zeke. I guess I will have to check that online again sometime, ‘cos you’re not going to tell me. I see Aden just dropped a Half a Cow reference. Interesting. He must be into (I’ll insert a gay nurse half a cow band reference later).

Ugh a kiss. (Jade/ Kyle)

That’s not a tent Sonya is wearing, it’s a parachute, no doubt to disguise her ovulation window.

Ugh another kiss (Emilia / Lucas) a less horny one though.

I’m really hyped about The Loop. 9 AM Saturday! I think I might watch it. You probably want me to blog it. Look, I don’t blog everything I watch on TV you know. Like I don’t blog The Simpsons when I watch that f’rinstance. Or The Mentalist etc or when Mia watches Hell’s Kitchen or Nigella and I am too bored to leave the room.

Hey someone with a speaking part just put an icepack on Aden’s eye. Must be serious – I mean, speaking part.

Dr Rhys and Erin are back tomorrow, that’s a relief, I need more evil.

Then it ended! It was grand, can’t wait for Friday’z.

neighbours 2012

You know Lou's been in the opening credits of Neighbours all year and he hasn't been in the show once.

I did actually do some research on Kate and Sophie and came away absolutely none the wiser. In fact, I was more confused than before. Interesting that at the garage there is still an ad for the shopping centre development.

Wow Susan's shirt looks mathematically, scientifically calculated to make Sonya's dress sense less absurd. Hmm, Summer just called Andrew a 'suck', apparently under the impression that 'sucks' are people that 'suck up', rather than whatever a suck really is - I'm not sure what that is, but it's not that.

Charlie's is a real hive of activity I can't be bothered writing about right now if that's OK. I thought Tash's way of finding out Aden was gay was pretty good though.

Thenitendeditwasgreatcan'twaitfornextepisode.

neighbours 2012

It’s the actor who plays Erin who has it tough. She’s the one who has to put forward this thing about being flattered, confused and thrilled when Dr Rhys throws out these sort of full-on hardcore capital H hints about how he Really Likes Her.

‘My brother took me to the Brink last weekend at St Kilda’ Corey says to Sophie. Sophie has apparently seen Zero, so I guess she is older than she looks – they split up around 32 years ago. Maybe she meant Xiro, I think they split in ’84.

Lot of product placement for Harold’s Store going on – close-ups on uniforms and the shopfront. He should open a chain. I wonder who the girl behind the counter is – she looks like she has a story to tell. I hope she appears again soon.

Kate has Sophie's stationery list for Year 9. I am not quite sure why this requires P S Y C H O music, or the megadramatic grimace on Kate's face as they go to ad break. That was almost blue steel!

Then I changed the channel. It was great though! I can't wait for tomorrow's.

neighbours 2012

Does Dr Rhys live with Kyle and Jade or has he broken in to their house?

Is Kate like a greek chorus of one? Why does she hate Summer (the person)? Why is Karl drinking out of a baked bean can? Why is Paul talking to Karl? Have they ever met before? I have a feeling they should have been introduced. Karl is very open to suggestion, all it took was for Paul to tell him to get the feminine stuff out of his house and next scene you know he's doing it. In-karl-red-ipaul.

I love the Rhys-Kyle-Jade house's backlit cupboards.

Erin has this thing about how ugly she is. It's so bizarre that they got someone like this to play this character. You'd think there were no objectively ugly actresses or something. It's ghastly to think they found this person to play this character. Anyway, I am finding this whole thing really awkward.

Now Paul is focusing on Karl's penis. I don't know what happened between Karl and Susan, it's just you know, the 105th bust up between those two. You could compile a shortlist, without even thinking, of the things that will bring them together again (potentially fatal illness, potentially fatal fire, Susan will get a new love interest, Karl won't).

What did Kate do that means she can't do now whatever job she previously did? I suppose I could research this too. Michael has 'back to back meetings' - what kind of meetings are these perchance? It's some kind of variation on face to face meetings I suppose. Now he's resigned. Way to get out of the show man. He's going surfing with Freya Stafford.

I loved the way that Dr Rhys, his evil plan working, can barely bear to touch Erin when she hugs him. Why does Dr Rhys tell Kate constantly what he's up to in this crafty scheme? She could, let's face it, just warn Erin that Dr Rhys is evil, and why isn't she doing that? Oh, wait, back from ad break and she's doing it. Cool scene coming up. She slapped him that was reasonably rad. It was funny then the perspective on tiny Karl. I'm going to have to research the Kate-employment thing, and the Kate-Sophie thing. I guess they are probably connected.

Then it ended. It was grouse! Can't wait for the next ep.

butterball

It's typical of humans to say things like 'he's a very friendly cat', or, 'he takes so much interest in what I'm doing.' Both of these are true but they omit the extra reality that he hopes that he will get some kind of food out of it. In this case he is on the chair in the kitchen watching me do the dishes (he hasn't quite figured out the difference between person-at-stove and person-at-sink). Won't be long though as 'he's a very smart cat' too.

peggy seeger

Last night we went to see Peggy Seeger at the Oakleigh Caravan and it was an inspiration. The audience was a sedate bunch of older people (over 60s mainly I am guessing) and they did not mind a singalong, which suggests to me they might have been folk afficianados from way back, but I might just be romanticising. PS to my mind was best when playing her clawhammer banjo, but also marvellous with her long-bodied acoustic guitar. By the time she got to the piano it was more whimsy than anything. Some songs she sang a capella. She had some truisms in a looseleaf folder which she recited occasionally. I enjoyed it very much.

There were two young drunks (a man and a woman) up the back near us who were whooping and stomping and interjecting, much to the intense fury of others around. I found them annoying too but I found the response to them even stranger. PS was, I think, oblivious.

note to self

Usually when I'm walking in this neighbourhood the only people I see walking as well are people walking dogs. Not so today - I saw about 8 or 9 people walking and no-one walking dogs. I want to note this in case it becomes a trend and I can say, 'I first noticed that on 21 January 2012.'

* NB similar story on 26 Jan 2012 though only about 3 or 4 people.

neighbours 2012

Rhys is cracking onto a woman called Erin who is apparently unattractive (I think you can tall this by the fact she has long, dribbly hair, at least, there is absolutely nothing else about her that would indicate this) but Kate is getting in the way because she is suspicious.

Freya Stafford's character's name is Emilia, or at least, that is what she is known as on the Neighbours website. Here she is with Lucas and his nudity. Now she is zooming on his penis.

Susan is going to end up living with this woman called Priya. I am a bit confused about their friendship but for some reason it has gone from enmity to frenmity in a nanosecond. I wonder who she is. Oh they are bonding over husbands, or lack of.

Note at the front of the hospital ambulances go one way and emergency is in the other direction. Sounds potentially troublesome. Rhys and Ugly are going to a vietnamese place in Box Hill. And that's all. Not much happened, really. Half an hour of my life I'll never get back. Mind you, I could have spent it being offensive and ghastly, so at least it kept me out of trouble ay.

hugo

Yes, Hugo is remarkable and I urge you to go and see it in 3D in particular. It's a little slow but very enjoyable and looks amazing at all times.

neighbours 2012

Sonya and Toadie are looking at the enormous payout he's being offered - six figures (so, starting at $1000.00). But they're not saying how much, as they never do in Neighbours unless it's 20c. Why do they have that policy? It's not like they'll be able to show it in 5 years and pretend it's still new.

Freya Stafford has just shown Lucas her naked body in a book. Now Paul is looking at it too. I wish I knew her character's name, sorry. There is a very loud rock band playing in the other room so if she told me I wouldn't be able to hear it. It's like being at the Red Cotton show except I am not kissing a small boy in a spiderman outfit.

Toadie is looking for a new job on some kind of online job thing. Here's Calum anyway, who we haven't seen for a month. Paul has a journalist lined up to interview Toadie although he (Paul) now describes himself as a journalist too.

Purple Anna is still wearing purple.

Tash's father whatsisname is wearing pyjamas in Harold's. Tash is wearing a yurt. Charlotte McCammey has come in and asked to be a character in the show fulltime. That is the subtext. She likes that he's a straight shooter who won't back down, so do 'the partners.' Paul has noticed that Charlotte McCammey looks like Rebecca, and so assumes the writers have marked her as his future love interest.

Freya Stafford is remembering the old days, which once would have meant remembering in black and white but now means remembering in bleached-out yellow. She and Tash's father once practiced surfing on a precarious frontyard surfboard. I don't quite understand whether she is meant to be thinking she wishes she was with him or that this was symbolic of some other very free period she once had, when she could be either nude or precariously on a skateboard or having it off with a man while his wife drowns.

Then it ended. It was great! Can't wait till tomorrow's.

neighbours 2012

Charlotte McCammey? She's a piece of work. 'The partners have to consider their 'uptions'. Man Toadie is so going to start his own law practice with the huge payout he gets from 'the partners' and the girl in purple (Anna) as receptionist.

Loving the art on Toadie/Sonya's wall. Not the Calum drawing, the 70s brassy picture. Goes with the lamp and the fern. Today Sonya is wearing a... oh it's just ridiculous.

Tash's storyline about studying 'Contemporary Arts', an 'easy subject' because 'uni is all about parties', is kind of dull, actually it's dumb, because her chumz are unable to be certain whether other subjects (such as advanced economics and brain surgery if I remember correctly - it was about ten minutes ago) are more interesting or more ultimately financially rewarding.

Lucas' garage has become a sinister, terrifying location for Chris Pappas who is now imagining the roller door falling down as he hears his own tortured breathing. The guy playing Chris Pappas' father George really looks familiar. Was he once a teen actor on Neighbours fifteen years ago?

Wikipedia is blacked out so I can't check out who plays him, so I went to the Neighbours website, which I feel is a little in need of updating ie because it says stuff like:

2009 is shaping up to be a big year for 12-year-old Kaiya Jones; she started high school and scored a regular role on Neighbours as Sophie Ramsay. Not a bad start.

Well, so Wednesday was the day on Neighbours when (1) Toadie solved all his problems (2) Tash decided she was going to do the loser 'fun' subject Contemporary Arts which any nong could do and (3) Tash decided she was not going to do the loser 'fun' subject Contemporary Arts and (3) Chris couldn't, and then could, return to automobile maintenance (4) Toadie made some more problems for himself.

George Pappas is played by Lliam Amor. Is that an anagram of something? Aside from Rim O'Llama. (He has a blog and a baby)

And then it ended. It was great! Can't wait for tomorrow's.

neighbours 2012

'Dasha' Blahova in 2009. Check out full article here.

Spiderboy is called Corey. Sophie's not touching her soda.

Now I see for the first time the Eastvale devleopment picture. 10 cinemas! I would have enjoyed that version of Neighbours, where they just went to the movies all the time. Now we are in Chris' hospital room, not only does he have an x-ray on the wall he also has a still life and a diagram of an ear. Oh, and a painting with tall trees and a red road. Someone's given him a get well card with a labrador on it.

I reckon Anna the receptionist should be more of a character, the way she said 'Toadie?' it was cool. And as for the delivery of the line 'I've already told the police everything I know'... and the 'there was one thing.' The man who bashed Chris had a tattoo of the word 'Dasha', no doubt a reference to Dasha Blahova, who was part of the original Neighbours cast. Her name wasn't really Dasha Blahova, it was/is Dagmar. I was once in Chippendale post office and she was in it. It's been closed down now and neither of us could be there.

(Unless we bought an apartment there: it is now the ugly face of an uglier building. I stole this picture of what it looks like now from flickr where someone thinks so highly of their own photography 'skillz' they won't allow it to be shared. I took it back!!! Razz! Kill!)

OK actually it was Dasher. Like the reindeer. I think they are on the wrong track looking for a greyhound. Anyway Sophie had more luck being stalked by Corey. It seems like Chris's injuries have done something to his head and now he is no longer interested in cars (I have no idea what he used to be interested in but I assume it was cars). Lucas and Kyle have spotted the guy who they think bashed Chris. He has turned up to watch stock footage of a greyhound race apparently. Even he doesn't realise Dasher was a reindeer and the woman who played Marier, Max Ramsay's indeterminately originating but certainly European wife and mother to Danny and Shane.

They're at the Broadmeadows greyhound track, just down the road from here. I've never been there, I'm surprised that's what it looks like.

Wow, lamest blackmail ever, and it worked. Sophie just got Andrew to let her go and see Corey by saying she'd tell Paul he let her kiss Corey if he didn't let her go and kiss Corey now. This could go on and on.

I wish Kyle would change his shirt.

The basher who owns Dasher just named Toadie as the facilitator of the bashing. The police will go for that. The scottie policeman referred to Chris as 'Chris Paparse', and I'm not joking.

No Doctor Rhys this episode. Never see Toadie and Doctor Rhys in the same place. Come to think of it we never see Spiderboy Corey and anyone else in the same place.

Long ad for Young Talent Time. They know Mia wants to watch the news and they're just trying to annoy us. Now Toadie is going to get arrested. 'Some new information has come to light.'

Then it ended. It was great! Can't wait for tomorrow's. Oh tomorrow is going to be good. And Tash, who I'd forgotten about, is back, studying something she's not interested in.

neighbours 2012

Things move fast in Erinsborough these days. Andrew has taken Sophie's advice and Red Cotton are already ready to play a show, and Paul has entrusted Sophie to Andrew's care, though of course the rest of us are perhaps wondering wtf he has to do with it.

'This gig is gonna rock'. Can you believe I was once told that I couldn't be a Neighbours scriptwriter and should leave it to the professionals. It's probably true, I probably couldn't write a line like that.

What's Summer's problem? Apart from the fact that last week I called her Sky? Kyle is watching chix going down into the squat. Oh, actually, Jade is their trainer. I guess she has a job doing it or something. They really splashed out on crutches for this show.

I guess for each episode Stefan Denis has to ask continuity and the director whether Paul has a false foot this time or not.

Jade is going into a masky face thing as Kyle grills her over some relationshippy stuff. I have finally more or less figured out who she is, but who is he? Hey we're at Eden University now. They have african huts there. Why is Summer guilty? Did she steal someone's identity? She seemed to once look very different. Now she is wearing a spray-painted garbage bag. She's really getting off on wandering tha campus. Red Cotton are my new favourite band! Forget Francolin, this is like, woe dude! Oh Paul likes them, I've gone off them. Sophie is seriously sucking some spiderman face there. Still no sign of the Toadster, man has that storyline been parked.

Then it ended. It wuz great! I can't wait for tomorrow'z.

Later: I did some research on Red Cotton and they are actually a Melbourne band called William and the Tells. It's not my job to make Neighbours keep a proper website and it's apparently not anyone's job at Neighbours to keep the website proper but why does the item on Red Cotton/William and the Tells begin:

On the rise local indy band William and the Tells, have been given an international boost with a guest role on Neighbours.

On the rise local indy band William and the Tells, have been given an international boost with a guest role on Neighbours.

neighbours 2012

I missed a lot of yesterday's episode because I had to go to the airport and pick Annabel up. This was not an issue (and of course it was lovely to see her), because I could easily catch up on the Neighbours site, but you know, that's not the way to really watch real TV - if you miss shit, you miss it, no biggie.

In fact, having watched probably about 4000 episodes of Neighbours in the last 25 years, I find that one of the best bits of watching Neighbours is to miss bits of it and make up the bits you miss. Who are the guys (are they really called Labby and Stav?) who host inbetween shows on 11 in the afternoons? This guy in a devil costume with his face superimposed on a baby's head looks so much like John Howard. The rest of the time he looks like woman I used to work with.

They should alternate the bit in the beginning when Lou bowls Sophie out with a scene where she bats. Don't you reckon? That would stop it seeming like it was the same mundane meandering day in day out.

Lucas and Freya Stafford are driving up to Eden. Freya Stafford is Tash's father's sister, and there are a lot of cushions on that couch. Kyle is being really pushy about the 'couple thing' with Jade. When Kyle says 'Jade, I fixed your bed, I didn't build you the Taj Mahal', I thought 'oh yeah, what happened to Taj, as played by Jaime Robbie Reyne?' Hey I didn't realise Sophie was a gothy bass chick. Where have I been all this time?

I wonder what Kyle is saying wrong here. He wants to take Jade down the Peninsula, I wonder what that means to her. Dr Rhys (if that really is him, I have no idea real idea what he looks like, I always just look at his fine new threads not his head) is pushing the limits of Kyle and Jade's so-called relationship. I am sure Jade looks very very different from how she looked last year, so I didn't recognise her at first. Jade is a bad name for a person, it's like being called Bore or Deadene. Wow, there's a Kyle-Jade showdown in the works.

Sophie is talking about a band called I think Red Coffin, or Red Copy, or Red Coughing. Andrew's first question in that absurd scottish-hungarian accent of his is, 'are they signed?' (Or it might have been, 'are they sane?').

I broke my rule of researching and discovered that Freya Stafford is not Tash's father's sister but his sister-in-law, or rather, the sister of Tash's dead mother. I had to check this out because when Tash's father got Freya Stafford into the car to go to Jan Juc the close-ups and so on seemed awfully incesty if they were actual siblings. So that's a relief.

Mind you Home and Away had unknown-sibling incest and no-one even discussed it once the scriptwriters decided that the two characters, who had previously been in a relationship, were actually long-lost brother and sister. Jade can't cut a pineapple or open a drawer, so now I feel a particular empathy with her. She appears to have scratched her toe with cutlery. I think she's broken it.

Andrew just looked at the facebook page of the band Sophie likes and they are called Red Cotton. But you know I'm sitting here with facebook too and there is no such thing, at least, there are a couple of bands called Red Cotton (shitty name!) but they don't have thousands of fans. Neighbours, you owe it to us to fake Neighbours life into the real world as much as possible!.

Andrew is getting Sophie to do an online media campaign for Red Cotton. Her favourite member of the band is 'the guitarist'. We didn't see any Toadie today so that was good.

The closing credits go too fast.

Anyway, it was a great 'ep'. Can't wait for next week's!

neighbours 2012

The end of Sabrina featured Martin Mull.

Tash, a character I have never fully understood (last time I saw her she was faking pregnancy, she always seems to be bad or is she just troubled and will become benign, like Donald Duck?). I think she has been mentioned by name and appears in the opening credits (in the pool with Sky), but hasn't appeared. Freya Stafford is in this show now, I don't quite get her. Oh, Doctor Rhys (I got his name off the front page of the Erinsborough News) just mentioned Room 414, which means there are at least 414 rooms in the Erinsborough Hospital... doesn't it? Maybe not, that was a misapprehension.

I just looked Freya Stafford up on wikipedia and discovered that, although she had a bicycle accident two years ago, 'she did not sustain any major scaring on her face.'

neighbours 2012

Lou, Tash, Caullum and Sophie are in the opening credits, and have not yet appeared in the show. What's going on? John Wood is in a flashback however - maybe he's playing Callum now. Susan is being a detective. Now she's talking to some guy called Kyle. He has a limp, I wonder who he is. Now Paul is doing the same kind of thing, or something. Now Kyle is arguing with some girl and now she's kissing him.* Apparently they have sex a lot, according to their brownshirted, browntied room mate. Actually i think that's the doctor who saved Chris. I have forgotten whatever I was meant to know about him.

Now Sonya is wearing a flannie.

So is Paul the only reporter on the Erinsborough News? I wonder if Paul has any kind of deja vu reporting on this whole pull-down-the-whole-of-Erinsborough thing, since that's what brought him back to town ten years ago or whenever. Great Paul line: 'Why does everyone get their hackles up when I show a skerrick of benevolence?' He's really happy about the shopping centre development being over. I am confused about this. He's quoting Bob Hawke too. He's talking about the little people to a white haired man whose head-back is the only thing we can see. Classic end-of-scene Neighbours where the background music in the pub ends in a kind of groan-scream.

* Jade. I don't know who she is.

Then I got up to feed the cats and my foot totally went to sleep. It was nice feeling it wake up for a while then it got really weird and ticklish. Has Karl had a hair transplant? He seems to have more hair than he used to. Another headback person just gave Karl and littledoctor a drink. He's going to visit his quadraplegic, illiterate mother and reading the newspaper. 'I'm-so-proud-of-you,' she says, the way people who can only use their mouths talk. 'You-must-be-the-star-of-the-surgery-program.' I wonder who he is, and why. A blonde lady is suggesting he run someone over with a bus to get into a surgery program or something. Rad.

Something weird happened with littledoctor. He needs to be taken down a peg or two. Too many long blacks, Karl thinks. But he is actually going to take the nobbling advice.

Then it ended. It was great! Can't wait for tomorrow's.

neighbours 2012

Today as Toady discusses the strange business of his framing by Peter Noonan, he is wearing a scout uniform. The woman at reception at Noonan Enterprises was obviously going to help him out as she had a speaking role. Karl is apparently cohabiting with Sky now. He said she was very much a part of the household, at least he didn't say 'family'. He is looking younger. Here is someone called Aden, I wonder who he is (a nurse, but is he otherwise a character?). They are very concerned about this strange person called Chris, whose only decoration in his hospital room is his own ribs' x-ray. I see Chris is in Room 123. Does that mean there are at least 123 rooms in Erinsborough Hospital? There may even be 124. Sonya today is wearing a glittery cowboy jacket over a spotty shirt dress.

Paul is here. He appears out of breath. He appears to be Rupert Murdochesque, on a small scale, insisting on an interview on something or other for I assume his newspaper, or for Paultel.

I don't understand what the problem is with Susan and Karl but I have to say I am fairly not interested in the third major bust up of their Neighbours tenure. It's hard to know what incarnation of their family unit they'd be most likely to put on display, there must be a hundred. At least they still have that mental family portrait on display above the fireplace.

Toady's name is actually spelt J-a-r-r-o-d.

I really should look at the website or something to get some appropriate background to figure out why Karl and Susan have split up this time, but I'm worried I might get bored.

Then it ended. It was great! Can't wait for tomorrow's.

neighbours 2012

I barely watched Neighbours in 2011 (Mia says it's because I don't get home before 6:30, but this is somewhat untrue). (Apart from anything else, I've been overseas for three months).

So now my new year's resolution is to watch as much Neighbours as humanly possible. Right now I am watching Toady and Sonya and, erm... someone else talking about Chris, who is collapsed in a garage apparently and who we have just been told is 'shutting down' and not breathing. Someone with a tie is looking after him. I don't know who Chris is so I'm not that invested in his life - except that of course he's another human being, however fictional. Sonya is wearing a very unusual white and green angel robe. Perhaps she died and Toady's imagining her a la Sixth Sense?

Toady is being very defensive of someone called Peter Noonan - perhaps over some Hermanan's Hermitans reformation? Someone (hereafter known as Woman Thing) has come to Kate's door looking for Lucas and I don't know who she is. Woman Thing who Kate wants to know has been dared by Kate to go out with her because Jade, whoever that is, and whoever Woman Thing is.

The interesting part of the Chris in the garage story is that it's a lot about a new supermarket development and corruption surrounding demolition and rebuilding. Toady has now just been visited by a scottish superintendent who has in fact insisted, not requested, that Toady come to the station to address some serious allegations.

All that happened between the opening credits and the first ad break!!!

Now Toady is being grilled by Scottie. Sky and Andrew (?) have gone to the hospital. Lucas was the man whose name I couldn't remember above, I have never quite worked out whether he was a good thing or a bad thing. Dr Red Shirt is now reminiscing about what he had to do in the garage with a stanley knife to keep Chris alive (actually by what we just saw I would have said to kill him, but according to reviews I read in the paper, it was to save his life). Now Kate and WT are drinking yellow cocktails. I give them (oh shit, I was going to say I give them 3 seconds before one of them spots a guy, but I got to that part of the sentence and they did). I got the sense Kate was about to come out or something but who knows. Another ad. Not much happened in that segment.

Then it ended. It was great! Can't wait for tomorrow's.