There’s plenty to talk about from last week’s episodes of Neighbours, and I promise not all of it will be me moaning about how awful Chelsea is. Some of it will also be me moaning about how awful Melanie is.
Erinsborough Terrorised by “Kids”
Paul’s portrait gets vandalised, and Cara immediately assumes it must have been Aaron who did it because he tells her that she shouldn’t waste her time trying to fix it. Cara must have been practising her gymnastics because that is a huge conclusion to jump to. Later on, Cara and Remi invite Aaron over, then basically flat-out accuse him of the portrait vandalism. Now, there’s no hard and fast rule on how to deal with people who are grieving, but inviting them round to accuse them of vandalism over a cup of tea casually is probably not what I’d advise.
Anyway, it turns out that the vandalism is being done by a group of “kids” who have been hanging around the complex, causing some mayhem, such as pouring salt on the tables at the coffee shop. It also looks like they are the ones who catfished Melanie.
I’m not going to make fun of the actor who plays the ringleader for having a receding hairline because there’s nothing wrong with how he looks, but does he really suit this part? Could the casting department not have found an actor who looks more like an actual kid? It completely takes me out of the storyline every time he comes on screen because he looks old enough to be attending his ten-year high school reunion, at the very least.
Anyway, the older millennial delinquent graffitis the drinks van, which leads to some absolutely incredible dialogue where everyone is standing around debating who might have done it when the perpetrator has literally sprayed “SLADE” in big letters on the side of the van. Come on, guys.
The affront to David’s memory sends Aaron on an absolute rampage, and he almost rips Slade’s head clean off his shoulders before Andrew intervenes and gives him a stiff talking-to.
Aaron Does a Runner
In the aftermath of David’s wake, everyone seems to be dealing with their grief differently. Leo is taking comfort from Krista and planning a trip to stay with family. Paul is firmly in his whisky and dressing gown era, Nicolette is running herself ragged, and Aaron is decidedly not present. I’ve dealt with a bit of grief in my life, and I like the fact that we have an array of reactions here – it isn’t always sitting on the couch crying like Nicolette, but sometimes it is. I’m happy to say I never descended into a whisky-fuelled romance with a con artist, though.
Nicolette is absolutely at her wits’ end, trying to care for Isla by herself while Aaron attempts to deal with his grief. When she asks him to step up, it turns into a huge argument where she tells him that David would be ashamed of the way he’s abandoning the family. She later apologises, and tells Aaron that Jane has suggested they have another little wake at the house to make up for the one that was a little bit overshadowed by Sadie serving some piping hot tea about Paul.
Aaron agrees to the second wake and then takes himself off on a run to burn off some energy and simply runs off into the sunset, not returning home for the memorial.
GO AWAY, CHELSEA
Where do I even start with Chelsea’s antics this week? She seems to have installed herself as Paul’s regent at Lassiter’s. She is strutting around in an unflattering statement lip, bossing everyone about as if she’s in charge, despite the fact that she doesn’t work for Lassiters in any capacity except as some sort of morally and financially bankrupt babysitter for Paul.
She tells Krista that Paul is against having the event she wants to hold in David’s memory, so Krista calls her bluff and goes to see Paul herself, finding out that he’s said no such thing. Chelsea also bosses Byron around, changing his job description to include washing Paul’s sheets despite his protests.
Miffed about people rightfully challenging her authority, Chelsea suggests to Paul that he make her acting manager. She is treating him like a child – she’s even calling him “baby” – and it’s revolting. Can someone please pop her down the well that Imogen and Daniel fell down? I’m fed up of looking at her.
SHUT UP, MELANIE
Being an absolute dustpan must be catching because Melanie is also at it. She also dons a horrible statement lip and a tiger print dress in order to try to inflict maximum chaos on Toadie’s marriage. Spurred on by the fact that Toadie admits he still has the occasional flash of feeling towards her, Melanie deliberately upsets Terese by telling her that Toadie confided in her about their marital problems, hoping to set off some sort of hand grenade in the Rebecchi/Willis marriage. She then puts on her most seductive and flammable-looking clothing in order to try to tempt Toadie back to her.
I have to say that this does all seem a bit out of character for Melanie. I might find her annoying, but she’s not usually malicious. All this scheming she’s doing in trying to get Toadie back is venomous. Is she leaving soon? I hope so because she’s getting my nerves, too. Down the well with Chelsea, please.
Are We About to Revisit the JJ Storyline?
I had my suspicions a while ago that the story of JJ’s parentage might be revisited at some point, and for some reason, my Spidey senses are tingling. Andrew is acting like a bear with a sore head, and he eventually admits to Wendy that he’s had a letter from his brother, who, from the looks of it, is in prison. I don’t know how the writers could possibly manage to weave Andrew’s brother in with the JJ story, but it always seemed so unfinished to me, and this seems like the perfect time to get back to it. I might be completely wrong, and it might be an unrelated criminal brother story, but I want it to link back to the JJ thing so badly! It ended with such an unsatisfactory anticlimax.
