carld2
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Post by carld2 on Feb 1, 2024 17:01:39 GMT -5
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Jan 30, 2024 21:08:43 GMT -5
The best gay content involving EE for several years now.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Jan 4, 2024 18:47:57 GMT -5
I will say the death of Heath was genuinely shocking - I just thought one of the teens would end up with a serious but nonfatal injury, something like paralysis. Or at most they would hit and kill some random character. But I guess this means those who were shipping Heath with Arthur will have to look elsewhere. Not that I believed they would ever end up becoming a couple. Frankly, I don't expect they will even give Arthur a love interest. The homophobic backlash seems to have scared them straight, no pun intended. It was a shock but given how the show has treated Viv's kids over the years, or any non-Dingle characters, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. It feels like a long-term mistake to me. I guess I should be grateful they didn't kill off Arthur instead.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 31, 2023 23:45:37 GMT -5
My best to Max Bowden and his struggles, but Ben is such a ruined character. The break is not a bad thing for me.
Happy New Year, everyone.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 24, 2023 14:00:43 GMT -5
Merry Christmas, everyone, or whatever day you do or don't celebrate.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 22, 2023 10:31:45 GMT -5
When they spent months teasing just why Harry was estranged from his wife and child, I never thought it would be the med school lie. I wonder if the actor decided he wanted to leave early and they scrambled. It makes no sense to me. In more positive news, the first 150+ episodes of the show have been uploaded onto their Youtube channel. Merry Christmas! Actually, they've been hinting at it for a while. When Monique wanted to post his profile for the surgical marathon he panicked and it struck me then that he might not have qualified. They also had moments like when he was treating a little half-Chinese boy and spoke Mandarin to the boy's Chinese mother, she asked him which med school he went to and his awkwardness was palpable. To give the show credit, I think this story was plotted from the beginning. I suspect it may even have influenced the recasting decision. Ah. I never noticed. Knowing they were bringing him back just for this almost kind of makes it worse for me.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 21, 2023 14:36:11 GMT -5
How would you compare this to other Shorty finales? One of the most lacklustre in recent years. It feels like the others have had big events and high stakes but here it was a two-second hostage situation, a drug addict overdosing, a secondary character dying on the operating table, and an elderly, minor villain threatening three characters, two of them fit adult men. I guess they are banking on the shock factor being their turning a legacy character, the only child who was born and grew up on the show, into a serial killer. That is cheap. There was no reason Harry would commit two murders to hide the fact that he hadn't graduated from med school. Heck, I don't even believe teen Harry would have GONE to med school or be afraid of disappointing his dad. The whole thing is for shock value and nothing more. I was really holding out hope that there was a twist coming, that Stella was the one who'd killed Max Lynch and Harry was covering for her. Evidently not. When they spent months teasing just why Harry was estranged from his wife and child, I never thought it would be the med school lie. I wonder if the actor decided he wanted to leave early and they scrambled. It makes no sense to me. In more positive news, the first 150+ episodes of the show have been uploaded onto their Youtube channel. Merry Christmas!
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 21, 2023 13:18:13 GMT -5
Shortland St aired its summer (southern hemisphere) cliffhanger today. In case people haven't watched it yet I'll put it behind spoiler tags: So Harry is onto murder victim #2. After Rahu discovered from Harry's wife back in China that Harry never actually graduated from med school, he confronts him, during which a Z-addict conveniently beats and stabs Rahu while Harry stands by. Then of course Harry is called upon to perform the surgery during which Rahu dies, with an assist from Harry of course. I still cannot believe they turned him into a killer. Damn. Such a huge waste of potential, as you've mentioned, to make Harry into a serial killer. They wasted all of the registrars - only Stella, one of the least interesting of the group, is going to be unscathed, and I can't see her lasting. After reading an interview recently with the actor who plays Rahu that he was mostly doing Shortland Street while his boxing injuries were healing, I didn't think he'd be around long-term, but I wasn't thinking he'd go this soon.
The Maeve quote makes me think Marty won't die, but then considering everything he's been through and the likelihood that we need to cycle to another "love of my life" for Esther, I can't count it out.
How would you compare this to other Shorty finales?
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 21, 2023 13:12:38 GMT -5
All they do is throw men at Leo, who is such an awful character.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 16, 2023 3:39:30 GMT -5
It's difficult to invest in any of this due to Ste's involvement. He was abusive for years and that was mostly whitewashed. Brendan was abusive towards him and that was treated as signs of being in love. If they did veer in this direction rather than the Carter aspects, I think it feels like more redundant melodrama and somewhat rushed (and it also cheapens the abuse James suffered and again tells viewers that if you are abused you will become abusive). Just unpleasant all around.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 13, 2023 16:59:27 GMT -5
Thanks justinate. I would not have seen this if not for your post. @jack I was also hoping to see Boogie. Good actor and likeable character so of course he isn't there. Until Sage said he wasn't into women, I thought they might make him bi, as the interview with the actor said "queer," which can be all-encompassing. I guess bi guys on Shorty are only nefarious, promiscuous drug users like Lincoln. I notice Cassie isn't there either, unless she is not classed as a regular. I know that Thad will probably end up like Damo (at best), awkward comic relief, or at worst, a disaster, but I'm glad he's back. I have to confess that I am kind of attracted to him. That isn't the case for a lot of guys on the show, especially now that lovely Louis is gone. Sadly it doesn't seem to be available in the US, but this is still good news for the show, and for any UK fans - Shorty is screening on Amazon Freevee. metro.co.uk/2023/12/12/amazon-freevee-picks-another-major-axed-soap-saving-neighbours-19937397/
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 12, 2023 21:52:46 GMT -5
I think from this recent episode, Sage seems to have a crush on Marty??? They hinted at it twice. There's always the possibility that Marty's bisexual and I definitely wouldn't complain haha, but knowing the writers and the show's track record, I personally can't really see them doing that. So I'm just kind of like why hint at a crush that most likely will lead to nothing at all? Given the nature of some past stories I could see them having Marty sleep with Sage for drugs. I definitely thought there was a window to make Marty bi before he got back with Esther. Not that they'd ever do that with a main male character. They had a huge opportunity with Louis and avoided it even when he had a threesome with another man.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 10, 2023 17:18:48 GMT -5
Do you genuinely feel the show is headed for cancellation? I know they got rid of the IV bar set but besides that, what else has gone away? Chris moved out of his townhouse but (as is typical on this show) Drew and Harper immediately snapped it up, while Monique, Rahu and Stella moved into their old place. And Chris got a new penthouse while the IV was replaced with a new restaurant/bar set. For me, it's the failure to even give the hospital set a new lick of paint after supposedly being gutted by a fireball explosion is what really galls me. I mean, they could've at least repainted the CEO's office and put in a new, distinctive nurses' counter? I hope not - it was just the departures, the reports of struggling to find a new broadcaster in Australia, the talk I sometimes see of the show being viewed as a part of NZ's past, etc. Or it may just be my pessimism on the future of the genre. I had forgotten Drew and Harper are using the same set. I guess because it seems like we don't see it as much now.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 7, 2023 15:22:22 GMT -5
I like the look of this new Johnny. He looks all grown up, a proper adult. I just hope he won't be treated as horribly as Ben/Callum. They aren't even allowed a bed scene, yet the lesbians are. I hope Johnny gets a boyfriend and that they will be treated the same as the lesbians (though I'm not holding my breath as I'm used to the hypocrisy and the disgusting double standard). The show is terrible at writing any gay men and has been for decades. They are also terrible at any relationships these days.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 6, 2023 18:32:17 GMT -5
I'm probably being overly optimistic but what the heck - I'm moving this out of Gone but Not Forgotten since they introduced Sage and gave him a love interest in his first episode - I mean it's way more than Stanley ever got and he was on for a couple of years. The show actually won Best Drama Script at the NZ TV Awards this year so I think our grouses here aren't going to sway them from their new direction. (Michael Galvin - a.k.a. Chris Warner - lost out on his award but another Shorty star from this past year, Antonia Prebble - who played the evil Brightshine leader Rebekah - won Best Actress... for another role.) IMO they've missed the boat on bringing on a gay/bi male regular - more so than Logan, I would've plumped for Harry, as a legacy character, but they've left it too long and at this stage, I don't need another queer killer on the show; we've had two in the last two years (Rebekah and Hamish). A third would be overkill, literally. I fear Sage is condemned to having guest star love interests, nothing more. I actually thought they were going to have his housemate, the one who got Marty hooked on pills, as gay, but he is seemingly gone for good (wasn't he meant to return?). I'm glad the show got an award (I wonder what the script was) and I do think the show has improved on just how shocking it was for parts of last year and early this year, but with so many high-profile departures and just a sense of everything feeling smaller (and getting rid of a number of longtime sets), I do wonder if we'll be hearing about the show's end within the next year or so.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 6, 2023 18:25:17 GMT -5
The reception to Aaron's telling Suny and Nicky that they were at fault was so vicious that it (along with body-shaming) has led Danny Miller to leave Twitter.
I am not a huge Aaron fan, but I do feel like some of the responses are out of proportion. I've heard people saying that Aaron has been ruined, but Aaron was always a "not like other gays" gay man. It's just easier to forget when Aaron was in a bubble with Robert and Liv (and you can bet your ass Robert would have victim-blamed too).
I will say the show erred in making Aaron all nasty all the time, but this is what Danny Miller seemingly wants and the show as a whole is so unpleasant now anyway.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Dec 5, 2023 16:26:38 GMT -5
Also, it is interesting how after the one gay male character leaves (Stanley), another just pops up instantly lol. I might be pessimistic, but it does feel a bit like 'oh now our one gay character is gone, we have to bring in a new gay character for representation!!' It felt a bit like that with Jack and Stanley too, imo. Though I loved Stanley, and I'm genuinely gutted he's left. I just don't understand what this show has against M/M relationships and gay or bisexual males. I see that they have the ability to write long-term F/F relationships (though, still imperfect), and in the past, they've had multiple F/F relationships and lesbian characters (at the same time, I might add), so I don't know what's their issue with M/M storylines. The Rico/Jack story was so awful, enough where I wonder just how negative the response was. I notice they have severely cut back - and now basically give nothing at all - to m/m relationships since then, although maybe they have some plan for Sage.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 4, 2023 16:35:25 GMT -5
Just watched the last few episodes. Stanley's presumed last appearance was on Friday, and today they introduced Sage. The swapping out of gay men was a bit too on the nose for me. Stanley got a bizarre exit. In the space of one week, Stan loaned $10,000 to his Indonesian lover/catfish, suffered a heart attack after Monique told him he'd been conned, recovered enough to sell off his house, and left to find Faisal in Bali on an open-ended ticket while gifting Mon thousands of dollars in cash (from the house sale, presumably). Even for a show that burns through story like nobody's business, this gave me whiplash. Hopefully Sage gets a better story, but it's not off to a good start. His date turned out to be a violent druggie who was strangling Mon for threatening to throw away his stash of Z - the same drug to which Marty's addicted. Last week involved lots of scenes of men dancing together - always with Logan. Stan and Logan; Drew and Logan; Vili and Logan - all to ostensibly help Vili prepare for his wedding dance with Madonna. On top of his previous abstinence pact with Harry (that seems to have fallen by the wayside), I feel like Logan is their go-to character for homoeroticism without any payoff. Really annoyed that Stanley is gone. He was a great, warm, funny support character. I guess this means Leanne will be back soon, as he took her place, but I would have rather kept him. Sage is OK so far but I had to laugh (or cry) at him speed-running through two of the main Shorty gay stories in one episode - being asked whether he wants to fuck a woman and being into a drug dealer.
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Post by carld2 on Dec 4, 2023 0:43:37 GMT -5
Sage's debut, and it's awkward as hell. Thanks for sharing. Never would have seen this otherwise. I'm glad the comments are so positive considering how homophobic social media often is. I wonder how old the writers are to still be making all the Madge/Madonna jokes.
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Post by carld2 on Nov 25, 2023 11:55:27 GMT -5
I admit I only dip in and out of the show but I've not seen Sage yet. Not sure if he is just a background character? I hope they won't do the usual pairing of the only two gay men on canvas because he is far too young for Stanley. The decision to make Harry a killer is incredibly short-sighted. To be fair to Madonna, she did not intend to let the conman die - she just wanted to scare him and planned to come back for him. But Harry didn't just push someone off a balcony; he left him to bleed out overnight. And in Friday's episode he messed with a patient's medication to make Rahu look incompetent due to jealousy of his relationship with Stella. I'll just say I'm glad the previous actor didn't reprise the role. I remember briefly thinking Jack would be paired with Stanley, which tells you the state of gay men on the show (although I do think Stanley's an attractive guy for his age range). I'm still behind so I had no idea they were going that far with Harry. It's the exact same story they did this spring when Parker (I think that was his name - the guy who lost a hand) was sabotaging meds to make Harry look bad. You'd think they wouldn't want to sacrifice a legacy (overused as that term is, it matters on Shorty as they have so few longstanding characters) character, especially just for the sake of Rahu or Stella, neither of whom will likely be around in a year or two. I know there's talk of the show behind a part of New Zealand's past, and presumably there's less and less budget, so maybe they are in desperation mode.
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Post by carld2 on Nov 24, 2023 21:12:09 GMT -5
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Post by carld2 on Nov 24, 2023 21:08:21 GMT -5
Stanley is having an online flirtation with a guy whose native language isn't English. We haven't met him yet - if he even exists, and isn't just a catfish or worse. They also gave him ridiculous lines like calling Monique the daughter he never had - since when?! Nothing to do with the gays, but the show has turned Harry Warner into a cold-blooded murderer. Poor Chris really has the worst luck with his sons! Awful writing - the show has had characters get away with a lot so they might here too (Madonna, the sainted heroine, left a man to die last year [until she changed her mind]), but this does seem short-sighted. I am still back in September but I've noticed Stanley spends a good amount of his limited screentime with Monique...not enough to be a daughter figure though. I hope this isn't a plot to kill him off for the Christmas cliffhanger.
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Post by carld2 on Oct 12, 2023 6:39:44 GMT -5
Curtis returned in today's episode, just for his usual supporting role. Still, nice to see him.
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Post by carld2 on Oct 12, 2023 4:06:53 GMT -5
I feel bad for the actors playing the other gay characters. Ethan is almost a nonentity at this point and Nicky/Suni haven't been shown together in a very long time. Nicky in fact has barely any airtime even by himself. At least Suni has some story because of his job and Jai's paternity secret. And now with Aaron back permanently you know it won't bode well for them. Not to mention Arthur in limbo... I do wonder how much longer Ethan will be around. The character has never been particularly popular, or well-used, and several Andersons have left this year.
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Post by carld2 on Oct 10, 2023 7:34:14 GMT -5
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