Shortland Street - General Discussion

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First part of the Season Finale from Anthony:

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Second part of the Season Finale from Anthony:

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And third part of the Season Finale from Anthony:

[carld2]

Merry Christmas, everyone, or whatever you celebrate.

[justinate]

Thanks carld2 - merry Christmas to you too and happy holidays to all Shorty fans.

[dylan]

Happy holidays everyone.

[carld2]

If I have any 2023 wish for Jack as a character, it's consistency and stability, if that is possible on Shorty. I look at the Youtube comments on the Jack scenes and they feel so oddly vehement compared to his actions in some cases. That's just Youtube for you, I guess, but I think it's also down to how much they tend to change Jack's motivations to suit the week - his being so against Gia's views on a patient for no other reason than to paint her and Rahu as plucky fighters against the system being the most blatant example.

[justinate]

Teaser for the new season, which returns on 23 January. Strange decision to focus on a character who, last I checked, isn't even a regular.

[cupid]

She's a very well known actress in New Zealand, they'll be banking on people glancing up at the teasers ads on TV and going "Oh, Antonia's on Shortland St? I didn't know that. What's with the fire?" and maybe tuning in.

[kevvoi]

Next parts courtesy of Anthony:

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Part 421 from Anthony:

[kevvoi]

New clip courtesy of Anthony:

[justinate]

Was surprised to see Kate and Sass. But seriously could they not bother with some soot damage at least for the hospital? It is pristine for a building we saw explode last season finale.

[dylan]

I agree. I guess the idea is that a month has passed and they somehow cleaned everything up during that time. They also changed the style - now everything is blue. I agree - I hope they stick around for a while, though it seems like Kate is insisting on staying at Central, which makes no sense. I doubt we'll be seeing Central at all from now on, tbh. Also, wow they really put a lot of effort into making post-Shortland Street Ferndale dystopian. Stabbings at the IV, everyone working at Central in its overcrowded, poorly lit corridors, and the dismal standard of care at both Central and St Kath's (with Brooke as CEO, of all people! I hope we never have to see her again.). Curious to see where this goes.

[carld2]

Jan 30, 2023 19:00:54 GMT -5 dylan said:

I agree. I guess the idea is that a month has passed and they somehow cleaned everything up during that time. They also changed the style - now everything is blue. I agree - I hope they stick around for a while, though it seems like Kate is insisting on staying at Central, which makes no sense. I doubt we'll be seeing Central at all from now on, tbh. Also, wow they really put a lot of effort into making post-Shortland Street Ferndale dystopian. Stabbings at the IV, everyone working at Central in its overcrowded, poorly lit corridors, and the dismal standard of care at both Central and St Kath's (with Brooke as CEO, of all people! I hope we never have to see her again.). Curious to see where this goes.

The first week was very hard to get through at times for this reason, especially the IV, which looked like it had been bombed out, and all the women in prison misery (does Shortland Street usually ever go in prisons?). I don't know how much longer the 'new look' is going to be there, but I imagine they will mostly go back to basics after this as almost all the sets look the same, beyond the IV and Chris' place.

I was curious about TK's place, as sometimes it looked the same and sometimes very different. How long are he and CeCe going to be gone?

Did I miss any reference to where all of TK's money went? Before the finale, he was getting his father's estate. Has someone decided that story wasn't a great idea?

They didn't give Kate much reason for why she would want to stay at Central, especially with seeing her stepson subjected to weeks of abuse (and also digs at her other beloved stepson). They could have at least had her say she didn't want to go back because she lost so many family members there.

Oh and I learned a few years ago that Brooke and Boyd were a big couple back in the day. Weird they both return (and presumably don't interact) a week apart.

Still it was nice to see her, and it was nice to see that Stanley is still alive and kicking, and seemingly still enjoying himself, even in an apocalypse.

[justinate]

I thought TK and Cece said they wre leaving for good? It felt like a very lowkey exit, especially for a veteran character/actor like TK. Then again, it's exactly what they pulled with Dawn's supposed exit upon getting re-engaged to Dave and we all know how permanent that turned out to be.

Did Kate really lose many family members at Shorty? It's only been Mo and Curtis, and technically neither of them died at the hospital (or even in Ferndale). And I didn't catch if there was any mention of her sons. The elder is Cece's stepson and the younger is Jack's only surviving sibling. Plus, Kate was Nicole's best friend from school but you wouldn't know it from these episodes.

I thought Maeve was in prison for "killing" the pastor though we know it was really Rebecca who finished him off. I was perplexed that it's for Wilder's death. What the hell? And how does Rebecca have the clout to get someone convicted of killing her own minor child out of prison? And what kind of intel can Maeve give to help her run the hospital - Maeve wasn't even a HoD.

It's nice to see Damo back, especially since it is sans the obnoxious Desi and plus the lovely Boyd. But he sure had a miraculous recovery. Disappointing they went in that direction instead of a more realistic portrayal of the long term health impact of a brain injury like Damo's.

If we are bringing back characters, can we get one of Chris's sons for Jack? I've said it before but Finn has the most potential for a late-in-life bisexual reveal.

[carld2]

Jan 31, 2023 6:04:17 GMT -5 justinate said:

I thought TK and Cece said they wre leaving for good? It felt like a very lowkey exit, especially for a veteran character/actor like TK. Then again, it's exactly what they pulled with Dawn's supposed exit upon getting re-engaged to Dave and we all know how permanent that turned out to be.

Did Kate really lose many family members at Shorty? It's only been Mo and Curtis, and technically neither of them died at the hospital (or even in Ferndale). And I didn't catch if there was any mention of her sons. The elder is Cece's stepson and the younger is Jack's only surviving sibling. Plus, Kate was Nicole's best friend from school but you wouldn't know it from these episodes.

I thought Maeve was in prison for "killing" the pastor though we know it was really Rebecca who finished him off. I was perplexed that it's for Wilder's death. What the hell? And how does Rebecca have the clout to get someone convicted of killing her own minor child out of prison? And what kind of intel can Maeve give to help her run the hospital - Maeve wasn't even a HoD.

It's nice to see Damo back, especially since it is sans the obnoxious Desi and plus the lovely Boyd. But he sure had a miraculous recovery. Disappointing they went in that direction instead of a more realistic portrayal of the long term health impact of a brain injury like Damo's.

If we are bringing back characters, can we get one of Chris's sons for Jack? I've said it before but Finn has the most potential for a late-in-life bisexual reveal.

I haven't watched a ton of Jack's earlier material so I always forget Kate wasn't a part of the story for deaths like Pixie's.

I agree about Damo. I wonder if they are planning a longer return for him down the line. Glad Boyd has kept his longer curly hair. I hope he keeps popping up in this capacity.

I had assumed TK and CeCe were returning as with an iconic character like TK, an actual exit would surely get more fanfare (and press attention), but I don't know.

[justinate]

Are they really repeating Jack's story with Hamish from last year with Maeve and Rebecca already?

[carld2]

justinate dylan Have I mixed up things or were there spoilers for this past week like Chris looks into Rebecca and is warned not to do so/Chris defends Rebecca even though it's unpopular which did not get on the air?

If nothing else is consistent on this show it's going to be me feeling annoyed by Dawn and Esther material...when Esther's annoying cousin went on about how she lights up the room and is always fun unlike dull Marty. I thought - how long ago was this exactly? In the time I've been watching she's been in constant misery, and was yet again going around this week like Fred Sanford. It's nice that she has now decided she's in love with Marty but do you really believe it?

I hate to be negative about someone missing their dog, but I am so fed up of endless Dawn bleating, woe, and love life drama. I hope now that she's with Logan they will remain happy, and mostly offcamera.

I wonder how long the new head of ED will be there. A part of me wonders if he's there to address any backlash toward the show last year for focusing too much on racist whites - if he is meant to be some type of bigot with a heart of gold - but that depends on how long his story arc is planned to be.

I do appreciate this being some new conflict for Jack, but it's a shame they had to once again write him as being in the wrong (assuming someone had cancer). I hope we will get some scenes with Stanley and Jack about what Jack is going through. And I hope we see more Kate.

[justinate]

I was skimming last week but I think Chris did defend her initially, then he realized she was up to no good and now he's essentially working against her, quietly.

I still can't get over the fact that Maeve actually got convicted for Wilder's murder.

Emmett, the new head of ED and the MPC, is an all-round horrid person - but I will admit to chuckling when Rahu challenged Rebecca on his appointment to head the MPC on the grounds that he can't speak te reo Maori, and she asked him back whether he (Rahu) could speak Samoan.

Jack, meanwhile, has sadly continued his decline into an all-round bumbling idiot. Not only is he incompetent at his job, he can't even keep a simple secret for longer than 2 seconds to the one person who doesn't need to know.

I wish they would give him a better story, or a new love interest - I mean, does LOGAN of all characters need a new half-sister? Who is she supposed to pair with anyway? A bi/gay man for Jack would've been a better cast addition.

I don't know if this exit for TK and Cece is meant to be permanent, with them only popping up for family events, or only temporary cover for the actors going on leave. But if it was meant to be permanent, it feels like they should've had TK die heroically during the fire, perhaps sacrificing himself to save others in the knowledge that his cancer was terminally untreatable. Then the new hospital could have reopened as the Te Koha Samuels Memorial Hospital, and Cece/Gia/Tilly/TK's sister could've fought it out over his shares and competing visions for the revamped hospital.

[dylan]

Yes I think Chris is working against her, mainly offscreen I guess.

Was Maeve really convicted? I thought she was just awaiting trial. I still can't fathom how they could have ever charged her for the crime. Based on what evidence? That really made no sense. Do they really think that she injected him with drugs and drowned him in the pool while she was drunk out of her mind? Ludicrous.

I know, right? In what way is Marty "dull"? He's always been way more fun than Esther, who has been insufferable for quite a while now. I don't really believe that she loves Marty. Honestly I don't have any idea what they're planning for this character. I feel like Esther should have been written out ages ago. Also, I love how she didn't even care that TK and Cece were leaving Ferndale.

I hope that we get a break from Dawn as well. Although if they don't start introducing some new characters soon then I guess they'll always have to have her front and centre. A lot of characters don't even have any storylines at all.

I agree that the show desperately needs another bi/gay male character. It's a shame that Rico was axed so quickly.

[carld2]

Feb 7, 2023 14:00:25 GMT -5 justinate said:

I don't know if this exit for TK and Cece is meant to be permanent, with them only popping up for family events, or only temporary cover for the actors going on leave. But if it was meant to be permanent, it feels like they should've had TK die heroically during the fire, perhaps sacrificing himself to save others in the knowledge that his cancer was terminally untreatable. Then the new hospital could have reopened as the Te Koha Samuels Memorial Hospital, and Cece/Gia/Tilly/TK's sister could've fought it out over his shares and competing visions for the revamped hospital.

I assume it's a break, probably because TK had a huge year last year, with way too many stories that went nowhere (like his affair). I imagine the guy who plays TK desperately needed a rest. I do like your idea (I'm just going to pretend TK's sister didn't exist).

[carld2]

Feb 7, 2023 20:43:49 GMT -5 dylan said:

I agree that the show desperately needs another bi/gay male character. It's a shame that Rico was axed so quickly.

I notice they only seem to want to bring in new bi or gay men as short term Jack love interests, aside from Stanley, who is just a support character. I wonder if they've ever cared about having two long-running gay or bi men on the show at the same time.

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New clips from Anthony:

[carld2]

Interview with Laurel Devenie (Kate). Seems like this will be a longer return. She also mentions that one of her stepdaughters played the girl last season who had gone through conversion therapy.

www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/tv/laurel-devenie-shorts-comeback-queen-46519