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Post by anthonyl on Apr 20, 2023 15:33:25 GMT -5
It feels depressingly like Jack is gearing up for an exit. Well I’ve seen predictions that Jack is leaving so many times. In the past few months it seemed like many characters were being set up for an exit but they’re still here. I just think they’re settling some long term issues and hopefully we’ll see him grow from this. That said, the actor is young and he’s been on this show for a long time. I think if he’s on his way out it’s his choice like it was before. And I would wish him the best. But I’d be surprised if he were leaving. |
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dylan
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Post by dylan on Apr 21, 2023 2:32:32 GMT -5
I wouldn’t blame Jack for leaving. His life has been 100% miserable since he returned to Ferndale. Maybe it’s time for an actual „fresh start“, which is something characters on this show are always on about.
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Post by Carls on Apr 21, 2023 2:47:07 GMT -5
Them refusing to give Jack a long-term, meaningful relationship is giving homophopbia. He has so much potential but I can just tell that they aren't focused on him. He's just...there. It'd be a shame for him to leave when he hasn't reached his full potential. I don't know the last time where he's had an actual interesting storyline.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Apr 21, 2023 10:17:09 GMT -5
Them refusing to give Jack a long-term, meaningful relationship is giving homophopbia. He has so much potential but I can just tell that they aren't focused on him. He's just...there. It'd be a shame for him to leave when he hasn't reached his full potential. I don't know the last time where he's had an actual interesting storyline. The writing for the character feels degrading and belittling, with no end in sight, even as other characters who behave abominably get a free pass. I'm tired of hearing about how arrogant he is and how he needs to learn a lesson when no one says that about characters like Maeve, Harper, Dawn, etc. The show is just incomprehensible to me these days. I still can't get past Viliami going in one week from a story about being groomed to a story about him having sexytimes with Monique at work. |
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Post by anthonyl on Apr 21, 2023 11:14:12 GMT -5
Guess I was wrong. That ending sure makes it seems like he's going. But we'll see. I don't think the writing for him is any better or worse than anybody else, Villi being a perfect example. He's all over the place. It's that the viewers seem to react differently when Jack acts out as compared to other characters.
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dylan
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Post by dylan on Apr 21, 2023 11:35:46 GMT -5
It's all a mess. But Jack has felt like a straggler on the show nearly the entire time since his family left. When he said today that TK was like a mentor to him, I was like... since when? I don't remember them ever really interacting much at all. Was that all offscreen?
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Apr 21, 2023 21:12:28 GMT -5
It's all a mess. But Jack has felt like a straggler on the show nearly the entire time since his family left. When he said today that TK was like a mentor to him, I was like... since when? I don't remember them ever really interacting much at all. Was that all offscreen? They were closer last year, but I don't remember them having a ton to do with each other lately. |
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Post by merboy on Apr 22, 2023 12:29:30 GMT -5
Jack hasn't had an interesting storyline since his rugby boyfriend who (of course) died. It seems like he is the only sexless, loveless character. It looks like the writers go at great lengths to minimise any gay sex scenes or intimacy. Hopefully he isn't written off and is given a love life etc.
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Post by anthonyl on Apr 23, 2023 6:17:17 GMT -5
Well we’re about to see a bunch of new faces as six new doctors, one of whom is Chris’s son Harry joins the cast next Monday. With Villi quitting and Jack talking about leaving maybe they’re clearing out old cast members to make room for new.
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Post by justinate on Apr 23, 2023 23:49:56 GMT -5
Well we’re about to see a bunch of new faces as six new doctors, one of whom is Chris’s son Harry joins the cast next Monday. With Villi quitting and Jack talking about leaving maybe they’re clearing out old cast members to make room for new. It sucks if that's the case, at least the last time Jack left, he went with a boyfriend (and got married). Now he'd be leaving as a complete sad sack. I don't know why/how Harry is back, and when he had time to study medicine while on the run with his son. Did the previous actor not want to reprise the role? He was very identifiable with the role. If they needed a doctor son of Chris, why not bring back Finn? There is still a lot of story they haven't explored. His history as a wife abuser (of Esther). Getting with Chris's girlfriend after she miscarried his half-sibling. |
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Apr 24, 2023 6:06:36 GMT -5
Well we’re about to see a bunch of new faces as six new doctors, one of whom is Chris’s son Harry joins the cast next Monday. With Villi quitting and Jack talking about leaving maybe they’re clearing out old cast members to make room for new. If they are clearing out old cast members, I have no idea why Dawn is still there. No character on the canvas screams "my story is over" as much as she does. While I like the actress, Madonna also seems to have completely run aground as a character. Fond as I am of Marty, I think he has also been written into too stark a corner, especially as I know miserable Esther is going nowhere. |
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Apr 24, 2023 12:20:47 GMT -5
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Post by justinate on Apr 24, 2023 23:02:49 GMT -5
Not only that, I am sure Harry originally left on an exchange to China, not Japan. With suchg a large influx, you have to wonder if anyone else is set to leave. I wouldn't mind Esther or Madonna being written out but I am sure the former is safe. |
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cupid
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Post by cupid on Apr 25, 2023 0:17:40 GMT -5
Harry originally left for an exchange programme in Japan, then transferred to China.
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Post by Jack on Apr 25, 2023 5:45:45 GMT -5
Well we’re about to see a bunch of new faces as six new doctors, one of whom is Chris’s son Harry joins the cast next Monday. With Villi quitting and Jack talking about leaving maybe they’re clearing out old cast members to make room for new. If they are clearing out old cast members, I have no idea why Dawn is still there. No character on the canvas screams "my story is over" as much as she does. While I like the actress, Madonna also seems to have completely run aground as a character. Fond as I am of Marty, I think he has also been written into too stark a corner, especially as I know miserable Esther is going nowhere. Yeah, I think Dawn's story came to a natural end around the time Prince left, or maybe before that when Ali passed. Even with her relationship with Logan, we're meant to believe they're madly in love and belong together, but the build up to the relationship was minimal and the writers put far more effort into some of her other relationships, such as the ones with Prince and Ali. If she stays super long-term, there may be a constant pattern of her getting into relationships and then them breaking up because the actor who plays the love interest wants to leave. It reminds me a little bit of what they do with Esther. I think her actress is great and she wasn't bad when she first started, but now they have no idea what to do with her character and she's just miserable. Her relationship with Marty was always boring and obviously second choice to Curts/Esther as well, I don't get why they didn't have him stay with Monique. I also don't know why she hasn't left already. especially since the writers obviously aren't that bothered about her character anymore. I have been struggling with the writing of Jack's character for a while, but in contrast to other characters, I think there's still story there for him. It really seems like the writers are holding back from giving him any kind of long-lasting romance. |
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dylan
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Post by dylan on Apr 25, 2023 6:26:38 GMT -5
It’s a shame that they didn’t bring back the original actor for Harry. Hopefully the recast isn’t bad.
I really don’t get why the director is so insistent on putting Esther and Marty together. It’s just been a misery fest from start to finish.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Apr 25, 2023 8:22:32 GMT -5
If they are clearing out old cast members, I have no idea why Dawn is still there. No character on the canvas screams "my story is over" as much as she does. While I like the actress, Madonna also seems to have completely run aground as a character. Fond as I am of Marty, I think he has also been written into too stark a corner, especially as I know miserable Esther is going nowhere. Yeah, I think Dawn's story came to a natural end around the time Prince left, or maybe before that when Ali passed. Even with her relationship with Logan, we're meant to believe they're madly in love and belong together, but the build up to the relationship was minimal and the writers put far more effort into some of her other relationships, such as the ones with Prince and Ali. If she stays super long-term, there may be a constant pattern of her getting into relationships and then them breaking up because the actor who plays the love interest wants to leave. It reminds me a little bit of what they do with Esther. I think her actress is great and she wasn't bad when she first started, but now they have no idea what to do with her character and she's just miserable. Her relationship with Marty was always boring and obviously second choice to Curts/Esther as well, I don't get why they didn't have him stay with Monique. I also don't know why she hasn't left already. especially since the writers obviously aren't that bothered about her character anymore. I have been struggling with the writing of Jack's character for a while, but in contrast to other characters, I think there's still story there for him. It really seems like the writers are holding back from giving him any kind of long-lasting romance. The oddest part of the runup to her relationship with Logan is they had her dating the Brightshine youth pastor and also made it clear she had feelings for the detective who only seems to show up when it's time for her to be in the midst of police drama. Logan was just one of many. Their relationship is fine, but I don't believe it has any real weight. As dylan also mentioned, the Marty and Esther relationship is just unpleasant and joyless. They seemed to get them back together because the actress was pregnant in real life and they decided to (crassly) have a child death storyline...at the worst possible time given how bleak the rest of the show was. And Marty, who had finally moved on with Monique, was completely isolated and degraded as a character in the process. This is not a way to run a show in the long term. Even now they seem to hedge their bets on Marty/Monique. |
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Post by Carls on May 2, 2023 2:38:41 GMT -5
I am really wondering if the writers are trying to get rid of some of the existing characters now that they have this new group of characters (who I find very uninteresting). Not just Jack, but now Dawn?? I know that Dawn said she might come back but honestly I won't be surprised if she doesn't come back. I'm also wondering if Madonna is going to leave, just based on how lost she seems to feel atm. It feels surreal that Jack left, he didn't even get a proper farewell or anything...it sucks. I'm lowkey hoping that he'll return and that it isn't a forever exit, but I'm not holding onto any hope.
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Post by justinate on May 2, 2023 7:47:37 GMT -5
If this is a permanent exit, it's particularly awful for a long-running character like Jack. And leaving with Dawn feels like it's more of an ordeal than his mother being terminally ill, LOL. I wonder if we will see Stanley anymore. Jack and Dawn were his main links to the show, although they tried to have him befriend Monique.
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on May 2, 2023 12:04:48 GMT -5
If this is a permanent exit, it's particularly awful for a long-running character like Jack. And leaving with Dawn feels like it's more of an ordeal than his mother being terminally ill, LOL. I wonder if we will see Stanley anymore. Jack and Dawn were his main links to the show, although they tried to have him befriend Monique. We started seeing him more with the flower kiosk, and Monique, but I wouldn't be shocked if he disappears. At least he didn't die, I guess. If this is Jack's real exit, then it's jaw-droppingly terrible. No goodbye with Stanley, Chris, CeCe or TK, and instead the same agonizing scene with Dawn over and over and over, very little of which was actually about him. No respect for a character who has been on the show for a decade. Another sign of the lack of respect Shortland Street has not only for him but for gay men. |
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on May 2, 2023 12:13:19 GMT -5
I am really wondering if the writers are trying to get rid of some of the existing characters now that they have this new group of characters (who I find very uninteresting). Not just Jack, but now Dawn?? I know that Dawn said she might come back but honestly I won't be surprised if she doesn't come back. I'm also wondering if Madonna is going to leave, just based on how lost she seems to feel atm. It feels surreal that Jack left, he didn't even get a proper farewell or anything...it sucks. I'm lowkey hoping that he'll return and that it isn't a forever exit, but I'm not holding onto any hope. I doubt this is the end for Dawn, as she left her dog, but I sure hope it is. The character is at a low - pathetic beyond belief, hanging on for dear life to Jack even when he doesn't need her, not even caring about saying goodbye to her boyfriend AND dumping her dog off on him. She's just unwatchable. It doesn't matter how much the show keeps bringing new people on, the rot is from these dead, dead characters like Dawn and Esther who keep getting stories anyway. |
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Post by Jack on May 2, 2023 20:35:20 GMT -5
I am really wondering if the writers are trying to get rid of some of the existing characters now that they have this new group of characters (who I find very uninteresting). Not just Jack, but now Dawn?? I know that Dawn said she might come back but honestly I won't be surprised if she doesn't come back. I'm also wondering if Madonna is going to leave, just based on how lost she seems to feel atm. It feels surreal that Jack left, he didn't even get a proper farewell or anything...it sucks. I'm lowkey hoping that he'll return and that it isn't a forever exit, but I'm not holding onto any hope. I doubt this is the end for Dawn, as she left her dog, but I sure hope it is. The character is at a low - pathetic beyond belief, hanging on for dear life to Jack even when he doesn't need her, not even caring about saying goodbye to her boyfriend AND dumping her dog off on him. She's just unwatchable. It doesn't matter how much the show keeps bringing new people on, the rot is from these dead, dead characters like Dawn and Esther who keep getting stories anyway. I'm over Dawn as well. I used to like her, but it doesn't seem like the writers really seem to know what to do with her anymore. I already found it hard to believe Logan and Dawn had some kind of 'epic love', and the fact that she didn't even bother to properly say goodbye to him just makes me doubt it even more. I honestly doubt she would have done that to Ali or to Prince. I kind of think the writers probably would've tried to sell that relationship more if they were still focused on her as much as they used to me. They're fine together but he's clearly not the love of her life if she's going to leave without saying goodbye properly. Tbh, I kind of have this feeling that Dawn and Jack will come back eventually, because that was a really bad farewell if they are both permanently leaving, Jack didn't have any farewell scenes with any of the other characters he's linked to (other than Dawn). Also, SS hasn't posted any kind of farewell posts to the actors, and neither have the actors themselves. |
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Post by Carls on May 5, 2023 4:10:39 GMT -5
Do the writers really expect anyone to believe that Madonna and Cece are 'best friends'?? They seem like aquaintances at the most lol. The show really is awful at the moment.
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Post by justinate on May 8, 2023 7:36:53 GMT -5
I am sure Dawn will turn up again, probably right after a lonely Logan sleeps with one of the newbies. I'm less certain about Jack's return - what would he come back home for? Esther's return with his niece Piki?
Speaking of newbies, I'm skimming their scenes but they seem to have already lost one of the women and one of the two remaining gives me a queer vibe. So that's probably our gay rep for this lot, unless Harry going in hard on the last woman is cover for a queer reveal. (Not at all likely, but would be a juicy plot given Chris's friendship with their family and Harry's first GF being Pixie!)
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Post by justinate on May 12, 2023 13:06:10 GMT -5
Leanne left the show today to go on an open-ended round-the-world cruise with Roz after winning the lottery for a second time. She got a proper send-off that makes me think she won't return. I was surprised because it was only last year that the actress said during an interview that she wasn't planning to retire. The key takeaway is whether this means Jack, whose departure was offscreen, will be back sooner rather than later? If he does return, it doesn't seem like there are any gay men waiting for him - all the male registrars seem to be heterosexual. At least Stanley is still part of the show, despite Jack and Dawn's departures. She will be turning up very soon I suspect - just in time to catch Logan with one of the female registrars, probably.
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