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Post by Reece on Jun 18, 2024 6:23:31 GMT -5
I honestly wonder if Ihaia's anger is going to build up and he might snap and physically hurt someone. I hope not though, because if he does have bipolar as hinted, him lashing out with violence would just be lazy writing and perpetuate the myth that people with bipolar disorder are violent when that is not necessarily the case. As someone who has loved ones with bipolar, I'd rather them approach the storyline with respect and accuracy if they approach it. Not to mention that Maori men are stereotyped as being physically aggressive and abusive so him lashing out physically at anyone, especially a woman, would just perpetuate those stereotypes. It is also so obvious the writers value the other new characters, like Phil, Ihaia, Thad, and Naz, over Sage. With the exclusion of Thad, Sage has been on the show longer than the other new characters and we know barely anything about him - we see all of their home lives, except for Sage's, and they've all formed romances or have relationships that are hinted at/bring built up (such as Thad and Madonna and Naz and Monique). The writers have no excuse other than they don't want to write a solid M/M relationship, and they just don't want to delve deeper into his character. Sadly I think if they wanted to delve deeper into his character, they would have by now. He's been on the show for over six months now which is just wild to me because literally nothing substantial has happened for him
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Jun 18, 2024 12:04:34 GMT -5
Naz is another dimwit. Not even the dead fish set off alarm bells for him? Please, somebody save Will before that brat kills him. I don't get why Shane and Will are both covering for him - especially Shane, after he gets falsely accused of abusing his husband and son. I didn't expect Leanne's goodbye to come so soon. I guess this is how they'll explain the absences of both her sons. At least they showed her with Pele, but why not her other grandson who also lives in Ferndale (with his mother Esther and Marty)? My problem with Ihaia is that he was introduced as this hot doctor (during last year's cliffhanger) but they don't bother doing anything with it. The show has become incredibly stodgy over the years. Over on Instagram they were posting a classic ep where the male staff stripped off for a charity revue, including a very young (and pretty!) Chris. And I was struggling to remember the show gave us something fun and sexy like that. Instead of dead children (and now dead mothers), I'd think some levity would be much appreciated. And not Thad - he is funny but hardly at the top of the list of cast members to give a nude scene. Or maybe he's the only one willing. It feels like this story has been dragged out longer than it needed to be unless they do reveal some abuse from Nazar's past - even then you can feel the stretch. I might have had Sage get involved and tell them the kid is responsible and no one believe him. The only other nudity on the show in the last few years was also comedic (from Drew). I can't even remember how often we get shirtlessness now. Was the last Harry in bed with Stella when she was starting to suspect he'd killed Rahu? Even when they had a strip poker scene nobody took anything off. That must be a TV first. |
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Post by Jack on Jun 19, 2024 0:58:56 GMT -5
I remember when I was kid and TK was new to the show, his shirt was off all the time hahaha. Same with basically all of the guy characters that people felt were attractive. It's definitely changed since then and isn't as common. I think we can count on one hand the number of guys on the show who've been shirtless in like the last 2 years lol.
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Post by justinate on Jun 20, 2024 11:05:00 GMT -5
Well, they did involve Sage in the climax of the PsychoKid storyline and he got to be a hero of sorts (well, in this case the villain was a preteen so it's not like he took down a major threat). I wonder whether that's it for Will/Shane or if there is any reveal behind Naz's over-the-top concern for Will.
The whole show has really descended into dullsville. Everything is always so serious. Leanne's performance in today's episode was really good - I will miss the actress, and using her for that scene with Chris was brilliant - but how many times in a year must we see the regular cast say goodbye to a dead/dying loved one? It's beyond depressing.
And yeah, at least the occasional fun/eye candy would lighten the gloom but we don't even get that anymore. They've now had two "hunk" characters introduced one after the other, Rahu and Ihaia, but I think each guy has gotten like one shirtless scene in all the time they've been on. I could understand that maybe younger actors now don't want to do those types of scenes (how many times were nude scenes written for Louis King where nothing was shown?) but Rahu was particularly bizarre considering the actor was a boxer who would be used to being shirtless. Remember that one scene where he appeared in a towel hiked up to under his armpits? It was so ridiculous. The last actor to play the "hunk" convincingly was probably Prince - and it's no surprise I remember him being shirtless often and even naked a couple of times. I guess those days are gone though. Fully-clothed strip poker was really the nadir!
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Post by Reece on Jun 27, 2024 5:15:08 GMT -5
I forgot about Sage setting Naz up on a date so when Naz was staring over at Sage, I initially thought it could mean something! Obviously it didn't, but for that moment I had hope. Unfortunately I don't think gay or bisexual Naz will happen. But in the past two episodes there has been comments about Sage's lack of love life so I wonder if the writers are gearing up for a love interest for Sage
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Post by justinate on Jun 28, 2024 7:36:20 GMT -5
Happy Matariki to our NZ viewers. Nothing really of note on the show currently but the classic episodes have started the storyline of the show's first gay character Jamie (Karl Urban). You can watch on the official Youtube channel (not geo-restricted as far as I can tell): www.youtube.com/@shortlandst/videos |
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Post by justinate on Jul 2, 2024 6:15:09 GMT -5
I fell off my chair seeing Roz in the previews for tomorrow!
Of course it does make it all the more glaring that neither of Leanne's sons has turned up for her final days.
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Post by justinate on Jul 4, 2024 9:01:32 GMT -5
Sage in today's episode - no words.
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Post by justinate on Jul 4, 2024 19:27:59 GMT -5
Shortland St to reduce output to 3 episodes a week from 2025.
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Post by Jack on Jul 5, 2024 1:08:51 GMT -5
Sage in today's episode - no words. So unlikeable! The new article focusing on the change for next year features a photo of the actors that play Maeve, Chris, and Emmett. I wonder if they'll have Emmett return... His ending was a little unfinished. I'd rather that not happen. I've seen that some people on Twitter are fans, but are we meant to forget that he's often a racist and abusive homophobe? Good actor but still not likeable in my opinion |
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Post by Reece on Jul 5, 2024 2:39:01 GMT -5
Atp I'll be shocked if Sage gets a new love interest because the writers are clearly still continuing Sage's crush on Naz. I don't understand what's the point here... Sage and Naz are often connected in some way, and Naz cared enough to help get Sage's job back. Another character, like Vili, could have helped with that. But instead they had Naz help out with it, and then afterwards had Sage stare off at Naz like a lovesick puppy. Either Naz is just a really good friend and Sage's feelings are unrequited (and if so, what is the point in that?  ) or they're building up to something romantic between them. |
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Jul 5, 2024 16:28:30 GMT -5
Sage in today's episode - no words. So unlikeable! The new article focusing on the change for next year features a photo of the actors that play Maeve, Chris, and Emmett. I wonder if they'll have Emmett return... His ending was a little unfinished. I'd rather that not happen. I've seen that some people on Twitter are fans, but are we meant to forget that he's often a racist and abusive homophobe? Good actor but still not likeable in my opinion I can see why they might be tempted, as he was a very good actor and probably interesting to write for, but in order for him to stay long-term they'd have to just completely rewrite his personality. |
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Jul 5, 2024 16:29:51 GMT -5
Atp I'll be shocked if Sage gets a new love interest because the writers are clearly still continuing Sage's crush on Naz. I don't understand what's the point here... Sage and Naz are often connected in some way, and Naz cared enough to help get Sage's job back. Another character, like Vili, could have helped with that. But instead they had Naz help out with it, and then afterwards had Sage stare off at Naz like a lovesick puppy. Either Naz is just a really good friend and Sage's feelings are unrequited (and if so, what is the point in that? ) or they're building up to something romantic between them. They have never shown Nazar with any interest in Sage, so either they just can't resist writing the pathetic gay man pining for a straight man, or they are going to have him scheme and interfere to further stall out the Monique/Nazar pairing. Either way it's crap. |
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Post by Jack on Jul 5, 2024 17:19:23 GMT -5
Atp I'll be shocked if Sage gets a new love interest because the writers are clearly still continuing Sage's crush on Naz. I don't understand what's the point here... Sage and Naz are often connected in some way, and Naz cared enough to help get Sage's job back. Another character, like Vili, could have helped with that. But instead they had Naz help out with it, and then afterwards had Sage stare off at Naz like a lovesick puppy. Either Naz is just a really good friend and Sage's feelings are unrequited (and if so, what is the point in that? ) or they're building up to something romantic between them. They have never shown Nazar with any interest in Sage, so either they just can't resist writing the pathetic gay man pining for a straight man, or they are going to have him scheme and interfere to further stall out the Monique/Nazar pairing. Either way it's crap. True. They are clearly going with Monique and Naz - they actually have Naz show interest in Monique whereas Naz doesn't seem to be attracted to Sage in that way. With the Will stuff, it's been made clear that Naz is actually quite caring when it comes to his friends so I think he's most likely a good friend. Sage takes that and becomes deluded. It seems like Sage will just continue to pine for Naz rather than have an actual love interest which sucks. |
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carld2
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Post by carld2 on Jul 5, 2024 17:40:30 GMT -5
Shortland St to reduce output to 3 episodes a week from 2025. Given how close the show seemed to cancelation earlier this year, a cut to 3 episodes is a reprieve. I think parts of the show have genuinely improved over the past year. If they use the three episodes to focus on those and weed out some of the weaker elements and cast members (and while the show needs to have some comedy elements for balance, those need tinkering, as they often just seem to revolve around Madonna these days). |
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Post by justinate on Jul 10, 2024 9:11:00 GMT -5
I appreciated that the actor who played Eddie reprised the role for a video-call with Leanne, and that they finally showed Leanne with her other grandson Kiwa (and Cassie and Knox). Wish they'd done something with her other son Eric and Damo too, but maybe one (or both) of them will reprise their role for the funeral. I thought there was some really strong acting in this story, and I'm glad they resisted the urge to have Nicole euthanise her mother.
I'm finding the comedy story about pirate smut with Madonna/Thaddeus/Selina really incomprehensible. And honestly I wish Sage had stayed gone if his only role is to prop up useless straight couples and make gigantic professional screw-ups.
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Post by TeReoMaoriNZ1 on Jul 15, 2024 1:31:04 GMT -5
I appreciated that the actor who played Eddie reprised the role for a video-call with Leanne, and that they finally showed Leanne with her other grandson Kiwa (and Cassie and Knox). Wish they'd done something with her other son Eric and Damo too, but maybe one (or both) of them will reprise their role for the funeral. I thought there was some really strong acting in this story, and I'm glad they resisted the urge to have Nicole euthanise her mother. I'm finding the comedy story about pirate smut with Madonna/Thaddeus/Selina really incomprehensible. And honestly I wish Sage had stayed gone if his only role is to prop up useless straight couples and make gigantic professional screw-ups.Sage is a totally wasted character. Ihaia is gone too. Early this week, in the End Credits, I noticed Ihaia's name stayed along with other guest/recurring characters, however Phil's name had been promoted in the group of main characters. Phil as one of the main characters is a total disaster! She is gonna nuke Drew/Harper's marriage and go total psycho wreaking havoc & potentially be the villain of the year who gets killed in the end of the year finale. |
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Post by justinate on Jul 16, 2024 7:06:31 GMT -5
Sage is a totally wasted character. Ihaia is gone too. Early this week, in the End Credits, I noticed Ihaia's name stayed along with other guest/recurring characters, however Phil's name had been promoted in the group of main characters. Phil as one of the main characters is a total disaster! She is gonna nuke Drew/Harper's marriage and go total psycho wreaking havoc & potentially be the villain of the year who gets killed in the end of the year finale. Emmett is back in tomorrow's episode. The writers must really love the actor because they keep bringing him back even though it makes no sense the hospital would rehire him after two disastrous exits. They're already bleeding money and Emmett's a lawsuit waiting to happen... Rather than bring back Emmett or promote Phil to a regular it would've been ideal to cast a hot new gay/bi surgeon and finally give Sage a meaningful love interest. They could even have it be Chris's other son Finn, who was a surgeon. Instant drama: another son with whom Chris has a poor relationship, Esther's former abuser, plus he previously identified as straight. |
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Post by TeReoMaoriNZ1 on Jul 17, 2024 7:10:33 GMT -5
Sage is a totally wasted character. Ihaia is gone too. Early this week, in the End Credits, I noticed Ihaia's name stayed along with other guest/recurring characters, however Phil's name had been promoted in the group of main characters. Phil as one of the main characters is a total disaster! She is gonna nuke Drew/Harper's marriage and go total psycho wreaking havoc & potentially be the villain of the year who gets killed in the end of the year finale. Emmett is back in tomorrow's episode. The writers must really love the actor because they keep bringing him back even though it makes no sense the hospital would rehire him after two disastrous exits. They're already bleeding money and Emmett's a lawsuit waiting to happen... Rather than bring back Emmett or promote Phil to a regular it would've been ideal to cast a hot new gay/bi surgeon and finally give Sage a meaningful love interest. They could even have it be Chris's other son Finn, who was a surgeon. Instant drama: another son with whom Chris has a poor relationship, Esther's former abuser, plus he previously identified as straight.
It would be great if Sass/Frank/Finn/Hawks/Lincoln/Boogie/Jack/Tom can be brought back. Most likely none of the actors won't come for long-term stints as they only see Shorty as a springboard for their overseas careers.
I miss the triplets Sass/Frank/Finn. Too bad they killed off Phoenix too. The Harry recast was a disaster. At least 1 Warner sibling should be in the main cast. Chris is always drifting aimlessly.
Too bad they keep wrecking the family units. The Hannahs (as a working class family unit) are sorely missed too.
Starting in 2025, with a reduced 3-episode output and questions over no dedicated funding source, I suppose the main cast will shrink even more. I dread Hollyoaks-style culling of characters.
NZ on its own is a very small revenue market. Shorty producers South Pacific Pictures should really focus on Amazon Freevee type same-day streaming deals (to generate extra revenue) in overseas English-speaking markets like Australia, UK, Ireland, Canada and the United States. In this day and age, overseas markets being years behind NZ is plainly ridiculous and a cause of lost revenue.
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Post by Jack on Jul 20, 2024 4:06:08 GMT -5
Sage is a totally wasted character. Ihaia is gone too. Early this week, in the End Credits, I noticed Ihaia's name stayed along with other guest/recurring characters, however Phil's name had been promoted in the group of main characters. Phil as one of the main characters is a total disaster! She is gonna nuke Drew/Harper's marriage and go total psycho wreaking havoc & potentially be the villain of the year who gets killed in the end of the year finale. Emmett is back in tomorrow's episode. The writers must really love the actor because they keep bringing him back even though it makes no sense the hospital would rehire him after two disastrous exits. They're already bleeding money and Emmett's a lawsuit waiting to happen... Rather than bring back Emmett or promote Phil to a regular it would've been ideal to cast a hot new gay/bi surgeon and finally give Sage a meaningful love interest. They could even have it be Chris's other son Finn, who was a surgeon. Instant drama: another son with whom Chris has a poor relationship, Esther's former abuser, plus he previously identified as straight. Yeah, I've been thinking that a Finn return would make for good drama! The conflict between him and Esther would be interesting and as you say, he doesn't have a strong relationship with Chris. He's the only one of the triplets that hasn't returned for a longer stint (even Sass returned for like a month). I wonder if they've shied away from a more permanent return because of the previous domestic violence storyline? Either way, I think that would be interesting and it's a good time for him to return. Also, idk why they got rid of Ihaia but then made Phil a main? ? The writers are kidding themselves if they think the audience like Phil, or that the audience like Phil more than Ihaia. I don't love Ihaia but it seems like the general audience generally preferred Ihaia over Phil, and I personally think he had more potential for a longer-run because of his bipolar and other potential storylines. Phil just seems like an obstacle for Drew and Harper who doesn't have any personality or story outside of these romance storylines. |
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Post by justinate on Jul 20, 2024 9:20:52 GMT -5
Yeah, I've been thinking that a Finn return would make for good drama! The conflict between him and Esther would be interesting and as you say, he doesn't have a strong relationship with Chris. He's the only one of the triplets that hasn't returned for a longer stint (even Sass returned for like a month). I wonder if they've shied away from a more permanent return because of the previous domestic violence storyline? Either way, I think that would be interesting and it's a good time for him to return. Also, idk why they got rid of Ihaia but then made Phil a main? ? The writers are kidding themselves if they think the audience like Phil, or that the audience like Phil more than Ihaia. I don't love Ihaia but it seems like the general audience generally preferred Ihaia over Phil, and I personally think he had more potential for a longer-run because of his bipolar and other potential storylines. Phil just seems like an obstacle for Drew and Harper who doesn't have any personality or story outside of these romance storylines. Yes, even if not a long stint, Finn definitely has unresolved threads that can be used for drama. Although every returning character has been trashed or killed, in Finn's case he was already a domestic abuser who moved on to his dad's girlfriend after she miscarried his half-sibling, so there really wasn't much more they could do to trash him. And like you I definitely preferred Ihaia to Phil (neither are prizes though) and cannot believe they have made her a main character over him. And all this while Sage cannot even get a love interest. Instead of making Natalie a crazy stalker, they could've explored Ihaia/Sage and had the bipolar diagnosis affect them - have nasty Phil say his "sudden" attraction to another man is a manifestation of his illness (you know she would totally go there). |
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Post by Reece on Jul 22, 2024 2:01:57 GMT -5
What pisses me off is that there is already PLENTY of potential for Sage with love interests and other storylines, but the writers just don't seem to care about him one bit. He interacts with a lot of characters and there's always potential for him to get with an existing character, but even if that's not the case they could literally just create a character to be his love interest just like they have for other characters! Regardless of potential the writers seem unwilling which sucks. Also I agree about Ihaia and Phil. Didn't like either but by the end Ihaia was a much more likeable character. I thought he would have a longer arc, like a month or two ago were they not hinting at him and Esther having a longer storyline??? It was also nice having another Maori character on the show.
I'm also confused about Naz's reaction to Will's situation. His reaction was extreme given his usual personality imo, and I thought they were going to explore something related to that but it's just been ignored. The writers and their typical dropping of storylines...I really should get used to it.
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cupid
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Post by cupid on Aug 1, 2024 5:53:47 GMT -5
Finally! It looks like Sage is going to get a nice ambulance driver! Presuming he survives the surgery.
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Post by justinate on Aug 1, 2024 7:06:46 GMT -5
Finally! It looks like Sage is going to get a nice ambulance driver! Presuming he survives the surgery. I caught that too. Hopefully it will be a well-developed romance, considering how long Sage has waited for it. He appears in Monday's spoiler, but that's it for the next two weeks: Sage falls hard. The actor playing Chip is Conan Hayes, who appeared in the 2022 gay film Punch opposite Shorty alum Jordan Oosterhof (who played Louis King's best friend-turned-incel, River). |
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Post by Jack on Aug 1, 2024 22:02:24 GMT -5
Finally! It looks like Sage is going to get a nice ambulance driver! Presuming he survives the surgery. I caught that too. Hopefully it will be a well-developed romance, considering how long Sage has waited for it. He appears in Monday's spoiler, but that's it for the next two weeks: Sage falls hard. The actor playing Chip is Conan Hayes, who appeared in the 2022 gay film Punch opposite Shorty alum Jordan Oosterhof (who played Louis King's best friend-turned-incel, River). I've seen Punch and he's a brilliant actor! I really hope they give him some good content to work with because he really is a great actor and it'd be a waste if his character is merely reduced as a short-lived boyfriend for Sage, or as a character that is only used for comedic purposes. |
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