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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 382554" data-attributes="member: 23">Episodes 231 - 240 14 January - 12 February 1985 continuedOn the subject of wallops, the “all in” philosophy still holds true at Number Five, and it’s not just scenes involving Bobby. Some lighthearted sibling teasing banter between Damon and Karen resulted in her chucking a hardback book across the room with some force, straight into Damon’s head. Typically, he barely seemed to notice, rolling his eyes and checking his hair wasn’t out of place before carrying on as though nothing had happened. I love these moments.When it comes to eye-rolling, though, Karen can do this for Liverpool. She’s been brilliant in these episodes, looking with disdain as people fawn over the baby, giving Sinbad the sharp end of her tongue for the time he ran off with Barry’s ladder and scoffing at his attempts to flog a shoddy watch to her, and dismissing Andrew for his insecurities over her friendship with Pat and her considering going away to university (and, ultimately, for being soft enough to buy the very same watch from Sinbad and paying twice as much as she’d turned it down at).Sheila, meanwhile, is dealing with post-natal depression. Because it’s Brookside and Sue Johnson it’s pitched perfectly, with my one complaint being that it seemed to just come from nowhere. We didn’t see Sheila for a good few episodes and then suddenly she’s feeling resentment towards her baby and full of paranoia about Bobby. But then, perhaps this is how it really happens. I’d guess the hormonal changes are pretty fast-moving.Lynch & Woodward (or is it Woodward & Lynch?) are still getting regular name-checks, with Paul in trouble for accepting that festive hamper from them at the time of their tender. And there’s just as much interest coming from Annabelle getting into jogging. She’s still a little out of shape and scowling at other joggers as they breeze effortlessly past her without breaking a sweat while she stands trying to get her breath back. It’s really a nothing storyline, but it gives us oodles of character which is the backbone of this series.It feels as though we hardly ever see Heather at home these days. We see far more of her at work, which feels a little curious for a series named after the Close. But then Heather is married to her career, so it makes a kind of sense. Her boss is being very coy and protective of her own home life. Reading between the lines it’s fairly obvious she’s a lesbian with a crush on Heather, but then this series has led me down the wrong path before so who’s to say I’m right.Harry and Edna’s return after a little break was welcome, but immediately it was “Ralph, Ralph, Ralph”. I’m still struggling to get why this “temporary” visitor is suddenly so crucial to them that his brief absence was causing such concern. And I still struggle with the character of Ralph whose sole characteristic seems to be oozing sincerity (to the point of feeling fake). But I’m slowly reconciling myself to the fact that, for better or worse, he’s going to be a part of the landscape for the rest of the decade.Sandra’s been another struggle for me, but my frustration with her feels more like a response to a character who is well-written and played for real. She’s meant to be frustrating because, frankly, she’s so self-involved and heavily into the drama and dysfunctional relationships. My frustrations are shared by other characters who, admittedly, are more tolerant with her than I would be (simply put, I don’t have time for people like Sandra and would no doubt actively avoid interacting with someone who thrives on big emotional moments that are almost entirely unnecessary and self-created. But then, if they were real, I’d probably avoid most soap characters for the same reason).It’s perhaps telling that Sandra is Brookside’s second regular smoker. In this series it seems to go hand-in-hand with confrontational, don’t give a crap type characters. I know there are people who smoke with consideration about where they spark up and where they dispose of their butt, etc., but there’s no such creature in this series. Sandra, in many ways, is less considerate than Marie due to living with two people who are uncomfortable with her smoking in communal areas. She kind of agrees not to do it, but she then goes ahead and does it anyway. And when she’s asked to keep it to her own space, it’s always “For God’s sake, not now. Can’t you see I’m in the middle of [X crisis]” as though they're the inconsiderate ones.This pretty much epitomises Sandra as a character. She’s simultaneously aggressive and avoidant. If there’s a heavy scene with the emphasis on angst, she’s there like one big exposed raw nerve. But if there’s any danger of change or a bargain that requires her to consider someone else it’s dismissed out of hand. For all its frustrations, it’s a psychology that shows some promise of being fascinating to watch.It also feels like a statement that Sandra is involved in a profession fraught with stresses. If Phil Redmond was going to relent and allow another character to smoke, it makes perfect sense that it will be one who works for the NHS, and these characters have already given the series much opportunity to provide a commentary on financial cuts and the impact this has on staff and patients both.</blockquote>

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