It seems that people are having total contrasting opinions about tonight's episode. Ive seen the extreme views of brilliant by some people, while some peopl have labelled it tota sh!te. I know that alot of people on here are biased and feel a weird feeling taht makes them dis the soap that isn't their favorite, but would it be possible for u all to post ur UNBIASED views on here on tonights EE?

i am unbiased and have never posted about eastenders till tonight, but i thought after seeing it, it was total sh!t. Boring and just made me turn over after 20 minutes.

I thought tonight's EastEnders was very, very classy. They used to do this sort of thing alot in the 90s, experimental character studies (going right back, in fact, to the 1988 "Civvy Street" bubble which looked at Lou & Ethel in the Blitzed Albert Square of WWII), but as the show was on such a wave of success back then, people didn't really 'notice', if you get my meaning. We all know EE tumbled from it's pedestal earlier this year, leaving many people with a very short fuse and quick to criticise reguardless, but I thought Tonight's EE, just like the character study a few weeks ago (the post Two-Hander episode, which featured only Dot & Jim and Chrissie & Den), was very admirable. I liked the BedTime structure, and I underlined in another post what was so sophisticated about the episode, from a literate point of view.

If you only want to see progression of storylines, arguments etc episode-in, episode-out, then look to the other more traditional soaps. EE has always stood one step closer to the production construction of a TV drama, and tonight's episode was a perfect example. I really enjoyed it, but I understand that if you're going to look for the lowest common denominator in the show, then you'll have found it shit. Patiece, and calmness, is a virtue (and the EE viewers have had to have alot of patience over this spring and summer). I thought it was great. Hopefully bodes well for the future.

I just want to give props to WalfordOne and some of you other people. You are very articulate and i am enjoying reading your perspectives immensely. Not only do you know your shit, you also provide me with fresh perspectives. Keep it up .

I watch all of the main soaps and I don't generally show favouritism. In fact, when I first started watching the soaps Eastenders was my favourite. Tonights episode, although it was better than a few months ago didn't really do much for me. I thought last weeks episodes where slightly better and feel it has gone slightly downhill again. I think the other soaps are better at the moment, but as long as some of the soaps are ok it doesn't bother me if one is going through a bad patch. Although Corrie & Emmerdale are currently my favourites I think all soaps go through bad patches and eventually it will all switch around again.

Easatenders was great last might and it showed how clever it can be no other soap have ever had an episode like that it made a change I hope they do more in that style.

Very true, it did remind me of past episodes that were concentrated on just a handful of characters, all calm and quiet, the study of the fallout of previous storylines, Shannis, the Indecent Proposal, Sam and Andy wedding and Martin's dalliance with Psycho Sarah, I thought it was a very well and as Walford One said very classy episode, very well constructed and you could see the producers took their time with this one. Some past episodes of this nature haven't always been great but I thought last nights was really good.

I dont' know why but I loved the bit at the end where Sharon turned off her light, an we see her window and then a shot of Albert Square in darkness, I thought that was a very nice touch, and you just know all will not be calm for long as a lot of issues were both tossed around and some came to light last night.

Sounds good! I'll definitely watch the repeat at the weekend.

chuff.x.

What I liked about the silent ending, was the resonance it gave to the 'Dum Dums'. Too often recently - such as last episode, where Minty was watching Sam & Andy and holding the ring - they're lost under noise. The silence yesterday gave them a stark clarity.

I could not agree more.....my wife turned it off also and watched some other sh*te on C4.

Its funny how there are such extreme reactions to this eppy. Agree with WalfordOne that it was very clever classy episode and whilst they can't do that sort of structure all the time I thought it really worked last night.

EE definitely on the up at the moment.

Unbiased? You mean we've got to say we liked it?

I thought it was unbelievably boring, and went to do the washing up half way through when it was obvious that it was not going to improve. They're trying to intellectualise it and turn it into some sort of working class drama. Well it's not. It's a soap. We want ACTION not naval gazing.

I too thought it was too, well thoughtful. It isn't a film and does not need to have double meaning of contrasts...it is supposed to reflect realism which I felt from the little I saw it didn't.

Why oh why bring up the indicent proposal thing again. When I saw them joking I was like "at last, the old Kat and Alfie back", only for it to turn into another arguement!

It was something original, I will credit EastEnders with that, but I don't think it was anything special - at all.

The setting was really the only thing that made it different from any other 2 hander - or in this case 8 hander For me, it was all too much. There wasn't enough clout in the subject-matter to allow it to be an interesting "quiet" episode.

What I think really made it poor viewing for me was because it resurrected some of the worst storylines of the past few months - "Indecent Proposal" & "Shannis" (or should I say DenRon!). Out of all the goings-on, the only characters that half interested me were Sam & Andy, and I know that that's just because Peggy will be back on Thursday.

I agree, it was original but not special - good way of putting it Ben. (I think I am reasonably unbiassed - I don't have any axe to grind and logically I should prefer EE because I'm from London, but I think CS has been way ahead of it for a long time now.)

Last night's ep was a big improvement on some of the sh*te they have served up recently, although I am sure only a temporary one - we will inevitably be back to Micky, Vicky, Spencer, Ferreiras in a few eps time, and they all do my head in.

I liked the structure, and the quietness of it, and thought the Shannis stuff was well done (not that I am a Shaz fan, but I do like the Dennis bit).

Jumpy, I too was disappointed that the scenes between Alfie and Kat turned into an argument, but you could argue that is more realistic - he just wouldn't forget something like the indecent proposal. However I thought the argument between them was weak at points. (Of course, they have to fall out, because Jessie has to leave to have the baby.)

At least Sam showed some spark of intelligence when she questioned what Andy was up to, but then predictably failed to follow through - it did all seem in character last night, for a change.

Overall the writing was quite good, a lot better than most of it this year, but not brilliant. Maybe Tony J would have made a better job of it.

it was cheesy in the end.

Ummm, good concept, wrong characters. The writers just seem to forget or ignore storylines for weeks on end and then suddenly resurrect them, and we supposed to care? Case in point, both the DenRon (it's better than 'Shannis' at least) and Kat and Alfie revolving stories were brought up again, yet once again, nothing was resolved. It is frustating and not frustrating in the 'oh I can't wait until they sort things out' sort of way. Just frustrating.

Martin and Sonia I will never be able to take seriously as a couple and Sam and Andy have zero spark between them. Which is half the point I suppose.

I am COMPLETELY un-biased (well, *cough*) and I thought EE was ab fab last night.

Enjoyed the DenRon stuff. Does anyone feel it is soooo Carrie&Big from Sex And The City?! I think that's why I love it so much, its the only thing I have left to cling onto except my memories of SATC
I LOVE how well they use silences in DenRon / Shannis. The silences in which Dennis stares at Sharon are so meaningful... I know some people say they have 0 chemistry, but that just isn't true. I can literally FEEL the chemistry and tension from the pair!

Martin and Sonia were good, as were Kat and Alfie. But its stupid how Alfie ALWAYS has something to moan his arse off about

Still LOVING Andeh Pandeh. God knows why. But I think he was really cute when he was all holding his pillow about to go downstairs. All insecure and stuff. Sam + Andy was good, but could Sam get any thicker if she TRIED?!

I felt it was a good episode, but was lacking... erm, interest. Talk about repetitive storylines.

Minty lusting for Sam, Alfie not loving Kat, Sharon wanting Dennis... What the hell was going on?

It was a rip off of a TV series:

"Starring: David Gillespie, Sheila Hancock, Emma Pierson, Claire Skinner, Meera Syal, Stephen Tompkinson, Timothy West
Directed by: Andy Hamilton

Bedtime takes a peek behind the curtains and watches the night-time rituals of three contrasting couples in the last half hours of their day. Written by Andy Hamilton (Drop The Dead Donkey), Bedtime is a funny, moving and compelling mini-soap set in the bedrooms of adjoining house, in an ordinary street, in an ordinary London suburb..."

PMSL!!!!

As an old teacher of mine used to say "good idea but lousily acted"

I really dont like these two/eight handers. I think they are a lazy way of filling the gaping holes in a storyline

How could you! Bedtime was brilliantly written, plotted and acted. There could not possibly be any connection with EE at all