Tilly doesn't want to keep it a secret - she's a 16-year-old schoolgirl (as hard as it is to believe). Jen does - she is the one with something to lose. Still, your comment does apply to her.

Well, the interview is pretty much what I expected.

It has got me a little excited actually, the fact that it has been planned since last summer means that not only has Dougs storyline been planned for that long but so has Ste and Brendan's and possibly even Walkers, so hopefully there has been a lot of time and detail put into this storyline to make it really good.

Also, it means that no matter how shitty we have been treated regarding Stendan in the past 8-9 months there has been a storyline waiting in the pipelines, when Stendan went to sh!t is when a new big storyline was being prepared for them behind the scenes, it also makes sense now that they put Stendan on a 'tiny break' because if we had Stendan going back and forth with each other in that 8-9 month period and then this big storyline straight after I think it would be a bit much for us let a loan those who were already getting bored. They couldn't have Ste and Brendan going round in circles for that long for Ste to then get with Doug and then for him to get back with Brendan, we were already complaining about them going round in circles months ago, so them being a part was needed, perhaps HO should have gone about it differently but it now makes sense, so basically when everyone was thinking that Stendan were being forgotten it was quiet the opposite

It also makes sence now why Emmett was excited/raving about Upcoming Brendan storylines in November last year and yet we never saw anything that was as amazing as he was letting on it also means it isnt the Joel storyline he was excited about it also explains th lack of Brendan storylines as they clearly had no idea what to do with him when Warren left, they couldn't bring in a new Villian as they already had Walker planned, they couldn't have Stendan for the reasons I've already explained, so the question is why have they waited so long to get this story going? Well I think it's obvious, HO later I think the main storyline for HO later is gonna be surrounding Stendan, Stug and Walker, something going to happen that reunites Ste and Brendan, no doubt it will involve walker threatening/kidnapping Ste, With Brendan saving him, that could be the proving of ones self to Ste, and I also think that leading up to HO later it will show Ste and Brendan getting along better and Ste seeing that Brendan is changing (witch is what ES said needs to happen) Ste will probably start to second guess his relationship with Doug and then when Brendan does save Ste that will be the big thing that ES mentioned that will get Ste to take him back I realise in my knackered yet excited state this may not make any sense lol but I no what I meen

They may not have a definite out come for Stendan but I think they planned that Stug wasn't going to last, other wise this whole storyline regarding Brendan is pointless.

Also I just want to point out that Keiron has done numerouse interviews since last summer we're he has referred to Brendan as the love Ste's life, that Ste still loves Brendan etc so even knowing the Stug storyline was happening he was still being extremely shippy of Stendan witch makes me even more certain that Stug are not endgame, if Stendan are over then Keiron has known about it since last summer so why continue to ship it?

Ok, so just read the interview. Hmmm.

It's true, what PJ discusses is just very clued in on Doug, and gives no impression of what Ste's meant to feel out of this. Also, PJ never actually specifies or even implies if it's romantic love that it'll truly be between them, only that it's absolute and genuine, and he thinks they're headed for a 'loving relationship'. Hmmm to that as well. We know that they'll probably be boyfriends for awhile, but it's interesting that it's all developing so slowly, and that they only get as far as a kiss before Brendan finds out and it triggers this 'perfect storm', as well as the fact only the friendship and the business seemed to be definite of what they started to hear last summer for this storyline and anything more stayed 'potential'.
PJ also was worried about this possibly typecasting him, but he's obviously agreed to it and is on board now. And he's adamant they aren't just turning Doug gay, and wants people to connect to it as more of a love story. It's gay in that it's two men, but not really about that.
And he said the Stendan fans would be happy too.

So what I'm taking from all of this is that it was worked out not to be about sexuality in a way that's changing Doug. The friendship and the business are what's meant to progress Ste and Doug as characters, family and success to move them up and make happier and better their lives onward. Give them the focus and purpose they've always wanted.
I think they're just exploiting how close and powerful a bond Stug have to kill a few birds with one stone then. They're using it as a point for looking into Doug's past (but still keeps this McDean-esque), give Stug something more to do, give Ste that safe and 'happy' relationship so he can better make his choice, and as a way of further tying and complicating and dramatizing everything from the financing of the business to Brendan's history with and hold over Doug making him all the more shocked and angry to discover Doug is Ste's new man.
But it is totally short-term, and more than that, couldn't have even lasted as anything truly romantic anyway like how Adam and Ste would have for example.

I really need Kieron's interview to strengthen the theory, but I'm dreading it now too cos it might not at all

It did suck what he said about Dynsey though. There's gonna be 'resolution' to that and that their friendship is important, and the producers are focusing on developing other kinds of relationships and not just sexual. Is she going to be a Stug fag-hag then
I'm desperate for this scene he mentioned, this particular and very important moment coming up between Doug and Lynsey, to make it clear they're still a romantic possibility in the future.

PJ Also says "Stug will be nothing like 'Stendan', but I think it's watchable in its own way.

That's a good thing isn't it?

Jut read the interview, on my phone so I won't make this long.
Boom, your post makes actually complete and total sense, and it really has pumped hope back into me.
From PJ saying Stug won't be like Stendan at all and seeing that PJ was quite reluctant for his character to undergo this change, I'm certain that Stug will not be a real physical relationship, and will explore the emotional sides more. That will make it easier to get through.
At this point I'm totally buzzing for Later

I don't think I can read the PJ interview yet, I've woken up all depressed and I think it would just make me feel worse, I will have a few coffees and see if I can face it.

Big old hmmm from me to PJ's interview. They sound very defensive about it all, which I guess is natural considering some of the reactions.

If you believe they planned this way back last summer (and I'm not totally sure I do ), then that's not what they've shown on the screen, but we know how much they love their OMG moments. I can only judge on what I see, which is Doug going overnight gay because the show wants a big new gay love story for Ste.

Of course I feel sold short! The storyline I loved has been shoved aside since last year, without ever getting the care it deserved, for this, and it just ain't good enough. It leaves me feeling somewhere on a spectrum between sad, totally irritated, and just meh. And I hate feeling like that.

PJ seems nice though.

Now I'm stepping away and going off to stare at a picture of Brendan.

Add me to the list of someone who feels short changed as well then.

And this isn't PJ's fault but the fact they had it planned for so long and there wasn't any real hints about Doug's growing feelings until the second hug just seems like a massive mistake to me. It did look like they'd made it up two days before.

If they're gonna have Doug dismiss his feelings for Lynsey (again) in another scene then that annoys me too.

Although I suppose if they're making this side of the story all about Doug and his twu luv feelings then it makes him a real contender. Unlike say Noah who we never saw having those depths of feelings.

I imagine PJ is really into and excited by this story but selling it as this real true love thing doesn't ring true to me.

I get this feeling when they mentioned 'Stendan' fans not being shortchanged its just a way of saying Brendan will be very much involved. But at the same time it means nothing really, we will still be shortchanged because Stug is the relationship, Stendan wont be it so yeah I dont think there is much hope there for us except that Brendan will become involved. Hes basically saying that Brendan will be a nuisance in the relationship really.

Makes me dread Kierons interview because I feel if PJ is selling it as some genuine love then Kieron will be doing the same.

But I love PJ, he comes across so well, a little defensive over this turning gay thing but cant blame him after some of the tweets he faced. And hes so down to earth.

I feel so sorry for PJ basically having to defend himself over this.

I haven't read the interview but from things he has said in the past it doesn't sound like he is really a fan of the whole storyline but obviously he has got to do what he is given and put the best spin on it he can.

Don't worry PJ, I think even hardcore Stendan fans still love ya.

Not sure about Doug though, the storyline is a big old mess and if they have been planning it since last summer then they have a different definition of planning than I do.

I thought PJ meant Stug wouldn't be like Stendan in the sense that there's no abuse, probably less angst and he probably doesn't think so but sure as hell less passion. They'll be a cutesy little Chryed that kiss once every 2 years.

Quite frankly they can all go eff themselves. I love PJ and everything but yeah, "planned since summer" my backside.

I'm also thinking that whatever news Kieron said there was to tell about Stendan, he'll reveal in his interview. But right now I'm thinking it's not going to be good.

Yeah thats what I thought he meant too.

Ill be honest I dont like being told by PJ or anyone really that as a Stendan fan I wont be shortchanged here, I already feel shortchanged with the fact that Ste is quite clearly going to enter into this relationship and it being shown as genuine love.

I have a feeling that Stendan to HO is different to us, I think they feel we will be happy with scenes with them even if its just Ste being all happy with Doug and telling Brendan to do one constantly

Yeah, I don't appreciate it either. It's like being told how I'm supposed to feel, and how I shouldn't be feeling and I don't like it. I'll feel how I bloody want to feel, and right now I feel shortchanged and I don't really care whether PJ says we should or not. I do.

Oh me too. And that's what I'm expecting for months and months until I have any idea what they're actually trying to do with the entire thing. That's all we've had so far, so why should they change the little habit they've got themselves into?

I admit Im not the biggest shipper in the world but that did get to me.

I do feel like the actors, Im including all of them here dont see Stendan the same way as us. Like Bronagh saying Stendan isnt over, to me thats her saying they are in scenes together coming up, not that their relationship isnt over. I just feel they see things differently.

So Stendan fans not feeling shortchanged could just mean that dramatically there is some decent Stendan/Stug scenes to come, it doesnt mean if you want Stendan in a relationship at any point these scenes will make shippers happy in any way.

I do get the feeling with the delay in introducing Walker and them putting Brendans character on hold there is a possibility that is to line it up with Later, if Walker is this big mentalist then Im sure they wont want to miss the chance of some big face off between Brendan and Walker in later but that is just big speculation.

So Stug is a love story ...well quite frankly PJ you can f*ck right off

I know its not PJ fault but that bit cut like a knife..I will never be ok with this never...

So that interview was well received PJ.

I don't even think it has anything to do with being a shipper anymore, love, cos I feel the exact same way as you. Them saying it's not over, to me, is just saying they will still have scenes together and they'll still have a storyline. Whether it means a romantic relationship or not, well, I very much doubt it.

And since they stupidly refuse to acknowledge Ste ever had real feelings for Brendan, I really am not hopeful.


ETA: Nothing against PJ but how on earth did he think people would react, actually? Did he expect people to be happy or what?

It also annoyed me that he's acting like people have just come up with "Stug" because of them getting together. They've been called Stug all along, PJ. :sleep:

Oh I doubt it very much, there will be drama when Brendan finds out but it wont be good drama in the sense that we will get closer to Stendan, IMO we will get further away. Brendan will go nuts and Ste will hate him more.

I still think this is one huge set up for Walker paying Brendan off, Brendan telling Ste not to do it, Ste doing it so as not to be controlled by Brendan anymore takes the money, all goes rosy until Stug miss a repayment or something then all hell kicks off and Brendan will swoop in but none of this works if you dont see Ste still has feelings for Brendan. They cant just magically reappear and they will.

ETA: I think PJ did think that yes, he seems to be under the impression everyone will be happy with this storyline whether you ship Stendan or Stug. I highly doubt that when there are actually people who cant even watch Stug in scenes together right now

Actually you have all got totally valid points there.

It doesn't matter how long it's been planned or even what the final outcome is, we will tell you if you we feel short changed about it, you don't tell us that you are not short changing us, that is not your call.

You might not intend to but that really isn't the point.

Yeah, exactly. It's not going to benefit the pairing in any way. If anything, it'll drag them further apart, because Brendan isn't going to react well to Stug, and Ste is going to hate him for not letting him get on with his life. :sleep:

See, I would really like that. It's a good scenario. But you're right, none of it actually works since Ste is showing nothing but anger towards Brendan. I'm hoping that soon he'll soften up, because there's only so long they can have Ste hate on him for. But then again, they've never been great with showing Ste's side of things.

Yeah, if this as planned since last summer, they made a huge balls-up, really. I know, as I said last night, that everything until Christmas was storylined until then, but did they really need to have him and Lynsey flirt? To have him be all over Jodie? And there's no way that Boxing Day episode was meant to make us think that Bex wasn't the love of his life. That didn't come across at all.

I love PJ and he's a darling, but yeah, still very much not happy with all this.

And the only way I'll not feel shortchanged is if they start showing that Ste cares for Brendan, even if he knows that, as of now, a relationship will never, ever happen

But that would involve, you know, writing actual scenes of decent characterisation for Ste.

Yeah, LMan, it's all well and good when people who are part of the HOs team are telling people to hold on, and just wait and see, they're not over, but they need to actually show us, within the show, why we should and how they're not, i.e, showing us Ste still loves Brendan but knows there's nothing he can do. Something that simple would make a lot of people happy, they just refuse to show it.

And it wouldn't kill them. There's loads of opportunities to show it. All it would freakin' take is a few sad glances, for crying out loud!

I haven't read the interview but I don't think I'm going to, not yet anyway. I'm feeling all doom and gloom about things today anyway. The interview would only add to that.

I'm not blaming PJ at all obviously, but I agree with what you've all said about he shorthand thing, we have been short handed, for the past nine bloody months, and so much so that I'm fully expecting to be short handed again. Cos I don't trust them at all.

And Stendan not being over doesn't mean that okay Ste has a bitch at him every once in a while, and Brendan makes a sad face at him now and again. Somehow, I don't think that's going to keep the 'Stendan fans' happy. By not being over, I want a full whack storyline between them, with them at the forefront, not Doug or Stug with Brendan popping up to make a nuisance of himself occasionally.

And I don't like the sound of Stug being a love story either. Actually, I hate it. Stendan is the love story. Anything else is just Ste fooling himself. And no matter what they say, Ste's not going to love Doug more than a friend. Oh but then it's not about Ste is it so they can't be showing the relationship from his perspective. What was I thinking.

I think I'll shutup now.

I did laugh when PJ told Stendan fans to be patient, you know he had just gone out of his way to tell us that Stug is love and how much they have in common then wants Stendan fans to be happy and patient like there is something for us to hold on to in the end when really theres nothing I feel. We all love a bit of drama but how are we meant to be happy with Ste being happy with Doug and hating Brendan.