It makes me feel so ill thinking about how long Pa might have sexually abused Brendan

Well I guess Emmett is winning awards. And there must be more to come after this, if there's any justice. I loved the flashback to Later. Really stunning, but very hard to watch. Much worse than I thought. Really well-written as well.


I guess so Helen. But not that hard to have her a bit smaller. Or just to say she was a big 4 year old!

See you watch stuff like tonight and you think of innocent little Brendan raped at the party and then given cake (sickening) and how can you not want him to have a piece of happiness?!

Also, that line about being the man he is today.

Sorry Chez, but you dislike the man he is today. That's why you made him go to counselling. Please, put two and two together for once. Take a long hard look at Brendan, see what a mess he was during that conversation. Please.

I'd love Ste to tell her that he used to beat Brendan, before the reveal. I just don't think I can handle her not believing it.

God that was terrible we all know why he ran away but cheryl thinks it was beause he was jealous surely she would realise that something is wrong i would like to thinkif it was my brother i would notice

sorry, not sorry..

I think we can also take it that the scene in Later wasn't the first time. It looks like he had been doing it to Brendan at the summer home before he moved to Belfast with Cheryls family.

He was all alone

Oh don't, that just makes me feel so ill

Pa is going to make my stomach churn.

Well, that's left me in a bit of a sombre mood.

I must go and look at some more happy smiley pics. I think maybe the only thing that's going to get me through this is knowing he will get some happiness.

Oh yeah I think the countsellor know..

The age thing is just stupid there is know way he is only 29..

It worries me that Cheryl didn't really notice Brendan's distress, I mean he was almost having a break down talking about his father..

Also, even if I didn't know we were getting a Stendan reunion, I would have happily taken all of this as Brendans final furlong. I love him and Ste, but my god this stuff is fantastic alone, so I honestly think, even if Stendan go down hill after Dublin, I don't think I will be as bothered as I would have been prior to this story.

I'm glad they are giving Emmett scenes he is worthy of. Such a talented man, far too under-rated.

Right. These protestors can make you feel like a monster sometimes for wanting Ste back with Brendan, but watching tonight, I will NEVER feel guilty for wanting it. I feel like everybody needs to see tonights episode, and Emmett's performance. I feel like it won't ever be seen by enough people.

Yes, exactly.

I feel sick just thinking about it. Fantastic script tonight, it was funny in places and then the killer lines, so subtle and clever, as the episode went on. Anna McCleery, brilliant.

Brendan's brokenness is utterly devastating. People who don't want him to have a chance at being happy are condemning that eight year old child.

This

yeah, if he tells the counsellor the truth it won't be with cheryl there.

The jam thing was kind of chilling. Made me think of Brendan and the jam sandwiches

Its going to be awful, truly an awful xmas ahead

And I was just thinking about how clueless Cheryl really is, how little she knows Brendan really but on the other hand how I think when it comes out my heart could well be with her in a weird way. At that point when it comes out Brendan will have relief from something that he has bottled up for over 20 years, he will be devastated Cheryl has to hear it but he can maybe find some peace within himself, Cheryls world of pain would only just be starting

I didn't watch for fear of Stug, looks like i'm gonna have to brace myself before watching.

Did HO make a good job of hinting at sexual abuse in a 6.30 show, was it obvious but sensitive??

Yeah, me too, to be honest.

Here's a shippy photoset to look at

I think I'll just fanwank the ages and say Chez is 27 and he's 32. Ish.

I know what you mean about Cheryl though. She seems scarily ignorant. Denial maybe. I always thought the way she discounted the idea that Brendan might be gay was denial as well, partly. She knows there's something badly wrong with Brendan, and it might involve her Dad, and she can't even go there?


Ditto that, yes. He really was amazing tonight. Goosebumps.

Some people still didn't know it was sexual abuse after Hollyoaks Later - I think it depends on whether you can see beyond the subtleness. But I think they did a great job.

I know this is kind of looking too deeply into things, but it's like they're his favourites unconsciously, because of that eight year old boy.

How awful. The whole thing.


That's gorgeous. Thank you, I needed that!

You missed out on one hell of an episode.

Brendan mentioning the jam and that at the same time as that has put me off his love for jam sandwiches.

You could just see that he was seeing what happened to him as a child in side his head