[CherryRose]

Originally Posted by Scrabbler

So what do we think, has Shirley had her day?

I dont think she has, I think its time the writers stopped making her a down and out like Billy Mitchell though.

Id love to see her blackmail Phil over his involvement in Heather murder cover up.

Shirley must still have the money from the sale from the cafe as Phil gave it to her as a present. I think Shirley should have kept the cafe, one friendship that they could possibly explore is Carol and Shirley, they are similar in ways.

[Aaron1995]

Originally Posted by monalisa62003

so what about stacey? she never got put in jail for murdering archie yet people still seemed to like her

he only got 4 years. he is phils son and has a daughter in lexi. plenty of potential for him to return

Not trying to justify what Stacey did either, but Archie raped her and abused Ronnie throughout her life, many people probably thought he deserved to die.

[Chris_P_White]

I think there's a lot of mileage left in Shirley - after all, when you're that far down the only way is up, right?

Besides, I like her

[mo mouse]

Originally Posted by Chris_P_White

I think there's a lot of mileage left in Shirley - after all, when you're that far down the only way is up, right?

Besides, I like her

But it is a long way up from the gutter especially with no friends

[AngelicPrincess]

Originally Posted by Chris_P_White

I think there's a lot of mileage left in Shirley - after all, when you're that far down the only way is up, right?

Besides, I like her

Like where? She has no friends and no family. She choose not to the decent thing and tell the police the truth in fact she help cover it up. She has a new baby grandchild out of Walford what reason does she have to be there?

I like her but she was ruined the moment she pissed over her friends memory and decided to not only not get justice but help cover up the crime......nice

[Little Leigh]

I must admit that I stopped watching EE regularly a while back, due to a combination of ludicrous story lines and underused decent characters/actors (Denise and Vanessa being two that spring to mind). Shirley's one of those types of characters that could be taken in a few interesting directions - she could embark on a path to redemption or go completely off the rails. She could be made into Phil's nemesis, plotting a long engame. She could even just go back to just being a cruel hard witch. I still tune in every now and again but when i do I only ever catch some nonsense about Phil/Sharon\jack or Max/Tanya/Kirsten or Kat\Alfie/Roxy. That was aside from the one or 2 times I saw a load of stuff about the Massods, in the run up to Z's exit. I know I do only dip in every now and again but those characters are not the ones I find the most interesting (I only like off the wagon Phil nowadays!) to be honest I often wonder why they bother employing other actors when the stories only seem to focus on love triangles involving the Brannings, Mitchell's and Slaters. At least that's how it appears to me!

[X-Digit-Xx]

No way, all she needs is a decent storyline.

[Guido9]

Still a bit too early to rid Shirley yet. Although Sharon looks increasingly like shacking up with Phil now, I still think Shirley should be kept on in an indefinite basis. As some have said, if they bring Carly back full time - and maybe even Deano in some capacity - then it would give her further purpose on the Square other than being a shoulder to cry on and working the McClunkys!

[Scrabbler]

Originally Posted by AngelicPrincess

Like where? She has no friends and no family. She choose not to the decent thing and tell the police the truth in fact she help cover it up. She has a new baby grandchild out of Walford what reason does she have to be there?

I like her but she was ruined the moment she pissed over her friends memory and decided to not only not get justice but help cover up the crime......nice

Exactly, I mean she has few people to interact with and that has isolated her character. They should have given more thought to what would happen after the reveal.

[monalisa62003]

Originally Posted by Scrabbler

Exactly, I mean she has few people to interact with and that has isolated her character. They should have given more thought to what would happen after the reveal.

thats the writers fault

now ian/denise are getting closer they could mix shirley in that by having friction with her and ian they have never got on and it would be more strained now (does shirley even know ian knew about ben killing heather) denise could even find out ian knew and it would be a great depth for them

they could mix her in with bianca/kat

[maurice45]

Yes for the love of all EE stands for get her out!

[mo mouse]

Originally Posted by X-Digit-Xx

No way, all she needs is a decent storyline.

But there are only so many storylines that you can centre around a bottle of whisky.

[maurice45]

Originally Posted by mo mouse

But there are only so many storylines that you can centre around a bottle of whisky.

Maybe Shieley's exit could be drinking herself to death.

[monalisa62003]

Originally Posted by maurice45

Maybe Shieley's exit could be drinking herself to death.

do people not watch? shes only got drunk on NYE since she returned !!

[Filiman]

Originally Posted by Little Leigh

I must admit that I stopped watching EE regularly a while back, due to a combination of ludicrous story lines and underused decent characters/actors (Denise and Vanessa being two that spring to mind). Shirley's one of those types of characters that could be taken in a few interesting directions - she could embark on a path to redemption or go completely off the rails. She could be made into Phil's nemesis, plotting a long engame. She could even just go back to just being a cruel hard witch. I still tune in every now and again but when i do I only ever catch some nonsense about Phil/Sharon\jack or Max/Tanya/Kirsten or Kat\Alfie/Roxy. That was aside from the one or 2 times I saw a load of stuff about the Massods, in the run up to Z's exit. I know I do only dip in every now and again but those characters are not the ones I find the most interesting (I only like off the wagon Phil nowadays!) to be honest I often wonder why they bother employing other actors when the stories only seem to focus on love triangles involving the Brannings, Mitchell's and Slaters. At least that's how it appears to me!

We're not talking Chrissie Watts here, Shirley Carter is hardly a strong willed, intelligent, single minded woman capable of giving as good as she gets.

There is very little were they can take her. She is just dead wood. LN basically admitted as much.

[PrincessPerfect]

I actually sympathise with a lot of felixrex's post; particuarly the point on the TPTB's inability to write characterd independently, and develop a character. This is indeed what's happened to Shirley; and trouble is TPTB seem unwillingly to create conditions which would give her a point of being on the square. Shirley, like most characters needs another set of characters to bounce of off - especially now that the ominious storyline of the Phil's new makeshift family is closing in on Sharon - so that association will soon dissipate for Shirley.

The problem is Newman, seems unwillingly to introduce new family for Shirley, or bring back Carly and Deano; these are all needed to renew Shirley. Without it, Shirley is simply the odd plot-device used in Branning/Kat related storylines and Phil's heckler. That is the makings of a background character. We have enough dullards on EastEnders to qualify as 'background' characters. What the show really needs is some more 'main' characters; because the current ones are recycling their own tired storylines.

[mo mouse]

Originally Posted by maurice45

Maybe Shieley's exit could be drinking herself to death.

Sounds very promising but it would cost a fortune in whisky though because she doesn't half get through the stuff.

[computermaster]

Said it before and i'll say it again: Ben Should have killed Shirley and remained in the show. A lot of people were saying that they couldn't wait until Shirley found out Ben killed Heather so she could beat him up. I reckon it would have added some dramatic flair and shock if Ben had Owned Shirley instead and then be groomed to eventuallly take over from King Philth

[monalisa62003]

Originally Posted by computermaster

Said it before and i'll say it again: Ben Should have killed Shirley and remained in the show. A lot of people were saying that they couldn't wait until Shirley found out Ben killed Heather so she could beat him up. I reckon it would have added some dramatic flair and shock if Ben had Owned Shirley instead and then be groomed to eventuallly take over from King Philth

but shirley was the victim - it was ben who killed heather. people wanted to see justice for what ben did

but i agree ben shouldve tried to cause harm to shirley to keep her quiet. just not actually going through with it lol

[Cody1]

shes a great character totally underused when we get the likes of Bianca and Kat shoved down our throats repeatedly who have both had just about every storyline scenario thrown at them over the years !

[maurice45]

Originally Posted by monalisa62003

do people not watch? shes only got drunk on NYE since she returned !!

I didn't post here to be harrassed by you. Please stop replying to my posts.

[broadshoulder]

Originally Posted by monalisa62003

thats the writers fault

now ian/denise are getting closer they could mix shirley in that by having friction with her and ian they have never got on and it would be more strained now (does shirley even know ian knew about ben killing heather) denise could even find out ian knew and it would be a great depth for them

they could mix her in with bianca/kat

But she flairs up with people. She attacks people regularly. She wore out everyone and now has anyone to interact with.

[monalisa62003]

Originally Posted by broadshoulder

But she flairs up with people. She attacks people regularly. She wore out everyone and now has anyone to interact with.

how does she attack people?

Originally Posted by maurice45

I didn't post here to be harrassed by you. Please stop replying to my posts.

hardly harrassing im genuinely confused why people think she gets drunk all the time when she doesnt

[maurice45]

Originally Posted by mo mouse

Sounds very promising but it would cost a fortune in whisky though because she doesn't half get through the stuff.

[computermaster]

Originally Posted by monalisa62003

but shirley was the victim - it was ben who killed heather. people wanted to see justice for what ben did

but i agree ben shouldve tried to cause harm to shirley to keep her quiet. just not actually going through with it lol

Another option is that Ben could have somehow gotten the better of Shirley somehow (instead of killing her) and remained in the show. Lot's of fans would have complained, but it would have kept Shirley relevant... Shirley is just pointless now