Nope, I thought they felt rushed and forced.


I didn't find Sam's comments too harsh. She knows what he's been through, but she isn't going to let that excuse what she feels as effectively stealing her husband and trashing over the heart of Ste who she cares about. Even if she is wrong.

I think it's Lindsey now too.

I agree. I think she is understandably concerned about Ste after finding out that JP was messing around with Danny. It's tough to get over that type of betrayal, but I do think she'll eventually come around to help JP.

I understand and sympathize with Sam, but I can't excuse her behavior. I do like that they kind of showed how strongly her words affected JP though in his scene with Ste. He says "You're just better off without me." (and I also loved Ste not letting him getting away with that, "I'll be the judge of that, thank you." Aw )

I know it's a soap and all, but how I wish Sam and JP never had a falling out. Their scenes early in the storyline were so sweet and touching, like when Sam took dinner all the way over to the McQueens.

Though i sympathize with Maxine.
I can't see why a woman could stand by a man who is obviously abusing her & her baby as well being at risk.
I know about DA & the power & they love them but i would always put a baby first.
And the trailer shows she goes back to him. Why Maxine oh why.
Unlike others she isn't isolated. She has dodger , sienna , Dennis to support her.

Glad JP finally opened up.
It was a powerful scene.

I get where your coming from, but I did kind of like seeing someone not so easily forgive. It annoyed me how easily JP forgave Robbie, so it's a nice change IMO for someone to not act like nothing has happened since the last time they saw each other.

I agree. It's far more realistic. In Sam's case, of course, her personal life and her professional life have collided, which makes an already traumatic situation even more difficult for her. If she was a more sympathetic character played by a better actress, I think I would feel a great deal of sympathy with and for her.

Ste and JP don't even look like they like each other very much, let alone love each other. This show is insane. It's constantly putting characters together and telling us they're in love without showing them falling in love. There's no satisfaction as a viewer in that.


I liked the way Sam dealt with JP as well, but I can't watch her anymore knowing what she did to Cameron. All I see is a corrupt cop who ruined a boy's life. Maybe it was always the story arc for Sam and she was never meant to be a long term character, but it's a shame she's been trashed so irredeemably.

BIB - I agree with this. It's a very simplistic and erroneous view that if you take two individually popular characters and put them together, it's bound to be a winning formula. That's not how it works - especially when you don't make the effort to show how this highly unlikely relationship developed from a long-standing vehement dislike into 'love'. And you just can't manufacture chemistry. I'm not buying it.

I am no longer able to watch the Patrick and Maxine scenes. How they have made it so harrowing in a 6.30/7pm slot is astonishing and I know people live like that and return again and again to their abusive partners, but its too much for me. x

I understand what you mean. I've found some of the scenes quite uncomfortable to watch.

But I think it's good that Hollyoaks are raising awareness and showing the very dark side of domestic abuse.

However, I do hope that the storyline has a good outcome soon, to show sufferers that there is help available and a way out.

JP has been in love with Doug, Danny and now Ste in the past year, after a long relationship with Craig. Ste has been in love with Doug and now JP in the past year, after the deep love and high drama of his relationship with Brendan. BK has lost his mind having them spouting love declarations already.

I may not like them as a pairing, but that's irrelevant. If the show wants to put them together then at least show a little romancing and relationship building and a reason for them to fall in love.

And it's not exclusive to Ste and JP. The same thing happened with Patrick and Maxine, Tony and Diane, Vincent and George, Ruby and Ziggy, and I'm sure there are more. Couples shoved together with little build up. I miss the slow burn romance.

I so agree with you. Maybe we're just old-fashioned but, if they want us to care about a relationship, the slow burn is the way to go. Even then it's not guaranteed.

I do think they've done it brilliantly despite the constraints of the time of broadcast, and maybe that's why it is so uncomfortable - so much is implied rather than being explicit and this is a very powerful way to get into the psyche. I'm also glad they have shown how difficult it is to leave an abusive partner - there is often no reason to stay but people do. I do hope it is resolved soon tho. x I've seen he abuses her again next week forcing her to eat their whole wedding cake until she is physically sick. I don't even like prank phone calls and its the humiliation that makes me not be able to watch. x

Yeah, I could see that. I don't think Lizzie Roper's bad, but she can be over-the-top sometimes.

Didn't Kieron Richardson say in an interview yonks back that it would be ridiculous if John Paul and Ste got together?

I agree, although I didn't like the way Sam has been treating JP, it is understandable. He slept with her husband after all. Of course, she is allowed to feel betrayed. She thought he was his friend and he lied to her.

I agree, tbh that's one thing that has always annoyed me in Hollyoaks. The fact the people forgive other people so easily in Hollyoaks or see each other and act like nothing has happened. I find it really unrealistic, so tbh it's kind of refreshing to see someone not so easily forgive.

Even in the real world, some people are more forgiving than others. It may be that JP is more forgiving than Sam is. I know I'm more forgiving than most.

By the way, a person/character can be forgiving without acting like nothing happened. For instance, though JP forgave Robbie, they still avoid each other for the most part and there is still awkwardness between them.

Sam's behavior may be understandable but it is really unprofessional. I never saw Sam as being JP's BFF outside of the fact she is a police officer and she had compassion for rape victims. I think she would have treated another person exactly the same. We'll have to see what happens in the coming weeks. But her attitude could end up getting her into trouble.

I agree. I think it's lazy writing tbh. McDean and Stendan were such popular and well known couples in Hollyoaks who had amazing chemistry so Hollyoaks just thought since one half of McDean is still in the show and one half of Stendan is still in the show, they'll just put them together. Also am I the only one who thinks Ste and JP have no chemistry whatsoever? Everyone seems to think they have loads of chemistry but I'm sorry, I just don't see it.

I agree. The 'love' word in Hollyoaks get used way too much. In a year JP has been in love with Ste, Doug and Danny and Ste has been in love with Brendan, Doug and JP.

Yeah I disagree with you on the JP/ Ste thing. They may not be a couple with the most chemistry I have every seen, but I thought there scene last night was very good. I really can't see that scene being done more convincingly with Nana Mcqueen as the person JP confides in. Yeah it would have kept St and JP apart - I don't really understand why that is a virtute in and of its-self. It would have been vastly more boring- the whole storyline would be more boring if it had gone in that direction.

While I do agree that the relationship between Ste and JP was far too rushed, I do think they have a nice rapport together and when they are shown not being at each other's throats (which I know there was a lot of), I do think there's a sweetness between them. I think a relationship between them could work if it was actually developed over a period of time. However, it seems like these writers are not willing to do that and always rush everything.

I do think James and Kieron work well together but i dont like McHay.