Are you aware of the concept of American exceptionalism? The self-belief some Americans have they live in a truly better country. Well we seem to have our own version of it in this country... Slater Exceptionalism.

It's the belief that no matter what you've done or whether you are in the wrong, all the horrible Slaters should never be convicted, blamed, or held accountable for their actions.

Yesterday we had to endure half an episode of horrible Alfie deciding he could abandon his stall and livelihood to go and con some baby goods from a shop. When he found out that he'd lost his stall, he stormed round to Aleks lambasting and shouting the odds, then judgementally snarling at the wife he jilted on their wedding day. He phoned in sick the next day after winning it back.

Today it got even worse. Horrible Jean turned up with that whiny kid and decided horrible Stacey deserved to get out of prison because she's sick of looking after the brat. To show balance and decency, Kat showed some apprehension for all of two lines before proclaiming that 'YA NEED TO GET OUT OF 'ERE GIRL, YA DAUGHTER NEEDS YA.' And thus, it will be done.

Horrible Stacey needs to get out of prison like Archie needed that bust shaped hole in his head. Because of whiny Lily. You know, the kid she conceived whilst sleeping with a married man.

Not a mention of Bradley in all this, who died so that horrible Stacey could comically run around the square in scarf disguises and get nominated for a best actress BSA as a result.

I loathe the horrible Slaters, and can only hope at least half of them perish in the upcoming fire as a bare minimum.

I agree. I can't stick any of them any more. Here we go again with more contrived bollocks to get Stacey back in the show. What an insult to bipolar sufferers that it's going to be used as a get out of jail free card even though Diedrich Santer made sure to stress Stacey's bipolar had nothing to do with her murdering Archie. And of course we'll be expected to root for Stacey because the writers have once again instructed us to through her biggest ass kisser Kat.

Ryan was not married when Lily was conceived.

Jean looked to me like she was heading for another episode to be fair, she's not normally that short with anyone, never mind Lily.

Kat talked a lot of sense. The way Jean was acting, I wouldn't be surprised if Kat was worried she'd have an episode and they'd be left with Lily too. She needs to focus on her own kids rather than worrying about Stacey's. She said she wanted to do it properly this time and that included not wanting to mess around trying to get free stuff - though if the shop has a policy that they give free stuff if a person goes into labour in the shop, it can't be a scam as such.

I'm not surprised Alfie wants to be at the baby shower but he should have told Mo to arrange it for a time that he wasn't working, and showed some gratitude to Roxy obviously.

Not liking the use of bipolar as a get out of jail card. They should have just had the sentencing later and had the judge unrealistically throw the case out, or give her the 5 years and bring her back in 2 and a half when she could be out on licence.

It's mostly Alfie I can't stand and his superiority complex. He deserves to lose his crappy stall the silly git. Rooting for Aleks all the way.

One of the best and most accurate posts I've ever read on here

No doubt all the market stall holders will rally round for Alfie to get his pitch back and Aleks will be the bad guy for no reason at all

The Slaters even turn on each other to get themselves out of trouble. Remember when they all bullied Jean into taking the blame for one of Mo's scams so she would stay out of prison?

Pretty sure Stacey mentioned Bradley when she first came back.

Stacey herself is actually not that bad this time around if I'm being honest. It's more the effect she has on the characters around her. Each and every one of them became annoying and dim witted earlier in the year to facilitate her return. I think that storyline finished Kat off for me. I haven't been able to abide her ever since. This time around Jean is the one to be sacrifced at the altar of Stacey with Kat once again cheering Stacey on. I can only imagine the carnage she's going to cause and the characters she's going to ruin once she's back full time.

Pretty much this, although I still like Kat. Cheering Stacey on is infinitely better than Kat of 2010-12.

You could make the same argument for the Mitchells.

Alfie and Kat are just a nuisance to watch

This whole Stacey return story is honestly one of the stupidest, most far-fetched stories I've seen on this show in a long time. Ever since Kat saw Stacey from that bus she's behaved like a total idiot. In fact, everyone around Stacey has behaved like idiots. Kat risked being sent to prison by harbouring a wanted criminal in her house AND lying in court to get Stacey off. Max was willing to send his own niece down for murder in order to get Stacey off.

Alfie, who objected to Kat's unbelievably stupid and reckless plan, is portrayed as the villain in contrast to poor, innocent little Stacey, She didn't mean to murder Archie, no, as she said to Luke "Ah woz defendin mahself".

Other than hoping for a ratings boost I can't see why they brought Stacey back. The only slater I like is Jean...and Kat at a push. I don't we don't see any of the others return, the Slaters have had their day imo.

It was clear Jean was heading for another episode and i'm surprised Stacey didn't pick up on it. I can understand Kat missing the signs as her mind is elsewhere.

To be fair Stacey's return was always going to be problematic because making her Archie's killer was the silliest decision they could have made. DTC is trying to fix that.

Hopefully it serves as a lesson to EE in the future to not have important characters become murderers.

On a different note. A tweet made by the official EE account asked viewers to favourite if they were happy Jean is back, Its now become the most favourited tweet that the BBC EastEnders Twitter ever made! hows that. Forget queen Stacey its Queen Jean viewers want.

So very true, Bob. It irks me that we're meant to take Alfie's side in all of this. Aleks has his card marked and knows he's a lazy git who thinks the world owes him a living because "he's got a baaaybe on the way." Then you've got Donna who is out on the stalls all day every day, putting her heart and soul into selling nicer clothes than Alfie, Kat and Bianca's cheap knock-offs, and Aleks is offering her a great opportunity to expand her business. So you can bet that they're going to be made to look like the bad guys in all of this, despite the fact that they're both just trying to earn a living while Alfie sits on his backside pretending to be ill.

It honestly winds me up so badly. I quite like Kat but can't abide Alfie. Awful man.

RE: Alfie Moon - Complete and utter pillock. I completely support Aleks in kicking him off the market. Alfie is being completely irresponsible - as Kat pointed out last night 'that's our livelihood' but he doesn't seem to care.

RE: Jean Slater - I think any mum would do anything to get their daughter out of jail, so I have no problem with Jean wanting Stacey to use her bipolar to get off.

I also understand Stacey's reaction tonight about not wanting to do it. She wants to serve her time.

However, the fact that Jean does appear to be on the verge of an episode is probably what will convince Stacey to use it.

Stacey being inside is doing more harm to her family than it is good - i.e. Stacey atoning for her crime. Jean's going off the deep end and Lily will end up in care.

Bradley died letting Stacey and THEIR baby (OK, it wasn't his, but he was going to treat it as his) get away. That will be a waste if Lily ends up in care.


The show needs to be careful though, to point out to the audience that it wasn't the bipolar that made her do it, it's just what the characters are using as an excuse.

Hopeful that this will come across on Monday as the writer is a bi-polar sufferer.

I think Alfie as a character is a spent force. There is nothing more they can do with him. He was created for the Vic and without it he cannot function. All these wheeler deals are boring and no one wants more affairs. There is no direction left to take Alfie in. Shane must need the money as I bet his ego is unable to handle the fact he is no longer an A list character. When Alfie looked angry Jean was there its probably more down to the fact that Jean is a much more popular character than Alfie is and with Stacey about to return for good, Shane must be thinking 'my screen time is ****ed'.

Have you ever liked Kat in Eastenders from 2000-2005. Ryan wasn't married at the time. How come Tracy got let out of prison in Coronation Street she murdered Charlie in cold blood and still hasn't admitted it at least Stacey has confessed to murder. If Stacey confessed to murder in 2010 would you have minded her return now or if she didn't kill Archie and if Eastenders left it at Peggy would you have minded the return now.

I thought you like Kat. If you were EP would you keep Kat because Jessie is a fantastic actress.

Kat and Alfie have been my fave characters for a long time but I think they have become victims of a TPTB that couldn't care less about them, Kat is still good to watch but Alfie is getting awful, I totally agree he needs teaching a lesson in humility and respect, he has a totally cavalier attitude to his partner and kids, risking their lives for freebies and his attitude to work has become appalling, Aleks shouldn't have deleted his message but Alfie has been taking liberties and messing Aleks about and poking his nose into his business so I can't really blame Aleks and it's about time Alfie and Kat went to see about child benefit and Alfie signed on the dole.

I do still like Alfie and hope something happens soon that make me love him again, still love Shane though and feel utterly sorry for him!

I have really disliked Alfie and his attitude and he needs to snap out of it. I didn't like his attitude to Jean in yesterday's episode.

Stacey's return will hopefully make the Slaters more interesting and I'm so glad she is back for good.

I haven't liked Alfie's attitude for a while and he's beginning to really do my head in with it and he does indeed need to snap out of it, hopefully the twins birth will do the trick if not Aleks will and I wouldn't want to be in Alfie's shoes if he does!

Something tells me that you are simply reading too much into an on-screen enactment just to fit your premise

A truly ridiculous storyline, just as I knew it would be. Logic seems to go out of the window when it comes to accommodating this egotist.

Shane said in 2005 he quit because he felt Alfie deserved to be in the Vic. Those are his words.


In what way? you can appeal and get released on mental health grounds. Its more plausible than the way Tracey Barlow got released.