He did ban Dean, or as good as.

I was sorry for Mick on Christmas Day when he broke down and wrecked the pub but since then he's been practically doing the same thing over and over again - arguing with family, confronting Dean, being angry and stressed and generally miserable. Why not try and take his mind off things by trying to help someone else like he did before with Ian and Alfie?

Dean was messed up that one night but he hasn't been in a state since then (except perhaps when he learnt Stan died but that was understandable). Sometimes people are initially sympathetic to begin wit but get impatient if you go on and on about it and don't do anything.

Not from the funeral

Rapists aren't all ugly old men. Rapists can be good looking and charming which can lull their victims into a false sense of security so in a way it is good to portray that.

However they need to end it now.

Not sure what kind of mentality people have, defending a rapist and pointing the blame at the victim. Very sad.

Whenever I see Dean on EE (which isn't much these days), I don't think "oh look, there's that rapist", same as I don't think "oh there's that murderer" (Ronnie), "there's that baby snatcher" (Ronnie), "there's that arsonist" (Alfie) etc. However, when I see Linda and Mick I do think "oh there's that annoying, whinging couple whose over exposure and overacting have been a major factor in me not bothering to watch EE much these days".

Yep - basically this. Although when I see Dean, I just think - when he is going to leave.

Whenever I see Linda I think poor Linda

Me too. Same with Mick, although we don't need to see any more scenes of him fighting with Shirley, Dean, or Buster.

Maybe it's just me but I do think "there's that rapist." I mean I've not forgotten what other characters have done and am conscious of their misdeeds, but it's not necessarily always in the forefront like with Dean.

Same. And when I see Dean & Shirley I wonder how they're going to rub it in the victims face or martyr themselves over it.

They need to permanently sever the ties between the Vic Carters and Shirley or have them make up. Sadly the ridiculous decision to let Shirley emotionally blackmail herself to a share in the pub means that will never happen. It's just added one more stress onto Mick & Linda in an already ridiculously stressful time, which ofc makes people whine even more about them being miserable. It's all a bit of a vicious circle right now.

I agree..I see unrepentant devious little shit rapist

Exactly.

I just see a soap character.

Well you said what you saw when u saw Mick and Linda so I dont know why you made the above comment

October I would guess at that's when the SL allegedly ends.

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When I see Mick and Linda, I don't see the soap characters, I see overacting, face pulling actors. However, as I've said, I don't tend to see them much anymore because I don't bother to watch EE much these days, mainly because of the dismal Carters. There's no point in me watching a programme just to be constantly irritated or disgusted by a character. It's supposed to be entertainment. It's a shame really because I have always been an avid EE fan.

October? That far away?? That's more depressing than the actual storyline. Where did you hear that?

Fair points secret agent.

It's disgusting behaviour, honestly. Like it's okay being a fan of Matt Di Angelo, but justifying Dean's actions?

That being said, I'm not exactly Team Mick and Linda either and I find it hard to sympathise with them. But I'd never say that they were wrong for being angry at a rapist.

I think he does know what he did, look how he lied to Shirley when she asked if Linda had said 'no'? He knew how bad that would look so LIED that she'd never said it.

I actually think it's good that they haven't gone down the stereotypical route. I doubt TPTB intended it but it has showcased 'victim blaming' (I'm not saying you are by the way, I've read your posts) I wonder how people in charge feel when they look at some of the stuff that's being said on Twitter and if they feel a certain sense of responsibility or if they just don't care as long as people are talking about it?

Regarding Twitter, even if they're young and have had no experience of or indeed realise how serious rape is (or have any empathy it seems) it's highlighting just how girls can have their heads turned by young, good looking lads. Even though they know what he's done to another woman they still let him off and turn on the woman. Just imagine if e.g. a member of One Direction was accused of a sexual assault? I can well imagine the girls turning on the victim calling her derogatory names, saying that she led them on, why would they have to do that when they can have whoever they want so she must be lying etc. It's actually very saddening.


This is where I have to disagree. I could have slapped him daft myself when he was whining to his mother "this is what happens to someone accused of rape in prison". Good. He IS a rapist. I'm not saying I would want him beaten to a pulp or dead but someone getting a few punches in and him knowing some of the fear and pain that Linda felt was quite a satisfactory event to me if she's not going to get justice in law.

As for the emotional pain of losing his granddad, I did enjoy Stan and Dean's scenes in the hospital when he sneaked a bit booze to his granddad and you could see the rapport they had but I can't bring myself to care about how Dean feels about Stan dying. It's like I've cut off from him emotionally. Mind I was the same with Ronnie after the baby swap and I've eventually come to quite enjoy her scenes again.

I might have felt differently if he'd actually been convicted got some jail time then came back on the programme a changed man truly apologetic for what he did. But if they're not going down the legal justice route I feel to see how he can pay for his crime? Being cut off from his parents and the rest of his family? Perhaps but he'll have to leave the square then surely?


Has it ever been said what happened to him the first time he was in prison? I remember him being as angry as hell when he came out and actually throwing Shirley to the ground but as far as I know it's never been gone into in any depth but people assume he's been raped. I'm not saying he hasn't but we've never heard that he was IIRC. It could have just been that being young, pretty and quite soft that he was picked on a lot so it hardened him up hence his attitude and violence to Shirley when he came out. I also remember being bloody annoyed that they wrote the character out right then just as he was becoming interesting!


Me too, I agree.


Half the time nowadays I'm getting the feeling that she's sticking with Dean just to p!ss Mick off! THAT'S how badly it's being written to me.

How Shirley could have any doubts after talking to Linda and seeing that Linda will still not 'back down' about it but also seeing the doubt on Dean's face when she asked if Linda had said 'no' then almost immediately watch him go into self-defence mode by practically blaming HER for what happened amazes me. She MUST know, she's just kidding herself because she doesn't want it to be true. Which mother would? But eventually you have to look at what's staring you in the face.


Spot on.
With the victim blaming culture too.


The truth is when people say "you'd think it had happened to HIM" that he is a victim too. It happened to his wife and he has all sorts of guilt because of it. Like you say he's also been thrown by the fact that Shirley's his mother and his dad wasn't his dad! That's a total headf*** by itself without everything else! But also that he finds out he's got the same dad as his brother who has raped his wife yet his 'parents' are standing shoulder to shoulder with the abuser. And now his 'dad's' just died who had late stage cancer and that's also difficult to deal with by itself without all the rest!

And people wonder why Mick's angry, going around with a face like a smacked mackerel and is ever so slightly p!ssed off?


Very true, and I honestly think that they are the more dangerous ones.


I think of the rape every time he appears on screen so it's definitely not just you.


Agreed. Good post.

Dean hasn't actually come out and admitted it though - he was on the point of doing so when Mick ruined it by barging in the way he did.

Regarding Dean's first time in prison, he showed Chelsea some cuts and burns he had on his arm. Nothing else has actually been said about that. We know it caused a change in personality though because of the way he attacked Shirley when he got out.

I agree it might have been best if Dean had gone down the prison and rehabilitation route and then returned changed and apologetic - maybe that's why you warmed to Ronnie eventually because after all she gave Tommy back, handed herself in and served her time.

BIB - we'll have to agree to differ but it does surprise me that you were able to cut yourself off emotionally from Dean and Ronnie purely on the basis of what they did to Kat and Linda.

The people on twitter defending that character are just trolling.

Actually that was Mick and his family. It was implied that Stan and Dean were always close.

He lived with his Grandad before they all decamped to the Square, didn't he?