Poor Max. At least he has a job. What does Shirley do for a living besides blackmailing Phil for money?

Hang on where have I "excused" Shirley's actions? I said what she did wasn't nice and that it's not something I can defend her on.

I didn't randomly bring Phil into the discussion, I raised a valid point about other characters doing even worse things in the episode to a lesser reaction. That wasn't the case in the ep where Lola and Phil were nasty to Stacey to the delight of Billy and Sharon. If it had have been the case I would've said the same thing.

I think Shirley was nasty to Max but I wouldn't go as far as to call her vile. Like I said in the other thread everyone has their own perception of the word and what it should apply to.

Vicious...no one was hurt
Offensive...mildly embarrassed maybe, but offended ...no.
Repellent...just no.

Besides Max is going to have a lot more to cope with in the near future than someone taking the pee out of him for being reduced to working in the chippy.

She seems to easily get jobs unlike poor Max. Since the Carters arrived, Shirley managed to get a job behind the bar but it wasn't enough for her so she had to blackmail her son and her daughter-in-law for a stake of the Queen Vic. When she was banished from the Vic, her rapist son quickly gave her a job in Blades but she really needs to sort out her customer service skills. She was rude to that customer on the phone

Shirley should be locked up behind bars for attempted murder but she can easily get lots of money and jobs nowadays

It's been answered so many times now but she has a job at Blades and was even working there in this very episode. I don't know how people keep missing it as we've seen quite a bit of her in there.

Tru dat

If Marsden had found out that she'd put a bullet through Phil she's have recommended her for an award for services to her community.

Remind me how many years Phil served for manslaughter and arson after setting fire to the car lot and killing that homeless guy...

And that's putting it mildly.
I hope one day she gets everything she deserves.
The rapist mother.

Remind us how many times Phil has pointed a gun at someone point blank and actually shot them. That's called premeditated murder. You'll get no argument from me regarding Phil's manslaughter/arson but the key thing here is that he didn't know there was anyone inside the car lot. Shirley shot to kill. Both should be locked up for their crimes.

The difference between Shirley and Phil - and the fact which renders all "oh but Phil is worse" arguments pointless - is that Shirley has NEVER faced the consequences for her crimes. Phil's been shot twice, smashed over the head with a wrench, thrown in the Arches pit twice, been in fires and car crashes, and has had multiple stretches in jail. Phil gets punished for his awful behaviour. Shirley doesn't.

Shirley lived with Phil for years...more punishment than even the most hardened criminal deserves.

If Steve McFadden ever takes another sabbatical from EastEnders like he did in 2004 and 2005 I'd actually love it if Phil is jailed for the crimes he actually committed. The biggest offenses being the arson/manslaughter and armed robbery. I hate when characters are punished for crimes they didn't actually commit. Phil going to prison for Stella's "murder" was absurd as was his imprisonment for the car crash Nick Cotton caused. I won't be happy if Max is sent down for Lucy's murder either but that's another story.

Not to mention hiring the thugs that nearly killed his girlfriend.

Tell that to Heather and more recently Buster. Shirley has treated both of them like shit. She and Phil are well matched in that department.

A moot point. She never got the police involved and took it upon herself to exact revenge. She then changed her mind and forgave him. Before Shirley revealed all at their wedding reception and then shot Phil of course.

She's said and done a lot worse lol

Her winding Max up wasn't that bad, was it?

Were all waiting for that..

The arguing about who is the worst character is hilarious.

Shirley is vile but she is also funny, and occasionally sensitive. She is also pig-headed, stubborn, and rough as a buzzard's crutch. I wouldn't want her as my mate, would any of you? She might be a laugh to go and get drunk with but she also might smack you one at the end of the night if you looked at her wrong. Also, she 'works' in Blades but never appears to wash her hair.

As for who is or isn't the worst character in EE, so far the only person with no flaws whatsoever is Ollie and that's only because he's too young.

It was a strange scene really and I didn't really get the purpose of Shirley taking a photo of him, when they've said what, like two words to each other the whole time they've been on the same square.

Maybe she fancied a peek at his battered sausage!

I wouldn't exactly say Shirley taking the mick was 'vile.' I sometimes think that some posters can go slightly over the top when it comes to Shirley, it was jest - yes, she was out of line, i'm not denying that but at the same time, it is being taken a little too seriously on here. As it always is with Shirley. Of everything that happened last night and it is Shirleys comment to Max that creates such a fuss? Funnily enough, I saw this thread coming before it was even written. Interesting considering the thread on another character a few weeks ago...Anyway, I thought it rather funny.

I thought it was quite funny actually. Ok she wasn't being fair to Max and she was out of order but I wouldn't say she was "vile" or "toxic" during that scene. But that Shirley and Max scene was pointless because I don't think they have interacted before?

He was an alcoholic and he felt a lot of remorse when he found out. Shirley pointed the gun at Phil, not once but twice. Remember that scene near the Queen Vic window? She was aiming at Phil/Sharon and almost shot one of them. I don't remember her thanking Phil for covering up her despicable crime. Shirley is more vile than Phil. Phil had plenty of punishments.

Shirley's a mouthy bugger. She's an idiot.