JP and Doug were cute, but too similar, therefore not interesting enough. They could only ever be a rebound/temporary/secondary relationship, not a major storyline.

Of all JP's love interests in his second stint, I quite liked his rapport/chemistry with Danny. The actors had good chemistry, they were both teachers so they had a lot in common, etc. Too bad Danny was a two-timing closet case. They might have had a chance once their affair was discovered and Danny chose JP over Sam, but at that point the storyline (and JP) had already moved on to McHay. And then Kirkwood brutally axed Danny and Sam.

So, just like JP/Doug, also Danny/JP was just filler on the way to McHay.

With James it feels differen, it doesn't feel like a storyline randomly thrown together just cos, but something thought-out. I hope we are not mistaken!!

During his first few episodes on the show... when he started plotting with Sinead ways to split ip McHay. He constantly flirted/talked in innuendos with JP, he even punched his bum (pale attempt to imitate Lockie), and JP had to keep repeating to him that he was married.

I agree, JP try to distance from James but hes drawn back into his gravity, the way he watches James its as through he forgets himself around him, then snaps too his senses and thinks, I must get away, then is drawn to him again.

On Paper James is everything he hates, arrogant, over opinionated, morally grey, cruel, deceitful, superior
In person hes broken and rejects JP, therefore works as catnip to him

I must have ignored it cos i hated Scott so much, trying to break up a marriage is low

Yeah I totally get that. I've just always had a huge soft spot for Doug and really wanted him to be happy with someone who wasn't Ste.

I miss my golden son JP and his dark prince James

Actually I think Scott at the beginning was less terrible than he is now. He was less camp, and he was less ridiculous cos he didn't paint himself blue or loiter around dressed as a clown. He also was less dumb.

to be fair I find him better when hes blue or a clown cos hes accepting his role of comedy relief rather than trying to be serious

He can be comic relief away from JP, though.

Comic relief is meant to be funny tho, innit?

Scott is the human equivalent of nails scraping on a blackboard.

given he often shares screen time with Morticia they are suited

Morticia was in Jonathan Creek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiY1FYK0xrM

Just managed to see Ross on YouTube talking about being put up for best comedy performance. He says the writers make him funny and Scott is far funnier than he is.

I cannot understand how anyone can think he is funny. He reminds me of Larry Grayson and a time when only camp 'gay' men were acceptable on screen because people could laugh at them.

Kurt from Glee wasn't exactly butch but I grew to like him because of the storytelling. James' dislike of him mirrors so many people's. What on earth are they going to do with him now. The actor said he was worried when Diane and Sinead left. Her could go back to writing for soaps.

He cant possibly leave until hes dated Ste

I do wonder what they will do with him, I do feel Scott and JP was meant to be a big romance, and they wanted it to be like McDean, it was to be the turning point, making people like him and accept him

I find him painfully unfunny and cringe when hes on TV

I don't think so. I think they were hoping McHay would take off as they tried really hard to put in the angst. They even put in that failsafe of them meeting under the bridge at Christmas to see if fans would be clammering for them to reunite. I remember James saying that upstairs was not sure what to do with them and hadn't decided.

Scott was just someone to fill in time. They introduced James but he had to interfere with Ste and Harry during their storyline and settle into the soap. The meeting in the shop between James and JP seemed a very deliberate line in the sand for the new pairing. From the reaction I have seen there are many fans already.

Strange thing is there was a poll on the Metro site where they asked readers who they wanted JP with ; James or Scott. I was really surprised to see that almost 30% wanted JP with Scott. Most posters seem to feel sorry for Scott, but JP had to cheat on him to prove to himself that his feelings for Scott were just not strong enough.

I thought I read that the actor who plays scott, said JP and Scott was always planned, given nothing happened until JP and Ste ended it it seemed like that was the way they were going.

After JP and James first hooked up JP picked Scott and it seemed that it was very much the way they were going, but I guess they read that fans didnt like it, with viewers leaving they decided to change things

I'm sad that McHay flopped, because I guess I was a shipper. I never understood why people insisted they had no chemistry, to me they had plenty of chemistry and looked good together (but then I think Starry look like brothers and I see no chemistry whastoever between them, no matter how many times they get their shirts off and make out in public places, so I guess it really is subjective) and I liked the idea of them, I wanted them to work out and be happy together, a nice family with their children... but the timing was completely wrong. It was too soon after Stendan (and probably after McDean too), people were never going to accept the dismemberment of those two iconic couples and the forming of a new couple made by two halves of those iconic couples.

Also, it was too early in the story of the characters. They want Ste to be messed up and miserable because they think he is more interesting that way, and they seem to want JP to be permanently suffering. Something like McHay could have worked only as "endgame" ship, the last relationship the characters end up in when they settle down. Which obviously they are not willing to let Ste do. Not yet (not ever?).

And also, the awful writing. They managed to turn even the shippers and the sympathizers against McHay by the end, with the constant misery. So, well done HO!! I still have a soft spot for them, though (even though Ste mostly disgusts me). I would like the show to at least let them interact as friends, but we are not getting any of that.

Anyway, enough about McHay....


Many people were pro-Scott because he was "sweet", unlike James (in their eyes). There will always be people who don't like complex and dark characters and relationships.... but I think that more and more people will start rooting for James and McNight as they develop them more, and we get to know James better (provided that, as we were saying, they don't turn him into a panto villain and a serial killer).

And knowing that permanently makes me lose faith in Kirkwood (not that I had any left), HO, humanity, and the universe. Thanks for depressing me LOL

What morons came up with that idea and thought it was the way to go with JP????? One of the first, if not the first, iconic gay characters in a soap? Who thought about taking this once history-changing (tv-wise) character and turning him into a joke by putting him with a walking, offensive stereotype??? Do they even know the characters and the show they are writing/directing?? How could they believe the audiece would have liked that pairing??

Utterly appalling. And how can I trust with McNight the same people who apparently introduced Orange with the intention of pairing him up with JP??

Just saw these spoilers. Finally something. I suspect he regains sight on the 12th and James comes round to see him and opens up. I suspect JP rejects him and he wants to take revenge on Marnie. https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/james-nightingale

I must be going blind because I can't see the spoiler.

It is annoying how JP is getting his sight back so soon but we all saw that coming. 🙄 I hope what ever is coming up is good.

I'm not liking the sound of this. It's all happening too quickly, as we feared. At this pace by Christmas this storyline will be over. Sigh.

I hope I'm wrong!!

Can someone please tell me what the spoiler says because I'm getting nothing.

Francy, I fear you may be right. The pace of JP getting his sight back is just ridiculous. I mean i knew it was always going to be a plot device for James discovering how he felt but I think if a soap is going to give a character a disability such as blindness, they shouldn't insult the viewers.

Thanks
The spoilers do actually sound good and will really give Gregory a chance to shine.

I just hope the writers don't wrap it up quickly. That's my only concern.

We still have Tabitha to come and JP will soften towards James when he hears something from someone else. It is not surprising that JP would reject him now after what he did. I suspect he will say a similar thing that Brendan said in his last episode. Thousands of people have been abused but they don't end up like me. The idea being that if you are intelligent and something is wrong you should get help or at least not inflict the result of your problems on other people.

No doubt James will say the bet was just an excuse to be close to JP but what he did at the end was inexcusable.

I think you are right McHay would be end game in a limited series, both broken, and both help each other and find love in moments when they are lowest, sadly this is hollyoaks, and realist relationships bar Nancy and Dazzle and frankie and Jack are short lived, so Ste AKA catch of the year dates JP, gets his best mate pregnant, then contracts HIV and then decided to be straight for a week, on the hope his hugging powers would turn fog horn to be a male, just endless rubbish, they never had a time to be happy

Scott I guess they like cos they like Scott not JP, people who like JP want him to have an equal, someone broken and smart who he can push and be pushed back