Speaking of Finn I wonder if he could return. He got 5 years and this Oct it will be 2 years so I think maybe next summer he could return. Maybe when Diane's back he could return. I don't think it would be permanent but a short few months stay to see how JP would cope/react. What do you reckon? Do you think he'd return?

No one knows when they'll be back on screen!!

I would like to see him return; unlike you guys I found that whole arc engaging and a real tour de force for both characters (maybe because I watched it all in the space of a few days). I know the prison visit was closure for the arc and for JP, but it would make sense to explore it again as he will be getting out at some point.

Myra and Celine aren't my favourite McQueens by a mile, but I quite enjoy them both in small doses. Celine is so pretty too, she always looks really fresh.

would be interesting to have James being asked to be the lawyer to get him out and then realising who he is, nice bit of tension between JP and James

I don't particularly want to see Finn again. I'm glad with that storyline having had closure, I don't need to see it re-opened.

I do wonder, does James even know that John Paul was raped?

I totally had that same thought!


He did mention to Scott he made it his job to know things about people. It is public knowledge around the village so...maybe? It probably won't be explicitly mentioned unless it's a specific plot point.

We have no way of knowing.

He knew that Scott committed crimes he was never charged for, so I guess yes

I honestly think they will wipe that out of history. He would have told him by now especially mentioning getting a solicitor. Take it to court then find yourself the victim put on trial and sent to prison. Neither of them acted with that on their minds. The way JP said 'he did what!' On a scale of 1 to 10 2 cracked ribs don't compare to rape by a pupil and all that took place. I just hope they work with the NSPCC and not sensationalise the story and tack on silly storylines. With Marnie and the siblings there is enough here to tell an in depth true to life story.

Im pretty sure Morticia knows and will have to choose between her son and Mac will pick Mac and alienate James, then will see Mac hit him and admit she always knew

Maybe Marnie told her mum and this is how James finds out. James is her favourite and she hates Mac.

I think the arrival of Tabitha is going to spark some interesting revelations about the nightingale clan. The writers are not going to waste Linda Grey. I'm sure they will utilise her, especially in relation to the current abuse plot. The fact that she doesn't like Mac, yet dotes on James says it all.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/holl...hay-storyline/

So, apparently Ste is going to have memory problems (some articles have implied Alzheimer's...)

Buahahahahaha

Alzheimer's is nothing to laugh about, but this is so ridiculous that I can't help it.

Ste is not a character anymore, he's a walking farce. And 99,9% of the viewers are fed up with him and his "huuuge storylines" (how many next huge storylines does one character/actor deserve?)

Also, I guess we know who to blame for Ste being such a mess.... shame on you, Kieron. You are not doing your character, or yourself, any favours.

(sorry for the complete off-topicness, but this needed to be said LOL There, just because the thread is about them... I can't wait for James and JP to be onscreen again)

And James will say 'no mother, no' and break down
I do hope not as that is too much like Brendan's story and as much as I'm loving James there ain't no-one like Brendan, no-one

I think the only way it can be comparable to Brendan's story is it's revealed that James was raped by his father and I really hope the writers don't go there. Not only has it already been told with two gay soap characters, but it will only reinforce the notion that James is another version of Brendan, when he's clearly not. ( I too thought Brendan was a awesome character btw). Besides the show runners are doing a terrific job with the violent father abuse plot anyway. I must admit, I did have a lot of reservations when this story was first announced because it sounded quite predictable. However the show has been very good in demonstrating how suffering such physical violence at a young age can impact adulthood, especially if that behaviour continues. I REALLY hope they don't go there with rape because then it will just become another child sex abuse story and totally overshadow the physical aspect, which can also can be very damaging but often overlooked in soap.

Ugh about Ste Francy. So that's substance abuse, HIV and dementia in 2 years. You really can't make it up.

The problem is Ste has these storylines but they last about 3 mins because no one cares about him any more, everything is bigger and worse and so dull, make him have a real drug habbit but not cure him in 5 mins, make him do bad things for drugs, really break down
make him have health issues about the HIV and not treat it as if I just take my meds and spit in peoples coffee cos all is fine, show the drugs side effects make harry freak out , have a scare when he kisses Ste who has a split lip and then panics about sex with him, show harry having regular HIV tests

I've just had a similar style convo on twitter about how Stes a bad character now and that I'd be happy to see him axed and that Kieron has to take part of the blame and Kieron replied to me telling me he's doing just fine and after I said a lot he'll make sure to tell me if he was leaving. TBH I was giving an opinion, didn't tag the actor in but he alongside Parry can't take criticism. I mean come on Stes barely going to win any popularity awards anytime soon and I said so. Plus Kierons acting has gone down the toilet massively since he hooked up with Harry. TBH I barely said anything bad but he couldn't take it.

He's probably touchy and defensive because he must know that his character has lost a lot of favour with the audience in the last few years..almost every comment I read on the internet is negative. He'd have to be in utter denial or living under a rock to believe that Ste is still HO's golden boy; he can thank his (and TPTB's) fixation on having Ste be an utter mess all the time for that.

Tbh, I don't think Keiran is a bad actor. I thought he was impressive in the recent three hander. I do think he can pull it out the bag when need be but I don't think he's stand out but then who is on HO, bar Gregory and Anna Pasey?

I agree about Ste though. You know something is wrong when the producer keeps throwing issue led stories at one character. How about Sonia? Celine? Nathan? It's like Kirkwood is doing everything he can to keep ste relevant and it's really failing. I've never known a character to have some many different issues in two years. It's ridiculous. You forget sometimes that he has HIV and now they want to give him dementia? I can't keep up and I'm not particularly interested either.

The problem is at some point hes become the face of hollyoaks, the spokesman for the show, everything became him, he presented loads of the little videos and always was the main person in any interview, while other long running characters took a back seat, like JP and Nancy and Darren.
I started to be very bored of him, everything was all about Ste even JPs rape story line was over taken by Stes latest issue
I think that was also when the show started to go down hill a bit, when everything had to be about Ste, as hes never been a fav of mine from the Amy abuse story line and I never like Brendan so he didnt win me over it felt over kill
I guess the tipping point was when he won come dine with me and nancy was a million times better she should have won, and it became clear that he was the darling of the show and they would always keep him happy
Ste needs to have a realistic story line for once, hes 27? no job. no home, a broken marriage a teenage bf, a serious condition and how does he react to that well no respect to his condition
I think a health scare and a better look at that would help
I wonder how he will react if other actors become more popular, because like Sinead he lives his life very publically and likes to be the darling

So I'm excited about how they're going to develop the relationship between John Paul McQueen and James Nightingale!

Kieron is absolutely a good actor. Even when I'm fed up with Ste and want him to go away, he still manages to pull my heart strings. He made me tear up during the three-hander.

But because he wants to be challenged continuously he requires that they throw disaster after disaster at Ste, he sees "normal" Ste and "has-his-life-together" Ste as the kiss of death for the character, while it's the opposite. It's the constant rock-bottoming without any character development that is killing the character.

If he needs constant excitement (at the detriment of his colleagues, by the way, who don't receive half the storylines and screen times he gets) and far-fetched storylines in order not to get bored, maybe staying on a soap opera for 10 years is not the best idea. Leave, go out there and do different roles, instead of running a once beloved character to the ground.

I hope they do develop it soon, would like to see them having a coffee and a chat with JPs cross parents watching

Nice attempt to bring the thread back to topic!!

Unfortunately, with our boys off screen and no spoilers, there isn't much to say that we haven't already abundantly said!

I hope this drought isn't very long...