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EE - So glad they brought Kathy Beale back


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Old 09-11-2016, 23:57
Edward Skylover
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I know this will probably be an unpopular opinion and she hasn't had great stories since she's been back but I really like Kathy and the way she is played, and I think she will flourish under SOC's tenure.
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Old 09-11-2016, 23:59
LHolmes
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She's been great recently. One of the most improved characters under SOC.
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Old 10-11-2016, 00:01
Aaron_Silver
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Although DTC made an ass of bringing her back, I'm still glad he did and think it was the right decision.
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Old 10-11-2016, 00:03
Edward Skylover
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I love her relationship with Ben, SOC has already tried to start repairing it.
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Old 10-11-2016, 00:39
Luner13
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I still think bringing Cindy back would've been better.

Exploring her relationship with Steven, conflict with Ian/Jane and seeing her bump heads with Sharon again.

I think Cindy and Steven would've been way more fascinating than Kathy and Ben.
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Old 10-11-2016, 01:10
jcotter779
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I still think bringing Cindy back would've been better.

Exploring her relationship with Steven, conflict with Ian/Jane and seeing her bump heads with Sharon again.

I think Cindy and Steven would've been way more fascinating than Kathy and Ben.
This!
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Old 10-11-2016, 06:40
IanMandy
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I think Cindy would have been interesting too, EE is sorely lacking a bitch. But we all know how DTC tried to turn the show into fan fiction and since Kathy was one of his favourite characters he was bound to bring her back
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Old 10-11-2016, 09:13
_elly001
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She's been great recently. One of the most improved characters under SOC.
Agreed. She's one of the most relatable and likable characters in it these days.
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Old 10-11-2016, 09:17
Adrian_Ward1
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She's improved a bit under SOC
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:35
LHolmes
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I still think bringing Cindy back would've been better.

Exploring her relationship with Steven, conflict with Ian/Jane and seeing her bump heads with Sharon again.

I think Cindy and Steven would've been way more fascinating than Kathy and Ben.
Working off the same timetable as Kathy, Steven wouldn't have been around had Cindy made a return. Not even Cindy Jnr would've been. Kathy just missed Cindy by weeks when she made her full-time return.

I imagine Cindy/Steven wouldn't have been all that different to Kathy/Ben. But the latter is more interesting, imo, as Ben has been on screen more and been developed as a character over the years more than Steven who had a couple of small plots as a child then disappeared before coming back for that small stint under Santer. Steven is unlikely to have been as torn as Ben is because he'd been on the outs from Ian for years and still was even when he returned. Ben's, for better or worse, firmly ensconced into the Mitchell family.

Cindy had no beef with Sharon. They fell out over Wicksy and Sharon was still a bit frosty when Ian brought Cindy back to the Square in early 1993 but there was no real feud between them and certainly by 1995 it had died down completely.

Cindy's whole arc was about being with Ian and not being satisfied with her lot, creating chaos as a result. I don't imagine she'd want Ian back again. With her kids grown up or dead, she has nothing to fight him for now.

There's also the fact Cindy's death was more conclusive than Kathy's with a body identification and on-screen burial as part of the storyline. She died in prison during childbirth. I'm sure they could've found a way but I think there would've been more holes than with Kathy. Insurance fraud (albeit not fully explained) is easier to believe than corruption in the prison service or witness protection whilst inside. They would've moved Cindy to another prison or wing or isolated her for her own protection, not told her family she was dead. Kathy being alive was easier to believe imo. The only hardsell was her not contacting her kids but then she was under the thumb of that psycho.

Michelle Collins came and went from the series. Taylforth was a mainstay for 13 years.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:40
jamesc_715
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She's been fabulous under O'Connor and I'm going to pretend the affair with Buster never happened. Sounds like O'Connor wasn't a fan of the storyline and I am relieved she is back to her old self now.
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Old 10-11-2016, 10:49
Adrian_Ward1
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She's been fabulous under O'Connor and I'm going to pretend the affair with Buster never happened. Sounds like O'Connor wasn't a fan of the storyline and I am relieved she is back to her old self now.
Great post
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:34
Edward Skylover
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She also looks awesome for her age! Long live Kathy!
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:45
bass55
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Kathy's initial return was classic DTC: huge spectacle; no idea what to do with the aftermath.

However, she is is transformed under SOC. Kathy is so much better when she's the voice of reason in a cesspit of moral bankruptcy. I love that she's finally asserting herself again.

I still think bringing Cindy back would've been better.
A Cindy return would have been explosive, no doubt about that. But I think Kathy has far greater long-term potential as the matriarch of the Beale family.
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Old 10-11-2016, 11:55
Edward Skylover
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There is more mileage out of Kathy than Cindy. Cindy returning only has consequences for Ian (and the kids) but Kathy's return has consequences for Ian and Ben, 2 very main characters.
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Old 10-11-2016, 12:24
soap-lea
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Nice to see a positive thread about EE

I can't agree tho, dead Kathy should have stayed in her grave.

Unfortunately, the actresses poor skills compared to the rest of the cast and the backstory given to be able to bring her back means I will never buy in to Kathy being "Kathy" again esp as she has absolutely no right to interfere in sons lives. Ben is absolutely right to tell this woman to do one as he keeps doing
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Old 10-11-2016, 13:54
Damien_Johnson
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She's improved under SOC after DTC had no idea what to do with her.

She's back to being a fiesty but caring mom and friend, rather than a loser woman fawning over Gavin.

They still need to properly explore her faking her death though, to make it more believable. It's like Ben and Ian don't care that she lied about being dead for a decade.

It should be treated as an important story as Ian and Kathy are important characters to the show.
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Old 11-11-2016, 08:33
barlowconnor
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I'm pleased she was brought back as well. Over the past few weeks she's been one of my favourite characters.
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Old 11-11-2016, 10:57
lloys-strachan
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Love that SoC has brought the true Kathy back on the square after a shaky start.

Kathy was always a fighter and voice of reason over the years and I for one hope she gets more storylines and we see her happy.
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Old 11-11-2016, 11:29
Broken_Arrow
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Kathy is great. DTC didn't have a clue what to do with her but SOC is getting her right. This is the Kathy that should have returned.
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Old 11-11-2016, 11:35
The Queen Vic
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I still think bringing Cindy back would've been better.

Exploring her relationship with Steven, conflict with Ian/Jane and seeing her bump heads with Sharon again.

I think Cindy and Steven would've been way more fascinating than Kathy and Ben.
Interesting post.

I do think bringing Cindy back would be interesting, but I do think bringing Kathy back was the better choice. If Cindy had been brought back for the 30th anniversary, it wouldn't have brought much drama would it? Considering Lucy was dead, Peter was about to leave and Steven wasn't actually around then. It would've been good to have seen her square up to Ian but other that that, where would it have gone?

With Kathy, she's an original character. You instantly had story material between her and Ian, Jane, Sharon, Phil, Ben and Dot amongst many others. So I do think Kathy was the right choice. Plus they'd done the 'perhaps Cindy is alive' with Steven's stalker storyline back in 2007...
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Old 11-11-2016, 11:53
DODS11
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They should never have killed her but they should have given her a much better comeback. The Gavin stuff has tarnished her tbh.

I would have had her a lot more mentally unstable, or breaking free out of a witness protection programme, or have a really abusive relationship between her and Gavin portrayed on screen. Instead we got panto.
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Old 11-11-2016, 12:28
sorcha_healy27
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Kathy is great. DTC didn't have a clue what to do with her but SOC is getting her right. This is the Kathy that should have returned.
Totally agree.
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