I was pretty much expecting Dean to just say 'good' to Shirley. I'm guessing she was hoping he would say something different!

I still can't figure out what this whole thing with Linda is. One minute he's all creepy and the next you feel sorry for him. He is jealous of the Carter's and wishes he had a Mum like Linda but then he gropes her next week and has a crush on her.

I hope he doesn't end up getting her pregnant...

I was a bit shocked that he was so abrupt. However, it's too soon for them to reconcile, I'm sure it will happen when something bigger happens.

I'm not really sure how else he would have reacted. He's not ready to deal with his feelings yet I don't think so this actually makes it easier for him.

I do think they are overdoing his woe is me I had a horrible childhood thing though as actually he is very lucky he had Kevin there to look after him after Shirley left - others have not been so lucky. He must have had happy times with Kevin - maybe he needs reminding of that.

Yeh I think that too, but I guess it's to make the obsession, or whatever is going to happen, more plausible.

I do wonder - we've always known Deano was naïve and silly and did some stupid things - i.e. drugging Stacey's drink for a 'laugh' but was the story Dean told about shaving his girlfriend's hair off a sign of how bad he can be? How far he can take something? And that's when he was only 17.......

I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth about that or just having a laugh! If it's true then I wouldn't like to think what he could do now he's older and more screwed up!

He seemed genuine to me....I dread to think what he could do.

I actually didn't think the shaving head thing was too sinister but I am a bit baffled about him going on about his terrible childhood. Kevin was a good Dad to him and Carly.

Maybe his anger is partly because Kevin is no longer with him and he isn't his son. I guess a lot went wrong for Deano once his Mother reappeared, maybe that is it.

I suppose it doesn't matter how good one parent is, it's very easy to remember the resentment you have towards the other.

It would make more sense if we knew more about why Dean's like he is - what happened to him in prison to change him from a naïve idiotic boy to a resentful young man? Prison has made Dean like this - as many people have said, he was fine with Shirley before he got sentenced.

We actually saw Dean smoke as well! He's always been throwing a cigarette away in previous scenes. I don't like smoking, but it definitely adds to his damaged image - he didn't smoke before he went to prison...a stress release? A way of coping with stuff? He definitely exhaled that smoke like he was trying to rid himself of something!

Yes it's always easier to remember the bad stuff and forget the good.

I agree that we need to know more about what happened in prison as that seems to be where this anger and resentment comes from. Using Shirley's abandonment and lies as an excuse to be even more angry. He's blaming Shirley for prison when really it was his own fault he ended up there. I guess it's easier to blame someone else and that would likely to be someone close to you who you already have feelings of anger towards. But yes I do think we need to see more of the real reason he is so angry as people will get bored of his poor abandoned son routine and forget about prison.

Yeh we need to find out more about him as a person rather than his issues with Shirley. I hope that happens soon.

Yes I kind of keep hoping someone will mention prison just to see what his reaction is - just a simple "so what was prison like?" would do! Or for Nancy as she seems to be getting closer to him asking him outright what happened that was so bad.

I just rewatched yesterday's ep and in the scene with Shirley you can see how torn he is - he really wants to say to her yes I want you to be my mother I need you to be my mother but he just can't.

It worries me how many people on your thread about how dark the Dean/Linda storyline will go seem to think he will rape her. I really hope they are all wrong. I just can't see him doing that. I think the only it would happen is in more of a date rape type scenario where they are both drunk and willing but she changes her mind and he doesn't realise so doesn't stop. I don't think he would do it in an aggressive manner. I hope that makes sense.

Yeh it would be good to see his reaction to a question. Maybe Lee could ask him once he finds out he was in prison? Dean asked him tough questions about the army!

Yeh I don't see it myself either. Dean's messed up, but I don't think he could rape anyone. Why would they be writing him so we should feel for him if they're going to ruin it?

The latest All About Soap has a headline "Deadly Lust! Will Dean's Obsession Go Too Far?!" Hmm wonder what that's about.

It's a shame he was so mean to Lola - would be nice to see him interacting with non-Carters more and have locals working in the salon.

Oooh that doesn't sound good, but I'm sure it's a slight exaggeration.....

Yeh I agree. I think Lola will eventually work at Blades though.

These magazines do usually exaggerate yes! He doesn't appear next week anyway but I think AAS covers two weeks.

Yes maybe - I didn't remember her doing hair though I thought she just did nails.

Hopefully we'll know more soon

Yeh I thought that....maybe it's going to be that she learnt other skills too?!

Monday 28 July
Dean offers to lend a helping hand, but what are his true intentions?

Thursday 31 July
Dean is furious when he realises who has betrayed him.
Will a panicked Shirley’s secret finally be revealed to Mick?

Hmm interesting

Thanks for those - very interesting!!

Could it be Linda that betrays him?

Would make a change from it being Shirley!

Maybe it's something to do with the groping - either Linda tells all or someone she tells tells more people. Or it's to do with whatever happens on the Monday. If it's not Shirley who betrays him maybe this is one of the times she takes his side.

I saw All About Soap and it is just them speculating they have no new info.

I hope we see Linda confront Dean about him groping her on Thursday. I half expect him to deny it even happened. What was he thinking - does he really think he can get away with doing something like that?!

I'm starting to think that there is something seriously wrong with Dean. He was almost crying when he thought Linda wasn't going to be a model. Deano was conscience about other people, even though he did stupid things - Dean seems to be more oblivious.

I hope Linda does say something to him. It will be very interesting to see how he reacts!

Yeah I noticed how upset he looked. I still think it should turn into a serious obsession and that it would be something a bit different from rape if it ends with Dean threatening or even attempting suicide if Linda refuses to see him or he is kept away from her. I don't want him to consciously hurt anyone else. I want it to be something that leads people to realise all is not right with him and him getting help rather than just blaming him and his stint ending with him going to prison or worse.

That's exactly what I want to see as well - this storyline should go down the route of looking at how he feels and why. An attempted suicide would be interesting for the story and how others react and realise he needs help. He's almost attempted it before.