LANGFORDS PICKS AND PANS

Cuffs (U.K.)

I figured at some point Jake would deal with homophobia, but I didn’t think it would come from his own partner, Ryan. And it wasn't pretty when Ryan learned his son was gay. To be fair though, a lot of parents would be shocked by that. And in the end, Ryan was regretful and ashamed of how he reacted.

I think the arc of this story is Ryan having negative feelings about gays that even he didn’t recognize or realize. It is one thing to have a gay partner, but another to have a gay son. And for him to struggle with it is not only realistic it doesn’t make him a bad person.

And as I said, he recognizes his reaction was wrong. For that reason alone I suspect he’ll get over it eventually.

So... what happened with Simon and Jake? Simon was having a party in his own house when Jake got home so Jake got mad and left? And then moved in with Ryan? Um.. okay. I think Jake over-reacted. Sure he wanted to be alone with Simon, but it is Simon’s apartment and there’s nothing wrong with Simon having friends over.

But the question I have is in the course of the series, Jake has lived at home with his parents, then Simon’s place and now Ryan’s. He’s a grown man with a decent job. Maybe he should think about getting his own place?

I couldn’t believe that opening sequence where Ryan and Jake were told they didn’t have the authority to get that woman off the train tracks so Ryan has to break the rules and pulled her off anyway. But then he got told off by his bosses afterwards for rescuing the woman? WTF?

I've wondered this before and I wonder again how in the hell does any police work get done in the U.K. with such restraints? If Jake and Ryan had of followed the rules and the woman had been killed, how would the police explain that?

Are there people dying and criminals getting away in real life because of these crazy procedures? Just curious. Then again, the cops in this country shoot first and ask questions later. So I don't know which is worse.

Emmerdale (U.K.)

So how I wonder when Aaron and Robert will get back together? It’s pretty clear from this past week that it’s only a matter of time. I did like it when Robert said “I’m your man” and Aaron replied “You’ll never be that again”. Sure.

I think the drama that led to Chas’ breakdown and the discovery that she was suffering from PSTD was interesting and compelling, but played out too fast. After all the buildup, the story was pretty much resolved in an episode.

Crazy Emma pulling Chas' exact diagnosis out of thin air was so contrived. Lucy Pargeter was very good though and I enjoyed Aaron being so devoted and determined to help his mum.

Chrissie getting away with being the cause of three deaths is ridiculous. This is a town where a half-hearted “I’m sorry” suffices for killing three people.

I had to chuckle when Robert cracked that “the Dingle family are always looking for excuses to get away with what they’ve done”. Um, everybody in this town is like that, including Robert himself.

Holby City (U.K.)

Sometimes I hate spoilers, even though it’s part of my business. I mean, I’ve been loving Dom and Lee’s growing relationship and I grinned like silly when they kissed after weeks of dancing around each other. Those scenes were great.

And then I saw the spoilers about where things are going with them (you can see the video at the end of the column) and it took the wind right out of my sails.

Sigh.

Yes, I realize it’s drama and the course of romance never runs smooth, but I wish it would for a little while. Oh well, I’m going enjoy it while it lasts.

Hollyoaks (U.K.)

Only Ziggy would think a shirtless picture of himself is a proper birthday present.

So Harry and Ste are back together? What are the odds they’ll break up at least once next week? I’ll never understand why every gay in this town not only has to get involved with Ste, but sticks with him no matter how crappy he treats them. He brings nothing to the table in the relationship.

Ste was right about one thing: he and John Paul’s relationship was a disaster. They were never happy and only made each other miserable.

And John Paul insisting they had passion and excitement totally ignores that conversation JP overheard when Ste told Sinead that element was missing in their relationship and JP couldn’t compare to someone like Brendan.

I wish JP would move on. Whatever happened with Lockie? The show totally dropped that pairing and he and JP were hot together.

I rolled my eyes at Ste shading Tegan for what happened with her and Ziggy. Ste is hardly the person to ever be judging someone for a messy love life.

I did love John Paul saying “If I disowned my sisters every time they slept with each other’s boyfriends, I’d be an only child” LOL...

Kudos to HO for doing another transgender storyline. This one is different in that Ms. St. Claire has been transgender for over twenty years while the previous two characters Jason and Blessing hadn’t transitioned yet. Curious as to what the show will do with her.

London Spy (U.K.)

So was that Scottie? Or was it a setup to scare Danny into dropping things after he said he wouldn’t? I hope not, as that would be a huge loss for Danny, but there’s usually a really tragic death in these things.

I’ve read some folks were disappointed by the reveal of what Alex had discovered and I admit it wasn’t as explosive as I imagined, but I wasn't disappointed. But given the tenor and tone of the series, it’s no surprise.

As always, there were some really terrific and strong scenes like Danny’s meeting with the escort and the suspenseful and then heartbreaking scene when Danny found Scottie drunk. And I loved the flashbacks we got with Alex. There hasn’t been enough of those during the series.

The series remains compelling and I’m interested in seeing how it all wraps up this week. I still don’t understand why the unseen bad guys just don’t kill Danny and be done with it. As I said last week, I hope there’s an answer as to why he wasn’t murdered months ago. Otherwise, that’s a big flaw in the story.

Nashville (U.S.)

I’m not mad at Will for deciding to work with Wade on his song. You don’t always have to like or agree with the people you work with. Like Avery said, it’s only one song and it could start Will’s career.

I have a feeling though that this won’t be the end of it and Will is going to have to keep working with him. It’ll be interesting to see where this story goes.

Of course, the predictable path would have it turn out to be that Wade is gay and he and Will have a fling. But I’d rather the show didn’t go that route.

This Life (Canada)

Tom’s son is kinda cute. Maybe he and Oliver could have grief sex. I know, bad taste. LOL...

I liked the flashbacks of Oliver and Tom. I just wish we’d gotten more of them. I’m glad that Oliver is going to fight for what’s his.

If it seems like I don't have much to say, I don't really. But I am enjoying this nice little drama.

THIS WEEK IN SPOILERS

Coronation Street: After witnessing Sarah suffering from stomach pains, Todd figures out that she is pregnant. Todd asks Sarah who the father is and Sarah admits it’s dead bad boy Callum’s baby. Sarah wonders if she can go through the pregnancy and considers abortion. Todd warns Sarah not to do anything she’ll regret.

EastEnders: Worried about Ben after she hears of his criminal past, Kathy goes to talk to Phil and they get into Ben’s upbringing -- and Ben’s sexuality. The argument gets heated and Ben and Abi overhear Kathy discussing that Ben is gay.

Ben is outraged by his mother’s words and upset that Abi overheard it. Has this show forgotten that Ben told Abi he was gay like months ago? Oh well. Anyway, Ben throws Kathy out and Kathy fears she’s lost Ben after finding him again.

Hollyoaks: John Paul, whose bad taste in men is at epic heights, decides he wants Ste back following their cozy dinner together. But JP is devastated to see that Ste and Harry have reunited.

Of course however, things quickly go sour between Ste and Harry after Ste learns that Harry might be attending college -- in Los Angeles (run, Harry, run!).

They fight and Ste being Ste decides to prove he’s serious about their relationship by getting drunk and defacing school property with hearts declaring his undying love for Harry. Harry is embarrassed and angry and things are worse than ever between them.

Meanwhile, Harry finds out that Cleo is still secretly seeing her abuser Pete and threatens to tell her family. And JP and Myra team up to find out if Diego is cheating on Myra. Diego does have a secret, but is that it?

Secret Lives: Lari returns to town and finds out that Ismo and Kristiina are getting married. Outraged that she is having her own wedding after destroying his to Kalle, Lari crashes the wedding and in true soap tradition creates an ugly scene.

Kalle is upset to see his ex-fiance and he’s even more upset when it’s revealed that the reason why Lari left town was to keep the secret of his being baby Ilja’s father - and that his mother was behind the whole thing.

Kalle is angry at both his mother and Lari for all the lies. Lari fears Kalle will never forgive him and that it’s over between them. Naturally, Elias is there to give Lari a shoulder to cry on.

River City: After suffering a blackout from his heavy drinking and partying, Robbie wakes up in the hospital. Embarrassed, Robbie realizes he needs to get his act together before he destroys what’s left his life.

Robbie turns to Patrick for help and decides to go cold turkey and give up the booze and clubbing. But when Angie pokes her nose in Robbie’s business, things get worse.

This Life: Oliver throws a party at he and Tom's place, one last gesture before closing the chapter on that part of his life. But Oliver's behavior leads to a surprising reveal - and forebodes an ominous future.

TEASERS FOR NEXT WEEK

Coronation Street: Todd tries to help Sarah decide what to do about her unborn baby.

Emmerdale: Aaron’s estranged father Gordon makes a shocking return to the village.

Holby City: In the spoiler video below, Dom sees a disturbing dark side to Lee.

Hollyoaks: Ste’s drinking gets out of control - again.

This Life: In the season finale, Oliver’s suddenly happy mood, a symptom of his mental disorder, leads him to make some life altering decisions.

That’s it for this edition of Langford On Soaps. Please share your comments on the thoughts and opinions expressed in this week's column below. See you next week!