East Enders: Sex Shocker!

I am an inveterate soap follower. Feel better I got that off my chest so now I can attend Soap Followers Anonymous with my head held high. I haven’t been watching East Enders for a couple of weeks now and the last I saw was when Sonia ditched Martin for Naomi (who needs real life…?). But the lesbian relationship has kinda fizzled out (very disappointed) and Sonia is back on the straight and narrow. And where has Naomi gone? They coulda made more of that story but for some reason decided not to.

Anyway, what bothered me was just who were the 129 people complaining to the Beeb over Jake Moon and Carly what’s-her-name shagging against the wall in that club (the one which was owned by Den Watts… Look, pay attention at the back)? And oooo errrrr missus, they strip off! I can just hear the blood pressure sky rocketing in the Home Counties and the exclamations of, “Disgusting”!

The Beeb say that the scene was acceptable and suitable to be shown before the watershed. I watched it last Sunday, the omnibus edition. It is rather coy as you don’t see them actually getting down and dirty except for Jake fumbling for a condom. The rest is left to your imagination. Maybe that’s what Disgusted from Tonbridge Wells or Livid from Leatherhead were so against. You saw a condom and the camera zooms in on the image. Or maybe they haven’t got any imagination. Scary…..

There were also complaints (around 128) about the domestic violence storyline between Denise and Owen. Again, that was shown on the omnibus edition and it seemed like a part of a scene had been cut. Maybe to do with the violent nature, I really don’t know. People complained that they found the scenes “disturbing” and “distressing” (Owen punches Denise so hard she loses a tooth). Well, that’s what precisely domestic violence is, disturbing and distressing. Welcome to the Real World of Domestic Violence!

I found the scenes realistic, well scripted, good dialogue and extremely well acted. So, round of applause to the actors Lee Ross and Diane Parish. I did find it shocking and upsetting to watch but that’s due entirely to the fact it was realistic and powerful. The dynamics between Denise and Owen were better acted than say between Little Mo and Trevor. That storyline irritated the hell out of me. The actor who played Trevor (similar with the Trevor “under the patio” Jordache in Brookside) widened his eyes and came over all over-blown theatrics. A cardboard cut out monster with no substance. I also found Denise much more of a rounded character than say Little Mo, the constant victim. The only let down is that Denise is “rescued” by Phil “Quadrophenia” Daniels (diamond geezer nonetheless and I like his acting style).

8million people watched the episodes originally so the complainers are really only a drop in the ocean.