I enjoyed the episode, but it didn't feel big enough for the exit of such an iconic character as Peggy Mitchell. It should've been an hour long episode with more scenes between Peggy and the Mitchell brothers. It also would've been nice to see Peggy & Sam share one last scene. No interaction with Ronnie or her grandkids during the episode. Unnecessarily featuring that stupid toilet storyline! However, it was very nice to see Pat back and her final scenes were very fitting. I just wish it wasn't so rushed!

I think Pat's return as a ghost/figment of Peggy's imagination worked because of the terrible decision to kill Pat off. Even though her last episode on New Year's Day was wonderfully written, that injustice of being killed off still ran through which meant the fans couldn't accept it or lay the character to rest, whereas I think this appearance was a nice final touch that people can be happy with. It wouldn't work if Peggy returned as a ghost for, say, Phil's death, if that were to happen.

Yeah I do think she should have interacted with Ronnie and Ben and/or Billy too then it would have been perfect in my eyes and yeah a hours long would have been more fitting

Such a gorgeous episode and a fitting exit for a true icon :wub: Seeing Pat again was just lovely.

Just re-watched on iPlayer and it really helps to take in the beauty of the episode. The Peggy and Pat scene at the end particularly was very well written and performed wonderfully by Pam and Babs, but the whole episode had the perfect atmosphere and the nods to the past slotted in nicely. I like the fact Grant and Sharon didn't actually get it on but still recognised there was a spark there, I thought that was a lot more believable than what I was expecting, going from spoilers.

 

What's with the dirty looks Denny, Kyle and Mick gave to Grant though?

Perhaps the dirty looks from Denny, Kyle, Mick that they gave to Grant might be part of the storyline of Grant's next return.

It was totes worth offing Peggy just to see Pat again tbh.

It was a good exit but we had better,it was better than her first exit. There really should have been a scene with Sam.Enjoyed grant been back and the wonderful Pat. Seeing Pat again showed killing her off was a huge mistake. It was lovely having so many of the old cast on screen tonight,Peggy,Pat sSharon,grant,Phil and kKathy

Ross Kemp should stick to making "Ross Kemp On Gangs", "Ross Kemp Extreme World" and so on......

 

So much more dramatic and entertaining than Grant, Grant doesn't have the spark that he had in 1990's.

This is one of the first episodes I've watched in a while as I felt like it would be an iconic one. I agree that it wasn't quite the extravaganza that 'Peggy Mitchell dies' should've been. I think we needed a bit more. Having said that, I REALLY like what they did with the Peggy and Pat thing. I never thought I'd feel emotional over 'you bitch, you cow' but the whole thing just worked so well.

Ross Kemp should stick to making "Ross Kemp On Gangs", "Ross Kemp Extreme World" and so on......

 

So much more dramatic and entertaining than Grant, Grant doesn't have the spark that he had in 1990's.

 

I disagree, i thought he was on form, the more episodes he does he will improve. It takes time to get fully back into such an iconic role.

I think Ross was as good as expected and I liked seeing him, but I have to agree that I'm not sure there's a place for him now/anything more they can do with him without going over old ground. There wasn't that "omg Grant's back!" presence about his scenes; it was all in the hype running up to it.

 

I'd rather they focused on making new icons and bringing out the best of who is currently in the show rather than relying on old characters and playing with old classic storylines. DTC's biggest problem was the fan fiction/greatest hits stuff.

 

It's just dawned me that Peggy's exit was actually a suicide. Has any soap ever portrayed a successful suicide before? I know Corrie tried to do it back in the 60s but had to cut the scenes and rewrite due to the backlash, and of course we've had plenty of assisted suicides, but I can't think of someone taking their own life themselves. It's one of those things that seems to be a big no-no in soap due to them having to show the audience that there's always a way forward, but they got away with it in this case due to it being related to the 'right to die' issue.

I find the suicide side, ending life etc. all too common in soaps. Very few of the cancer storylines done in soaps have the characters die naturally. I do remember Alice in Emmerdale and Alma in Coronation Street but in recent years the storylines conclude with the character not dying naturally. I personnaly feel a natural ending would be a better endning as it reflects what i believe every family in the country experience.

 

I agree about making new icons, every character in a soap was new to start with and gradually became icons and i dont believe we are getting that with soaps as much. This is in large down to cast members not staying in the roles long enough. Belinda Slater is showing every sign of becoming an iconic EastEnders character if she sticks with the show and the story-lining team dont ruin her character. From characters on the sqaure now with the exception of the long running cast who do you think has the potential to be iconic? From all the Carters i believe Aunt Babe could potentially be an EastEnders icon if they give her the proper storylines.

I find the suicide side, ending life etc. all too common in soaps. Very few of the cancer storylines done in soaps have the characters die naturally. I do remember Alice in Emmerdale and Alma in Coronation Street but in recent years the storylines conclude with the character not dying naturally. I personnaly feel a natural ending would be a better endning as it reflects what i believe every family in the country experience.

 

I agree about making new icons, every character in a soap was new to start with and gradually became icons and i dont believe we are getting that with soaps as much. This is in large down to cast members not staying in the roles long enough. Belinda Slater is showing every sign of becoming an iconic EastEnders character if she sticks with the show and the story-lining team dont ruin her character. From characters on the sqaure now with the exception of the long running cast who do you think has the potential to be iconic? From all the Carters i believe Aunt Babe could potentially be an EastEnders icon if they give her the proper storylines.

I agree, a natural end is a reflection of what does usually happen and it's interesting to see how each member of the family copes as their loved one gets progressively worse, but it's not something that can be common practice in soap otherwise they verge on being too depressing for too long. Don't forget, Eastenders just last year showed Stan getting progressively worse and was brutally honest and reflective at times, so it does still happen. There's also Emmerdale where, even if they did end the storyline with him ending his life, Ashley is and will continue to get worse for a long stretch of time, as I believe the actor's contract was extended.

 

Belinda does have the potential to be iconic if she, like you say, stays in the role for a long time and isn't ruined in the future. Shabnam was definitely an icon in the making and I hope she returns one day with Rakhee still in the role. I also feel Linda has that potential but we'll have to see what the next producers plans are for her and whether she'll work as a character outside of the Vic when she inevitably leaves that place of work. Then there's Carmel who I believe will become a classic character as I feel Bonnie is at the stage of her life where she'll want to be settled in a job.

I think for Peggy suicide or assisted suicide was fitting. It shows what a strong character/woman she is, even in her final weeks/months she had to take control and leave the world on her terms. I wouldn't have found it realistic to see Peggy whittle away to skin and bone and I don't think I'd have wanted to either!

It was all amazing but Claudette shitting herself at the sight of Peggy is the moment of 2016 so far.

It's just dawned me that Peggy's exit was actually a suicide. Has any soap ever portrayed a successful suicide before? I know Corrie tried to do it back in the 60s but had to cut the scenes and rewrite due to the backlash, and of course we've had plenty of assisted suicides, but I can't think of someone taking their own life themselves. It's one of those things that seems to be a big no-no in soap due to them having to show the audience that there's always a way forward, but they got away with it in this case due to it being related to the 'right to die' issue.

 

I think Brookside did it once, when Mick Johnson helped his then girlfriend to assist her mum in suicide as she had cancer.

Edited May 19, 20169 yr by Mark.

It's just dawned me that Peggy's exit was actually a suicide. Has any soap ever portrayed a successful suicide before? I know Corrie tried to do it back in the 60s but had to cut the scenes and rewrite due to the backlash, and of course we've had plenty of assisted suicides, but I can't think of someone taking their own life themselves. It's one of those things that seems to be a big no-no in soap due to them having to show the audience that there's always a way forward, but they got away with it in this case due to it being related to the 'right to die' issue.

Katy Harris in Corrie is one! I think it was 2005, but I know she killed her dad in a rage by hitting him with a spanner because she was seeing the much older Martin Platt wouldn't allow it, she didn't mean to kill him and her mother took the blame but Katy was so plagued by guilt so she wrote a note, killed herself and her mother got out of prison. There was also one in Hollyoaks before my time but I've heard about it, I think he was abusive towards his girlfriend and committed suicide from the guilt soon after.

 

Stella in Eastenders did too really, I know it was a bit unclear but they did conclude it as suicide I think rather than Phil pushing her. I think Kevin Webster's second wife Alison in Corrie too, she walked in front of a lorry after her baby died, I think she took Bethany Platt when she was born just after Alison's son, when Alison gave her back she walked in front of a lorry. But the latter two could be argued at spur of the moment things by people were mentally ill, off the top of my head Katy and the Hollyoaks one are the only "proper" ones I can think of that wasn't assisted suicide like Ethel in Eastenders or Hayley in Corrie.

Katy Harris in Corrie is one! I think it was 2005, but I know she killed her dad in a rage by hitting him with a spanner because she was seeing the much older Martin Platt wouldn't allow it, she didn't mean to kill him and her mother took the blame but Katy was so plagued by guilt so she wrote a note, killed herself and her mother got out of prison. There was also one in Hollyoaks before my time but I've heard about it, I think he was abusive towards his girlfriend and committed suicide from the guilt soon after.

 

Stella in Eastenders did too really, I know it was a bit unclear but they did conclude it as suicide I think rather than Phil pushing her. I think Kevin Webster's second wife Alison in Corrie too, she walked in front of a lorry after her baby died, I think she took Bethany Platt when she was born just after Alison's son, when Alison gave her back she walked in front of a lorry. But the latter two could be argued at spur of the moment things by people were mentally ill, off the top of my head Katy and the Hollyoaks one are the only "proper" ones I can think of that wasn't assisted suicide like Ethel in Eastenders or Hayley in Corrie.

Ah yes, I remember the Katy Harris storyline, probably my first memory of watching Corrie and I remember loving it. I seem to recall she was diabetic and committed suicide by not taking her insulin or something? I remember Stella and Alison now too but, as you say, they were spur of the moment things and the suicides of Katy and this guy from Hollyoaks serves as a kind of soap '''justice''' for doing wrong (same can be said for Stella and Alison really). Peggy seems to be the first person to have a planned suicide that's not the result of any wrong doing on her behalf, but even then I'm sure the producers only got away with it due to it being linked to the "right to die" issue.

 

I don't think soap could ever get away with someone committing a successful suicide as a result of depression or bullying etc. because they have to show that there's always a way forward (similarly how rape storylines need a justified ending, despite how Linda's rape or Emmerdale's Lisa's rape both pushed the barrier).

Please tell me my TV wasn't the only one to go blank during the last 30 seconds! Ruined what was a really emotional scene at the end! :angry: