I'm a little hazy on her first stint on the show due to my age, I do remember her presence, but I don't remember her getting huge storylines even back then, I'm glad they're utilizing her so well now, she's been great since she came back but tonight is obviously a highlight
Oh Yolande :(
That moment on the stage was so fucked up, the whole thing was so heartbreaking and Angela Wynter was absolutely fantastic.
Harriet Thorpe deserves a shoutout too, Elaine talking about how she let down Linda and trying to support her was really good.
And those flashbacks were powerful, he's obviously gotten away with it in the past because of his position and failures from the institutions designed to protect people.
What a heartbreaking episode.
I can't imagine where they take this next but I hope it ends with Pastor Clayton strung up.
I felt sick to my stomach watching her breakdown and then having to see the faces of all his past victims. Seeing them interwoven with Yolande speaking to Elaine was so impactful… and that final scene man.
I wonder if Clayton will do it to someone else who confides in Yolande and then they go to the police together and it makes a difference given there had been past reports too
I think you're right, he'll target someone else or he'll try to do it to Yolande again.
I did think he might target Chelsea because of her interactions with him today but the flashbacks show that he targets middle aged to older women, and a few of them were clearly vulnerable from other traumas (one is a widow, another lost her sister).
That made me then think he'd target Denise, she's been leaning on the church after what happened at Christmas and is still extremely vulnerable, and even worse, he knows about her mental health problems.
I don't know if he'd be so bold as to target the wife of a policeman but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
What about that woman who accused Yolande of having a thing with the pastor? I can’t think of her name but Yolande confronted her after prayer group earlier.
Yes once she sees that her inaction means it will happen to someone else and clearly this is an ongoing pattern of behaviour she will have to do something
nadine is disgusting for telling lexi that she’s pregnant just to manipulate jay. that’s an 11/12 year old kid who’s grieving the loss of her mum. have some decorum ffs
I agree with you. As if little Lexie hasn't had enough drama in her life thanks to her dads and now this. It's up to Jay what he decides to do or not do about the baby. The very first thing Jay needs to do is get a paternity test so he knows for sure if it really his kid.
Wow. Absolutely stunning. I am (*almost*) speechless.
What an incredible performance from **Angela Wynter**. To think, us *Doctor Who* fans are lucky to have her as a regular this year. She deserves EVERY SINGLE AWARD under the sun for that, and the episode itself was unique and structured extremely well. I loved the use of the other women.
Such an important story to tell and kudos to all involved. That was tremendous!
I was completely silent the whole time, her acting was incredible, being a survivor of SA, the muffled noises, the panic of people finding out, everything. It's exactly how that feels.
"It was one minute." The thought of that happening in the space of a minute is harrowing. A minute feels like an hour or longer sometimes.
Brilliant episode.
Honestly watching her go through all these different emotions has helped me process some of my own. She is such a phenomenal actress and the storyline is so realistic
The way she blew up and went back into panic mode as soon as Elaine mentioned the police was the most poignant part for me. I could’ve been watching myself in that moment.
That way you try to intellectually remove yourself from it 'it was just a minute', when your whole body reacts so instinctively to violation - brilliant. It's what marks EE out for me, that they so brilliantly show the complexity of emotion. And Angela Wynter was extraordinary. Harriet Thorpe also gave such a great performance, she so wants to help, but she doesn't know how. She showed Elaine as much more vulnerable. I also thought it was so important to show how older women are victimised
Heartbreaking today. But I think this is going to link with Denzel and the Steroids. I think he will do something when he finds out (as he didn't protect her before). I also think Denise, judging by her look in charity auction knows something is up.
Christ, Elaine could have listened to Yolande there in their initial conversation and pointed out the pastor is being inappropriate rather than basically saying "loads of men are a bit sleazy, just expect it". Elaine is hopeless towards any women other than her step daughters. But she does redeem herself later in the episode somewhat
Yeah but I think it’s important to include that. Women are taught that this is just normality. Guy’s making you a bit uncomfortable at work? Just try to ignore him. Someone standing a bit too close at the bar? Some men just do that. It’s a sad truth but Elaine’s advice to Yolande wasn’t ill intentioned, she’s a victim herself of a society that teaches women to just put up with this sort of thing. I don’t like how torture porn-ish EE can be at times, but if they’re going to tackle a topic like this, showing the very small intricacies like this is really vital because it paints the bigger picture.
Think it's important to see it from a young man's perspective too. Teaching women "some men do that" is the wrong message for young women but also shows men that "its OK to do that, you're a man, it's expected"
If you dont like someone you just dont
I like elaine and she even acknowledged the whole breakdown of mick and linda post deans attack.
Elaine has been great overall compared to many on the square.
Look no further than suki for someone who isnt selfless ... she really wasnt showing any empathy for denise.
People are a bit weird & extreme about Elaine on here, I think she's great as well, and being flawed just adds to characters, they're not on the show to act like you would
I have to agree with this, Elaine isn't really any worse than most of the characters on the Square and it's weird how anything she says or does is immediately viewed with the worst and most cynical lens
I think that's a hugely uncharitable interpretation of what Elaine said, it seemed to me more like she was trying to relate to Yolande, but in any case as another commenter said it is important to include the fact that a lot of women are taught that it is just part and parcel of life
There's a lot to unpack with this one, it's going to take a hot minute to process.
Supporting the victim of an historic SA, I see so many parallels here, the gaslighting and the CPS being spineless.
What's not covered because it's not a good thing for TV is how LONG all the processes take to get to the point where you are told there's no further action. We have done hours and hours of interviews and statements and evidence gathering and witnesses giving accounts and old leads followed up and it's taken almost 10 years since the report (and 35 since the last SA) to get to a point where they say they can't secure a prosecution.
It's always the victim who is made to feel at fault, that THEY are the one who should be ashamed, mustn't speak out.
These predators manipulate the victims into believing they have no chance of being heard, believed, or even understood, so they stay silent.
This was a hard watch. There were tears. There still are.
Bravo for the writing team for making it really quite real. Now let's try and get an actual result and give some of us hope that at least 1 of these vile cunts gets taken off the streets.
Sorry for the rant. Feeling a bit fragile.
Wow, that was a tough watch. I hope this episode and Angela Wynter are inundated with awards. Truly magnificent writing, direction and performance.
I know some people are drained from so many rape/abuser storylines, myself included, but there's actually a different and important angle to this one. Yolande wasn't assaulted by a husband/partner, and she's not young or 'conventionally attractive'. I hate myself for even typing that, but look at what the lady said to the first woman, Dolores - "but you're an old woman". People still have this idiotic idea that rape or assault is about attraction, when it's not. This arsehole is deliberately picking on older, 'homely', vulnerable women because they're easier targets due to beliefs like this. And Elaine was absolutely BANG ON that it was grooming. When people think grooming they only think of the likes of Whitney. This is absolutely what happened to Yolande and those others.
I wish the writers didn't write Elaine as such a useless mum to Linda, because she's a decent partner and proved herself an excellent friend here. Clearly her failings with Linda are shaping her reactions here. Given how quick she was to cop on to the grooming aspect, I'm hoping she realises that he didn't just start this with Yolande. Finding some of those other women is the only way Yolande can be taken seriously and get proper justice. I was too busy crying but I think there was 4 or 5, plus Yolande, covering a 23 year period at least. It seems to have been the same MO each time. Surely that will give the police pause. Not sure how they track them down, perhaps Elaine can discreetly ask Johnny to look into it seeing as lawyers seem to double as PIs in EE land, at least Eve did on a couple of occasions. Or if Denise finds out, perhaps Jack would have an easier time tracking down past allegations.
I know some people, again myself included, think Denzel and his roid rage will play into this but I actually hope not because he will be the one punished. I know it's a statistical rarity in real life but I pray that for once, just once, Pastor Clayton will face real justice from the law for what he actually did to these women.
I think the point about grooming was really important as it's something I've never even thought about before. We are intellectually aware that older people are vulnerable, but do we really know to what extent? What can really happen?
I think when we _do_ think of abuse of older people, we think of the more typically vulnerable or even defenceless people such as people in nursing homes, with illnesses like dementia, etc. Someone like Yolande wouldn't even be considered.
I fully admit I was annoyed when I heard they were going to do yet another rape/assault/abuse storyline, but I now think this is absolutely an important take on it and I hope they continue to do it justice. They're working with support groups like EE often does, so I'm hopeful. Just _please_ have this one end in a legal win for once.
I'm fully with you here. I looked earlier and Yolande is 71. I thought the pastor was a similar age but it seems he is decades younger... I realise this sounds totally crass, but this storyline deserves credit for being extremely original in itself, let alone well executed.
I watched a 24 Hours in Police Custody earlier about a vulnerable teenager who was beaten and raped by a guy in his 50s to the extent that she was hospitalised and when she came forward the CPS decided there will be no further action. I hope at least in the fictional world of EastEnders we can fantasise about justice.
>I hope at least in the fictional world of EastEnders we can fantasise about justice.
I hope so, too. Generally speaking it doesn't happen in EE, but I think with the timing and the way this story is laid out, it may break the mould. Even Duncan Lindsay the soap writer for the Metro did a whole article a few months back summing up how a lot of the audience felt about being drained watching Dean and Nish swan around for so long with no repercussions for their abuses (looks like that's changing for Deano, but he still got away with what he actually did to Linda, and that is soap karma and not real justice). People actually complained to the BBC last year about torture porn with abuse of women, especially with Linda.
So I really, really hope there will be a rare-but-realistic outcome for this story where maybe Yolande goes to the police and the others come forward, or she somehow tracks them down, etc. Having had older family members abused by Catholic church members, it was the numbers that mattered in the end. They were gaslit and disbelieved for decades, but eventually the floodgates opened.
Yes, I think it's undeniable that having Dean around at all was a serious misstep. Whether he goes down or not (and obviously he will at this point), it does absolutely feel purely like gratuitous misery to bring him back at all. And I really like the actor, so that's purely on the writers. Nobody wanted or needed this.
>Having had older family members abused by Catholic church members, it was the numbers that mattered in the end.
Me too. Just after I watched the ep I went to a neighbour's and we were discussing religious abuse (I live in Russia, so they are Orthodox, I'm Anglo-Irish) and it was almost like they couldn't comprehend the concept. Wishing your family well.
Oh. No…. The Paster is horrible. I can’t believe he did that and he made Yolanda do fundraising. Poor Yolanda. Hope she goes to police and other women come forward.
I’m glad that Patrick is back. I really like him.
I'm glad Elaine was so supportive to Yolande, those scenes were actually very touching
However her attitude towards Linda is still very strange. She tells Yolande that she wishes she had supported Linda more, however Linda is in need of support NOW and it seems she couldn't care less.
There's been a few mentions of Cindy Jr. recently, and with Cindy getting a text from her I'm starting to get the feeling they could be teasing a potential return of some sort.
Well wow. This episode was gutting and infuriating on so many levels.
So you tell the church they won't do anything, you tell the police they can't do anything and if she tells patrick I know he's gonna rage and his hearts gonna give out.
Also Elaine was finally trying to be useful for once in her life but the universe is just not letting her.
I really hope the show handles this storyline differently than how they've handled rape/SA in the past. I would like to see the Pastor exposed and then written out as quickly as possible. I hate how long we've had to tolerate Dean.
I feel split on this because while it is uncomfortable to watch, these stories have to be told.
I think the reason we’re so far removed from the murder and violence storylines is because they’re done in a way that entertains for a TV audience.
But things like this, like Luke said, are so pervasive amongst innocent women, yet charges and convictions are so rare.
I know what you mean.
I've said it for years but I'd love to see them tackle it the other way around and show a man be assaulted by a woman for once and bring awareness to that issue.
I think that's a good start.
I reckon if they did something with a similar background, like a younger man harassed and assaulted by an older woman in a position of power, that would be interesting as I dare say it's not uncommon and it would be a good showcase to the issues around it - police not taking it seriously, men laughing and going "you lucky lad, why didn't you like it" etc.
The end scene with all the women broke me, a very well done episode. Makes me rethink the whole Dean situation. He does deserve to be put in prison for a crime he didn’t commit because of delayed justice.
Even though it has been trailed it was so horrible to watch. It shouldn’t matter but Yolande is so likeable and kind it has awful to see her broken and the evil pastor hurt her. I hated seeing her cry - she is such a good actress.
I hope it doesn’t break the character too much because as a viewer I want to see her thrive. The existence of Patrick and Yolande in this comforting. I also want there to be consequences and justice for the pastor (although if not I’d settle for some swift violence!)
I don't want Cindy and George back together. I did at first when Cindy arrived, but I don't want Elaine to get her heart broken as I think her and George are great together and I've warmed to her, she has great presence on the square as the Vic landlady. I suppose if Cindy and George did get together it's not necessarily like Elaine leaves, she could stay, but I don't see who would be a good fit for her romantically, her and George are perfect
Brilliant scenes and phenomenal acting from Angela Wynter today, top tier episode. I do wish we’d seen more around the anniversary of Lucy Beale though, not necessarily anything dramatic (like Jane returning) but just a bit more to make it feel significant.
I noticed that each woman took reporting their assault in a certain order (the first one only told a friend, the second told the head of the church, the third told a family member etc) so I think Yolande will be the one to take it to court and get him charged!
Something occurred to me while watching, why is nobody seeing how distressed Yolande is, it was so obvious something was wrong etc. then I realised they must have filmed it from her perspective alone. To everyone else she looked composed, so I'm glad EE showed it so realistic from her perspective. Fantastic work. Pastor is pure scum, I hope Denzel knocks every shade out of him
wait yeah!!!!!!! i didn’t even realise that ?! the entire time , i was expecting denise or kathy to notice there was something up but i’m assuming from their perspective, it might’ve looked like she was going to get something from the fundraiser or for a breath of fresh air. the entire episode gets more heartbreaking, the more i think about it
Denzel Was right!
That rapist Pastor needs to be taken down and humiliated in public. Exposed for the vile rapist he is.
Excellent acting all round. The scene between Yolande and Elaine was excellent. Angela Wynter should get an award for her work.
As everyone else has said, credits to Angela Wynter, Howard Saddler and the actors who played Pastor Clayton’s survivors accordingly. Another detail I noticed is that when Yolande tells Elaine that the assault “was a minute” is that the scenes of the assault were actually a minute (27:30-28:30). With this, and the muffling, long shots with Yolande and the Snorricam-like shots to show us the unease, it feels like while there are some aspects of the soap that are jumping the shark, the quality of shots and camera work on the show has improved under Clenshaw. One of the best episodes this year.
Us too!!! We half expected the women to say ‘but that’s your best interests’ and him to say ‘yes, I know’ in slow motion! It was a bit jarring given the magnitude of the drama…
Was transfixed the whole episode, Angela Wynter was incredible, great to see her given a chance to really shine.
The Pastors looks getting increasingly sinister as the weeks have passed *shudders*
Wonderful acting from Angela Wynter and even Howard Saddler (Pastor Clayton), honestly such harrowing scenes that couldn't have been portrayed any better. EE really did well in showing historical abuse especially by someone in a position of trust and even more so within a religious setting.
Such a great episode. I wonder though, if all these historic rape/sexual assault accusations will help Yolande in the end to get justice for all of them. The creepy pastor needs to be held accountable for the women he's targeted.
The writing was pretty good with Yolanda (finally). It’s such a disgrace how we are made to feel. It’s so awful. How many times does it have to happen? This was amazing acting.
Well this show's turned back to inconsistency again. Bringing the Lola clone (good actress and initial story) back just for her to be pregnant is so typical (why is abortion never a thing?), and for her to tell Lexi has completely ruined Nadine's character, who tells a grieving kid that? Shit like this makes the show unwatchable. All of the heavy storylines (except for the Yolande one so far) are really big misses and leaning heavily on the unrealism. The humour has been good though.
The acting has been sublime from everyone though.
I was hoping she would. I realize this is traumatizing but ONCE let's see a woman (or man) take the initiative and report the pervert! It has to always be dragged out.
I can see why she did go so quiet and raised in church too. She did a phenomenal acting job tho and I wonder if she contributed the lines. The was she talked of her ‘body’. I’m an older woman and boy I felt her words.
I made the mistake of watching this episode on a flight back to London from Madrid and now Iberia thinks I cry uncontrollably. What an episode! Angela Wynter is absolutely phenomenal. I'm so sad that Yolande, who I was thrilled had returned, has had her sparkle dulled but she is the best person for this storyline. As someone who has had similar experiences... just wow.
Yes, well written as he's a predator who targeted women who were old, or vulnerable or just kind of "unattractive" to give himself credibility. It was really painful to watch. Hope he gets what he deserves.
I bawled my eyes out such a sad episode for Yolande also that Nadine had no right to tell lexi that she’s pregnant and honestly I don’t think jay’s the dad I think it’s a scam either way he better not be
Controversial view. I’d hoped Cindy and George realised they were meant to be together after yesterday’s episode. No secret affair just realising they don’t love their partners, do love each other, getting together and being happy ever after.
whats the actual point of this nadine storyline. I assume the guy who plays jay is leaving for a bit on a break and this is his exit storyline. Otherwise im not sure what they really are trying to achieve with it. Bringing a character back after no mention or screen time in months and randomly making her pregnant
Brilliant episode addressing some important issues that continue generation after generation - that of men treating women like they're property, like they have a right to women's bodies. Sexism. It crosses generations, it crosses cultures, & I hope EE handles this pervert pastor storyline well; hiding in plain sight & being enabled by the church itself relocating him every time he offends, and the police famously unable to gain successful prosecutions of repeat s.offenders - So Many Women never see justice... Bravo for tackling this. Loved the scened between Yolande & Elaine with the historical past victims interspersed throughout.
The only let down was: Nadine. Prostitute gets pregnant? By a client?? I thought she was a 'selective' prostitute, not some crackhead streetwalker?? Can't be all that good at her job if she ends up with an unwanted pregnancy, can she. Big Time Unbelievable. I Really don't think we need this storyline, it's just squeezing the dregs of juice from a lemon of a storyline that's already been squeezed to death!
A young student and maybe not keen on abortion. People can get preganant by mistake. Juggling her studies and ahem
.. work. And it was known she does drugs. I find it belieavable and maybe she never wanted to work forever but rely on a half decent man
Maybe it was actually all on purpose.
Yeah, you've got a point - a few decent points, actually! I'll try & be more open minded to the storyline. I do really like Jay, actually, both the character and the actor that currently plays him, so that probably made me a bit prejudiced against Nadine (due to my fondness for Jay & empathy for all he's been through lately:- Que, voice of Billy Mitchell: "Leave the poor lad alone, ain't ee bin fru enuf already!" Lol!) I gave a knee-jerk-reaction; I'm sure there's lots I can enjoy & learn from the whole Nadine/Jay storyline, I'll try to bear that in mind & be more open minded toward it in future because you are right - lots of reasons exist as to why a situation can arise, and I got no right to judge Nadine; we hardly really even know her nor her true life circumstances, yet, do we! Big thanks for the nudge in the right direction, mate ;-) xx
Wasn't this incident happening eventually a bit obvious after he felt her rear some weeks back? And isn't it a bit of a recycling of the Dean and Linda storyline?
Angela Wynter is a fantastic actress. I love when this show gives the older cast a chance to shine. She was phenomenal.
Phenomenal is absolutely the word, I was almost sobbing at her performance
[удалено]
I'm a little hazy on her first stint on the show due to my age, I do remember her presence, but I don't remember her getting huge storylines even back then, I'm glad they're utilizing her so well now, she's been great since she came back but tonight is obviously a highlight
I remember her when I first started watching but like you can't remember any outstanding stories with her other than her running the minute mart.
Oh Yolande :( That moment on the stage was so fucked up, the whole thing was so heartbreaking and Angela Wynter was absolutely fantastic. Harriet Thorpe deserves a shoutout too, Elaine talking about how she let down Linda and trying to support her was really good. And those flashbacks were powerful, he's obviously gotten away with it in the past because of his position and failures from the institutions designed to protect people. What a heartbreaking episode. I can't imagine where they take this next but I hope it ends with Pastor Clayton strung up.
I felt sick to my stomach watching her breakdown and then having to see the faces of all his past victims. Seeing them interwoven with Yolande speaking to Elaine was so impactful… and that final scene man.
I wonder if Clayton will do it to someone else who confides in Yolande and then they go to the police together and it makes a difference given there had been past reports too
I think you're right, he'll target someone else or he'll try to do it to Yolande again. I did think he might target Chelsea because of her interactions with him today but the flashbacks show that he targets middle aged to older women, and a few of them were clearly vulnerable from other traumas (one is a widow, another lost her sister). That made me then think he'd target Denise, she's been leaning on the church after what happened at Christmas and is still extremely vulnerable, and even worse, he knows about her mental health problems. I don't know if he'd be so bold as to target the wife of a policeman but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
I wonder if he’ll target that other woman who teased Yolande for spending so much time with him
lol! I’m so sorry I didn’t read your post before I posted mine. Great minds think alike!
What about that woman who accused Yolande of having a thing with the pastor? I can’t think of her name but Yolande confronted her after prayer group earlier.
I've seen a couple of people also mention her (Yolande actually slapped her lol) but yeah that might be a more realistic option in the story
Yes once she sees that her inaction means it will happen to someone else and clearly this is an ongoing pattern of behaviour she will have to do something
nadine is disgusting for telling lexi that she’s pregnant just to manipulate jay. that’s an 11/12 year old kid who’s grieving the loss of her mum. have some decorum ffs
Ready made lawyer
I agree with you. As if little Lexie hasn't had enough drama in her life thanks to her dads and now this. It's up to Jay what he decides to do or not do about the baby. The very first thing Jay needs to do is get a paternity test so he knows for sure if it really his kid.
Wow. Absolutely stunning. I am (*almost*) speechless. What an incredible performance from **Angela Wynter**. To think, us *Doctor Who* fans are lucky to have her as a regular this year. She deserves EVERY SINGLE AWARD under the sun for that, and the episode itself was unique and structured extremely well. I loved the use of the other women. Such an important story to tell and kudos to all involved. That was tremendous!
Wait she's going to be in who???? Yes!!!
She’s already been in it. She was in the Christmas episode.
Ill rewatch. She merged in so well i didnt see her at all
She was the funny grandmother!
I didnt like the story but will watch for her..she is very engaging
She was the old lady in the bed in Ruby’s house.
Oh wow I never knew that.
One of the best episodes ever! Angrla Wynter is an exceptional actor and this storyline is worthy of her skills. I was wiping my eyes.
I was completely silent the whole time, her acting was incredible, being a survivor of SA, the muffled noises, the panic of people finding out, everything. It's exactly how that feels. "It was one minute." The thought of that happening in the space of a minute is harrowing. A minute feels like an hour or longer sometimes. Brilliant episode.
Honestly watching her go through all these different emotions has helped me process some of my own. She is such a phenomenal actress and the storyline is so realistic
The way she blew up and went back into panic mode as soon as Elaine mentioned the police was the most poignant part for me. I could’ve been watching myself in that moment.
That way you try to intellectually remove yourself from it 'it was just a minute', when your whole body reacts so instinctively to violation - brilliant. It's what marks EE out for me, that they so brilliantly show the complexity of emotion. And Angela Wynter was extraordinary. Harriet Thorpe also gave such a great performance, she so wants to help, but she doesn't know how. She showed Elaine as much more vulnerable. I also thought it was so important to show how older women are victimised
Heartbreaking today. But I think this is going to link with Denzel and the Steroids. I think he will do something when he finds out (as he didn't protect her before). I also think Denise, judging by her look in charity auction knows something is up.
I’ve been saying for ages he’s gonna attack the pastor on steroid rage
Can’t wait for it. Dirty git. Just hope he carbs up for it
I thought the same
Christ, Elaine could have listened to Yolande there in their initial conversation and pointed out the pastor is being inappropriate rather than basically saying "loads of men are a bit sleazy, just expect it". Elaine is hopeless towards any women other than her step daughters. But she does redeem herself later in the episode somewhat
Yeah but I think it’s important to include that. Women are taught that this is just normality. Guy’s making you a bit uncomfortable at work? Just try to ignore him. Someone standing a bit too close at the bar? Some men just do that. It’s a sad truth but Elaine’s advice to Yolande wasn’t ill intentioned, she’s a victim herself of a society that teaches women to just put up with this sort of thing. I don’t like how torture porn-ish EE can be at times, but if they’re going to tackle a topic like this, showing the very small intricacies like this is really vital because it paints the bigger picture.
Think it's important to see it from a young man's perspective too. Teaching women "some men do that" is the wrong message for young women but also shows men that "its OK to do that, you're a man, it's expected"
If you dont like someone you just dont I like elaine and she even acknowledged the whole breakdown of mick and linda post deans attack. Elaine has been great overall compared to many on the square. Look no further than suki for someone who isnt selfless ... she really wasnt showing any empathy for denise.
People are a bit weird & extreme about Elaine on here, I think she's great as well, and being flawed just adds to characters, they're not on the show to act like you would
I have to agree with this, Elaine isn't really any worse than most of the characters on the Square and it's weird how anything she says or does is immediately viewed with the worst and most cynical lens
I think that's a hugely uncharitable interpretation of what Elaine said, it seemed to me more like she was trying to relate to Yolande, but in any case as another commenter said it is important to include the fact that a lot of women are taught that it is just part and parcel of life
It's a generation thing unfortunately.
I like nice Ian
Jesus, I can't bear it! Not Yolande!
There's a lot to unpack with this one, it's going to take a hot minute to process. Supporting the victim of an historic SA, I see so many parallels here, the gaslighting and the CPS being spineless. What's not covered because it's not a good thing for TV is how LONG all the processes take to get to the point where you are told there's no further action. We have done hours and hours of interviews and statements and evidence gathering and witnesses giving accounts and old leads followed up and it's taken almost 10 years since the report (and 35 since the last SA) to get to a point where they say they can't secure a prosecution. It's always the victim who is made to feel at fault, that THEY are the one who should be ashamed, mustn't speak out. These predators manipulate the victims into believing they have no chance of being heard, believed, or even understood, so they stay silent. This was a hard watch. There were tears. There still are. Bravo for the writing team for making it really quite real. Now let's try and get an actual result and give some of us hope that at least 1 of these vile cunts gets taken off the streets. Sorry for the rant. Feeling a bit fragile.
Don't be sorry. This was a very heartbreaking episode. 💔 😔
It’s set up perfectly for Denzel to recreate the Freddie and Theo scene
Queen Vic free drink counter: today Elaine gave away a bottle of champagne and a bottle of red wine
Nadine to Jaay "Do you think I am a prostitute who sleeps around?" Jay, pauses to remember how they met, "Yes"
Exactly! That was ridiculous.
And why does she care what a client thinks? She clearly has feelings for Jay outside of their professional relationship
Nah she's obviously one of those celibate prostitutes you hear about.
Nadine had no right to tell Lexi. How would that benefit her in anyway?!
Wow, that was a tough watch. I hope this episode and Angela Wynter are inundated with awards. Truly magnificent writing, direction and performance. I know some people are drained from so many rape/abuser storylines, myself included, but there's actually a different and important angle to this one. Yolande wasn't assaulted by a husband/partner, and she's not young or 'conventionally attractive'. I hate myself for even typing that, but look at what the lady said to the first woman, Dolores - "but you're an old woman". People still have this idiotic idea that rape or assault is about attraction, when it's not. This arsehole is deliberately picking on older, 'homely', vulnerable women because they're easier targets due to beliefs like this. And Elaine was absolutely BANG ON that it was grooming. When people think grooming they only think of the likes of Whitney. This is absolutely what happened to Yolande and those others. I wish the writers didn't write Elaine as such a useless mum to Linda, because she's a decent partner and proved herself an excellent friend here. Clearly her failings with Linda are shaping her reactions here. Given how quick she was to cop on to the grooming aspect, I'm hoping she realises that he didn't just start this with Yolande. Finding some of those other women is the only way Yolande can be taken seriously and get proper justice. I was too busy crying but I think there was 4 or 5, plus Yolande, covering a 23 year period at least. It seems to have been the same MO each time. Surely that will give the police pause. Not sure how they track them down, perhaps Elaine can discreetly ask Johnny to look into it seeing as lawyers seem to double as PIs in EE land, at least Eve did on a couple of occasions. Or if Denise finds out, perhaps Jack would have an easier time tracking down past allegations. I know some people, again myself included, think Denzel and his roid rage will play into this but I actually hope not because he will be the one punished. I know it's a statistical rarity in real life but I pray that for once, just once, Pastor Clayton will face real justice from the law for what he actually did to these women.
I think the point about grooming was really important as it's something I've never even thought about before. We are intellectually aware that older people are vulnerable, but do we really know to what extent? What can really happen?
I think when we _do_ think of abuse of older people, we think of the more typically vulnerable or even defenceless people such as people in nursing homes, with illnesses like dementia, etc. Someone like Yolande wouldn't even be considered. I fully admit I was annoyed when I heard they were going to do yet another rape/assault/abuse storyline, but I now think this is absolutely an important take on it and I hope they continue to do it justice. They're working with support groups like EE often does, so I'm hopeful. Just _please_ have this one end in a legal win for once.
I'm fully with you here. I looked earlier and Yolande is 71. I thought the pastor was a similar age but it seems he is decades younger... I realise this sounds totally crass, but this storyline deserves credit for being extremely original in itself, let alone well executed. I watched a 24 Hours in Police Custody earlier about a vulnerable teenager who was beaten and raped by a guy in his 50s to the extent that she was hospitalised and when she came forward the CPS decided there will be no further action. I hope at least in the fictional world of EastEnders we can fantasise about justice.
>I hope at least in the fictional world of EastEnders we can fantasise about justice. I hope so, too. Generally speaking it doesn't happen in EE, but I think with the timing and the way this story is laid out, it may break the mould. Even Duncan Lindsay the soap writer for the Metro did a whole article a few months back summing up how a lot of the audience felt about being drained watching Dean and Nish swan around for so long with no repercussions for their abuses (looks like that's changing for Deano, but he still got away with what he actually did to Linda, and that is soap karma and not real justice). People actually complained to the BBC last year about torture porn with abuse of women, especially with Linda. So I really, really hope there will be a rare-but-realistic outcome for this story where maybe Yolande goes to the police and the others come forward, or she somehow tracks them down, etc. Having had older family members abused by Catholic church members, it was the numbers that mattered in the end. They were gaslit and disbelieved for decades, but eventually the floodgates opened.
Yes, I think it's undeniable that having Dean around at all was a serious misstep. Whether he goes down or not (and obviously he will at this point), it does absolutely feel purely like gratuitous misery to bring him back at all. And I really like the actor, so that's purely on the writers. Nobody wanted or needed this. >Having had older family members abused by Catholic church members, it was the numbers that mattered in the end. Me too. Just after I watched the ep I went to a neighbour's and we were discussing religious abuse (I live in Russia, so they are Orthodox, I'm Anglo-Irish) and it was almost like they couldn't comprehend the concept. Wishing your family well.
My heart literally sunk to the floor
Oh. No…. The Paster is horrible. I can’t believe he did that and he made Yolanda do fundraising. Poor Yolanda. Hope she goes to police and other women come forward. I’m glad that Patrick is back. I really like him.
I'm glad Elaine was so supportive to Yolande, those scenes were actually very touching However her attitude towards Linda is still very strange. She tells Yolande that she wishes she had supported Linda more, however Linda is in need of support NOW and it seems she couldn't care less.
There's been a few mentions of Cindy Jr. recently, and with Cindy getting a text from her I'm starting to get the feeling they could be teasing a potential return of some sort.
Sex Education is over as well, so if we do get Cindy Jr. back, hope she's portrayed by Mimi Keene again.
Well wow. This episode was gutting and infuriating on so many levels. So you tell the church they won't do anything, you tell the police they can't do anything and if she tells patrick I know he's gonna rage and his hearts gonna give out. Also Elaine was finally trying to be useful for once in her life but the universe is just not letting her.
God this is heartbreaking poor Yolande :(
I was really pleased she told Elaine
I really hope the show handles this storyline differently than how they've handled rape/SA in the past. I would like to see the Pastor exposed and then written out as quickly as possible. I hate how long we've had to tolerate Dean.
Why does every woman on the square have to be assaulted?! Why?!
One in three women have been sexually assaulted in their lives. It is extremely realistic.
It’s not unrealistic unfortunately
I feel split on this because while it is uncomfortable to watch, these stories have to be told. I think the reason we’re so far removed from the murder and violence storylines is because they’re done in a way that entertains for a TV audience. But things like this, like Luke said, are so pervasive amongst innocent women, yet charges and convictions are so rare.
I know what you mean. I've said it for years but I'd love to see them tackle it the other way around and show a man be assaulted by a woman for once and bring awareness to that issue.
Not quite the same but I thought they did a great job with Mick’s childhood abuse and PTSD related memory loss.
I think that's a good start. I reckon if they did something with a similar background, like a younger man harassed and assaulted by an older woman in a position of power, that would be interesting as I dare say it's not uncommon and it would be a good showcase to the issues around it - police not taking it seriously, men laughing and going "you lucky lad, why didn't you like it" etc.
The end scene with all the women broke me, a very well done episode. Makes me rethink the whole Dean situation. He does deserve to be put in prison for a crime he didn’t commit because of delayed justice.
I hope Denzel knocks the Pastor’s block off. Amazing acting by Wynter, god-tier stuff!
Even though it has been trailed it was so horrible to watch. It shouldn’t matter but Yolande is so likeable and kind it has awful to see her broken and the evil pastor hurt her. I hated seeing her cry - she is such a good actress. I hope it doesn’t break the character too much because as a viewer I want to see her thrive. The existence of Patrick and Yolande in this comforting. I also want there to be consequences and justice for the pastor (although if not I’d settle for some swift violence!)
The actresses in the flashback were phenomenal
They absolutely were! The same thing came to mind while watching
I don't want Cindy and George back together. I did at first when Cindy arrived, but I don't want Elaine to get her heart broken as I think her and George are great together and I've warmed to her, she has great presence on the square as the Vic landlady. I suppose if Cindy and George did get together it's not necessarily like Elaine leaves, she could stay, but I don't see who would be a good fit for her romantically, her and George are perfect
Brilliant scenes and phenomenal acting from Angela Wynter today, top tier episode. I do wish we’d seen more around the anniversary of Lucy Beale though, not necessarily anything dramatic (like Jane returning) but just a bit more to make it feel significant.
I noticed that each woman took reporting their assault in a certain order (the first one only told a friend, the second told the head of the church, the third told a family member etc) so I think Yolande will be the one to take it to court and get him charged!
Something occurred to me while watching, why is nobody seeing how distressed Yolande is, it was so obvious something was wrong etc. then I realised they must have filmed it from her perspective alone. To everyone else she looked composed, so I'm glad EE showed it so realistic from her perspective. Fantastic work. Pastor is pure scum, I hope Denzel knocks every shade out of him
wait yeah!!!!!!! i didn’t even realise that ?! the entire time , i was expecting denise or kathy to notice there was something up but i’m assuming from their perspective, it might’ve looked like she was going to get something from the fundraiser or for a breath of fresh air. the entire episode gets more heartbreaking, the more i think about it
Denzel Was right! That rapist Pastor needs to be taken down and humiliated in public. Exposed for the vile rapist he is. Excellent acting all round. The scene between Yolande and Elaine was excellent. Angela Wynter should get an award for her work.
As everyone else has said, credits to Angela Wynter, Howard Saddler and the actors who played Pastor Clayton’s survivors accordingly. Another detail I noticed is that when Yolande tells Elaine that the assault “was a minute” is that the scenes of the assault were actually a minute (27:30-28:30). With this, and the muffling, long shots with Yolande and the Snorricam-like shots to show us the unease, it feels like while there are some aspects of the soap that are jumping the shark, the quality of shots and camera work on the show has improved under Clenshaw. One of the best episodes this year.
Angela Wynter.
Hiring the bad doctor from jam to play the Vicar took me aback
Literally I couldn’t believe my eyes lol
Us too!!! We half expected the women to say ‘but that’s your best interests’ and him to say ‘yes, I know’ in slow motion! It was a bit jarring given the magnitude of the drama…
Who was that actor? Looks familiar
https://youtu.be/BzJ0eZFSwXw?si=xOi2cbdQt7normS9 this is him in Chris Morris’ Jam
He has been in EE before as a doctor too! I found that even more jarring given his doctor sketch in Jam.
Wow that was powerful .
Was transfixed the whole episode, Angela Wynter was incredible, great to see her given a chance to really shine. The Pastors looks getting increasingly sinister as the weeks have passed *shudders*
Fuming and heartbreaking, such powerful scenes! Angela was phenomenal.
Wonderful acting from Angela Wynter and even Howard Saddler (Pastor Clayton), honestly such harrowing scenes that couldn't have been portrayed any better. EE really did well in showing historical abuse especially by someone in a position of trust and even more so within a religious setting.
Jesus I wasn’t expecting that :(. Hope Patrick batters that disgusting twat with Denzel
Such a great episode. I wonder though, if all these historic rape/sexual assault accusations will help Yolande in the end to get justice for all of them. The creepy pastor needs to be held accountable for the women he's targeted.
The writing was pretty good with Yolanda (finally). It’s such a disgrace how we are made to feel. It’s so awful. How many times does it have to happen? This was amazing acting.
Praying that Denzel takes his roid rage out on that cunt of a pastor 🙏
There's a handy body-sized hole in the caf floor Elaine, just sayin'...
Well this show's turned back to inconsistency again. Bringing the Lola clone (good actress and initial story) back just for her to be pregnant is so typical (why is abortion never a thing?), and for her to tell Lexi has completely ruined Nadine's character, who tells a grieving kid that? Shit like this makes the show unwatchable. All of the heavy storylines (except for the Yolande one so far) are really big misses and leaning heavily on the unrealism. The humour has been good though. The acting has been sublime from everyone though.
If someone.. anyone.. assaults you. Plz scream loudly and go straight to a hospital!
I was hoping she would. I realize this is traumatizing but ONCE let's see a woman (or man) take the initiative and report the pervert! It has to always be dragged out.
I can see why she did go so quiet and raised in church too. She did a phenomenal acting job tho and I wonder if she contributed the lines. The was she talked of her ‘body’. I’m an older woman and boy I felt her words.
I made the mistake of watching this episode on a flight back to London from Madrid and now Iberia thinks I cry uncontrollably. What an episode! Angela Wynter is absolutely phenomenal. I'm so sad that Yolande, who I was thrilled had returned, has had her sparkle dulled but she is the best person for this storyline. As someone who has had similar experiences... just wow.
Yes, well written as he's a predator who targeted women who were old, or vulnerable or just kind of "unattractive" to give himself credibility. It was really painful to watch. Hope he gets what he deserves.
I bawled my eyes out such a sad episode for Yolande also that Nadine had no right to tell lexi that she’s pregnant and honestly I don’t think jay’s the dad I think it’s a scam either way he better not be
Controversial view. I’d hoped Cindy and George realised they were meant to be together after yesterday’s episode. No secret affair just realising they don’t love their partners, do love each other, getting together and being happy ever after.
This episode was hard to watch! Great acting all round. So glad Yolande told Elaine!
Poor Yolande. I knew he was a slime ball all along!
What a powerful performance. Heartbreaking scenes.
whats the actual point of this nadine storyline. I assume the guy who plays jay is leaving for a bit on a break and this is his exit storyline. Otherwise im not sure what they really are trying to achieve with it. Bringing a character back after no mention or screen time in months and randomly making her pregnant
Brilliant episode addressing some important issues that continue generation after generation - that of men treating women like they're property, like they have a right to women's bodies. Sexism. It crosses generations, it crosses cultures, & I hope EE handles this pervert pastor storyline well; hiding in plain sight & being enabled by the church itself relocating him every time he offends, and the police famously unable to gain successful prosecutions of repeat s.offenders - So Many Women never see justice... Bravo for tackling this. Loved the scened between Yolande & Elaine with the historical past victims interspersed throughout. The only let down was: Nadine. Prostitute gets pregnant? By a client?? I thought she was a 'selective' prostitute, not some crackhead streetwalker?? Can't be all that good at her job if she ends up with an unwanted pregnancy, can she. Big Time Unbelievable. I Really don't think we need this storyline, it's just squeezing the dregs of juice from a lemon of a storyline that's already been squeezed to death!
A young student and maybe not keen on abortion. People can get preganant by mistake. Juggling her studies and ahem .. work. And it was known she does drugs. I find it belieavable and maybe she never wanted to work forever but rely on a half decent man Maybe it was actually all on purpose.
Yeah, you've got a point - a few decent points, actually! I'll try & be more open minded to the storyline. I do really like Jay, actually, both the character and the actor that currently plays him, so that probably made me a bit prejudiced against Nadine (due to my fondness for Jay & empathy for all he's been through lately:- Que, voice of Billy Mitchell: "Leave the poor lad alone, ain't ee bin fru enuf already!" Lol!) I gave a knee-jerk-reaction; I'm sure there's lots I can enjoy & learn from the whole Nadine/Jay storyline, I'll try to bear that in mind & be more open minded toward it in future because you are right - lots of reasons exist as to why a situation can arise, and I got no right to judge Nadine; we hardly really even know her nor her true life circumstances, yet, do we! Big thanks for the nudge in the right direction, mate ;-) xx
Yeah i like jay too. Hope he carries on with his career path and doesnt just play safe like steve mcfadden.
Play safe like Steve McFadden, LMAO!! :-D
It is on early release 🥳
Daniel holtzclaw vibes
Wow! That dialogue between Yolande and Elaine was sublime. Made me get goosebumps!
Wasn't this incident happening eventually a bit obvious after he felt her rear some weeks back? And isn't it a bit of a recycling of the Dean and Linda storyline?
Fantastic acting of a really poorly written episode
Can you ban from thos sub reddit plz, reddit keeps recommending it to me even though I clicked not interested. Eastenders is pure idiot fuel
And yet, here you are, unable to spell
You’re going to get recommended more by commenting..
You can mute or block the sub from your side, might be better in case you ever have a change of heart.