Because...Plot!

So I'm moving out of my current place next month and I've been looking for new apartments and I would just like to say that virtual staging of apartments should be banned if they're not at least showing the real empty rooms along with it. That said, some of these ai monstrosities do give me a good laugh.

There was a kitchen with a flower vase coming out of a refrigerator door that I saw. A bowl of nebulous vague orange fruit hovering above a sink. I just saw one with plants growing out of pillows on a bed and cutting boards in a kitchen that looked like pillows.

The robots must be stopped. Haha

Haha now we’re watching the last movie in the trilogy and Sally Dexter is playing the mom of the love interest in this one. And she’s Italian now. This is hilarious. 🤣

Watched the second movie in the Groomsman trilogy on Hallmark that has Alexander Lincoln as the love interest. He was actually really good in it. Nice to see what he can do outside of Emmerdale. It was also a much better movie than the first one.

Watched the thursday and friday scenes....

wow...riveting.

That punch Aaron took was pathetic and in no way possible could have caused his lung to collapse.

Also I felt like there was a complete lack of tension with...literally everything.

Any time John spouts off medical terms, it just sounds so ridiculous I can't even take it.

And if that's all we're getting with respect to resolution to the whole Robert/Seb thing then yeah...that was even more pathetic than the Ben version. How do they continue to get worse at telling the same story? Haha

I mean I couldn't even take Aaron moaning to Chas about pushing people away seriously because nothing with John has any sort of depth to it whatsoever. It's all just so empty.

I also don't know what we were meant to take from that whole John/Swirling informant scene. I'm sure it will just be used for half an episode of cheap drama in like three weeks or something nonsensical like that. This whole boxing story has been very silly from the bits I've watched of it.

I mean conceptually, I think it's downright ridiculous, but if I accept it for what it is, there's still the possibility of a halfway decent story there. It's just not the one they're telling. Haha.

The decent version of this story, that doesn't involve a Robert return, still has to involve Aaron finally dealing with his Robert feelings and truly moving on. And John has to not be so fucking weird about it. I mean there can definitely be conflict of him thinking Aaron's not over Robert (cause he's not) but if they actually showed them connecting on screen and having things in common and having conversations, about Robert about each other, there is a way forward.

It's just that they're doing none of those things.

I feel like the better version of this story would have been Aaron finding out that John is Robert's brother and struggling with that for real and trying to give him a wide berth. Meanwhile, John would have been less awful to everyone and have been genuinely interested in learning about his roots and the Sugdens, including Robert. And he could have reached out to Aaron and told him he understands why he's not interested and Aaron could be like "I'm not not interested, it's just weird." And then they could take things slow and get to know each other. Maybe that's not dramatic enough but it would be a real story and they could throw in some other kinds of curve balls like actually using his army trauma for relationship fodder rather than with Vic, which is still so strange to me.

There are ways to do it that actually honor the characters but they're not doing that. And yeah even if they magically started doing it, they have already let it go on for too long without any of that and the lack of chemistry is very noticeable.

See I feel like I'm one of the more open minded people when it comes to Aaron moving on. I fully accept that it's going to happen and frankly needs to happen if they're never luring Ryan back. It's just that both times they've tried to do it in the last five years, it's been such an insane attempt that I just don't know what they're thinking.

The Ben story was literally terrible and even Ben fans had to admit that in the end. And there was no reason at that point in his life, they needed to revisit that part of Aaron's past and have him date someone he used to bully.

And the John story is equally insane with it being Robert's long lost gay half brother. Because if the story doesn't involve bringing Robert back, then why does he need to be directly related to Robert.

Not to mention they've been together for three months and this was the first week they even attempted to speak to each other about anything real and even that was only barely. And they hardly get screen time together as it is and even then it's mostly just leading up to sex or this dumb boxing story or that weird watch stealing story that happened for no reason.

So yeah...I don't what could be "better than what we want to admit". Better than what exactly? haha

Decided to catch up on the Aaron scenes from the past couple weeks (aside from today's)...

It was nice to hear Aaron talk about Seb and mention Robert.

It also does feel like a very meta plotdale kind of thing when Aaron's there going "Ah yes...remember when my life made sense and I was a real character". Because it's like the producers remember too but can't seem to figure out a way to flesh out his character again with new things for some insane reason (again it's not that hard).

And John...yeah...he's just so dull. I don't know that I was really getting sinister vibes from him. He's more just so boring and badly written. Just the whole "we don't do that" about like "having an actual conversation with the person you're allegedly dating that's not just about illegal boxing or a prelude to sex" is so ridiculous. It's been 3 fucking months. Why have they not had any kind of real conversation about anything? Why has he not asked about Robert before. That's literally your half brother and he was literally married to your current situationship...twice. Like what do you mean you didn't know it was so deep??

I just don't understand the reason for this story being so weird and so bad. Because no matter what story they're telling here, there's no need for it to be like this.

If it's just a straightforward story, then they need to make it a lot more convincing that they actually like each other and they should have already had at least some kind of conversation about Robert due to the situation they created by bringing in his long lost gay half brother and putting him with Aaron. Even if they were waiting for Ross to come back to bring up the Seb thing. Robert should have been discussed at least a little. And they should have been shown to at least talk about other things or have a single thing in common. Aaron saying he wants this to work....like...why?!? Also, I'm still completely baffled that the whole stupid Aiden Moore thing was used as a bonding moment for him and Vic and not him and Aaron. That was right there and they didn't use it. Does Aaron even know about that? Is it relevant? I'm so confused. And where do they even go from here if they are just meant to be a couple?

And then if this is all leading to Robert coming back then it's still super weird. I would think they'd want Aaron to be properly moving on, for their relationship to actually be something even if it's not what he had with Robert. I feel like the trope is, have Aaron get serious with someone new and then bring back his soul mate and let chaos ensue. But that's not what they're doing. It's just...strange...and empty. Because what's the story if Robert does come back? Aaron forces himself stubbornly to stay with John and tries to resist Robert and fails? While Robert deals with post prison trauma and getting Seb back and thinking he doesn't deserve Aaron? I mean...sure...fine but again, I feel like the Aaron/John relationship should be at least at Dr Alex levels and it's not even at that. And what is the dynamic meant to be between John and Robert? I don't know. Is it going to be Andy/Rob 2.0 or a flipped version of that? I just don't have a read on that at all if that's where they're going because John is still such an empty character.

And then if there is a sinister side to John, if we are heading into future serial killer or stolen identity stalker territory here then....I don't feel like they're really telling that story either. Because I feel like there should be a slightly more concrete hint right now rather than people just wondering why their relationship is so empty or wondering if Nate's exit really was that bad or if there might be something more to it.

I don't know...there's just no real excuse for the "story" and I use that term very loosely here...to be what it is.

Distracted myself with wine and drawing semi naked people at a drink and draw. That was a nice little break from doom scrolling.

I just…I knew what I was going to wake up to and I didn’t want to check. I’m just…so disgusted with the people in this country. I don’t know how we’re back here again.

There's just not enough codependency these days. Haha.