Jean's portrayal of bipolar

[Redway]

Been a good few months now since she left Walford with Ollie, but Stacey going round hers last Friday reminded me of how she started off as a serious and accurate portrayal of manic depression and how they made her all retarded and ditzy towards the end... anybody get offended by how she came across in her final three or so years?

[Gstar]

nope. I will always have a soft spot for Jean and she's a fantastic actress

[Redway]

nope. I will always have a soft spot for Jean and she's a fantastic actress

Gillian Wright's definitely a brilliant actress but I've wondered for quite some time if the direction they took Jean was a good one or whether it'd just reinforce stereotypes.

[Jake.]

She did a great job and Stacey did an even better one imo, the week that her world began to crumble was really hitting

[waterhog]

disagree - well researched and so well acted - jean was gold and classic bipolar.

gold actress - i feel a proposal is due.

[Niamh.]

I don't really know how well she portrayed it, as in how accurate it was, since I don't really know anyone with bi-polar (that I'm aware of anyway) but I adored Jean, she was my favourite character in EEs

[bbfan1991]

No. Gillian Wright and Lacey Turner were amazing in the Bipolar storyline and both actually got an award by a Mental Health charity for their portrayal of it and because it helped raise awareness, plus these awards aren't just handed out to any random person.

You could really feel the emotional turmoil of Jean and Stacey and it's ironic how when Stacey was washing her Mom's hair when we first met Jean and learnt about her problems and then Stacey scared off some hoodies who were hounding her Mom, it was Jean who took that role on a few years later washing Stacey's hair when Stacey got diagnosed with Bipolar.

I would love to see Jean back now Stacey is back and Lacey always worked fantastic with Gillian.

[Marsh.]

I don't think she was retarded (tbh I take offence at light use of that word).

Bi polar meant she doesn't just have spells of manic depression but also manic highs.

But I don't think her ditzy nature was attributed to her bi-polar anymore than Stacey's slutty nature was attributed to hers. An entire person isn't defined by a condition.

[bbfan1991]

I don't think she was retarded (tbh I take offence at light use of that word).

Bi polar meant she doesn't just have spells of manic depression but also manic highs.

But I don't think her ditzy nature was attributed to her bi-polar anymore than Stacey's slutty nature was attributed to hers. An entire person isn't defined by a condition.

Exactly Bipolar is about the highs and lows, passions and dark moods a person goes through.

Some people found the way Jean acted really annoying, which in turn annoyed me because they turned their eye at the fact she is mentally ill.

[Redway]

Exactly Bipolar is about the highs and lows, passions and dark moods a person goes through.

Some people found the way Jean acted really annoying, which in turn annoyed me because they turned their eye at the fact she is mentally ill.

Well, for me it wasn't turning my eye due to the fact that she was mentally ill, but rather the way EastEnders portrayed the condition. Allowing her take the rap for Alfie/Kat/Mo's fraud (or whatever it was) because she was 'confused' was a step too far.

[waterhog]

i might propose to jean -

[Munchkins]

I think some of her potrayal was offensive.. especially as i know people with Bipolar
the bath scene she did was meant to be serious, but just wasn;t