Yeah, 2003 was a decent year. The summer of that year (after Dennis killed Jack Dalton and the Ferreiras became more prominent) and the Shirley/Gavin stuff weren't great but the rest of the year was very okay. I know everyone used to complain about Little Mo's second rape and to be fair Freddie could've easily been the result of natural conception with Billy but what's done is done now. I don't think there's anything from 2003 that hangs over the show negatively in the long-term. Robbie was a non-entity, Mark's story was told and Barry was a joke so those three characters getting the chop doesn't bother me whatsoever. The line about the slip-on shoes and the resolution to the whole thing (December 2005) alone made it a worthwhile storyline. And that's before even getting into Paul Trueman's involvement in it.

I genuinely don't get why a certain minority of people are so dismissive of 2003 and lump it in with 2004 (the more challenging part of the Berridge era, because of all sorts of off-screen problems) as a "bad" year. 2003 was a lot of things but bad isn't one of them. Puffs (and when I say that I don't mean with regard to sexuality per-se but just people who live up to a certain sensitive stereotype in that regard) don't like gangster stories but people like me do and so do many others (especially people from urban communities) so it is what it is.

Lol, well he's already been with Kat, and in today's episode he was snogging Sam :laugh:

I remember he eventually gets with Sharon, but i think that's a lot later on. Or does he get with Zoe before Sharon? I literally think he gets with every women in square. He flirted with Pauline when she first met him lol :joker:

I actually forgot about the Ferreria's tbh. I know they're up with the Di Marco's as most useless families. I actually didn't mind the Di Marco's though and i had a huge crush on Teresa Di Marco :smug:

I agree with Mark, they made him into such a gormless sap. Glad Lisa's main role is no longer, for now anyway. She always got on my nerves. As does Laura. Barry is a bore as the bumbling idiot. And Robbie's time was done, agree with that.

B.I.B. I: yeah. The whole Sharon/Dennis/Zoe thing dragged on for most of 2004 and it's not one of my favourite love-triangles (but no worse than Ronnie/Roxy/Jack was in 2009; it's just that that kind of repetitive storytelling was comparatively new for the show in 2004 so it stood out a bit more contextually as being a blight on the show) but it was what it was. I know a lot of people preferred Shannis free of baggage (Den. and Zoe) in '05 but ultimately they were a couple I could get behind at any point, any time. The way Dennis went out was tragic.

B.I.B. II: you what? Are you sure that wasn't Joanne the bunny-boiler nanny?

The Ferreiras aren't a family I'd say I hate and some of their stuff was actually quite interesting but nah. They weren't for the long haul. The Masoods were an example of a much more successful Asian family (inasmuch as I don't like to compare, because the context is a bit different).

The Di Marcos were neither here nor there. Beppe was probably the most memorable family-member of that clan but he was still ... Beppe and besides being (I think) some sort of police-officer I don't remember him doing much of note besides getting in the way of Lynne and Gary. John Yorke was the one who got rid of him in the end anyway so luckily none of that family (not that they were so bad, but they still flopped) were a blight on the Berridge era.

It looks like you think Roy was pretty-much the only significant loss in that 2003 low-key exodus but I just can't bring myself to value what he actually brought to the show besides a bit of stability. It's not like he was always even that likeable as a character but because he had a quiet calm demeanour he got away with it and was assumed to just be a steady, sedate, boring kind of guy. He was actually distinctly unpleasant at times and I think people are quick to forget that. I don't think he stifled Pat. that much but he wasn't her finest partner and took up more space than he was entitled to after those first two years so he had to go.

Yeah, he was in a towel and said to Pauline with a cheeky grin "you don't look old enough to be a grandma" lol

I know Roy was a bore at times, but i dunno, i had soft spot for him. I do think stability is needed, which he gave. I know he was no great loss, but i was sad to see him go.

My memory of say 2001 onwards is hazy, so a lot of what is happening im like "oh yeah, i kinda remember that" and some things i just plain didn't see back in the day.

Kate, no i remember her, because i had such a crush on her. I know she's a pretty interesting character.

Wendy Richard(s) was a stunner back in the day, to be fair. I think she was known in certain circles on the telly for her glamour in the '70s.

Catching up on classic EastEnders. Dennis. Love him!

The Nanny he's seeing is gorgeous.

The Irish accent on a woman has me weak at the knees lol

Are you caught up yet Vanessa?

Ah, Joanne. I loved her.

Yes, only one episode left.

Yeah she's lovely, and very pretty. The blokes treat her like crap, especially Phil.

Dennis is starting to fancy Sharon, i was wondering when they would get started.

Catching up on classic EastEnders.
Really liking Dennis.
The Ferreira's have just moved in.

The Ferreiras were far from the best family but I didn’t hate them. But they weren’t one of the high points of the Louise Berridge era.

Every time i see Tariq all the i see is the "gary" guy from Only Fools :laugh:

Alfie trying to find a condom. Loved Kat and Alfie, they were brilliant together :joker:

Always loved Kat and Alfie. The chemistry was always there. They belong toggle, even now..

Watches classic EastEnders. Swooning over Dennis :blush:

I tell you who i really don't like as a character, Lisa. She's always been so annoying, and now she's back she's even more so.

To be fair, Lisa only pops up once every couple of years now. She’s not really “back” like that. She’s just a blast from the past who’s sorta remained recurring.

Kat and Alfie, one of my all time favourite couples on the show ♥️

And 2003 is one of my all-time favourite years. I know we’ll never forget Shirley/Gavin/the poor cat and the beginning of the Ferreira nonsense (not that I hated that family, but Tariq and the kidney palaver really was a confused nadir) but Louise Berridge had a knack for creating amazing characters and the good stories this year were exceptional. 2004 was very on-and-off but it started and finished very strong.

Yes, it was a great year.
With Ian and Cindy return it feels like more like classic EastEnders again.
I'm loving it!

Mhm-hm. Definitely the best it’s been since at least 2014 (2010 was the last properly decent year they had before that). 2019 was okay but there was a lot wrong with Oates’ EastEnders still. I think it’s the fact that it came just before the pandemic and was the last time the show was settled again before this time last year that makes it look better to some people than it actually was. Some people have a very rose-tinted perspective on what things were like in those three or four years before Covid. The summer of 2016 might’ve been a flex for some people but EastEnders was going through one of the worst phases in the show’s history back then. Brexit wasn’t great either. 2012, 2013 and and 2017 - 2021 (minus 2019, I guess) was probably the show’s lowest hour. Those years were absolutely terrible.