Misery is for life not just Christmas in Eastenders World, but the Christmas and Boxing Day 'specials' raised the benchmark. It wasn't just Zainab who was left screaming at the sight of Tamwar on fire (thankfully he was wearing a fireproof duffle coat); the audience were similarly overcome and left too close to a nervous breakdown to be able to stop watching it.
Plot by numbers was the key to all of this. Shots of blocked fire exits before the first fire is even alluded to. Shots of Patrick and the youngest Moon boy leaving massive boxes of fireworks and whisky on the stairs as they were dragged back into the party in the living room. Best of all the corniness was Christian saving Masood from the first fire, and then leaving him alone to recover in the kitchen. Rather than going outside for fresh air and to reassure everyone he's ok, Masood calls his family from said kitchen - and they all walk off to the pub presuming he'll be fine. It comes as no surprise that shortly after this poignnant moment the fire reignites courtesy of scrunched up newspaper and explosives on the staircase. Oh dear, must stop watching this before it starts to seem plausible.
Comments