Eastenders - Linda Carter
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Eastenders - Linda Carter
For those of you in the UK who watch Eastenders, I was wondering your thoughts on the Linda Carter alcoholism storyline.
Personally I feel they are handling this storyline extremely well. The show seems unafraid to portray the bleak reality of living as an addict, and is showing the horror of alcoholism as well as the real pain and suffering experienced by the addict and her family/friends. The NYE episode was particularly powerful, the way they showed her seemingly having a great time whilst actually she is descending into the dark madness I’m sure we all recognise so well. The way she completely forgets certain things have happened and at times actually imagines things that didn’t really happen left me with chills as that is all too familiar to me.
I’m also glad that it is an ongoing storyline, and it shows the mental struggle the character is going through, the all too familiar battle of the personality fighting the disease. The actress who plays Linda is doing a remarkable job, and I hope it reaches many more people because addiction seems rife in British society these day’s and little to nothing is seemingly being done about it.
Personally I feel they are handling this storyline extremely well. The show seems unafraid to portray the bleak reality of living as an addict, and is showing the horror of alcoholism as well as the real pain and suffering experienced by the addict and her family/friends. The NYE episode was particularly powerful, the way they showed her seemingly having a great time whilst actually she is descending into the dark madness I’m sure we all recognise so well. The way she completely forgets certain things have happened and at times actually imagines things that didn’t really happen left me with chills as that is all too familiar to me.
I’m also glad that it is an ongoing storyline, and it shows the mental struggle the character is going through, the all too familiar battle of the personality fighting the disease. The actress who plays Linda is doing a remarkable job, and I hope it reaches many more people because addiction seems rife in British society these day’s and little to nothing is seemingly being done about it.
Last edited by SuperMario; 01-27-2020 at 12:58 PM. Reason: Spelling mistake
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Hi yeah i agree the story has been portrayed realistically too in my opinion, its very powerful and yes at times harrowing to watch, with me sadly and scarcely seeing myself exactly in alot of those positions at times, certainly a eye opener as to how alcohol can take over you
Last edited by Tinkerbeau; 01-27-2020 at 01:38 PM. Reason: Add info
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I'm an expat and get forced to watch this show whenever I return home for Christmas (I did used to watch it myself years ago, but it's definitely not something I miss from living in the UK)
The Linda story was honestly driving me insane. I must say that the portrayal over NYE was really good compared to Eastenders' usual standards. The acting was somewhat decent and they did portray the reality well to the point it made me feel awkward in a lot of places (that memory loss part with Sharon) but I simply cannot stand the way they show others handling her situation. The way they had Mick behaving was honestly a joke (I hear he's much the same since I left after Christmas) Endangering her child, complaints from school etc and all I remember him saying was 'We'll get you help' but continuing to carry on working with her in the pub and just giving her endless weak squint eyed stares while he polished pint glasses. I've no idea if that's still happening, but what I saw over Christmas was ridiculous and hopefully they aren't just doing weeks more of Mick staring at her as she smacks him. They do like to drag things out forever. I'd probably be ok with it if they had in fact gone to get her help at some point (even if the help didn't work, at least showing someone helping her would have been good). Maybe since I've left they have.
The Linda story was honestly driving me insane. I must say that the portrayal over NYE was really good compared to Eastenders' usual standards. The acting was somewhat decent and they did portray the reality well to the point it made me feel awkward in a lot of places (that memory loss part with Sharon) but I simply cannot stand the way they show others handling her situation. The way they had Mick behaving was honestly a joke (I hear he's much the same since I left after Christmas) Endangering her child, complaints from school etc and all I remember him saying was 'We'll get you help' but continuing to carry on working with her in the pub and just giving her endless weak squint eyed stares while he polished pint glasses. I've no idea if that's still happening, but what I saw over Christmas was ridiculous and hopefully they aren't just doing weeks more of Mick staring at her as she smacks him. They do like to drag things out forever. I'd probably be ok with it if they had in fact gone to get her help at some point (even if the help didn't work, at least showing someone helping her would have been good). Maybe since I've left they have.
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Originally Posted by NerfThis 
I'm an expat and get forced to watch this show whenever I return home for Christmas (I did used to watch it myself years ago, but it's definitely not something I miss from living in the UK)
The Linda story was honestly driving me insane. I must say that the portrayal over NYE was really good compared to Eastenders' usual standards. The acting was somewhat decent and they did portray the reality well to the point it made me feel awkward in a lot of places (that memory loss part with Sharon) but I simply cannot stand the way they show others handling her situation. The way they had Mick behaving was honestly a joke (I hear he's much the same since I left after Christmas) Endangering her child, complaints from school etc and all I remember him saying was 'We'll get you help' but continuing to carry on working with her in the pub and just giving her endless weak squint eyed stares while he polished pint glasses. I've no idea if that's still happening, but what I saw over Christmas was ridiculous and hopefully they aren't just doing weeks more of Mick staring and her smacking him. They do like to drag things out forever.
The Linda story was honestly driving me insane. I must say that the portrayal over NYE was really good compared to Eastenders' usual standards. The acting was somewhat decent and they did portray the reality well to the point it made me feel awkward in a lot of places (that memory loss part with Sharon) but I simply cannot stand the way they show others handling her situation. The way they had Mick behaving was honestly a joke (I hear he's much the same since I left after Christmas) Endangering her child, complaints from school etc and all I remember him saying was 'We'll get you help' but continuing to carry on working with her in the pub and just giving her endless weak squint eyed stares while he polished pint glasses. I've no idea if that's still happening, but what I saw over Christmas was ridiculous and hopefully they aren't just doing weeks more of Mick staring and her smacking him. They do like to drag things out forever.
I understand your gripe with it, but actually I think a lot of people put up with the behaviour and in many ways enable it when they don’t know what they are being faced with or how to handle it. Someone who isn’t an alcoholic simply cannot understand, and so feel powerless and helpless, not to mention the stigma surrounding it doesn’t encourage open dialogue. I understand your feelings towards it but it’s really well done in that it’s showing how the thing spirals; even as Linda pleads with Mick and professes that she will change, you can see the cogs in her mind turn as she is torn between doing what is right and being her true self and her all-consuming battle with alcohol. As we know, alcoholism isn’t just the preserve of park-bench drunks but mums, dads, brothers, sisters, lawyers, doctors, store workers, the young, the old, the middle-aged etc. Put it this way - whatever its faults, it really holds up a mirror to people like me and almost forces the viewer to confront their own issues. I’m glad it’s being done at this time.
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Ha, I used to watch Eastenders years ago, very addictive but not that good for you. Ill take your word for it but it must be hard to portray the bleakness when every scene is bleak 😃 I tune in every now and again and literally it's all agitation, angst and agro
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Originally Posted by SuperMario
As Tink said, it hits home far too much that it made me uncomfortable (it was like seeing myself on screen). I was also drinking at the time, and it actually made me feel ashamed of myself, I could not deny that what I was seeing was so true to my own behaviour.
As we know, alcoholism isn’t just the preserve of park-bench drunks but mums, dads, brothers, sisters, lawyers, doctors, store workers, the young, the old, the middle-aged etc. Put it this way - whatever its faults, it really holds up a mirror to people like me and almost forces the viewer to confront their own issues. I’m glad it’s being done at this time.
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Join Date: Feb 2018
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Originally Posted by SuperMario
As Tink said, it hits home far too much that it made me uncomfortable (it was like seeing myself on screen). I was also drinking at the time, and it actually made me feel ashamed of myself, I could not deny that what I was seeing was so true to my own behaviour.
As we know, alcoholism isn’t just the preserve of park-bench drunks but mums, dads, brothers, sisters, lawyers, doctors, store workers, the young, the old, the middle-aged etc. Put it this way - whatever its faults, it really holds up a mirror to people like me and almost forces the viewer to confront their own issues. I’m glad it’s being done at this time.
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