New Storylines Emerge…

Tuesday 25th November

After last night’s first Hollyoaks Later episode, HH began to grow concerned that the standard of this week’s 6.30pm episodes would slide down an oily slope of grasping at stories.

But we needn’t have bothered worrying our Hollyoaks heads. In a half hour installment that covers the always tricky subjects of under-age sex and racism, Hollyoaks aficionados will be pleased that Hollyoaks is still providing some meaty stories for its devoted 6.30pm audience.

Tony and Theresa wake up together in the Hutchinson Manor, and Tony, ever-the-gentleman, calls a taxi for Theresa.

Should have done that last night, shouldn’t you Batman?

Jacqui and baby Max approach Il Gnosh, eager to find out why reliable Tones stood them up last night.

Tony cruelly informs Jacqui that he has moved on, that he isn’t interested, that it is OVER.

Well, the HH has to admire Tony for finally having some guts to stand up to someone. We just wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.

Jacqui later finds out that Tony has decided to sell Tan and Tumble to new guy, Ash Roy. Another confrontation for Jacqui, this time in the salon with Ash leaves Jacqui distraught.

The cold hard wall has been broken. We are seeing the softer side of Jacqs… and we only wish Tony see it too.

Theresa pesters Tony with texts and phone calls and watching him at work, camouflaged in the Jubilee Gardens. She seems to have developed an unhealthy obsession with our resident chef. One that could lead Mr H into dangerous waters...

Turning up at his Manor, Theresa reveals to Tony that she is 15 years old.

Well, that is a shock-horror, mouth-hanging-open, heart-stopping surprise.

Well for Batman at least. We were all prepared for this.

Poor Tony, of any man in any soap, he seems to have the worst luck with the female half of the species.

It’d be lovely if he could settle down, in a converted barn, outside Chester, perhaps with an aga and a couple of retrievers. A good wife and a few kids – with Tony’s haircut, of course.

But that would not be nearly as entertaining or as amusing for us.

Lauren Valentine and Anita Roy and roped into working for Anita’s older brother, Ash Roy’s at his burger van, Relish. Work experience boy, Gaz, turns up late to work with the girls.

However, it isn’t all jokes and laughs over flipping burgers and toasting buns. Gaz proceeds to make racist comments towards Anita.

Lauren and Anita are horrified. Ash appears and fires Gaz.

Ash is an amazing superman-esque character. Hands in pockets, buffer than Warren, Ash will take no prisoners.

But this will not be the last we see of Gaz. Hollyoaks is opening up a new story line, providing us just a snippet of months to come.

If you are a victim of racism or want to know more about the law surrounding under-age sex, click on these links:

Sex and Relationships

Racism

Batman leaves his Batmobile at home

Monday 24th November

It is difficult to know where to start with this episode.

In the typical ‘Oaks version of the calm before the storm (Hollyoaks Later is only 3 and 1/2 hours away from lift-off) do we first mention that our in-house Batman (Tony H) has gone off the rails or do we mention that our disappearing bad-boy Niall IS BACK?!

Batman has gone off the rails.

Leaving his batmobile (his moralistic conscience) our Batman (Tony Hutchinson) leaves a desperate and hopeful Jacqui cooking for him at the McQueens and parties-it-up Tony-stylee with Russ and Cindy at a school disco night at The Loft, with Russ.

Alas. Dear old, reliable Tony had a few options he could have taken here. If only the HH advisor was sitting on his shoulder. We’d have been happy to help and provide these alternatives:

a) go to the McQueens, chat and eat with Jacqui, make up and be merry.

b) go home to Hutchinson Manor and settle down to Newsnight with a bottle of Merlot

c) go home BY YOURSELF after getting totally trolleyed at The Loft

But Tony is on a mission. To forget the past year and the McQueen mess in which he had been involved.

And that mission involved a young girl by the name of Theresa.

To the trained Hollyoaks eye, trouble is sticking out like giraffe in a field of cows.

This young girl looks very young indeed.

But the view from Batman’s beer goggles is a little more hazy. Off to Hutchinson Manor they both go.

It’s a shame that after 13 years of living in Hollyoaks, Tony has not learnt that when you take someone back to your humble abode, the repercussions are enormous.

But we can’t wait for them!

Steph and Tom are back from their trip away (the ‘Oaks characters seem to have these ‘trips away’ but no-one really ever knows where they jet off to. Nancy is on her very own one right now…) and Cindy and Mandy (previously part of the Barbie-posse) aren’t too thrilled.

Neither is McQueen gang-leader, Myra. In a confrontational one-on-one toned down (it IS 6.30 after all) ‘conversation’ between Steph and the (Mc)Queen-bee, some very good points are made. (Someone has been watching their Kyle)

(M) ‘If you hadn’t left him, this wouldn’t have happened’

(S) ‘My conscience is clear’

(M) ‘The girlfriend always knows’

(S) ‘So does the mother’

Cutting, yet Steph cuts straight to the chase. The ‘Oaks has the amazing ability of teaching lessons that really hit home, whilst being incredibly entertaining.

Educational, yet fun.

And mentioning the ‘F’ word, the Nevilles have a whole load of fun in store for them on the opening night of The Jolly Roger.

Advertised in The Chester Herald, The Jolly Roger’s opening night is exposed as a gay pub. Neville and Suzanne are thrilled with the turnout. Rhys is not as pleased – he had hoped that the opening night would be a taster for a women-filled future. In his dreams. Hannah is the only one on the end of the flirting stick this evening.

Will The Jolly Roger end up being the first gay pub in the vill-age?

And as this episode of drunken fun and female confrontations draws to a close, we have our first glimpse of what is to come in Hollyoaks Later…

Nasty Niall is back and hooded…