Okay, I’ve been bad! I’ll admit it. I’ve let months slip past without updating my blog and I wonder whether anyone will even read it again. But there have been some issues; life and work got in the way as they are prone to do, and I just wasn’t keeping up with the show or with my writing. To be honest I went through a totally bored stage with Isidingo and didn’t bother with it. But the good thing about a soapie, is that you can have a lapse in interest for a couple of months and look in again to see the same old faces going through some new upheavals. The dramas unfold, unravel and then the characters move along to a new crisis, so it’s relatively easy to jump back in again and see the latest doings, screwings and happenings of the people at the Deep.
I have to admit that I was so glad to see that Zeb finally got back the use of his legs. I simply couldn’t stand his self pity and whining and really it’s bad form to wish death on most people, but more so when it’s some paralyzed person, which I was beginning to do. I think that was part of the reason why I gave up watching. The urge to hurl the remote at the screen whenever pathetic Zeb made an appearance was overwhelming and I’m not sure that the Insurance Company would have accepted that as a valid claim for replacement.
So I’ve watched a couple of episodes and yesterday’s omnibus and I feel that I am back into the swing of things.
Just doing a little catch up, it seems now that the Matebanes are back on form and in the business of low cost housing development. As much as I like them as a family, I enjoyed the fact that the whole notion of nepotism was brought under the spotlight in the show and that they were prevented from being the main people tendering for the business simply because they were related to Vusi. Ma Agnes’ toy- toying and protesting against anything that she considers “unchristian-like” or anything that is remotely competitive also got up my nose and was getting a bit much, but I suppose all she is doing is protecting her turf.
All credit to the screenwriters of the show for being able to yank around viewers’ emotions and loyalties. I’ve always liked Ma Aggie but the plot line has my feelings towards her yo-yoing around. The same can be said about Cheryl. She’s one of those characters whose behaviour has you grappling with your sense of morality, because you know she’s fundamentally a survivor but also such a manipulative and conniving bitch. I often find myself torn between admiration and loathing towards her.
Right now, given that there has been this Anton Borman fiasco on TV – which I might add I did not watch, but which was obviously a very big deal, since he was provoked enough by Cheryl to strangle her. She emerged bruised and just a little more emotionally damaged. But being the hardcore survivor and TV ratings slut that she is, after assessing that she was now one of the most hated people on TV because of her manipulations she managed to get Lolly to interview her and in all her throat-bruised glory, she offered compassion and understanding and therapy for both Anton Borman and his sister Farrow. After all they have both been victims of violence and the loss of their parents. In addition she agreed to pay the attorney costs that had been run up by Farrow in trying to secure a good defense for her brother.
All indicators point to the fact that Cherel is developing serious paranoia and is not coping too well with it. Vusi had another of his “visions” which involved Cherel, Duncan and Slang Borman with emphasis on things coming out of Cherel’s head, or something freakish like that – you know Vusi’s visions are not exactly crystal clear – but they are better than nothing. Anyway in case Cherel is not in enough of a fragile emotional space, Vusi told her about this vision and that every time you do something bad it leaves a “wound on your soul.” Obviously fearing for her bloody soul, and her ratings on Straight Talk, Cherel carried out her cunning plan to worm her way back into the popularity stakes.
One of the funny things that emerged this past week was that somehow Maggie has become an undercover gossip columnist for the local rag. It seems she has to get the goss on people in the community, write up a column and submit it weekly. The first week she got the inside take on some big wig at the Mine being fired for misappropriation of funds. This was blabbed out by some new doll, who I understand is now Vusi’s PA. Whatever happened to Stella? Has Affirmative Action finally come to the Deep? Or has Stella run off with some new sex maniac?
Maggie seemed to have gone undetected as the gossip columnist the first week, even though she has been behaving rather strangely; jotting down notes on a little notepad, rushing out early to buy the paper and asking Lolly a million questions on how to be an investigative journalist. Nothing subtle about dear old Maggs, is there? The killer came when week two of the column carried the news that Letti had been fined after being stopped in a roadblock and found to be driving without her license on her. I really can’t see that that’s juicy gossip. It’s not like Letti was caught with a bag of stolen items from the local dress shop, or like she tried to bribe the cop with a blow job behind the nearest bush, but it seems that in the sleepy town of Horizon Deep, driving without your license on your person and getting a fine is like major news! Anyway, Maggie picked all this up when Letti rushed into the Rec club to bemoan her fate to Ma Agnes. There was no one else besides the three of them at the Rec Club, so it’s a little obvious who is feeding the gossip to the Golden Weekly, isn’t it?
But now talking about Maggie, I have to ask this question. Has she put on a serious amount of weight, or is it just my imagination? I know she’s never been rake thin or anything but either Mavis’ fish and chips are being guzzled up a storm or the clothes she is wearing are very unflattering. Let me rephrase that. Maggie’s clothes ARE terribly unflattering. I can’t believe that a costume department can come up with some of that stuff. And yet, I have to hope that they have because I definitely can’t imagine someone willingly wearing some of the clothes she appears in.
Cherel also has a couple of dodgy numbers that get dragged out every now and again. I won’t remind you of the yellow and green hounds tooth suit that might be suitable at a Protea or Pakistani cricket match, complete with face paint and bright yellow wig, but I saw that cerise pink top with the little black dots and the scarf type collar also made its appearance again. It all looked rather dark against the bruising of the throat and I was amused that despite Cherel wearing scarves and tops with draping ties that could cover her up, the bruised throat stayed very much on show and in evidence. I always hate the veins that stand out on her throat when she is having a good rant, but uggh, they look like a vampires dream when she’s all purple and blue.
Well my first article back after this long spell could not be complete without some mention of this new dude, Calvin, whose name is actually Simon but who only answers to Calvin. He’s Frank’s son and let me tell you, he’s not easy on the eyes or on the ears. He’s obviously a stereotypical Cape Flats gangster, but he seems to have a couple more teeth than the average. I’m not sure how he’s being received by viewers at large but I really don’t like him at all and can’t find anything about him that’s endearing or positive. He’s already had issues with taking a knife to school and he now thinks he’s a real possibility for Fight Club, since he’s a former gang member and has had experience with knives, blunt objects, bottles, you name it. If it can be gripped, he’s moered people with it. Now he wants to try his luck with his fists and has apparently being training out at the gym.
He first introduced himself to Butch and Len as Calvin Snuff, then produced a fake identity for Calvin September. And there has been a lot of too-ing and fro-ing between the three of them and he has now got himself signed up for a fight. Obviously Frank is blissfully oblivious to all of this. For all his hard –nosed journalistic instincts, Frank also seems terribly gullible with Calvin, despite knowing that he is a problem kid. He had reservations about lending his car to Calvin but did when Calvin magically produced a driver’s license . Someone help me out here, but how old is this kid actually? He hasn’t got his Matric yet, but he’s got a license? We all know it’s probably fake but doesn’t a dad actually ask when and where he got the license? Apparently not. And during the first week at the new school, when Frank sees Calvin hanging about the corridors of ONTV during school hours he happily accepts his excuse that he’s not feeling well and has a bug and came to his offices because, well Frank’s his dad… Hmmm methinks Frank is just trying too hard to be the caring parent and to trust shifty Calvin. I just wonder if parenthood does blind you like that.
Anyway, if there’s one thing that will keep me watching this week, it’s the possibility of him getting beaten into next week and snuffing it!
How about you?