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The Good Deeds of Stacey Branning; Secret Keeper of all.
Topic Started: 10 Feb 2015, 02:06 (2,343 Views)
The Other Slater Cousin
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One thing I adore about the show right now is, in any time of distress or worry, Stacey swoops in and does her best Pat to the residents of the Square. Cups of tea and wet shoulders galore. Stacey is only 26, isn't she? But she has had one of those lives. Young carer, dead dad, abortions, affairs, mental health issues, widowed, murder, life on the run, prison and now working single mother. I probably wouldn't go to her for a cut and colour, but if I had a problem, I'd totally run to OurStace. And since she got out of prison, she's been that confidant to so many, from Tina to Linda to Shabnam to Lauren etc etc. it suits her. For a young character who has been dragged right through some massive and at times sensationalist stories, she remains grounded in truth.

What I'm wondering though is whether Stacey's big storyline this year is somehow being foreshadowed by all the wisdom and support she is offering to people. Not in a direct way, but perhaps subtly building up these relationships for when it's Stacey's life falling to shreds.

Can we compile a list from here on in of all Stacey's Saintly behaviour? She'll be a Dame by the 35th, just you watch.

Edited by The Other Slater Cousin, 10 Feb 2015, 02:08.
"I loved it in the Olden Days because you talked more. There’s more action now. You know, we would do scenes in the Rovers of me, Bet and Doris Speed with a cup of coffee each before we opened the pub, talking about absolute rubbish. But it was something, and it was what people do." - Betty Driver
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MrJames
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Discovery that Dean raped Linda
Discovery that Alfie started the fire
Discovery of Shabnam's double-secret
Discovery that Tosh attacked Tina
Foil to all of Lauren's Lucy theories
Gave Shirley a good dress down
Gave Whitney a good dress down
General ear to the problems of Kat, Lauren and Max
And now something Cotton related for the 30th it seems...

I think it's properly hysterical. She's getting all the gossip.
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The Other Slater Cousin
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What's so fabulous is, from Stacey's perspective, she's just walking around the Square, getting on with her life quietly. Getting a tea in the cafe. Helping Kat on the stall. And all these traumas and dark secrets and hidden turmoils are fired at her from all angles. Brilliant.

"I loved it in the Olden Days because you talked more. There’s more action now. You know, we would do scenes in the Rovers of me, Bet and Doris Speed with a cup of coffee each before we opened the pub, talking about absolute rubbish. But it was something, and it was what people do." - Betty Driver
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Jedi Pat
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The Other Slater Cousin
10 Feb 2015, 02:26
What's so fabulous is, from Stacey's perspective, she's just walking around the Square, getting on with her life quietly. Getting a tea in the cafe. Helping Kat on the stall. And all these traumas and dark secrets and hidden turmoils are fired at her from all angles. Brilliant.

I think that's what so brilliant about it all: Stacey has been through so much since she was a child, but since taking responsibility for killing Archie, its like 'karma' (or more precisely the script writers and storyliners) has decided to give the girl a huge break: she's back on the Square where people generally seem to like her, she's got a happy and cute little daughter, and apart from the rent going up she's relatively carefree, leaving her available as a rock for others to lean on.

Mind you, it won't last of course... if Stacey is indeed like Pat, she's bound to hit rock bottom a few more times before she hits retirement age. Someone will at some point chuck her out, claiming that her earrings are cheap and vulgar and that he's never liked them, and force her to live in a cheap bedsit for a while until some would-be gangster gets dropped off a bridge and leaves her a house... (Okay, maybe not THAT much like Pat, but you get my drift ;) )
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Amazee-Dayzee
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Stacey's been through a ton of stuff already.

Abortion? Check
Drug Abuse? Check
Mommy issues? Check
Adultery? Check
Adultery with her husband's father? Check
Raped? Check
Bi-Polar? Check
Sex with random people? Check
Not knowing the father of her baby? Check
Murderer? Check
Becoming somebody's slut on the side? Check
Prison? Check

I think she's hit rock bottom quite a few times already.
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Terry
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What they have done with stacey since the confession episode is genius. The character has totally come on leaps and bounds and she hasn't really had her own story at all, and she doesn't need one for a few months I'd say. A character that is effortless.
Tel
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Mr Branning
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I could just watch Stacey like this for years to be honest - it's such a natural role for her. Part of me does worry about this big storyline that's coming though. She's had so much thrown at her already that I hope her next story remains rooted in the mature character she's become and not an attempt to blow some of her previously sensationalist stories out of the water.
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Mrs Peel
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Just keep her away from Kat. Kat destroys her.
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Kim
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Mrs Peel
11 Feb 2015, 00:37
Just keep her away from Kat. Kat destroys her.
Agreed. In a way, I think the opposite is true also. Stacey's presence enables Kat's regressive behaviour. If Stacey wasn't around, Kat would have less scope to ditch the kids and go out getting drunk and would have to face up to her problems (and actually allow Alfie access to his children.)
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Mrs Peel
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When you think about it, Stacey has, mostly, interacted with characters with whom she has a history, with the exception of Linda, and when she interacted with Linda, she was - at the time- Dean's girlfriend.

As Bradley's widow, which she is, she is still Lauren's de facto sister-in-law. She has spades of history with Max. It's only natural that Lauren or Max would turn to Stacey for certain measures in the absence of Tanya. She is, for Lauren, an older sister figure.

Kat, regrettably, is family for Stacey, so she's bound to look after her as such.

Stacey isn't sorting everyone else's problems, she's sorting those for people who have a relevance for her.
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The Local Butcher
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Funny how people used to hate Stacey because they literally forced her into every single storyline. Now they're doing the exact same thing and it's suddenly a good thing? Just because she's suddenly likeable doesn't make it any better.
Edited by The Local Butcher, 11 Feb 2015, 13:56.
Warning: Posts made by The Local Butcher may contain sarcasm, frustrated expressions of fatigue in the face of Eastenders' neverending insanity, desperate and ill-conceived attempts to be funny, controversial opinions and nuts. Not necessarily in that order.
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Ross
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I'm in the kitchen eating a biscuit
The Local Butcher
11 Feb 2015, 13:55
Funny how people used to hate Stacey because they literally forced her into every single storyline. Now they're doing the exact same thing and it's suddenly a good thing? Just because she's suddenly likeable doesn't make it any better.
Maybe that's because they aren't "forcing" her into every single storyline? ^o)

Every involvement she has had in a story has been natural - because she has connections to and cares for the characters involved in the stories.

There's no "force" in it at all.
Massive thanks to NickM for this wonderful signature! :)

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King Billy
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Mrs Peel
11 Feb 2015, 12:55
When you think about it, Stacey has, mostly, interacted with characters with whom she has a history, with the exception of Linda, and when she interacted with Linda, she was - at the time- Dean's girlfriend.

As Bradley's widow, which she is, she is still Lauren's de facto sister-in-law. She has spades of history with Max. It's only natural that Lauren or Max would turn to Stacey for certain measures in the absence of Tanya. She is, for Lauren, an older sister figure.

Kat, regrettably, is family for Stacey, so she's bound to look after her as such.

Stacey isn't sorting everyone else's problems, she's sorting those for people who have a relevance for her.
I was actually quite surprised a her and Laurens relationship. I wasn't sure how Lauren would react to seeing the person who, to her, could still be seen as the person who split up her parents. I know she's had a long while to get over it, but she had that little reminder during her affair with Jake, and being caught by his kid. Maybe it helped see it from Staceys perspective a bit, who knows.

I do just adore Stacey though. Comfortably my favourite character.
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Mormon Girl
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The Local Butcher
11 Feb 2015, 13:55
Funny how people used to hate Stacey because they literally forced her into every single storyline. Now they're doing the exact same thing and it's suddenly a good thing? Just because she's suddenly likeable doesn't make it any better.
Do you like Stacey?
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Kim
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The Local Butcher
11 Feb 2015, 13:55
Funny how people used to hate Stacey because they literally forced her into every single storyline. Now they're doing the exact same thing and it's suddenly a good thing? Just because she's suddenly likeable doesn't make it any better.
I have been annoyed with Stacey's involved in everything streak on occasion, but this one did seem very natural. I think the Carters' overuse causes more of an annoyance (it certainly does for me) as not only do they have heavy screentime, they also have a heavy share of the storylines. Stacey only has the former for now.

The screentime definitely needs balancing more, though.
Edited by Kim, 11 Feb 2015, 15:29.
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The Local Butcher
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Mormon Girl
11 Feb 2015, 15:28
The Local Butcher
11 Feb 2015, 13:55
Funny how people used to hate Stacey because they literally forced her into every single storyline. Now they're doing the exact same thing and it's suddenly a good thing? Just because she's suddenly likeable doesn't make it any better.
Do you like Stacey?
Whether you like Stacey depends on one crucial thing and that's whether you can forget about Archie or not. The writers are clearly trying their hardest to make Stacey the most perfect likeable character ever in a desperate effort to make us all forget she's a murderer. It seems to be working as everybody loves her now. I for one however don't take kindly to being emotionally manipulated. I don't hate her but they really need to stop pretending she's perfect. She has killed someone and that stain can never be removed.
Warning: Posts made by The Local Butcher may contain sarcasm, frustrated expressions of fatigue in the face of Eastenders' neverending insanity, desperate and ill-conceived attempts to be funny, controversial opinions and nuts. Not necessarily in that order.
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Mr Branning
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I don't think people who like Stacey have been emotionally manipulated. Yes, she's a killer and we can't change that, but I'd much rather her come back refreshed than dwell on a plot twist that most of us didn't really appreciate in the first place. And the whole reason her being a matriach works is because she's not perfect. She's made some terrible mistakes and she knows it and that's exactly why she's the perfect non-judgemental shoulder to cry on. Few people have had as much life experience as she has.
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Mrs Peel
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Kim
11 Feb 2015, 15:28
The Local Butcher
11 Feb 2015, 13:55
Funny how people used to hate Stacey because they literally forced her into every single storyline. Now they're doing the exact same thing and it's suddenly a good thing? Just because she's suddenly likeable doesn't make it any better.
I have been annoyed with Stacey's involved in everything streak on occasion, but this one did seem very natural. I think the Carters' overuse causes more of an annoyance (it certainly does for me) as not only do they have heavy screentime, they also have a heavy share of the storylines. Stacey only has the former for now.

The screentime definitely needs balancing more, though.
Stacey isn't being forced into the situations in which she's interacted. Her surname is still "Branning" so it's only natural that both Lauren and Max would approach her for help in various family matters. There is a history there.

She's also Kat's family as well, so she would be involved with that situation.

She was approached by Linda in confidence as, at the time, Stacey and Dean were a couple.

She hasn't been forced into any sort of situation with which she wasn't already involved.
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Slater11
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The character can't win, some people moaning about her current role were those who were saying she was too overused in her first stint, she will get her own storyline soon, but for now I am glad to see her be a support in other peoples stories and building up friendships with characters.
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See You Slater
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The Local Butcher
11 Feb 2015, 15:57
Mormon Girl
11 Feb 2015, 15:28

Quoting limited to 2 levels deep
Whether you like Stacey depends on one crucial thing and that's whether you can forget about Archie or not. The writers are clearly trying their hardest to make Stacey the most perfect likeable character ever in a desperate effort to make us all forget she's a murderer. It seems to be working as everybody loves her now. I for one however don't take kindly to being emotionally manipulated. I don't hate her but they really need to stop pretending she's perfect. She has killed someone and that stain can never be removed.
The writers don't pretend Stacey's perfect at all. The reason she works as a confidante is because she has had a colourful past herself and she can draw on her past experiences to help other people.

If Stacey was perfect, it would be boring.
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