Didn't catch his name (Bilal?), but I wanted to applaud him for what he said to Rosie. I don't know why any of them are friends with or even associate with her and her horrible family. They are the type of people I would cross the street to avoid, I don't care what upbringing they had for them to turn out this way. I wouldn't have anything to do with them in case I catch something nasty. Political correctness be buggered!
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That was one of the most powerful scenes in the series so far. What he said to Rosie was perfectly justified.
After seeing Harry's episode I was pretty convinced that this guy was going to most people's least favourite character including mine. But after last night's episode that was all about Rosie my opinion has definitely changed. She's a pretty appalling woman and a very incompetent mother and wife, yet I can't help but feel a little sorry for her. Yes Harry is a prick but at least he did begin to realise the errors of his ways and started to slowly make amends. I’m just amazed that my least favourite character is now the mother of the child who was slapped, instead of the man who actually did it; fascinating show.
"Ahh, it's great to be young and insane" - Michael Keaton
The Dream Team
Klopek, you have articulated the purpose - I believe - of the book/TV series. It is designed to take us on a ride through these people's lives, and in so doing to allow us (if we will) to come face-to-face with our own judgements/opinions/prejudices. This is not a comfortable journey at all, which is why there are the threads here of people arguing about breastfeeding, slapping, blah, blah, blah, all of which are not the bleedin' point!!!. We are all being confronted by that which we thought we had sorted. I think that the story is a very cleverly devised ethical dilemma - on so many levels.
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I thought it was one of the msot horrible things you could ever say to a person! Nobody deserves to hear that, least of all an abused, stressed, helpless wife. Why all the hate for Rosie? She's had an extremly tough time!
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She may have had 'an extremely tough time' (I haven't read the book) and maybe she's had a terrible upbringing. But how long do you keep blaming everyone and everything else for your misfortunes, like she makes excuses for Hugo's bad behaviour! When do you start to take responsibity? If she doesn't like her situation, do something to change it. But no, she likes to play the victim and it's 'poor little me', how's thinking like that help her? Like I said, and Shamira's husband, I wouldn't like to associate with people like her because 'when you lie with dogs you get fleas'. Sometimes the truth hurts!
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I thought it was one of the msot horrible things you could ever say to a person! Nobody deserves to hear that, least of all an abused, stressed, helpless wife. Why all the hate for Rosie? She's had an extremly tough time!
You are joking, right? Rosie is a digusting parasite. Why would anyone want her in their life? He had every right to say what he did. She disrespected him with her antics and getting him to go look for Gary.He clearly did not want to go into that sh!thole of pub, he knew he would be verbally abused. Rosie used Shamira and when she did not get what she felt she deserved ( I cant imagine she really thought Harry would get locked up for defending his son) she treated her like crap and yelled at her. Rosie is not helpless, she is just a selfish lazy cow who is so full of herself. Honestly Harry should of slapped Rosie as well.
Bitch get out of my way!
Helpless? She is a grown woman. Helpless is someone disabled or a baby. If your husband is abusive and you stay with him. That is your fault. Don't give me some liberal crap about "you don't know how hard it is" and other nonsense. Its up to you to make those decisions. As long as she stays with him she deserves everything she gets.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
When Bilal initially said that to Rosie, I actually felt quite sorry for her despite the fact that I intensely dislike her character in both the book and the TV series (although I must say that one of the strengths of this series is that it successfully portrays the characters as multi-faceted and multi-dimensional as they would be in real life so that you can feel immnese sympathy and empathy for the characters even as you dislike or disagree with their actions and their perspectives). It sounded like quite a cruel thing to say
On closer reflection, however, it was probably justified. Rosie was and is a user and Bilal probably knew that, if he didn't take a firm stand now, she would keep on acting like an entitled user and take advantage of the good natured hospitality of his wife and would drag the family into all the melodrama that she caused. He already had stuck his neck out for her once and paid the price. I think he was just looking out for his family and his well-being.
Well said PL, As I pointed out in my second post, there comes a time that if you don't like what's happening in your life you have to take action to turn things around. Yes, people can have bad luck and make bad decisions in life but ultimately you have to take responsibility for your actions and stop blaming everyone else.
I also agree with you that
the strengths of this series is that it successfully portrays the characters as multi-faceted and multi-dimensional as they would be in real life so that you can feel immense sympathy and empathy for the characters even as you dislike or disagree with their actions and their perspectives).
I had Rosie pegged as insane from the get go and there was satisfaction to be felt anytime she was told. On the other hand Bilal took it a bit far and came off pious, superior and hovering dangerously close to racist - I suppose it was tribalist or something.
sharewilly, now I think you've taken it a bit far. What the hell do you mean 'I suppose it was tribalist or something.' I don't even know what he's supposed to be, Aboriginal? I don't know or care. It looks like he has converted to being a Muslim, but that has NOTHING to do with what he said to Rosie. He is just stating the facts and how he feels. Any one of them, whatever race or religion they are, would have been justified in telling her that they and their families want nothing to do with her or her family. She causes her own problems and then blames everyone else and feels the world owes her! I would definitely NOT want anything to do with her, even her own husband didn't want to come home to her that night, knowing that the day's lousy events were her doing.
Was it just me or was Rosie trying to seduce Bilal to her bidding?
Great acting as well, i really felt Bilal's disgust at the sight of Rosie flirting with the Real Estate agent.
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FYI he's an aboriginal muslim. Both these things are spelled out. I feel comfortable conflating his non-drinking with his conversion to Islam as this is a work of fiction and I am analysing the authors' intentions rather than reality. I think it has everything to do with his religion. He says "you're no good Rosie, It's just your mob, you got bad blood. We escaped your mob." Sure he's not racist if he's married a white skinned woman but he's sneering at a culture, a tribe, that he knows is racist toward him and he thinks is, at least in Rosie's case, irredeemably beneath him. At no point did I suggest he's not right to tell Rosie to keep the hell away from him though.
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fairpenguin, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding you. In the first paragraph you're judging me for being judgmental about Rosie, rather ironic! Then you agree with my thoughts in the rest if your post. I'm stating my feelings and opinions of the show and the characters, on the show's MESSAGE BOARD! Am I not allowed that? just because you think different?
So you're saying that knowing the back story about some one and therefore understanding why they act the way they do makes it alright for them to act that way? Well then we should forgive a lot of murderers and rapists because they usually have a sad back story too! How about we just agree to disagree, as I don't come here to argue with other posters.
As for Anouk, NO she's not a very good daughter. Hasn't she quit her job but still hasn't got time to go see her ill Mum.
I am enjoying the series and I'll continue to watch because the acting has been superb. In fact Melissa George must have acquired some 'Super Acting Powers' when she was in the US because I can't remember her being this talented when she was on the Australian soaps years ago.
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To fairpeguin, I get what you are saying but I still stand by my statement:
'I don't care what upbringing they had for them to turn out this way.'
Even understanding what makes them that way, I STILL DON'T LIKE THEM. Like I said we'll have to agree to disagree! because I still don't think that in most cases Rapists and Murderers (not Rosie and Gary)will stop raping and murdering because we show them some compassion and understanding (I said most, not all). I still also believe that we have to discipline kids and sometimes when they are little all that's effective is a small slap on the bottom (I said 'small slap on the bottom' NOT a full on slap on the face). Some kids today without the benefit of discipline grow up feral and out of control! I also think you're not being loving to them if you don't prepare them for a life where they are not going to be indulged and 'loved' by everyone else like their parents have.
With Rosie and Gary, yes I'm sure they have redeeming qualities but for me that doesn't excuse or outweigh their bad behaviour. I don't think we're going to come to an agreement over a few issues so lets just leave it at that. We're both entitled to our views and I think we've hijacked this thread long enough!
I'll wait until next week's episode to post again.
There are so many logical fallacies in your argument.
Just because Rosie and Gary aren't murderers, it doesn't make them good people.
Just because someone does not like someone, or has no time for them, doesn't mean they haven't taken the time to understand.
I can definitely see how Rosie and Gary have ended up how they have, but that does not mean I can't condemn them for making the choices to be where they are. You seem to think that they have been completely powerless in the way their lives have turned out - which is definitely not the case.
Also
else I doubt she could have survived as Anouk's and Aisha's friend for 20+ years.
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I too loved what Bilal said to Rosie. I do not think he hates her -- just what she represents. He does not want his family getting caught up in unnecessary drama -- and he is taking his ethnicity into account -- for he knows that others will. Before his speech to her, it almost seemed as though Rosie was expecting something intimate to go on between them... just for a moment this is what it appeared like to me. But... Bilal stopped any nonsense and decided to do away with the friendship so he and his family may live in peace.
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