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Has Ian Beale had his day?

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Has Ian Beale had his day? Empty Has Ian Beale had his day?

Post by HiJo Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:11 pm

I make no secret that I hate Ian Beale, absolutely detest the character. Unlike some, I can see no redeeming features in him whatsoever. So if he left eastenders next week for good I wouldn't shed a tear.

So I also think that the writers no longer know what to do with Ian. All the nonsense with wall-to-wall Beales for the past two years must surely have tired out even their most devoted fans. Storylines like the phoney wedding and Ian being haunted by Cindy have really scraped the bottom of the barrel. They've been absolutely dire with massive plotholes and loads of loose ends that were never tied up. Now it seems we're going to be getting yet more Beale storylines featuring everyone's favourite teenager, Lucyfer. Rolling Eyes

Aside from that, all we see from Ian is his smug grin as he does somebody down and adds to his collection of "people who don't like me". To tell Bianca she needn't hurry home cos if the dog's dead "what's the rush?" was vintage Ian. But it's boring. How many more times are we going to see this? Ian Beale is a one trick pony. He does pathetic like nobody else but if the writers really can't come up with something new (and by that I mean new and interesting, not new and stupid with coffins appearing and messages from dead wives) then I think Ian's had his day. I don't care that he's been there from the start, if they can't give him a storyline that is both gripping and realistic then the character has to go.

Now that it's been established that Ian doesn't love Jane any more than Jane loves Ian, we can't even hide behind the idea that they're a team, they've been through so much together, they really love each other, etc. They have zero respect for each other so they're not a team. I'd be only too happy to see a devoted married couple in the square but the Beales are definitely not it (only the Masoods seem to fill that gap at the moment). Was there anything more forced and embarrassing than Ian's wailing about "my little angel" when Lucy went astray? It was an expression he'd never ever used before yet the writers seemed to expect us to accept that this was Ian's pet name for his daughter. It was as unbelievable as the claim that Ian and Jane have lazy Sundays in bed and watch Antiques roadshow. Like that would ever happen. You only snuggle up in bed on Sunday mornings if you want your partner's company and since we know that Ian and Jane don't even particularly like each other the whole idea was just silly. Ian would be off to the golf course on Sunday mornings, networking. The last place he would be is at home with Jane.

I just don't want to see any more of Ian gloating, followed by Ian looking stupid and all the neighbours laughing at him. Either sort out a storyline that lets the character move on from that stunted adolescent phase or get rid.
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Post by Lou Sat Aug 16, 2008 3:46 pm

I was thinking the other day about the way the Corrie writers can stil find stories for Ken Barlow despite the fact he's appeared in the show since Noah was a boy. The latest one showed Ken in a completely different light to normal, the went from pleasant school master type, to a completely selfish and arrogant person in one fell swoop. But it worked, it was written in such a way that it was completely believable.

If the Eastenders writers put their mind to it they could give Ian a transformation, except it would be the opposite, Ian could go from spiteful, conniving and weasely, to half decent human being.

In fact they had the perfect opportunity when Lucy did go missing, it could have been the wake up call Ian needed, so he could have seen that the way he treats people, the lack of affection he shows his family, the way he throws money at any situation is just wrong, and that other people aren't the problem, he is.

They've managed complete transformations before, Minty for instance, he started out as a slum/thug landlord, but he's nothing like that now. But you wouldnt be able to put your finger on the exact moment he changed, because it was done gradually and properly (although they've made him into too much of an oaf now!).
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Post by Lou Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:07 pm

I'd forget my head if it wasnt screwed on Laughing

I also meant to say, it doesnt bother me that much that Ian and Jane dont love each other. There are hundreds of marriages every day that fail that are based on love, yet the percentage of arranged (not forced) marriages that are based on practicalities that fail is much smaller. Now it might well be that love has blossomed over the years, or they stay together for the same practical rather than emotional reasons they got together for in the first place. Or it might be something completely different.

But, especially when people are older, I dont think love is necessarily the be all and end all of a relationship.
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Post by HiJo Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:21 am

You're right, if two people are getting what they want out of a marriage then it works. And Ian and Jane are getting what they want, for him it's an employee/housekeeper/babysitter/bed partner and for her it's financial security and a roof over her head. I'm afraid I don't find Jane believable as a mother figure, so I can't include her need for children in the list. But I can't see the marriage lasting because Ian still has a thing for blondes and sooner or later he's going to line up another trophy wife who suits his self-image a lot better than mousy Jane. And she's going to cheat cos Ian's rubbish in bed. The minute she finds another Grant figure, someone with money she's actually attracted to, she'll be off. Laughing
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Post by Lou Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:36 am

No Jane is definitely not a mother figure. She lets Bobby run riot. You could understand it at first, it must be hard for anyone to walk into a ready made family, especially if they've had no experience themselves. But its been about 4 years or so now, so she really should have got a handle on it by now.
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