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Slater Chiropractic - Chiropractor In Prineville, OR, USA :: Slater Events slaterchiropractic.com | - Arlington TX USA - Dr. David Slater - Dr. David Slater drslater.us |
Jean Slater is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006.
[edit] Creation and development
Jean was originally a minor character, appearing for a storyline where her daughter Stacey, played by Lacey Turner, struggles to look after her in December 2005. In the storyline, Stacey returned to live with her mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder, amidst one of her mental breakdowns. Scenes showed Jean, who had "sank into the dark despair of her illness", living in squalor, off her medication, starved, petrified, suicidal, and being abused and ridiculed by her neighbours. Stacey is forced to admit her to a mental institution for her own safety. The episodes, described as a "harrowing and bleak", were praised by critics in the media. Wright and Turner were complimented for giving "graphically powerful performances",[1] and the storyline won a Mental Health Media Award in September 2006.[2] The character eventually became a regular, but Wright said she did not believe this was originally intended: "She's a character that's grown after being created for a week of episodes back in 2005 for that big storyline where Stacey found Jean in the flat that was all boarded up. There was the odd little bit here and there over the following months and it just gradually built up to becoming a regular. It was quite hard to turn her from someone who was quite an intensive character to someone who could be watched on a regular basis."[3] In May 2009, Stacey started showing signs of bipolar disorder. Series consultant Simon Ashdown said the storyline tests Jean, adding, "you'll see her attempt to adopt more of a maternal role towards Stacey. Up till now it's Stacey who has been the 'carer' in the relationship."[4] [edit] Storylines[edit] HistoryJean is the mother of Sean and Stacey Slater. She suffers from bipolar disorder. Her husband, Brian Slater, died in an accident on a building site, though it was later revealed that Sean had punched him in the head the day before, causing him to collapse and fall from the scaffolding. Sean ran away and joined the army, and Jean later believes he died in combat. She later rejected Stacey, who went to live with her great uncle Charlie. [edit] Brief appearances (2004–2006)Stacey finds out in December 2005 that Jean's condition has worsened, and moves in with her to help her out. When Jean attempts suicide and is sectioned, Stacey gives up trying to look after her and returns to Walford. After an emotional week's worth of episodes "Julia's Theme" was played over the closing scenes as Stacey returned home. In June 2006 she is re-housed to a new flat. Stacey helps her unpack and she cuts herself on a broken picture frame. She meets Stacey's boyfriend Bradley Branning and takes a liking to him. In November 2006, Stacey attempts to reacquaint Jean with Sean after his fiancée Ruby Allen reveals that he is alive. In July 2007, Bradley goes to Jean's home and tells her he has reconciled with Stacey. Bradley brings her back to Walford to celebrate his and Stacey's engagement. In August 2007, she visits Sean in prison after he is arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of Patrick Trueman. She infuriates Sean when she says that Stacey is like her father, and he is like her. Sean tells her he never wants to see her again. Jean and Stacey begin planning Stacey's wedding and Jean plans to make the wedding dress. Stacey's great-great aunt Mo Harris sends wedding dresses for Stacey to try on and invites Jean to view them. Jean is devastated and runs out, screaming that she won't come to the wedding. She meets Max Branning who gets her to see sense and she and Stacey decide that it will be better if she does a poetry reading instead. Jean attends the wedding and goes through with her poetry reading. Sean, who has been released from prison, is furious to see Jean staying at the Slaters' house and forces her to leave. Outside, some teenage boys launch fireworks and one of them knocks Jean to the floor. Sean pins one of them onto a car, which scares Jean, and Sean walks away rather than upset her. He goes to Jean's flat and after taking some of her tranquillisers, falls asleep there. Jean hopes for a reconciliation between them, as they have never been close, but Sean shows increasing hostility towards his mother, despite having tried to make things up by doing a few jobs for her whilst at her flat. [edit] Permanent stay in Walford (2006—)After Bradley and Stacey return from their honeymoon and move in with Bradley's step-grandmother Dot Branning, Jean turns up unannounced asking if she can live with her as her neighbours are redecorating and making a lot of noise. Jean's pestering and interfering proves too much for Dot and she sends them to live at the Slater house, where Jean has remained ever since. She tries to help Stacey come to terms with the break-up of her marriage and influences the friendship between Stacey and Steven Beale. She is taken hostage by Sean in the back of Charlie's cab. He unintentionally drives her to the building site where his father died and whilst there, they have a heart-to-heart and Sean says that Roxy Mitchell is pregnant with his baby. She convinces him not to force Roxy to have an abortion. Jean meets a man named Ted at a singles night and organises a first date at Fargo's restaurant but Ted mixes up the dates and she is left on her own in the restaurant. The next day he apologises with flowers and they meet for a drink later. He ends the relationship because he cannot handle a relationship with her. She grows depressed and her mood worsens when she overhears Sean and Roxy arguing about inviting her to their secret wedding. Eventually Jean and Sean sort things out and she attends the wedding. Jean nearly burns herself by letting her duvet accidentally cover a fan heater on the floor. She spends her birthday on the sofa watching TV. Stacey and Charlie are unable to get her to speak; she has a blank expression. Jean makes a wish that she had never had children and that she had never been born. She has a public breakdown. She decides it is unfair to rely on Stacey all the time and books herself into the mental unit, returning after a few months. She admits she feels she cannot live near Stacey, but they talk and agree to watch a DVD so Jean goes out and meets Callum Monks who tells her she should get out of Stacey's life. She tries to become a normal mother to Stacey by trying to get a job in a supermarket, but is depressed when she does not get it. She attempts to become a make-up artist, but this fails. She eventually gets a job in the market on the flower stall. Stacey begins showing signs of illness and Jean tries to convince her she also has bipolar disorder. Stacey is diagnosed and is given medication. When Stacey's behaviour grows out of control, Jean consults Doctor Al Jenkins. Dr Jenkins instructs Jean to keep Stacey in the house. Stacey reveals that she has not been taking her medication for weeks and tries to overdose on the pills, but Jean forces her to induce vomiting. They talk about Stacey's childhood, and Stacey leaves the house to apologise to Bradley. Jean is unable to stop her and calls Dr Jenkins again. Stacey returns to the house, rejected by Bradley and his girlfriend Syd Chambers, to find Dr Jenkins, two police officers and a psychiatric nurse, who are there to section her. Stacey flees outside, begging Bradley to help her, but police officers restrain her and take her away, leaving Jean distraught. [edit] References
[edit] External links
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