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Friday 27 September 2013

Steve and Michelle: Gussets, gurns and fig rolls

Oh dear! Poor Michelle Connor. However does she cope having such a moany, good for nothing beige son? 

I'll tell you how she copes. She stomps about Weatherfield, flicking her impossibly black hair at all and sundry, gobbing off at anyone who disagrees with her and belittling poor Steve McDonald at every opportunity.

I quite liked Michelle when she first appeared seven years ago as a singer-cum-pint puller, however with the imminent departure of Ryyyyan mark II, I'm left wondering what the point of her actually is.

If we look at the evidence, it is actually quite surprising that Michelle has stuck around Weatherfield for such a long time. Since she arrived in Coronation Street, Ms Connor has lost both her brothers and discovered the son she brought up single-handed was actually not her son after all. Actually, you'd have thought that topic might have reared its ugly head when not-her-real-son-with-a-new-bonse arrived back from Glasgow last year, complete with a drug habit that is no longer mentioned. Gosh, these Connors are a complicated bunch.

I needn't have worried about poor Michelle having nowt to do post-Ryyyyan. She's just quit her high powered executive job at Underworld thanks to the arrival of a heavily contrived plot device landing on her desk with that days' script. To be honest, I'm quite pleased they've moved her on from there. I've long wondered how Michelle became the Alan Sugar of gussets so quickly anyway. I mean she doesn't even recognise that's not her real son. I did feel for her the other night though, when Peter Barlow sent her off to fetch some fig rolls from Dev's. i wouldn't wish that on any Corrie character. 

We all know daft comedy Steve is about to buy back the Rovers, just to cheer the sour faced Michelle up a bit. Well, would you want to follow in the steps of St Ella? As soon as Steve signs on the dotted line, us viewers will hear the not so subtle clatter of Liz's stilettos-upon-cobble once again. Just what Steve needs - two overpowering women standing behind that bar, making him look extra gormless. 

I really don't like gormless, gurning Steve. I think Simon Gregson is an excellent actor who has worked really hard over the past twenty odd years to make Steve his own. I just wish the writers would partner him up with someone a bit more believable that Michelle. All Steve's partners and wives have dominated and emasculated him and generally made him resemble a buffoon. Karen was the exception, mainly because her character was so complex and multi-layered. Ah, those were the days.

Anyway, i've rambled on long enough. Do you like Steve with Michelle, or was it a mistake to revisit this relationship? If Steve should be with someone else in the Street, who would you like it to be? 


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14 comments:

70sStreetFan said...

They're no great love match. Neither gave the other a moment's thought while they were apart. After the way they split last time is it plausible that Michelle would take him back? It seems to be a mere plot device to give Michelle a more prominent role in the show. Not really sure why apart from the fact that Kym Lomas is perceived as a celebrity in her own right who is
of interest to the type of woman who's not a huge fan of the show but may be tempted to watch Coronation Street because she's in it!

Humpty Dumpty said...

There isn't much chemistry between Steve and Michelle. Nobody's ever beaten Karen, not even Becky, as Steve's partner. On the other hand, they're believable enough as long as they don't have stories that focus on their own relationship eg: together/not together. The Street needs some couples who can simply jog along (that's real life)and they don't all need to be Burton/Taylor. The Street has gone too far down the path of relationships and a few more stories about community issues would be very welcome.

Zagg said...

I agree. I quite liked the Michelle character when she first appeared. Now I just want her scenes to end quickly. She's just miserable now, always barking at somebody, rolling her eyes, so completely discontented with her life on the street. I say, Move on....I really don't like her with Steve.It feels like she is just putting up with him. Zero chemistry.

ChiaGwen said...

Whoever thought of putting Michelle with Steve should get 50 lashes - absolutely NO chemistry between them. Seems as if the longer that impossibly shiney hair grew the more annoying Michelle got, rolling eyes, folded arms, a sour face to rival that of Leanne's. I too wish they would stop the trend of making Steve look more and more like Brian when he first appeared on the show. His acting skills deserve better. Just for a change I'd like to see Steve with someone no one would think of pairing him with - like Leanne or Eva.

NZ Coro Junkie said...

Tina, Michelle, Eva - all the actresses playing them appear too glam to be credible. Their hair, make-up even clothes are all too expensive. The "sexy" characters of old all did a working-class style of sexy - ie unsubtle, a bit trashy, tart-with-a-heart (Sally, Deirdre, Bet, Elsie). They were true to type.

Tvor said...

I never liked Steve with Michelle, I always felt her troubles and her attitude dragged him down and it's still happening.

Anonymous said...

I liked Michelle when she first arrived; liked her hair 'do better then, too. I just don't get what her point is now and the match with Steve is a disaster for both of them.

John McE said...

Steve's downfall into a series of endless guerns seems only to have happened after this site started to regularly feature them.

I've been working my way (very slowly) through the Network "Noughties" set, and he always used to act instead of pulling increasingly ludicrous faces.

For me it has ruined the character.

Frosty the Snowman said...

I think Michelle was a good character in her time when she was brought in as the singer to make Liz jell with Vernon - remember him? Then she was "kept on" as a regular character which they seem to do, a relationship with Stevie Mac followed, with him preferring Becky over her and then she took up with Kieran Cant Act. THAT should have been the end of her, with them leaving to sail the seven seas and then she very unbelievably came back. That was the mistake and she quickly became pointless and an exhausted character that they just didnt know what to do with. Now we have to put up with her miserable moosh, shouty behaviour and impossibly expensive designer gear for someone of her status to go on and on....................

Anonymous said...

I've never liked the character nor the actress. Completely uninteresting and played-by-the-numbers... of all the characters in the Blackburn cull, her name was the most glaring omission. Get rid!

Anonymous said...

Agree with you, Graeme, no plausible plots around her for ages, and in my opinion, ever. The character is just a downer. As for she and Steve, agree with all the others above that there is definitely no chemistry between the characters, and not even the fact that there aren't many women about for Steve to create a relationship with doesn't alter that. I have never cared for the character of Michelle from the start, and I also don't find KL's acting engaging.

Anonymous said...

Kym Lomas is one of those celebrities who thinks the way to add to her appeal is to spend money for enlarged boobs. There she was on Corrie, playing a single mother who worked in a backstreet pub, with these costly water bags sewn to her chest. What little credibility her character had flew out of the window for me after that.

Newfy Pearl said...

I do not like Michelle with Steve. I was very happy when they put Becky in there to break that up the first time. I would even prefer Tracy to Michelle!
I thought the episode where Eva and Steve went to the hotel to catch Michelle and Rob up to no good was an intro to a new relationship. Eva seemed to be Steve's type...pretty, vulnerable, raunchy and a great partner for Steve to be up to no good.
I too do not like the gorming Steve who acts like a buffoon. I think they should groom him to be a more stable male lead. We have seen hints over the years that he is up for it.
Too bad Corrie can't drag Kat Moon over from Eastenders for a while..she would spice up Steve's life for a change. lol
For the record...I hated Karen...esp when she was so hateful over little baby Amy and she was extremely selfish and volatile.... I was glad to see her go. :-)

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed Michelle when Paul and Liam were around, but then after her relationship with Steve ended and Paul Liam had both died. Their was really no point to her character, especially after KL got her breast implants

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