Here come the girls, or should I say middle aged women? But where else but Corrie are middle aged women front and central? From Ena Sharples (the same age when Corrie started as Sally is now) to Bernie Alahan-Winter, middle aged women get a voice and a story.
This one starts off funny with Christina bringing cremant rather than Prosecco and it looks like Sally will be doing her full suburban snob bit, and there are some banging '80s tunes (I heard The Cars, The Lotus Eaters, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and I loved the Lloyd Cole reference) but soon becomes more emotional as Christina admits that she's Rachel's mum (given that both Bernie and Debbie have had secret children, this seems to come as a surprise to the ladies) but then hits out first at Sally then the rest of the women and she storms off. She is persuaded back to the flat and the women all talk about their weaknesses, fears, hopes and so on. Glenda wants a boyfriend, Debbie has decided not to go to Dignitas but Clitheroe instead, Bernie talks about her (in)decision to have an elective mastectomy/hysterectomy.
Corrie marketed this as "several of them are left to navigate significant, life-altering choices", which seems to be Abi letting Kevin carry on playing with Alfie instead of picking him up, Glenda agreeing to go on a date with a squeezebox player, Debbie signing the business over to Ronnie, Christina completing an online visiting order to go and see (and bring down) Ritchie and most shocking of all - Bernie removing her hairpiece!
Then we end with a John Lewis Xmas ad version of Love Is All Around. I presume Marty Pellow wanted to have a speaking part as payment to use the Wet Wet Wet version and TPTB vetoed it.
Rachel Stevenson - personal blog
