Coronation Street episode review. Written by Jonathan Harvey (7:30) and Carmel Morgan (8:30), directed by Terry Dyddgen-Jones
Cheryl’s at Lloyd’s and he’s been grilling her about her husband’s abuse. Lloyd asks if it’s the first time. Of course it isn’t! Cheryl tries to make some excuses for
him, but she knows how wrong her situation is.
Steve witters on to Eileen about his “competition” with Eddie Windass in the adoption storyline. Eileen is so engaged she’s been making paper hats all day. Eileen gets a call from Fat Brenda (when will we see her?) saying that she’s been turned away from La Belle (lap dancing club). Steve asks if she was there for work or as a customer, and Eileen corrects him that it was most definitely for work. The bouncer gave Fat Brenda a piece of his mind, and Eileen recalls that Lloyd went there earlier to pick up Cheryl.
Lloyd doesn’t want Cheryl to go back to her husband. At that moment Steve knocks on Lloyd’s door telling him they’ve lost the La Belle contract and he wants to know what he’s done. Lloyd tries to avoid the situation, but Steve knows what’s up. Steve tells Lloyd that Cheryl is trouble. Cheryl tells Lloyd that it’s the truth and that she’s got to go back home for her son. Lloyd doesn’t think that’s a good idea, but takes her anyway. Cheryl wants Lloyd to drop her off a street away, so that Chris doesn’t see him dropping her off. Lloyd doesn’t want to put her back into the lion’s den, but Cheryl thinks Chris will be hearts and flowers after he’s realized what he’s done. Cheryl says she’s protecting her son, but Lloyd thinks that if his mum was beat by his dad he’d kill him. Lloyd wonders what this domestic abuse will do to Russ and how it will alter what he thinks of women. Very valid points, Lloyd Mullaney. Cheryl thinks her son needs to be with his father and won’t split them up. Unfortunately for Cheryl, Chris is in a shop directly across from her and Lloyd in his cab. Cheryl tells Lloyd that she’s bad news and he needs to move on. When Lloyd leaves, Chris asks her where she’d been. She lies and tells him she went to see Leanne and took the bus home.
Steve and Lloyd argue over the loss of the La Belle contract when Lloyd gets a call from Cheryl asking him to come get her. Lloyd tells Steve and Eileen that it’s
been Cheryl’s husband Chris that’s been knocking her about, not Mel the club manager. He’s off to rescue his damsel in distress when Eileen wonders why he has to get involved. Lloyd picks up Cheryl and Russ from hers and loads the cab. They speed away as husband Chris is gaining on them. He chases down the cab with hands in the window and all on foot. It was like something out of Terminator 2. Of course, Russ must be shocked to see his father chasing them down, and then as we find out later, watching his father hit his mum. Russ is worried about his dad and probably generally confused about what is going on. Cheryl did the right thing to take him away from that, however. Chris tries to be sneaky and shows up at the cabbie office to find Cheryl’s whereabouts. Steve sniffs him out though, and accuses him of being a wife-beater and asks him to leave. Chris grabs Steve by the collar in a rage, but Eileen manages to diffuse the situation and Chris leaves. Steve goes over to Lloyds and lets he and Cheryl know that Chris has turned up at the cabbie office. Cheryl knows that it’s only a matter of time until Chris finds her.
Julie needs a man – and fast. She’s drooling over the way Nick a.k.a. “Mr. Tilsley” fills his pants. Sean asks Nick for his job back, and he’s got it. Natasha’s been stood up by Nick again for business and gets disappointed when he tells her that he’ll pay her money back soon enough. She’s delighted, however, when he tells her that he’s scheduled a romantic hotel night for the two of them. Natasha wants Nick to come to her sisters engagement party, but Nick says he’ll ‘play it by ear.’ Natasha says her parents are starting to believe he doesn’t exist. 
Mary suggests a very fancy venue for Roy and Hayley but Hayley thinks it’s way out of their price range. Nick returns late from his night-of-passion with Natasha and opens up the factory. Sean has a little chat with Nick about how he’s taking over the factory and how Carla should feel good about him picking up the slack. He notices an invoice from ‘Nick’s Nicks” and asks if they are still Underworld. Nick tries to brush it off saying that was some paperwork from his old business, but looks VERY sheepish. This should be interesting when Carla returns.
Speaking of Carla, her and Trev are back looking well rested. Well, at least I think it’s Trev eventhough it looks like his much handsome (possibly gayer) younger brother. Not that I’m complaining! Trev and Carla lounge around home arguing over who is going to make the tea. Carla tells him she’s ready to go back to work, but Trev thinks she needs more time. Nobody can tell Carla otherwise and she’s set – she’s going back to work.
Michelle rubs her two brain cells together and comes up with a plan for Sean to find Violet and Dylan. He’s to get a friend
of Violet’s to try and add her on FaceScene to see if it’s really her or not. If she accepts the add from another friend, then she must be just avoiding him. Sean thinks it’s a smashing idea but wonders who this friend of Violet would be since she really didn’t have many ‘round there. Sean figures that Liz could be the friend that Violet would connect with, so he and Michelle decide to add a fake profile of Liz on FaceScene as a trap for Violet. Sean tells Fiz later about what he’s done and she doesn’t think it’s the best idea (but who is she to judge when talking fraud) but thinks it’s great if Sean can get any contact with his son. It appears that Sean and Michelle’s trick worked since Violet sent many photos of a well dressed Dylan and Sean gets very upset. Michelle says he’s going to have to be patient for now. Poor Sean!
Graeme surprises Tina with a romantic picnic in a park, that he’s had some thuggish friend of his set up. Tina’s surprised and delighted to find the romantic little setup all done for her. Tina coos over how thoughtful Graeme is and he tells her a bit about his past. He went on a caravan holiday with some old neighbours and he and his best mate – the neighbours boy – snuck out and walked down the beach and stayed up all night eating sweets and drinking coke and just being silly. That was the best night of his life until now. He then tells her how his best mate had cystic fibrosis and died when he was twelve. The couple finish their lovely night off with some start-gazing and giggling. Tina wonders where Graeme is 
stopping tonight, and wonders if he hates her for abandoning him for Rita’s cosy spare room.
The next day, Tina talks Rita, Norris and Emily about how Graeme doesn’t have a place to live. Norris says that Graeme is two sandwiches short of a picnic and Tina points out that Mary’s isn’t exactly a full shilling. That pushed his buttons as he set them straight that Mary and he aren’t exactly “stepping out.” Much to Norris’s dismay, Emily has told Graeme that he could temporarily stay in her spare room until he finds a place. Norris tries to throw him off on Mary and her motor home, but Mary tells him that he knows she prefers older men. This should be an interesting new living situation!
At the dinner party, Ken is astounded by the fact that Lewis didn’t vote in the general election. So much for that kindred spirit he was looking for. No one spoils a dinner party like Ken Barlow and his hot air. Why doesn’t Ken just meet up with John Stape and they can have these tedious conversations off-screen, perhaps? Ken wants the dinner party to brim of the types of conversations you’d hear on the Cafe Tabac on the left bank. Audrey spews that she loves London, although was Ken referring to La Rive Gauche en Paris, no? Haha. Ken moves on quickly into the plans he’s got for his study. Deirdre lets a cat out of the bag telling her dinner guests that Ken used to be an escort himself. Audrey seems
rather shocked at this, and Ken clearly. Lewis immediately asks him if he worked for an agency. Oh, Deirdre, Ken’s right – you’re turning into your mother! Liz arrives at the most awkward time, to return Deirdre’s Maeve Binchy.
Deirdre’s out back puffing on a fag and Lewis goes to join her. After all, he’s only young once. Deirdre tells him she feels awful about what she said to Ken earlier. She says she shouldn’t pick on Ken since it’s naughty, and Lewis tells her she’s a very, naughty girl. Deirdre agrees that maybe she is. She tells Lewis that if she had to pay for his services or Ken’s she knows who she’d choose. Well, that seals the deal. Audrey comes out that moment to whisk Lewis away into a cab and thanks Deirdre for the dinner party. Oh, I don’t know who’s more trouble – Lewis or Deirdre?
HIGHLIGHTS
- Julie going on about how Nick fills out his trousers. Girl needs to get some, and ASAP!
- Graeme’s picnic idea was cute and romantic. I think he should have taken me instead, however. Also, him talking about a friend who died of cystic fibrosis and
some of his past. It’s nice to finally learn more about Graeme.
- Tina retorting to Norris, when he referred to Graeme is two sandwiches short of a picnic that “Scary Mary” isn’t exactly a full shilling. Haha, if Tina keeps pulling out lines like that she’ll be a lot more bearable to watch!
- “The Boss Thinks it’s just coffee” sign up in the cabbies office. Judging by the paper crowns that Eileen was cutting out earlier, maybe it really does need to be more than just coffee in her mug!
- Trev came back from Africa looking about 10 years younger with a new haircut and a fresh tan, and what looks like a facial. Also, who’s legs were smoother? Trev’s or Carla’s? Talk about boy-toy.
- Norris suggesting that Mary has room in her camper van for a lusty young man to kip (Graeme) and Mary tells him that he knows very well that she prefers older men – father figures. *shudder*
- You’ve got to love Deirdre’s dinner parties. They never go off without a hitch!
LOWLIGHTS
- Ken telling Lewis that he should be ashamed of himself for not voting. Oh please, he’s a male prostitute, the voting race will hardly crumble without his two
cents. I guess Lewis isn’t exactly the kindred spirit Ken was looking for. Or, is he?
- Also, what’s with Ken’s increasingly snarky attitude? He’s beginning to fill a hole that Blanche left (insulting Deirdre), only without the funny.
- Holy smokes, Nick’s Nick’s has knicked Underworld!
- Natasha coming into the Rovers overhearing the factory girls talking about how great Nick is and saying she’s “very proud of her Nicky.” I hope he didn’t hear that, since we all know how he hates being called Nicky. *barf*
- Poor Sean! Why is Violet keeping Dylan from him? Especially now that her and Jamie are split, and there’s no “happy families” fantasy in play.
7 comments:
Do wish they'd give Julie-fills-his-pants a major storyline. She could be really entertaining if they gave her a story to unleash the full range of her character's emotions. Or is she destined to end up as tram fodder?
Julie really is getting desperate isn't she? She's a funny character, though, i love her and her sense of style! Natasha is desperate in a scary way.
Trev is just gorgeous!
if Nick has hijacked Underworld and is calling it something else, can't Carla insist he buy her out? or is that vice versa?
Ken always was full of attitude. Remember the novel incident?
I enjoyed the Graeme and Tina scenes in this episode. Still not 100% sure about their relationship though.
I liked how Lloyd and Steve were arguing about losing the contract, and then as soon as Steve knew the situation and thought Lloyd might need his help, "Right, I'll come with you." Those two have got a really good, believable friendship.
Fat Brenda got big mentions!
I like Julie very much also, and her sense of style is great, I love it. I used to think Fiz was kind of stylish, although not in the same put together, retro look as Julie, but Fiz has changed in that area as well, thank you John.
I was pleased with the more relaxed, and dare I say "happy" way in which Tina and Graeme related to one another in the 'picnic' episode; hope it continues as I'm getting a bit sick of Tina's bossy, on the edge of striking out attitude.
I love Julie, she should be used in bigger storylines. Bored and not interested in Cheryl and her domestics or her abusive husband, or surely child, they dont even live on the street? why are we getting them in our faces all the time? The size of her, she must be about 6 ft 3 tall, you would have thought she could fend for herself instead of using Lloyd all the time. He needs a girlfriend, not this box of trouble.
Did anyone else think Hayley's randon Crankies-related comments were actually far more Julie-style lines? My thought was that they were probably written for Julie, but had to be transfered to Hayley when cast availability made it clear that Julie needed to take the other side of the dialogue. (These contraints do apply, especially now the cast are paid per episode)
I too am utterly uninterested in Cheryl. Dropping Theresa for Cheryl, was to sacrifice what is typically Corrie for something typically That-Other-Place-Down-South. Shame!
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