Not a Competition: June 30 & July 1, 2010 Corrie Episode Reviews

Sorry for the late review, but my computer decided to crash this week, and I'm not very happy about that! That’s why there’s no photos for the July 1 review as I didn’t have the software! Happy Belated Canada Day to all Canadian Corrie Fans!

June 30, 2010

Written by Joe Turner, directed by Terry Dyddgen-Jones

Tina is obviously not happy with the fact that Jason has left her home-less and stuff-less. Tina goes to the cafe to speak with Jason about getting her stuff out of the flat, but he makes it clear that she’s not to go into the flat or get her stuff: no way, no how! Meanwhile, David returns Graeme’s personal belongings to him at the butcher’s only they’re not all in one piece. David’s cut all the peaks off of Graeme’s caps and the hoods of his hoodies. David tells Graeme that he betrayed him and won’t forgive him. Nick sees that David is upset but tries to tell him that Tina isn’t worth it. He’s right, for once. Gail has Nick back off saying that David needs their support.

In a desperate attempt, and spurned on by Tina, Graeme grabs a crowbar and a ladder and breaks the window of the flat to get Tina’s stuff. David’s put Jason on alert, and the two show up at the scene of a broken window and threaten to call the police. Jason makes the final call chucking all of Tina’s stuff out onto the cobbles where they belong. They cause quite a scene in the street, especially as Graeme discovers that David has cut all the hoods off his hoodies to which Norris replies that he has the same impulse to do so every time he sees one! I never understood hoodies either. After the scene is over, Nick gives David some advice: get off the sidelines and into the pitching field. Is David going to heed his older brother’s sage manipulative advice?

Gail isn’t happy that David ripped off her radiator, and David quickly reminds her how he stood by her all the time she was in prison and she just as quickly goes easy on him. How long is he going to hold that over her head for mercy?

Fiz receives a rather large shipment of boxes for Chesney. She rips open the boxes to find more dog collars. It looks like Chesney is refilling his stock and giving Underworld a run for their money! Perhaps Chesney should have been Carla’s new business partner instead of someone else. John takes it upon himself to have a chat with Chesney over lunch to try and get Ches and Fiz back on the same side. Ches is just happy that John thinks he’s doing well at the market and thinks it’s great. I’d be wary if I were Ches, in taking career advice from Stape. Well, Stape’s interference seems to have worked it’s charm since Fiz and Chesney are back in each others good graces. That, or Ches has actually started paying rent. Either way, things are better between Fiz and Ches eventhough Fiz reckons she needs a collar since she feels like she’s in the dog house. John tells Fiz that he thinks they need an holiday, while Chesney keeps an eye on their house. How

Steve is feeling nostalgic and begins to play with his childhood action figure again when he needs it for the adoption meetings. The adoption folk want everyone to bring something in from their childhood that meant a lot to them to share. So far, Becky can’t think of anything. Steve tells Becky that he heard Eddie Windass saying that he couldn’t be bothered and thinks this is their chance to pull ahead. Becky reminds him that it isn’t a competition, but Steve says it most definitely is.

Liz is prettying herself up in hopes that she’ll be representing The Rovers Return in Weatherfield’s Fairest Barmaid competition, but no one had her in mind. Ciaran volunteers Michelle, and Steve says that his wife, Becky, is the face of the Rovers. Liz stands up for herself and may the fairest woman win! Liz is QUITE intent on entering herself in that contest and something tells me she’s not going down easy.

Roy and Hayley are preparing their their encore-nuptials and Roy tells Hayley and not to get a dress on the cheap. Hayley tries to be modest but loves being spoiled by her Roy. Mary is still helping Hayley out and when hearing that she’s going wedding dress shopping, she insists that Hayley come by her motor home first as she’s got a surprise waiting. After Mary creepily snubs Anna out of the meeting, Hayley agrees to meet. The surprise is Mary’s wedding dress that she bought with “dashed hopes.” Hayley loves the dress so much and figures it’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for her and figures Mary should be guest of honour at their wedding. The ladies giggle like school girls as Hayley tries the dress on proper and they go over other wedding plans.

Lloyd moans to Eileen about how he’s given Cheryl two tickets to Oklahoma and is somehow gotten himself into driving her and her husband to the hottest musical in town. What a mug! Well, like usual, Lloyd got it all wrong. Cheryl isn’t taking her husband to Oklahoma, she’s taking her son Russ. As soon as he sees this his eyes light up again at the prospect of he and Cheryl romantically. Oh, Lloyd.

HIGHLIGHTS
- The strange little scenes where Steve catches Liz asking her mirror who is the fairest of them all, and when Becky catches him playing with his doll action figure. Then Lloyd later knocking over Steve’s doll in the cabbie office when he gets ready to drive Cheryl and her son into town to see Oklahoma.
- Becky referring to Ciaran as her lovely overgrown leprechaun. I wonder if there’s a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow, or perhaps only some lucky charms.
- Quote that says it all, Tina: “I might not have much, but I have got my stuff.” Run, Graeme! Run for the hills!
- Mary, “Can you come to my motor home at 6:30 tonight?” Ha-ha. I still find it funny that she lives in a motor home, whatever.

LOWLIGHTS
- Poor Uncle Derek and his sofa, he was only trying to help them find a place to stay!
- That ungrateful little Tina McIntyre. First she’s nasty with Norris when she’s late for work when she should be lucky she even has a job. Then, she’s just plain old nasty to everyone.
- Since when would Roy think that a wedding dress was the “cornerstone” of any wedding? Has he put down “Locomotive Fetish Weekly” for “Brides Day?”
- Why does the “Fairest Barmaid of Weatherfield” poster have a caricature of about the UGLIEST barmaid ever?
- I can’t stand that little “hard done by” face on David Platt that he gave Gail this episode. Both of Gail’s sons have a face you want to slap in my humble opinion.
- Tina and Graeme going around the street as scorned lovers. Puh-lease, I can’t take their relationship seriously. She’s using him, and he’s a fool and the whole thing is so contrived.
- I was going to post that Mary looked good this episode, then she creepily snubbed Anna in the cafe in some possessiveness over Hayley. I considered her giving Hayley her dress a “highlight” only it was so creepy and I think there’ll be more to this later on that won’t be such a highlight for Hayley.
- Has the recession skipped the minds of Fiz and Stape? How do you go from not having a job and wondering how you’ll pay the bills to deciding to go on holiday? Ah, life in make-believe-land.

July 1, 2010

Written by Simon Crowther, directed by Terry Dyddgen-Jones

Graeme and Tina are still finding a place to stay, but aren’t having any luck. Where did they stay last night? On Uncle Derek’s couch again? David takes a stab at playing peace maker but we all know he’s not got good intentions. David tells Jason that he’s got a new plan for Graeme and Tina. David gets Jason to let Tina in for five minutes to get her stuff from the flat, and gets NO thank you. David’s out to kill though. David tries to befriend Graeme again and put doubts in his mind about Tina. Tina’s curious as to what David’s up to and confronts him in the pub. Well, she got more than she asked for since David really pushed on her wounds telling her, pretty much the truth: she’s using Graeme, she’s nothing but trouble, she aborted his child, she got engaged to Jason and trampled all over him, she walked out on her own father’s funeral to get his mum arrested, and now she shacks up with Graeme who happens to be his best mate. He forgot that she kissed his brother, and treated his mum like crap and made just about everyone else on the street (viewers inc) miserable. David accuses Tina of working her way up the street to the other men and wonders who’s next. She sarcastically says that his granddad is next, but honestly, I wouldn’t put it past her. He tells her that she used to be the most beautiful girl in the world then wonders who she is now – just a mess. This brings Tina to tears as Graeme tries to go after David but they quickly get torn apart. Tina breaks down at the bar and Ciaran instructs Graeme to hug her.

Becky still can’t find something special for the adoption meeting and is starting to really stress out – again – over this whole adoption thing. She finally remembers that she has some stuffed gorilla that means something to her that she takes with her to the meeting. At the adoption meeting, Steve tells his story about his action figure, then Anna about her Grandmother’s ring. When it’s Becky’s turn she talks about her stuffed Gorilla and that she has it because it reminds her of one her mum gave her when she was little and that she doesn’t want to hand it over. Getting the meaning of the exercise, Becky says she knows it’s difficult for people to have to give up their children to someone else to raise and that she’d be very reluctant to give up her gorilla, even. It’s Eddie’s turn and he hasn’t brought anything. He tells all that he hasn’t brought his best possession because he’s overseas fighting in the army for their country. That’s right – his favourite thing in the world is his son, Private Gary Windass. This brings a tear to many an eye, even this blogger’s! Eddie and Anna gloat later about their success and that they’ve edged ahead of the McDonald’s. Anna reminds him it’s not a competition, but he says sure it is.

It looks like there’s still a lot of indecision around which barmaid is to represent the Rovers in the fairest barmaid competition. Ciaran figures they should decide by putting all the names in a hat and then having Steve pull one out. Liz writes HER name down four times and puts them into the hat. When Steve pulls out a paper he reads “Michelle” but it really says Liz, not to her surprise. Later, Ciaran confronts Liz about why she rigged the competition. Liz just says she really wanted to see her face in the paper and Ciaran thinks that it’s really beneath her to want that since she’s so much better than that. Does he really? Or is he just trying to pull favour for Michelle, the lass of his eye at the moment?

Lloyd is beaming to Eileen about how Cheryl took her son to the musical instead of her husband. Eileen warns to Lloyd to move along, but he’s got it bad and that ain’t good. Lloyd drives by Cheryl’s place pretending to be ‘in the neighbourhood’ and leaves her message. He quickly ends the message when he sees her and her husband and son walking down the street all smiles. Oh, Lloyd, really. Lloyd cries to Eileen afterwards about what happened. Lloyd says he hates being single and figures that Eileen loves it and she’s set in her ways. Lloyd figures that Eileen likes being single because she wears slippers. Eileen corrects him and figures she’s in her prime like him and it doesn’t get easy and it’s quite scary. Poor Eileen, she really deserves a good guy! C’mon writers!

HIGHLIGHTS
- Graeme wearing all his peak-less caps and hoodless hoodies.
- Steve and Becky look really dapper at the adoption meeting, in contrast to Eddie Windass’ 1980’s holiday tie and scruff.
- The couple that got married behind the waterfall – isn’t it romantic?
- Eddie saying that his most prized possession is his son, Private Gary Windass. Nothing like a father’s pride to melt a heart.

LOWLIGHTS
- So SICK of the adoption storyline…let’s get on with it already!
- David and Jason making fun of Graeme for being low on the rung of men that Tina could date. Poor Graeme. He’s the victim here! Well, and Jason.
- Manipulative David. He should really stay out of all of this and get that old girlfriend back! Tina really isn’t worth it – Nick was right.
- David was telling the truth, but he really took it too far. I really didn’t want to be Tina when he was telling her off! He’s such a nasty little toe-rag! I think the best thing for everyone is for Tina to just leave the street and move back with her mum. Please?