Owengate: Fri Jan 28, 2011 Corrie Episode Review

7:30pm

Written by Jonathan Harvey, directed by David Kester

Cheryl thinks that Lloyd is just being paranoid but Lloyd knows that Chris is guilty and figures he’s going inside for a long stretch.  Maria goes to see Chris and wants him to be honest with her since she’s gone out with dodgy blokes in the past.  Chris says that he can’t stand how Lloyd is becoming a father figure to his son.  Chris says he can’t stop thinking about it and now he’s screwing things up with Maria. 

It’s GO time, and Eileen’s packing.  Her and Julie wait at hers for Owen to show up.  Owen, lets himself in? Anyway, he sees the twister sisters as they give him a check for ten grand.  Eileen also says she’s going to pay the going rate for the work that Jason and Chris are doing on her roof.  Owen says that the check is a piece of paper and she hasn’t paid for her crime.  Eileen hands Owen the dossier and wonders if it changes things.  Eileen tells him that his paperwork is dodgy and he’ll have to watch out.  Eileen says she’s got the originals and they’ll stay safe as long as he doesn’t take her to jail or revenge on her and her family.  Owen forces a half-smile on his face.  Owen actually thinks all of this is about the fact that he wouldn’t sleep with her.  Wow, that’s below the belt.  Julie thinks they’ve won the war but Eileen figures this is just the battle.  Regardless, they start singing Bette Midler’s “From a Distance.” 

The Croppers find out that John has been sectioned gone into psychiatric care of his own accord.  Roy is concerned that Fiz isn’t eating properly.  Fiz sees Doctor Carter at the cafe and asks if he could try and find out how John is for her.  Carter says he can try, and Fiz thanks him.  At the Stape’s, a man comes knocking at the door asking for Mr. Fishwick.  Chesney says that Mr. Fishwick isn’t home and has no idea when a good time will be.  Meanwhile, Fiz is at the hospital since Hope has successfully gotten off the ventilator.  Fiz comes home and Chesney tells her about how someone came around asking for Colin Fishwick. Before Fiz goes back to the hospital, the Croppers come by and ask them for dinner but Fiz wants to go back to the hospital to see Hope.  Unfortunately, Fiz gets a call about Hope and she’s taken a turn for the worse and is back on a ventilator now.  

It’s hasn’t been long enough until I’ve seen Becky again on the cobbles.  It seems this war between her and Tracy is far from over – wonderful.  Deirdre has a few choice words and some flat sarcasm for Becky as Becky deals it back.  Tracy’s back (greaaattt) and Deirdre tries to offer a tea but Tracy wants a V and T.  Deirdre tries to offer Tracy a stuffed marrow.  Oh, honestly, no one likes your stuffed marrow, Deirdre!  Deirdre can’t believe that the police still hasn’t found Claire and that she’ll probably get away with it.  Tracy vows to find “four eyes Peacock” on her own.  Tracy goes into the yard and can hear Becky over at the Rovers yard talking to Claire on the phone and barges over.  Tracy tries to grab the phone off Becky but doesn’t get it.  Becky tells Tracy that half the people on the street chipped in to help Claire escape and no one cares for her. 

Gary gets back from court and tells Izzy that he got a suspended sentence.  He doesn’t like texting bad news.  Izzy figures that his CO will know what he’s been through.   Meanwhile, Anna sees him getting on a bus and asks Izzy where he’s going all dressed up.  Poor Izzy has to lie to Anna about what Gary’s been up to.  Gary tells his commanding officer that he “lost it” with the police officer.  He tells the CO how he’s regretted what happened and is determined to improve.  He asks for one more chance, but the CO regrets to inform him that he has no choice but to terminate his open engagement and discharge him from the army.  Gary tries to protest that he’s a good soldier, but it does him no good. 

8:30pm

Written by Carmel Morgan, directed by David Kester

Eddie Windass has gone grocery shopping for Gary’s favourite meal much to Anna’s surprise.  Too bad for bad news.  When back on the street, Gary tells Kirk about how he was dishonourably discharged from the army.  In the pub, Gary tells David what happened as a result of their drunken night and tells David to stay away, since he’s got nothing to lose now.  Gary returns home and breaks the bad news to his shocked (or perhaps) unshocked parents.  Anna goes into a fit when she hears what happened saying that Gary can never manage to stay out of trouble.  Meanwhile, Eddie thinks it’s not the worst thing since now Gary won’t die in Afghanistan.  Anna’s worried about Gary’s career future since who’s going to give him a job now.  Eddie says there’s more to life than work.  Well, he WOULD say that.  Anna freaks out that her son would be just like his father in that case.  Gary asks his mum if she wanted him to come home in a box like Quinny, and to that he got five across the eyes – and deservedly so!  When all is settled down, Gary apologizes to his mum.  Anna says she wants him safe but she wants him fulfilled and proud.  Gary figures if he doesn’t go back to the army then Quinny died for nothing.  Being in that unit is his life. 

Julie officially calls the interaction with Owen and the “dossier” as “Owen-gate.”  Julie brags to Sean, but Eileen thinks that Owen the sleeping dog, won’t lie.  They go on about Christine Cagney when Eileen’s not as chuffed about it, she’s just worried.  Julie and crew go into the pub and see Owen with his best “face like a smacked backside” on and Eileen is still shivering in her panties.  Julie is confident that they will find Eileen a new job, and Sean chimes in “with no access to the company chequebook.”  Later in the Rovers, no one can understand why Eileen finished working for Owen.  Sean spies Carla coming in and figures that Eileen does know her way around a sewing machine. 

Deirdre and Tracy go to the Rovers, but no one wants to sit with them.  Tracy tries to even get a round in to win people’s affections, but not even that is working.  Meanwhile, it looks like Eileen’s got the job in packing at the factory.  Tracy asks Carla about her job, but Carla says she’s given it away since she didn’t know when she’d be back from hospital.  She had to fill it.  Deirdre and Tracy are devastated.  Tracy figures that everyone’s “in on it.”  Carla tells her that she’s trouble and she can’t help herself and she has better things to do than worry about drama – like running a factory.  Of course, Tracy takes this personally.  Why doesn’t Tracy try getting a job OFF the street?  Heck, OFF the screen please.  At home later, Ken is frank with Tracy – they think very little of her on the street.  If she wants to be accepted she needs to show a little humility, since right now she holds no cards. 

Fiz is upset as baby Hope has been put back on her ventilator.  Despite being told that this happens quite often, Fiz is still quite upset about her baby’s health – understandably.  The doctors are testing for any other underlying problems that Hope might have.  Hayley gives comfort to Fiz, and Fiz claims she’s okay.  Fiz visits the hospital chapel and sees Doctor Carter has found her there.  Doctor Carter wishes he had better news for her about John.  Since when does “John” and “good news” go in the same sentence?  Fiz wants to know if John will get better eventually, but Doctor Carter doesn’t look hopeful to be honest.  Fiz worries it’s her fault that Hope is struggling.  They’ve had Hope’s tests back and one of her heart valves has opened.  They do say it’s treatable, but Fiz is horrified. 

Lloyd heads over to the police to accuse Chris of setting him up but Cheryl protests.  Lloyd has no idea why she’s sticking up for him, but she claims it’s for Russ’ sake.  The police arrive and tell Lloyd that they’ve arrested a Billy Matheson, and ask if he suspects that Billy had an accomplice.  Both Lloyd and Cheryl know full well that he did – Chris.  Lloyd softens for Cheryl and doesn’t give Chris up.  Lloyd wants to know why Cheryl’s protecting him and using Russ like his get-out-of-jail-free card.  Yes, WHY?!  Cheryl goes to give Chris a piece of her mind and says that Lloyd has earned seeing Russ unlike him.  She tells him that Lloyd has not incriminated him for Russ’ sake.  Cheryl breaks it to Chris that she’s filing for divorce.  Chris asks her if she really wanted a divorce, and it’s obvious that she does.  Cheryl tells Lloyd that she’s filing for divorce and Chris has finally gotten the message.  Do you think he has?  I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this brutish builder. 

HIGHLIGHTS

- Ken to Deirdre: “I like that new air freshener in the bathroom, it’s nice.”  Deirdre: “Yes, it’s nice – summer meadows.”  Gees, these two need to inject some excitement in their lives that you can’t get in aisle 3 at Freshco’s. 

- Ken to Deirdre: “What are you writing?”  Deirdre: “Me memoirs.” 

- Deirdre to Ken, “Is there an apostrophe in Freshco’s?”  Ken: “After the ‘o'.”

- Julie singing “From a Distance” by Bette Midler while they’re waiting for the Owen show-down.  I LOVED that song.

- Eileen: “Could you pass me the envelope, Julie.”  Julie: “With pleasure, Eileen.”

- Eddie remembering memories of Gary’s childhood.  

- Sean pointing out that Owen has “small man syndrome”  so true!

- Julie: “I would love to be Christine Cagney, minus the drink problem.”

- Julie to Eileen: “Don’t worry luv, we’ll find you the perfect job.”  Sean: “With no access to the company chequebook.” 

- Eddie Windass: “There’s more to life than work.”  Anna: “Oh grrrreat.  So he turns into YOU.” 

- Why can’t Fiz just run away with Doctor Carter now that John is in the loonie bin? 

LOWLIGHTS

- Why is Cheryl siding with her terrible ex-husband over Lloyd who has been there for her? 

- When Maria asks Chris for the truth, he plays the “it’s for my son” card.  The cad! 

- I don’t know if I’m alone here but I really don’t give a hoot about the war between Becky Mac and Tracy Luv.

- So, it’s more or less David’s fault that Gary’s been discharged from the service.  Just thought I’d say it since no one else seems to be. 

- Poor Fiz.  How much more can this poor woman go through?!