Crest of a Wave: Thu Apr 14, 2011 Corrie Episode Review

Written by Carmel Morgan, directed by Laurence Moody

It’s trouble in young lover’s paradise with Katy and Chesney since they cannot keep up with their bills.  Katy wonders why everything is so expensive.  That’s life?  As Chesney says “that’s a lot of dog collars.”  Katy thinks that it’ll be better with two jobs coming in, but Chesney won’t let her quit school or do poorly.  Owen sees Katy sat on the bench when she should be at school looking at the job section in the newspaper.  He figures she can’t be working and be at school.  Katy says that he can’t make her go to school, but Owen says he could be prosecuted since she’s supposed to be in school by law.  Katy later complains to Chesney how her father wanted her to go to school, but she figures she can do her education anytime.  Katy says she loves coming home to him, but Chesney reminds her she’s university material. 

Kevin tries to harass Sally about the car he gave her for a gift, and entice her.  She’s not having it, however, saying she’s moved on.  Kevin self-pities himself that he can’t win.  Kevin refuses to take the gift back.  It seems that Sally took the car around for a spin anyway.  Wait, it seems that she took it out to sell it.  Go Sally, go!   

Tracey, with Frank in the Rovers, tries to harass Maria and poke fun at her for being a real “business executive.”  One can only assume that Frank has been gossiping about her to Tracey.  What a nasty little piece he is.  Maria’s got her back up though, and tells Tracey and Frank where to put it.  Carla sees this and has to take her out of the pub.  Although, I don’t see why, she hadn’t even finished her lunch.  Maria’s awful tired of Carla’s “the customer comes first” preference.  Carla goes back and pays for Tracey and Frank’s round.  Maria is working late alone, and when she goes to lock up the factory, Frank walks by saying he’s there to apologize.  He says she’s got an attitude, but she tells him that outside office hours, she’s got nowt to say to him. 

It’s the day after that mess with Jim robbing’ that bank and all, and Becky also notes that Tracey’s suspicious.  Steve figures it’s only a matter of time for Amy to mention airplanes or something to set Tracey off.  Liz says she’ll back them up since Tracey will believe her.  Since when?  Liz can’t understand why Jim just didn’t tell her straight.  I can’t understand how she can wake up from bed in her pyjamas in full make-up, but that’s for another time.  Liz is upset and wants to know how Jim can do something like that to her.  She tells Becky that Jim was a useless husband.  Becky says that desperation does things to folk – she’d know.  Jim called the Rovers saying he wants to see Liz.

Tracey comes into the Rovers to threaten Becky again, and tell her how Amy’s being made fun of at school for her granddad robbing a bank.  How do seven year olds know about these things?  They must get news updates sent right to their iPhones.  Tracey’s not the only one unhappy.  Lloyd also comes into the Rovers to blast Steve about not being his mate, rather than an outstanding piece of paperwork.  Steve says he didn’t tell Lloyd since he knows he’d try to talk him out of it.  Lloyd agrees! 

At the prison, Jim tells Liz that she should have let him pull the trigger and he really is sorry.  He says he thought he could get the money together.  Liz thinks he’s an idiot.  Jim figures they were on a crest of a wave and it was like the old days – the good ones.  Jim says he just wanted her and Steve to have their dreams, but then he ruined it all.  Jim tells her that he’d like her to be waiting for him the day he walks out of the big house.  Liz says she wouldn’t be anywhere else.  Liz is so close to tears, it’s hard to watch. 

Back at the Rovers Liz and Steve go through Jim’s things as Liz knows that Jim was going to shoot himself and that she gave him something to live for.  Liz wonders to herself what is so special about owning the Rovers and why she was so obsessed with it.  Becky says it’s what she was good at and it’s what she knew.  Becky tells Liz that the Rovers is her home for as long as she wants, and Liz smiles fondly at that.  Later, in the pub when it’s closed, they share a drink and toast to Liz getting through the shift without killing anyone.  Liz insists that Becky and Steve go to bed, and she’ll clear up the place – it’s therapeutic.  When they leave, Liz breaks down and sobs at the bar alone.  Elsewhere, Jim is lying on his cot in a prison cell with empty expression.  Liz, in the Rovers, reminisces about her time spent there and on the street.  With that, Liz puts her coat on, grabs her bag and shuts off the lights in the pub one last time.  She locks up, and with her red suitcase in tow, gets into a cab and tells the driver, “Airport please.  Go for it.”  Goodbye, Elizabeth. 

HIGHLIGHTS

- Norris on Jim’s bank robbing news: “Jim McDonald? With a nylon stocking on his head hardly qualifies as a Thomas Crown Affair.” 

- Sally to Kevin about his gift of a car: “Never mind that you betrayed everything I held dear, forget money, forget the love child, I’ve got parking sensors.  My cup runneth over.”  Then her selling it!  Ha-ha.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Kev.

- Liz and Becky finally coming to some peace together.  Even if it was in the end. 

LOWLIGHTS

- Poor Liz, with her and Jim not working out again – for the last time.  I found this rather heart-wrenching. 

- I think it’s terrible what they’re doing – Katy and Chesney – moving out and wasting their youth on work and bills!  Plus, it’ll be especially saddening when we find out they’re also having a baby to be saddled with.  Why does it seem like the only young person on Corrie who enjoys their youth is Rosie Webster?!

- What won’t Carla Connor do to keep that little toad Frank’s business? 

- I can’t believe Liz left the street without saying good bye to her best mate Deirdre, or better still – her granddaughter Amy. 

- Can anyone seriously believe that a woman like Liz McDonald travels with only ONE suitcase?

- Liz leaving.  She will be missed – at least by this blogger.