So, the Man from U.N.C.L.E (or Hustle, depending on your vintage) has joined Coronation Street. What a coup for Corrie to land bona fide Hollywood actor Robert "Napoleon Solo" Vaughn to guest star as American smoothie Milton Fanshaw the 3rd.
He rolled up, dapper in cravat, to surprise cruise squeeze Sylvia at the Rovers and join her in her tuneless banjo rendition of Ain't She Sweet. Milton then ordered "a round of boozes all round" for the impressed regulars - Rita in particular had an interested gleam in her eye.
Old pro Vaughn looks like he is enjoying himself hugely and it seems there will be some fine comic moments with besotted admirer Sylvia, whose battle-axe exterior melted like butter at his unexpected arrival. Although it looks like she told him a few porkies about her job and son's business in Weatherfield, as suave Milton said he was looking forward to "moseying along" to "Roy's place for some haute cuisine". Not sure Roy's fry ups will quite cut it in the Michel Roux stakes. But the question is, will Milton turn out to be yet another a charming conman, as most male Corrie guest stars seem to end up being, such as Ian McKellen, and Nigel Havers? Let's hope not, he seems so nice!
Meanwhile Ken Barlow, invigorated despite his hangover from his male-bonding whisky sleepover with new confidante Steve (more of this pairing, please) decided it was time to throw lying stepdaughter Tracy out of his home. The "Teflon-coated" (as Ken called her) madam threw the usual tantrum before discovering a solution - brazenly breaking into estranged new husband Steve McDonald's house with a chicken madras bubbling on the stove (let's hope it wasn't poisoned) as he arrived home. Steve understandably did not look too impressed as she offered him a poppadum.
Eileen and Paul came out proudly (on her part at least) as a couple in the Rovers but she seemed a tad surprised that most of the regulars, including sister Julie, disapproved of her openly canoodling with a married man with a sick wife.
Cheating matching black-dressed adulterous pair Peter and Carla (do this couple ever wear any other colour?) snatched a night away from poor, unsuspecting Leanne in a posh hotel in Chester, only to be caught red- handed on camera smooching by Frank's lady detective. I don't really see Frank's twisted logic that unmasking Carla as a love cheat will make any difference to his imminent rape trial. Hats off however to Gwen Taylor as Frank's smothering, interfering mother who is very convincing as an unpleasant, neurotic character.
14 comments:
Little bit taken aback by Robert Vaughn's noticeably slurred and whistling diction. Do hope that's from natural ageing/dentures and not as a result of having suffered a stroke in the recent past.
Funniest line from Friday's episodes, was Kylie's response to a taunt from Gail as to Kylie's dietary competence in compiling Max's school lunchbox:
- "I blame Jamie Oliver"
Tee hee; as Kylie 'matures' is that a future Blanche in the making I see?
I thought the same about Milton Danny-K, I found him very difficult to understand when Robert Vaughan has never been before. He seemed slightly bewildered and out of place somehow but am looking forward to seeing how this character transpires and hope he doesnt turn out to be another rotter.
Peter's tats as they lay together post coitally in that grubby hotel - YEUCH.
Thanks for these fab corrie episode reviews and welcome!
Great reviews - a freshness feel to them. You can say a lot in one sentence! Welcome to the team KathrynS!
Where oh where can I find the gorgeous top worn by Carla on 27 Jan?? Black with sequins.
Loved the comedy from Kylie, and Mary & Norris in this episode.
The photos of Carla and Peter will affect the rape trial I think, because they have both said there is nothing going on between them. Assuming they are still sticking to that story, they will be shown to be lying in court now as that detective has snapped photos of them.
Robert Vaughn is only in the soap for 3 weeks so it's either he's a rotter and gets found out, or he's the genuine article but dies of a heart attack. Love Kylie, she really is growing into that part. I'd like to see her continue Becky's feud with Tracy, and keep winning! You're right, Anna, about Peter and Carla lying in court. Even if Frank goes down, they might well be charged with perjury because how they can prove they only started the affair recently.
I thought exactly the same about Peter's tatts. Horrible. It's much easier to forgive the boredom of Carpet and the silliness of Mr Packham inspecting childrens' lunches when the dialogue is good.
The Jamie Oliver line was noticeable, but I also liked Ken saying that salutory lessons bounce off Tracy like radiation off a cockroach. The writing is definitely better recently.
Am I the only one who can't stand Anne Foster? She seems quite fake to me, and always there, annoyingly. I know she's just lost her husband (and even that seemed like a convenient plot device), but she just seems to be omnipotent!
Can't stand Anne Foster? I doubt there's a Corrie fan who does.
To all intents and purposes she's being played as a direct descendant of the Hyacinth Bucket school of pretentious snobbery - without the humour. Surprised she hasn't yet ran after a departing Sally, spraying air freshener in her wake to remove all traces of a working class peasant/pleb coming into her son's home.
"Ughh" she'd shudder "the very thought, that, that girl's been breathing in the same air and been standing in the same vicinity as an oily mechanic then has the brazen cheek to walk in here, without so much as a bye or leave . . ."
The producers are going to come up with one helluva a humilating comeuppance for her to endure for viewers to have any empathy towards her, but for the moment you have to admit - she does serve a purpose.
They don't have to prove the affair only started recently, innocent until proven guilty remember? That said if they lie and say nothing happened and nothing still is they will have committed perjury.
Norris getting his fingers mashed in the piano..OMG was that funny!!!
Here in Canada, we're just at the episodes where Carla & Frank are a couple, and she's telling him there's nothing going on between her and Peter, even though she admits she tried to get him into bed. So I would guess Frank is going to establish that there has been something between them all this time; and if she's been lying about that, then she's lying about the rape. It's a good defense.
I'll be glad when the truth is out. I can't stand Carla. She's a man-stealing bitch.
~JB in Canada
Good review, kathrynS, and welcome! Nice observations and an easy read too.
I wish Carla & Peter's affair didn't get stuck into Frank's trial. Shouldn't a rape trial be just about the rape, not about the woman's character or any past events? Even if she was having an affair while with Frank, it still doesn't excuse rape. Just today, there was an article in The Guardian about how "jurors arrive at court with preconceptions about women which affects how they consider evidence". This kind of thing can only add to that. Women don't report rape because of fears like this, and convictions don't happen because of it too. If men think they may get away with it, well...
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