Following Lesley's death by accidental electrocution - a little nod there to the demise of Ken Barlow's first wife Val? - it looks like there won't be a happy ending for guilt-stricken pair Eileen and her married lover Paul, as he appeared set to quit Coronation Street for good.
The love-torn fireman had only last week proposed to Eileen and offered to his divorce Alzheimer's victim wife (what a charmer! ) but after Lesley died throwing the toaster in to a water filled sink, when left alone by reluctant carer Eileen, his uxorious morals suddenly returned and it seemed he and Eileen could not have a future together.
This has always been an uncomfortable storyline and it has been difficult to feel much sympathy for Paul or Eileen ( despite fine performances by all three actors concerned in this bizarre love triangle) so it's timely it is coming to a close. And where did Eileen - deprived of her sunshine break abroad with Paul to care for Lesley - suddenly manage to pick up that deep Caribbean Cuprinol suntan amid all this life and death drama?
Meanwhile all systems were still go for fellow adulterers, newfound unlikely sex pot Sunita and her lover Karl. Not sure where this storyline is going either, but John Michie still looks a whole lot happier playing opposite her than Michelle Collins, who really hasn't improved one jot - with that wooden Northern accent and frozen expressionless face - since she joined the show. I feel quite sorry for the actress in a way as she is so obviously miscast, though she may well have done better if she'd been allowed to played it in her normal accent - it never did Mike Baldwin any harm to be a Cockney! Michelle Collins has denied reports she's quitting the show (and she's a good friend of the producer, don't forget) but let's hope the imminent arrival of that fine actress Sue Johnston might lead her to raise her game.
Regarding the less than inspiring daily 9pm episodes last week, I can only agree with the excellent previous verdicts of Flaming Nora and other bloggers on this site. As they pointed out, there was hardly much tension involving the various cliffhangers when the next day's preview show at the end of the episode gave most of the game away about what was happening next. And all the storylines seemed to have been leaked to the press beforehand anyway.
But the good cop, bad cop relationship of panto villain Terry and bird-brained, trusting son Tommy had a certain black humour about it and there was a good chemistry between the two actors. Nigel Pivaro isn't the best actor in the world but he has a certain swaggering charisma and despite my reservations I enjoyed his temporary return, as he slunk off into the sunset with most of Tommy and Tyrone's money. Loved the grudgingly affectionate line he delivered as he made his farewells as he noted that son Tommy was a much nicer person than he was:"Selling you ( as a baby) was the best thing I ever did, son."
1 comment:
I feel that people are a bit harsh on Michelle Collins
She really is not as bad in the role of Stella as some make out, in my view.
Of course, it is all down to personal taste, but it could be considered churlish to suggest that the only reason she is staying is because she is friends with the producer...
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