Maria went through the usual cliches of the dumper, including I can't be with you any more, I just don't think we're right together, blah, blah. Where was the classic, it's not you it's me? She finished with, 'I never meant to hurt you,' to which Jason replied,'It didn't stop you though, did it?' Fair point Jase!
Not sure how forgiving we should be of the blast of homophobic comments Jason makes though. When Sean witnesses Maria and Marcus in a clinch, the insults fly thick and fast. Maria declares that Sean has a mouth bigger than the Mersey Tunnel. 'The gay man and the fag hag,' Jason cries, and 'You don't love her! You love Kylie Minogue and Canal Street.' Then, after a bit of a punch up in The Rovers, Jason shouts after Marcus, 'You still walk like a gay boy!' I am personally very uneasy with this kind of homophobia and indeed any kind, but Jason's intellect will never set the world alight and so he uses the only thing in his repertoire that he thinks might hurt. Gail, trying to work it all out, asks, 'Does this mean he's bisexual?' Oh Gail, nothing is quite so clear cut and people are not easily categorised, which is probably the point the writers are trying to make.
The football match was a bit tedious and the two landladies were beyond irritating. Carole and Stella's banter was unconvincing and not too far removed from panto. The snide remarks, the sighs - just not good enough for The Street. It just didn't work and the rivalry between Rob and Steve fails to convince too, though in fairness Steve was given a great line when he accused Rob of having 'delusions of adequacy' All told though the writing was predictable. Shame- a good fifteen minutes which needed much sharper dialogue.
Kirsty was impressive and convincing when she snapped at poor Kirk. It's often revelatory in life and in soapland (which after all is an attempt to portray life), that the way in which people speak to those of inferior intelligence tells us much about that person . Kirsty's unkindness to Kirk's attempt at conversation may have been irritating, but there was no need to snap at Kirk. When he asks if she had a gun when in the police force, she states that she wishes she had one now. She was creepily nice to Tyrone, encouraging him to go out with Dev. Perhaps we should be ready for some more Kirsty mayhem.
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