There was certainly a buoyancy in Leanne's step conveying her excitement about the trip and the wedding. Just as everyone is ready to wave them off, Peter, with incredible timing, turns up and as a result the plans go awry. Of course, Simon, who hasn't seen his dad for a long time, wants to stay with him especially when Peter gives him a brand new scooter.
Peter has noticeably changed. There is a preternatural calm about him, a determination not to be riled, due it seems, to the fantastic programme he has been on in Los Angeles. He appears very tanned and displays a rather smug facial expression. Carla appears subdued, but did pipe up that she missed nobody. Peter seemed pleased to have caused all the chaos and merited a telling off from Carla when she told him to stop it. Carla slopes off to the factory for a row with her little brother and a denunciation of the 'cheap and nasty tat' they are churning out.' As Rob storms off, Carla declares. 'Joy to the world'. Yes Carla, quite. She is keen to get Christmas over with and head off back to California. 'Two weeks of torture then back to the sunshine.' But Peter clearly has other ideas and plans to stay in Weatherfield. Understandably Simon is very keen for his dad to stay and by way of persuasion even offers to be nice to Carla.
Lewis's plan seems to be working wonderfully well. How cosy he and Gail looked on her sofa! But, he'll be moving on because his back is getting better. As Gail points out, there's no rush. She tells him she'll miss having him to talk to and he reciprocates by claiming he'll miss the daily diet of crises. So it looks like mission accomplished for Lewis. It will be interesting to see what will happen when he does move out. The writers have created a real treat here. Audrey's reaction to the shenanigans will be of interest regarding her darling daughter. It's a slow burn but a gripping one.
Less interesting and nearing the farcical is the dispute between Dennis and Steve and the double banning. So Dennis can't travel in a Streetcars taxi and Steve can't buy his cigs from the Kabin. Maybe a uniform does breed an overblown sense of power, but as Rita points out, her son, sorry, husband is doing a responsible and important job. Will she be fighting all his battles for him? Steve refers, rather hurtfully, to Rita as Dennis' sugar-mummy.
Kylie was superb tonight. A real woman of action, ignoring advice not to be daft, she asks in the best line of the night ,'What's daft about cold-blooded murder?' She grabs a crow bar and seeks out the errant David in Tina's flat. David explains himself and when Kylie asks how much Tina is being paid to be a surrogate, he claims he doesn't know, but then lands a very low blow when he tells her that she should know as she is the expert in buying and selling kids.
A good episode tonight, considerably spiced up by Peter and Carla's arrival. A Christmas Day wedding, Carla back on the booze, a budding attraction between Stella and Jason, Tyrone and Kirstie's difficulties, Tina and Tommy's problems to mention just some, should provide excellent viewing in the build up to Christmas and on Christmas Day itself.
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