Coronation Street double episode review, Monday 18 February

Poor Owen - his egg isn't sufficiently runny for him to dip his soldiers in. Still, we all have our burdens to bear and of course, the underlying stress which leads to the egg complaint is surely due to the difficulties with Faye.

Kylie's burden concerns her fears that David will stray as he goes on his course in London, because as she says, 'There'll be more tarts in that classroom than in Gregg's front window'.

The burden theme continues with Eva and Karl. Both are down on their luck, Eva because she spends her days sewing knickers and then takes off the plastic on a meal for one. That does sound undeniably bleak, yet bleaker still is Karl's life in his bedsit with its sticky carpets, fag burns in the sofa and the footprints on the windowsill of the last bloke to live there. Eva reminds him that he didn't have to be so down on his luck, as she says,  he made his bed. Karl rather impressively interprets the comment literally and says he has not made his bed this morning and that there was no point to it.

So Flash the tortoise meets his demise - or does he? And how did he make it to 15 years of age (I speak from a childhood littered with dead tortoises as they were plucked from their shoe boxes) never mind how many years that is in tortoise years, if that applies?  Quite an amusing diversion from the serious stuff of tonight's episodes and we await news of a possible rescue of the 'shell-shocked' (ha ha Steve) Flash.

We learn tonight that Lewis is in Belize while Kirk wears his coat and cravat. Gail though remains firmly in Coronation Street and by means of some elementary detective work discovers who the culprit is who revealed her password.

Kylie's character is superb. Her directness, her passion and her love for David and Max are heartwarming and put us firmly on her side. She is flawed, as we all are, but Gail's lack of compassion and understanding are chilling. Most certainly there will be those who disagree with this view, but Gail seems particularly bitter. Money or family? Most people would chose the latter. Perhaps the truth and total honesty are over-rated when the happiness of a family is at stake. But Gail is going for it. 'I always knew you were poison,' she snarls, along with, 'You chose to let Lewis humiliate and bankrupt me just to save your own skin.' Kylie fights back. 'I get that I'm not perfect but neither is your son.' Gail flies back with a comment that she wants David to see Kylie as she really is. Kylie, pitifully pleads, 'It's going to destroy us.' Now Gail spouts the poison as she growls, 'Exactly!'  She tells a distraught Kylie that it would be worth 40 thousand pounds just to see David show her the door. How can this relationship ever be repaired?  Nick had to help and quite a good job he did too, but then it is in his interests, as we all know that Kylie didn't sleep with 'some random guy' but the blue-eyed boy himself.

If Gail is not doing so well in her relationships with her daughters-in law,  then Gloria is perhaps faring even worse with her own daughter and grand-daughters. Eric seems like a good addition to the cast and seems to have plenty of ready cash, not trusting credit cards. You've got to love Eva for her comment, 'Take away my plastic, you might as well shoot me.'

On a lighter note it was good to see Katy enjoying herself with her friends, even though the friends were unimpressed by Chesney's bargain meat. A darker note creeps in though as the stage is set for Katy and Ryan's affair.

Faye is becoming increasingly impressive in her machinations to keep her dad, Tim close and Jason must have enjoyed defying Owen in refusing not to to take Tim on. Oh yes, revenge is certainly sweet at least for now. It will be interesting to see Tim's character revealed - many possibilities there ...            

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