However rather than write at great length I'm just going to keep it simple and do a list of things I liked and things I definitely did not.
So here we go. Let's start off on a positive note:
- The special effects and the fire itself were spectacular and very realistic. You could see where the money had gone on screen.
- The build up to the fire itself was nicely paced, even if it did feel like the strip show took an age at times!
- The fire will thankfully mark the end of the awful wallpaper/curtains/sofa combo in the Rovers back room.- I liked that it was Emily and Norris who raised the alarm, even though the Barlows were almost all absent.
- John Michie is proving to be a very effective villain in his role as Karl.
- Tracy Barlow finally has a saving grace - she rescued Eccles from No. 1!
And now we come to my negative thoughts I'm afraid:
- Echos of the tram crash Mr Collinson - lots of residents rushing down the cobbles towards a flaming building, only this time we had the refreshing change of it being in the opposite direction.- The strip show was just ludicrous! I actually found it embarrassing to watch, even if Rita was planted right in the front row.
- It was yet another story centred on St Ella of the Back Room. I found it disturbing to watch her soaking in the bath with Barry White crooning in the background. Urgh.
- This big event will obviously lead to lots of plots by numbers in the coming weeks: we'll have the beside vigils, the blame game, the guilt, the yucky Karl & St Ella reconciliation and the eventual unmasking of Karl by a suspicious St Ella. Yawn!
- I would have preferred a happier ending for the once lovely Sunita.
- The overall feeling of deja vu. Despite a more modern approach, it just feels like we've been here before.
- The promo picture of St Ella, Karl and Sunita surrounded by flames is one of the worst I have ever seen!
- I was most disappointed that St Ella didn't pay homage to Bet Lynch by crawling though her own vomit a la 1986.
Despite my reservations I will of course be tuning in on Wednesday to find out what happens next. So what are your thoughts so far?
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34 comments:
Totally agree with everything you have said! Great special effects but on the whole, it was all a bit empty. Waited for gthe 'Bet Lynch' echoing scream but it never came . . .
The show emerges with St Ella's halo still intact, the Back Room becoming the Official Sunita Shrine and Karl diminished in such a way that indicates his days are numbered. Hey-ho.
The Half Monty was indeed embarrasng and ludicrous, like the GP, a supposedly professional man, would get up there and gyrate with his kit off for charity or not, he would be disciplined for inappropriate behaviour. And didnt Toni get excited? More ludicrous was Karl rushing into to the Rovers inferno with dry clothes and not a flame came on him. Loved the way Sunita told her some home truths about taking people In the Back, perhaps they read this blog! But I hated the way Karl just left Sunita to burn to death, surely his character is now beyond redemption as he has in effect committed a MURRRRDURRRR.
I think Firefighter Paul could smell smoke on Karl when he returned to drink his beer. I think the truth will come out when he puts 2 and 2 together. Just watch it again and notice the way he glances at him and the look on his face.
Realistic? I don't think so! A petrol-fuelled fire doesn't conveniently contain itself, why two characters have a nice little conversation in a small cellar. Choking, black smoke would quickly have suffocated them.
St. Ella even managed to have a sortie out of her bedroom to have a look down the stairs, and then get back in again, yet despite appearing at the front window, couldn't manage to break it with a lamp! If only Kevin was still around - he'd have been up the drainpipe in a flash!
But for me, my eyes were still burning from the prolonged and oh-so-embarrassing strip show, with all the men managing to bump and grind like a professional. Perhaps worst of all though was Rita egging them on like a drunken teenager. At least Emily showed too much decorum to attend.
This programme has utterly wasted the talents of John Michie. He could have been a convincing unambitious, level headed, masculine but kind hearted working class character.
It didn't seem realistic that Karl would come back to the Bistro as if he'd just been out for a stroll.Up till now, he hasn't been portrayed as an evil villain and I don't believe he would leave Sunita to die. After all, he would simply deny her allegations. More likely, he would run into the Bistro, raising the alarm himself.
Ooh very harsh John McE! But I do take your point! :)
Humpty I think you are right about Karl. He's not a Richard Hillman type so I guess leaving Sunita like that was out of character and all too convenient.
Mr Collinson arrived by blowing up the viaduct, Kabin, corner shop and no. 13. He exits by blowing up the Rovers. More concerned about his CV than CS me thinks.
The fire was fueled by booze not petrol so that is probably why it didn't go out of control with thick black smoke right away.
I thought the fire was very well done and I thought the Full Monty was good fun even if it was stretched out a bit long but that was a time killer to let the other action take place.
I think Karl really has crossed the line in leaving Sunita there and not telling anyone she was in the building. He has to go now.
The promo picture reminds me of all the bells and whistles build up of when Ms Collinson arrived, and the whole story line was a an example of the way the Street revolves aaround the Centre Of The Universe that is St Ella. The fire was incredibly well done and the effects were spectacular (I was certainly hiding behind the sofa at one point). But once again we have plots which are:
1. Stellacentric
2. The Good Guy Gets The Blame Whilst The Baddy Smirks In The Corner(again)
3. The sacrifice of good characters (Karl) at the expense of lesser characters (Stella).
The way that Stella is behaving is totally incredible - the way she treats and talks to Jason, and the 'now your barred, now you're welcome back with open arms' approach to Karl is beyond belief.
I'm not one for violence but that woman needs a good clip round the ear, not just a glass of white wine down her nice beige frock (nice touch it being white wine, red would have made too much of a mess).
Sorry the spectacle of the pyrotechnics weren't matched by the skill of the storytellers.
Do play nice people.
Well, if the fire dept are anything like the cops in this soap, they'll botch the investigation and blame Jason. I really enjoyed the male strip act..I've seen more of Dr Carter in one episode than all of the entire year! It was corny but funny..Eileen cringing while her son throws his cast off's at her.
It was cute..I'd have like to have seen Steve and Lloyd in there..it would have been really funny. The fire scenes were top notch..great acting by all I must say.
Have to agree about the ghastly promo picture with Stella, Sunita and Karl looking like startled gazelles with artfully applied smudges. It makes me burst into laughter every time I see it, which I am sure is not the intended effect. And yes, I can't see a way back for Karl now, which is a great shame as he had immense potential as a long-term character.
I still think that Karl has become a more interesting character lately. I just hope that the writers continue to make him well-rounded, and not a mustache-twirling villain. I'd like to see him remorseful, conflicted, wracked by guilt. We already saw some of that as soon as he left the Rovers burning to return to the bistro.
To portray him as someone with no morality, like Faye and Tracy, would be boring. Corra doesn't need one-dimensional villains, it needs complex, interesting characters. Thank goodness most of them are.
Karl was definately in two minds about leaving Sunita, he knew that if he saved her, it'd probably mean he'd be going to prison for a long time, but if he let her burn, he'd still be free, though he probably wont feel very free following the fire when the magnitude of what he's done sets in.
No complaints from me. I loved the episodes and found the Full Monty scenes hilarious.
I have to admit I burst out laughing when I saw the promo picture of Sunita, Stella and Karl surrounded by flames. I doubt it was supposed to have that effect but the three of them look like they've been dunked in some mud and then dragged through it... backwards!
Stephen, unfortunately there's no way back for Karl. He committed arson, and willfully left Sunita unconscious on the floor. He wanted her to die.
He'll stick around for a while, get Beige Lady back, and they'll be happy for a while. Then all will unravel and he'll be caught out for the villain he has become.
The writers turned a good natured, charming slacker into a deranged killer. It's too bad, because I once liked Karl and he could have become an iconic Corrie fixture.
I thought it odd that the guys were all nearly naked naked when Norris walked in announcing the fire. They then waited to dress fully before going to see what they could to help. Necessary for Tv but not realistic. Would have been better to have them dash about in their undies.
:-D Yeah, a lot of us would've enjoyed that!!
~JB in Canada
Really, would a professional doctor get up at the local restaurant and expose his bits for all the locals to see, when probably the next day they would have appointments to see him? The routine went on far too long, the hooting and hollering seemed staged and over the top, especially Rita...cringe-worthy. I found Toni with her Sargent Major voice annoying and won't be sad to see her burnt to a crisp in the fire - her character hasn't been around long enough for anyone to care. Realistic fire in the Rover's except I think Stella would have been overcome by the smoke before Karl got there. Totally surprised he left Sunita to burn in the cellar - here's hoping she can say 'Karl did it' before she dies. Have to say I felt for Dev when confronting Sunita about the fact she didn't really love him.
I love how my previous comment was deleted.
Who are these blog administrators and why are they removing comments with no explanation.
We don't know if they were generally offensive to the group at large in some way or if the administrator personally didn't like the comment.
It seems strange that all of a sudden in one day 3 comments on this article alone have been deleted, if you are going to delete comments at least have the decency to put your name to the title of blog administrator.
I'm the blog administrator this week and I did warn you all to play nice. When commentors get nasty and insult others, they will be deleted as will any related comments.
Fair enough but when I read the blog earlier in the day I don't recall seeing anything that was particularly nasty or that others were being insulted, I guess I just have to chalk it up to my senility or that I don't understand my native language.
I was just pointing out Graeme complains way too much. He needs to embrace the new storylines or start watching Emmerdale.
Um, really? You have the nerve to demand the blog admins identify themselves when you post as Anonymous? I really wish they would disable anonymous comments, actually.
Well said Defrost Indoors, too many people lately are commenting on the posters/bloggers rather than the topic itself. Just noticed the picture of Karl, Sunita and Stella who miraculously looks 20 years younger, must be something in that smoke and ash that is a beauty treatment!!
Graeme's blogs are always interesting and most generate lots of comments. He needs to keep watching Corrie and writing interesting articles for this site. Anonymous people don't need to read his contributions nor instruct him on which TV programmes to watch.
Defrost Indoors said...
Um, really? You have the nerve to demand the blog admins identify themselves when you post as Anonymous? I really wish they would disable anonymous comments, actually.
But you post as Defrost Indoors... unfortunately this and anything else I might post on your comment will probably be deleted as being nasty or insulting so that's me told then.
I wish all poster had to log in. I was disappointed that one those pathetic loser Anon types used my name to say something nasty about a blogger I would never be nasty toward.
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