Coronation Street Episode Review 8 December 2013

Kal is in the house! Well, in the Rovers Return and he is scored out of 10 -  Sinead awards him an 8 , Eva gives him a 9 and Beth awards him a 10. Don’t worry though Kirky, because you are an 11 in your beloved’s eyes.

There seems to be a real connection between Gary and Kal, and obviously they know each other well, having been in the forces together. Kal is both surprised and impressed that Gary is so together and content. Gary explains that the reason is Izzy.

Kal is first mentioned by Gary as Dev has had a humiliating run with Sophie and she has beaten him. ‘You just got beat by a girl, let me call him,’ says Gary. Sophie had a hard job but finally succeeded in getting the Devster to run.  She told him that she had sacrificed going to church this Sunday morning and she reminded Dev that when God was angry, he did terrible things, so he had better make her sacrifice worthwhile. ‘Plagues of locusts, earthquakes and pestilence,’ she reminds Dev but Dev tries hard with his excuses, ‘ I have accounts, VAT, phonecalls,’ he states but Sophie calls them just what they are - excuses. It’s true, we always find time to do the things we want to do but rarely have time for the things we don’t. Dev is no different but Sophie will have none of it. ‘She’s a bully,’ he states with a little too much venom.

Mary tells Dev to be careful, after having told us that she has, ‘tried it all,’ including  boxercise and hot-yoga zumba. Asked what hot yoga zumba is, Mary explains with no hint of the ridiculous, that it’s when they turn up the radiators at the community centre. So know we know.  Sadly, according to Mary, her career in exercise was curtailed by ‘a mild allergy to Lycra’.

There’s more than a little distrust of Kal by Dev. Initially Dev feels as if he’s ‘been set up on a blind date’ but gradually they warm towards each other. Kal makes the claim that he is the best and so Dev challenges him by saying, ‘Prove it- take me on,’ and Kal does. Dev may well be representing us at the Rio Olympics, but Kal cannot guarantee him a medal. Easy now Usain and Mo, you’re fine for Brazil - for now. That the 2 men are both widowers might help to form a bond between them and on leaving the pub, it was good to see Kal give Dev’s shoulder a warm squeeze. This bodes very well and there will be interesting times ahead. Which of the ladies fancy their chances apart from Eva, who surely wouldn’t want to hurt Jason?  

Bits and Pieces by The Dave Clark Five!  1964 if you were wondering. What a tune that was- at least Dennis certainly thinks so. There he was with his lollipop as a guitar. Later, In the pub, chatting with Gloria, Dennis is enjoying himself and taking a trip down Memory Lane. On Rita’s arrival, she asks him if he’s sulking after they’d had words earlier. Dennis shows off a bit and talks about how he rubbed shoulders with the stars until Rita really pulls the rug from under him and says that when she first met him he was rubbing shoulders ‘with tramps and winos’. Queen Rita! Below the belt! Was that really necessary? No – he was humiliated.

Julie is irritating to some, but I do feel warmth towards her. Life has struck her a bitter blow – infertility. She has dealt with that and come to terms with it. Fostering is what she wants to do and unbeknown to her, Brian has sabotaged her chances.  Refusing to give up, she says she will phone tomorrow and find out from Trudie what happened. Brian of course, is panicking and finding every reason as to why she mustn’t do that. He spews out a pile of platitudes and clichés about them being survivors, fighters, not able to realise all their dreams, but able to realise some. Brian, your comeuppance is nigh and hopefully Julie will find a decent man who will appreciate her. On the phone for 2.5 hours with her mother, a personal best – Julie shows herself to have the patience of a latter-day saint. ‘To boldly go,’ says Julie, reusing the most commonly split infinitive in the English language, along with metaphors of journeys and paths.  

Is there anything to like about Todd? So they’re brothers,  which gives Todd some kind of licence to eat his brother’s bacon sandwich. Sean to the rescue though with a lunch box, and it dawns on Jason that Sean fancies Todd. Sean denies it but we see it to be the case. What a user Todd is! Sean buying him drinks  is one thing, but to say to Brian, who wonders if they are a couple, that he would not have a relationship with Sean if he was the last man in the world, is cruel. That Brian, under pressure admittedly, repeats it to Sean, must have had a devastating effect on Sean. Don’t waste your time on Todd, Sean! If only he could hear…

Audrey is doing her best in trying to help David but not enrage the rest of her charmless family. David does seem to deeply regret what he has done. We can excuse Nick who has had a devastating injury and will always carry the knowledge that his own brother tried to kill him. As for David, he reminds Kylie of the pain he felt when he discovered that she had slept with Nick. He says he couldn’t breathe and had it not been for Max’s phone call, may have committed suicide.  He loves her, she loves him. They’ll be back together soon, maybe in time for Lily’s first Christmas, won’t they?             

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