Coronation Street double episode review, Monday7 Aprril

Owen is up with the dawn chorus as clearly the work situation is pressing heavily on his mind. Anna arrives and tries to comfort him. She points out, ‘We took a gamble which didn’t pay off.’

Owen relates to Anna how each day as he heads off to the site, he wants to turn right back. Anyone who has had a job they dislike will relate to that and even when your job is enjoyable, it is sometimes the case that you would rather not go. For Owen though, he is in dire straits. He goes on to explain how he feels humiliated. ‘Day in and day out.’  He speaks of his dad and the advice he gave Owen. He told his son to always look a man in the eye and to never take a step back and no matter how big the man was, to hit back. Anna comforts him by telling him that he is ‘a hundred times the man Pat Phelan will ever be. You’ve got your integrity and a family that loves you.’

Phelan’s grip tightens and tightens again on Owen and Gary. What a great actor Connor McIntyre, who plays Phelan, is proving to be. So far, he has carried off a very convincing portrayal of a malicious, sinister and vicious character who, for whatever reason, has decided that Owen and Gary are going towards ruin. So far, his wish appears to becoming reality.

‘Steady lads - you’ll break a sweat if you’re not careful.’ This line is delivered with the cocky, confident swagger we have become used to and which typifies Phelan. In response, Owen, as disrespectfully as he dares, asks, ‘What do you want?’ We soon find out what he wants and that is that he wants to introduce Clive. Clive has been brought into the project because, Phelan says, ‘I had hoped you’d be running a tight ship Owen.’ Phelan criticizes Owen and Gary saying that they are cutting corners and taking liberties in order to get the job finished. Gary defends his step-father and work colleague, but Phelan’s not listening and fobs him off.

Clive is going to be Phelan’s eyes and ears on site. He’s going to be site foreman and  Gary and Owen are to be answerable to him, Clive, now. Owen challenges Phelan. ‘Do you really think so?’ Phelan replies, ‘I know so and so do you, if you know what’s good for you.’ To emphasise his point, Phelan continues. ‘I’d like to give Clive a quick tour, show him what a shambles he’s taking over.’

Clive now takes his turn after a little more humiliation from Phelan, addressing Owen as Cinders and asking if he’s waiting for the woodland animals to come along and help him. They are told to find brooms. ‘This site is a disaster area,’ says Clive and it needs cleaning up.’ No wonder then that Owen decides to set fire to the whole shebang. He pours the petrol and is just about to light it when, thankfully, Anna arrives just in time and manages to take the lighter from Owen. Owen sobs.

Peter looks like a man with all the weight of the world on his shoulders. Well, considering the past few weeks it’s no surprise. He attempts to get out of the meeting with Sid, but Carla is a tough task mistress and is having none of it. He may as well have not been there though. He clearly fears Tina is going to reveal the truth to Carla and is completely distracted. Steve knows of Peter’s misdemeanours and he  tells Peter that, ‘You know when they’re angry (women) – when they don’t say a word.’  Tina is biding her time though and despite the excellent advice from Steph to let it go and her warning that ‘sitting around all day with a cob on’ is not good for anyone. But Tina has different ideas. As she says, ‘Why should he have all the fun, then go back to his wife like nothing happened?’

Steve then, almost a propos of nothing, tells Julie and Marcus that at Easter, The Rovers Return will be selling hot cross buns and Spring lamb. So now we and they know…
  

Perhaps Tina should join forces with Maria and plan some revenge together. Maria is furious and devastated about Marcus’ betrayal. Audrey tells Maria that Marcus loved the life he had with her and Liam, then probably makes the pun of the year when she tells Maria that Marcus should have been straight with her. Touchingly, Maria is not only thinking of herself, in regard to Marcus, she is thinking of Liam, her little boy who clearly is very fond of Marcus. Audrey offers comfort. She tells Maria that Liam has got her and that, ‘While he has, he’s not going to go far wrong.’

As to whether Marcus should have gone to pick Liam up from the child minder’s when she was ill, well it really didn’t seem like he had much choice, though obviously Maria could think of a hundred reasons as to why Marcus should not have done.

To be clear, Beth is considering not a breast inauguration, but a breast augmentation. Kirk though isn’t happy about it and likes Beth as she is. Beth tells him that it will be as if all Kirk’s ‘Christmases have come at once.’ In the factory Eva complains that Beth is ‘looking at her funny’ when actually what Beth is doing is studying Eva’s breasts and trying to guess their size.  All a rather odd business.

There is though the best line of the night when Beth returns home from work and it concerns Craig and his rat.  Beth tells Craig that he should get his rat off the table. Craig replies, ‘He’s got a name, you know.’
   

Selina Rowley, social worker, from Weatherfield Social Services, knocks firmly three times on Sally’s door after a tip off that Maddie was there. Selina reveals that Maddie is not in fact homeless but has a room in a hostel.  Sally and Kevin turn up and see what’s happening. They are angry that Maddie lied about being homeless and also that she lied about her age. Sally is no longer willing to have Maddie in her house and is upset to see that Sophie is leaving with her. ‘She’ll be back.’ predicts Kevin.

Faye is in ‘Fiddler on the roof’ and her family, including Tim, have promised to make it to watch her. Gary, Anna and Owen are forced to let her down as they are cleaning up at the building site. Gary has a panic attack. Anna dashes out and when she feels his heart she tells him his heart ‘is going like a train.’ When Gary tells his mother that he ‘just wants it to be over’ he probably means the panic attack and the building project.’ Gary goes off home, presumably, when Owen says, ‘It’s Game Over.’  

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