Tuesday 1 April 2014
Gail the victim
I'm feeling quite sorry for our Gail at the moment. She's obviously struggling with the fact that the bloke who used to present Family Fortunes has been in her house uninvited. I think it will make for an interesting storyline as it progresses but it's made me wonder - when did Gail become the downtrodden victim?
Flashback now to August 1977, courtesy of Youtube. Gail Potter and Suzie Birchall, all glossy hair, cheeky grins and short shorts, peddling off under the viaduct on Stan and Hilda's tandem. I know 1977 is some time ago now but the Gail of today is almost unrecognisable.
Was it Ivy Tilsley's fault? Or her Brian's? It seemed that as soon as Gail moved from under Elsie's roof to Tilsley Towers, her youth evaporated. Within months she was pregnant, boasting the very best in hideous late 1970s maternity wear. Suzie Birchall was long gone and Brian's acting talents were soon to be phoned in from Qatar.
Life was very soon one long drudge for Gail. She spent her days running after Nicholas, and between dishing out unappetising dinners in the cafe and ditto at home for macho mummy's boy Brian. It didn't leave enough time for so much as a bitter lemon in the Rovers under Ivy's watchful, disapproving gaze. Gail didn't even pick up any tricks from her flighty mam Audrey, more's the pity.
So the victim seeds were sown back in 1979. Look what followed. Gail and Brian get divorced. Gail and Brian remarry "for the sake of the kids": more doom and gloom. Brian gets stabbed. Gail's mother in law from hell becomes a martyr, then an alcoholic, then runs off to a convent with a new face and dies off screen.
Then along comes Martin, whos major achievement was giving the nation David Platt. Throw in a crazy Irish Cusack nanny and an affair with a Geordie nurse and Martin scarpers to Liverpool never to be mentioned again, despite the fact motorways have been invented.
We then enter more modern times which can be summed up as a cycle of never-ending doom and trauma, both for Gail and the viewers. As an aside, how can Helen Worth always appear to be so cheerful? Richard Hillman. Joe McIntyre. David, on countless occasions. Sharing a prison cell with Tracy-luv Barlow. Being conned by that posh bloke from Don't Wait Up...
Kylie summed up Gail's life in Monday night's episode to a fairly stunned Police Support Officer. I love it when Corrie references the plainly ludicrous tragedies that have plagued its characters. Where would Emily be without moist-eyed memories of Ernest? Up a tree probably, with Spider.
Is Gail's natural doom-laden state an accurate depiction then? Should we be rejoicing in the fact that Corrie still boasts characters with such a history behind them? Or do you, like me, yearn for a bit of lighthearted excitement for our Gail? No dodgy fellas, bonkers family members or Bistro tabards anymore...or at least not for a bit.
Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook
All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You might also like...
-
Here are the major storylines for the week ahead on Coronation Street, all wrapped up nicely in 50 words or less. Monday 29 April to Friday ...
-
Friday 26th April 2024 CARLA TELLS ROY THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LIE In his cell, Roy confides in the prison officer that new evidence has come to...
-
Wednesday 24th April 2024 TOYAH’S SECRET IS REVEALED Nick desperately tries to keep the peace between Leanne and Toyah. When Joel asks Leann...
-
Why do you think Bobby was so suspicious of Roy in the beginning? It was that thing of Bobby being new to the street and outwardly Roy has...
-
Whilst I am sure the team at ITV Studios are keen to deliver excellent drama I do wonder at the moment if someone has twisted the quality d...
-
In another shock twist in the investigation into the disappearance of Lauren Bolton, Bethany’s evil abuser Nathan Curtis (Chris Harper) is t...
-
So first of all, the week starts with Paul appearing on Amy's radio show. How does that all go for him? Yes, that's quite an inte...
-
Monday 29th April 2024 ROY PUSHES HIMSELF TO HIS LIMIT When Roy calls the cafe hoping to speak to Nina, Shona passes the phone to Carla and ...
-
Apologies for absence last Friday - I was off to Bari on Saturday and ran out of time. Tonight in Weatherfield Nick looks continually perpl...
-
Our seapenguin was wondering about a definitive recipe for Betty's Hotpot. There are a few recipes around the internet for it but this ...
5 comments:
I suspect time has worn Gail down a bit and she is much older now so her outlook on life is a bit different from those carefree early days.
What worries Frosty is that Gail is clearly frightened and upset but of course the burglar is to become her new love interest which is a bit of irresponsible writing - never mind if you get threatened or broken into - you could end up with the intruder as your lover - stupid stuff.
I liked Kylie listing all the troubles that Gail has been through. It's good to see the show acknowledging it's past. The scenes where Michelle and Carla talk about Carla becoming a mum were just weird as Michelle's baby-swap is never mentioned any more.
Too right Gilles. Especially since she speaks so much of loving her Ryan but sent the real one packing. lol
The old Gail would have chased him down the street with a cast-iron pan. I think Joe M's death must have addled her brain because she went into Nick's bog one day and came out an entirely different person.
We all get more nervous as we age, we just start to see things from a different perspective and that can bring a lot of vulnerability. However, Gail seems to be going OTT - she barely reacted to discovering her son tossed her down the stairs... happily living under the same roof (pushing for it, even).
Post a Comment