Coronation Street Hour Long Episode Review 23 June 2014

The funeral of a young person always carries more poignancy than a funeral for someone who has lived out their three score and ten years (with an added two decades now, we hope). Tina, poised on the brink of her adult life, has had it snatched away in a brutal fashion.

Naturally enough, a sombre mood prevails. Roy and Mary see the flowers left in Tina's memory
and Roy quotes from the poet Edward Fitzgerald.

'One thing is certain, and the rest is lies,
The flower that once blown for ever dies.'

The hearse arrives and reality hits.

Roy and Mary play chess during the funeral, Mary saying she can't possibly go because she 'would never have got through it without blubbering.' As they play, Kylie hammers at the door, asking how to remove glue from a carpet. 'Is it oil or water-based?' asks Roy. Well, truth to tell, I wouldn't know and nor did Kylie. Max seemed to be a bit of a handful and as Mary says, it was as if a tornado had swept through the cafe.

At the funeral, Rita makes a moving speech. Deeply distressed by the way their final meeting played out, it was important for Rita to express her feelings for the young woman she loved. She begins by saying that, 'It feels so wrong that an old woman like me is still here speaking at the funeral of a very beautiful, vibrant young lady with her whole life ahead of her. Tina was taken from us well before her time.' Rita loved Tina, but was well aware of her faults. She ends by movingly saying, 'Tina, rest in peace darling, you're safe now, God bless.'

David's abiding devotion to his ex-girlfriend is there for all to see and even though Tina is no longer a threat, obviously, Kylie has still tolerated David's grief over an ex-girlfriend, remarkably well. Peter's arrival at the funeral is clearly offensive to some people, especially David  who denounces Peter in no uncertain terms. Peter is at the back slugging vodka.  He blames Peter entirely for Tina's death and how Rob must be relishing this. ayPeter says that Tina ruined his life, but she wasn't holding a gun to his head when they got together on Peter and Carla's wedding day. We must also spare a thought for Simon and the terrible time he is enduring.

Carla seems to have separated herself completely now from Peter. 'As far as I'm concerned, he's buried alongside Tina.'

Rob's behaviour is interesting. He manages to keep very calm and shows no guilt, even talking to Tina's mother in a composed way. He's a very cool customer when interviewed by the police and will implicate Peter at any chance he gets. But what about the bracelet? Rob dropped it when running from Tina's flat after having ransacked it to imitate a burglary. Won't that provide evidence? We'll have to see...

No funeral would be complete without two people believing it's all about them when actually it's all about the deceased and a little bit about the mourners. Rob and Peter have a scrap thus losing all dignity and making the occasion a shambles. Could they not have held off just for a brief time, until Tina was laid in the ground?

Steph is profoundly affected by the loss of her friend and she is worried that her pink dress isn't right for the funeral. She goes back to the flat and with Luke and Katy, they have their own service in remembering Tina. They each attach a message to Tina to a balloon and they see them float off into the sky in a sweet and touching moment of sorrow and love.

Gail also spoke fondly of Tina. 'Show her an injustice and she wouldn't let it lie. 'Tina's mum says that where Tina is buried, next to her dad, is where she would want to be.

Tony showed himself to be a good support to a grieving Liz today. He also helped her fob off Michelle's annoying texts. Liz is blaming herself for Tina's death. 'I can't help thinking I let Tina down.' Liz thinks she should have kept her away from Peter, but instead she turned a blind eye, because it was easier to do so. 'I wish she was here being stroppy and giving me lip.' And also no doubt, eating toast and marmite as she went to set up the bar.

Tony seems genuinely fond of Liz and is keen to help her prepare the food for Tina's wake, even
though he was only awarded 5 out of 10 for his butter spreading skills. He did though score 9 and a half for being a boyfriend.

Liz ask him if he thinks there is a heaven and he tells her that he thinks it would be boring as Sunday school was bad enough.

Leanne recognises that life is short and spurred on by Tina's untimely death, Approaches Kal and kisses him. Carpe Diem all round! Mary is going to learn Mandarin.


Kylie wasn't shown in her best light. She tampered with Gail's correspondence to Michael, who has now got a job in a garden centre. To give her her due, she did try to do a bit of tidying and sorting out, but Gail is not pleased because she can't find the teabags.( She's going to be even more displeased when she discovers what Kylie has done letter-wise). A bad-tempered exchange takes place and David has had enough.

 It is often said that animals can sense our moods. So it is with Eccles who is clearly saddened, according to Deirdre. With both Peter and Rob in her house, is it any wonder?




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