Unfazed by Nick ordering him not to contact
Gail or take the job in Streetcars, Michael tells him he’s nothing like the hard
cases he encountered in prison. “A year ago I would have agreed with you” Nick
replies before filling him in on his violent tendencies and condition which,
he says, could be considered a mitigating factor were he to give Michael a
hiding. He follows this up with a handshake and sinister smile on departure.
Meanwhile Kal moans that nobody would want to write a
song about what should be the honeymoon period of his and Leanne’s blossoming
relationship. James Blunt may be up to the job according to Dev, and he might
be right; it’s certainly a case of Here We Go Again where Leanne’s complicated
love life is concerned.
Nasty Nick continues this frankly weird behaviour in the Bistro where he’s making everyone’s life a misery, and Audrey is concerned at his new found cruelty. He may desire revenge, but pushing Leanne
into Tim to ensure she spills drinks on him so that he can dock the cost of
their free meal from her wages seems a bridge too far. It’s difficult to
understand why he would sabotage his own business, and yet he assures Leanne that
he’ll do whatever it takes, including see it go down the tubes, in order to
hurt her. Her response is to quit, but she assures him it’s only the beginning.
Of what, we might ask? A protracted period of he-said-she-said angst and petty
squabbles I fear.
David may be impressed by the emergence of
Nick’s Mr. Hyde, but I’m not, and for a number of reasons. Firstly, we simply
cannot afford to see yet another good soul turn bad, for as much as it can
result in great drama and performances, it is eroding the warmth at the heart
of the street. Secondly, his reaction to Leanne and Kal striking up a
relationship is implausible; yes he would naturally be hurt, but his exaggerated
loose cannon antics have come entirely out of left field, and surely cannot be
attributed to his brain injury considering his progress over the past few months.
Finally, there are already enough storylines imbued with anger, hatred,
revenge, sorrow, deception and aggression. Humour, warmth, and those wonderful rays of sunshine that dry the rain on the cobbles between the showers are badly needed, and at the moment, they’re sadly lacking. It’s not enough to have a few funny comments behind the bar, in the factory, or courtesy of Deirdre or Tim, we need a humorous and heartwarming storyline with genuine depth that takes centre stage, not just a token one to appease viewers, or keep the idea that
In any event, Michael doesn’t turn up for his
first shift, and the customers aren’t the only poor souls on hold, as Fat
Brenda has to postpone her leg wax on foot of it. As passengers scout down the back of the sofa for bus fare and Brenda rummages for the 120 denier tights, Gail drops around to Michael's apparently
24 hour party house where she refuses to pass his apologies on to Lloyd and
Steve or be sent packing. While his failure to turn up at Streetcars may have indicated that Nick had gotten to him, Michael confesses that it would be torture working so close to Gail unable to be anything more than friends, and while her staying away isn’t what he wants, it’s for the best. While she doesn’t
give any indication that she wants anything more herself, she is understanding
and appears flattered.
Steve
announces that his pessimism is a life choice as he and Andrea discuss their recent exam, but it proves infectious as Lloyd becomes depressed at the idea that she may be about to dump him. Prior to
Michael’s no-show at Streetcars, she was proud of Steve and Lloyd’s decision to
hire him, declaring that everyone deserves a second chance; perhaps she’s laying
the foundations for her own grovelling request for forgiveness if her infidelity
is found out. It’s admittedly difficult to fully enjoy the scenes with her in
them, even if she’s amiable and they’re filled with Lloyd and Steve’s wonderful
joviality, as we know there is a shadow looming in the offing. Here’s hoping
Jenna and Lloyd will bring back some of that much needed sunshine with them when they return from holidays.
By Emma Hynes
Twitter: @ELHynes
All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
4 comments:
Will someone please section Nick? A pathetic specimen. Hope Gail moves in somewhere with Michael and the selfish and rude Kylie and David have to cook, clean and look after their own kids. Not a fan of Gail but their behaviour is a disgrace.
Nick, trying to be the hard man, is a bit like Mr. Blobby turned hitman.
Just a couple of things I noticed last night . Michaels cooker would not be allowed to be so close to his entrance door and Why is there a room temperature thermometer just above his grill ?????
Fed up with Nasty Nick and his unprofessional shenanigans in the Bistro and general unpleasantness. Have to fast forward when he's on now, can't be bothered with his permanent anger. Great post, so true--too much anger, hatred and others mentioned above. Too much misery all around. Smelloid
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