Coronation Street Double Episode Review 9 March 2015

Today’s the day of Gail’s sixth wedding, which surely proves that hope wins over experience. It is also a day off for Audrey in her ‘reading’ of Anna Karenina. She will no doubt google chapter 2 before Ken sweeps on her again, hoping for a profound discussion of Russian Literature.

Andy, Michael’s ‘son,’ is to be the best man, but this best man is full of guilt and anxiety, for the following two reasons. He is not Michael’s son, even though Michael thinks he is, and secondly, he has staged a mugging, in order to pay off Gavin, Michael’s actual son.

 Nevertheless, Andy escorts his ‘dad’ to the registry office. They do look very smart. A cruel twist of fate brings Gavin, Michael’s actual son, in their path. Gavin takes the opportunity to tell Michael that if he, Gavin, was Michael’s son, he would not only despise Michael, he would also never forgive him. He tells Michael that his son hates him.

Unbeknown to Michael, Gail is just answering the door to Gavin, Michael’s actual son. He informs Gail that he is the actual Gavin Rodwell, ‘the real one’ and holds up his passport, by way of proof and then shows his driving licence and other cards. Gail is stunned. Meanwhile Gail’s delay is causing Michael to have doubts as to whether she will actually turn up.

Gavin, as he points out, is the one telling the truth. He wants £2,500 from Gail. She tells him he can’t do this, which he disputes. He loathes his father. ‘If he keeled over and died that would be a very good thing.’  

Gail eventually arrives at her wedding but she’s too late. They’ve missed their slot. Gail dashes over to the bistro and tells Steph and Andy that, ‘If anything happens to Michael because of what you’ve done, I will hold you accountable.’

Try as I might, I am unable to be convinced of the Linda, Owen, Anna story, at least so far. Maybe that will change. Owen is babysitting Jake and Joseph, and Linda calls round, hoping to see her grandsons before setting off back to Portugal. But it seems that the children are not her only motivation.

Clearly Anna is jealous of Linda, who is rather glamorous,  and is distracted at the café. She seems not to have been herself ever since Linda first appeared. Now, it seems, she has some justification. Did Linda really come back to seek out her daughters or was it Owen she came back for? She asks him if Anna feels threatened. Linda tells Owen that she has always loved him and that she profoundly regrets her affair. She wants them all to relocate to Portugal, and wants to start again with Owen. They talk of times past, when Owen had long hair, bell-bottoms and a moustache. Linda tells him he had a look of Freddie Mercury, but with better teeth. Nostalgia can be powerful, fooling people that they are recapturing their youth.

Linda decides she has missed so much, and Owen, when Linda holds his hand, doesn’t snatch it away. And, as we know, Anna will have much to deal with when Faye has the baby. But all is well. Owen reassures Anna and tells her she is beautiful and that he can’t believe his luck that she took a chance on him. Debbie Rush – what a terrific performance – wholly credible.

In The Rovers, Linda presents a lonely figure. Anna has a civil word with her. Linda though, has one last weapon. She is going to try to persuade Izzy and Katy to go to Portugal with her. Naturally, that also means Jake and Joseph, too, though Gary and Chesney might have a word to say about that.

Leanne, who lives above the kebab shop is asked by Julie to come and see if she can fix the deep fat fryer. Unfortunately, Leanne succeeds in fusing the lights in the kebab shop and in the flat above. Julie tells Kal that the equipment needs to be fixed as soon as possible. ‘The longer this spit isn’t turning, the quicker the gap narrows between profit and loss, ’says Julie the economist. 

 Kal insists that Leanne and Simon stay with him, but the ever-charming Zeedan makes it crystal clear that they are not welcome. Simon profits from taking over the game control as the ever-smiling Zeedan storms off.

Eileen will never win Barmaid of the Year but expects an apology, nevertheless. Julie cannot keep to her promise of the romcom about which Eileen is relieved. She doesn’t want to see Jennifer Aniston being zany nor Hugh Grant stuttering. And I can’t say I blame her.

Todd persuades his mum to join a dating site. He will sort out a profile for her. The trouble with Todd being involved in anything in recent times, is that there is always a self-interested motive in whatever takes his attention. Why is he so keen to get his mum dating? Is he being helpful and selfless or is he trying to stir up some sort of trouble. Surely not with his own mother.

As Eileen says, Todd is rather good at this. He describes his mother as in her forties, as advised by Eileen, then adds ‘I have a twinkle in my eye and a hunger in my heart.’

Julie has joined them and tells of her awful day, the worst but being that Dev’s uncle is ill, so that means he will  have to stay away longer.

                         

Emily does not want to be involved in the church comedy night. Why is that? Does she feel comedians are too risqué and offensive or does she dislike Billy, as Sean fears, and disapproves of his sexuality, or does she just not think a comedy night is fitting? Bring and buy sales have probably had their day, Billy points out. Sean is clearly besotted by Billy, but I do wish he would relax and be himself. He would enjoy himself so much more that way.

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