Coronation Street double episode review, Monday 8 February

 Tonight’s episodes are dominated by Simon - his growing aggression and sheer rudeness. It begins with Simon’s homework diary. He hasn’t done his homework and says he’ll do it on the bus. Leanne asks him what it is and he tells her he has to choose a country beginning with V and write about it. Leanne gets out her laptop, gathers together details about Venezuela, only to be told that he has now changed his mind and is doing the Virgin Islands.

To be supportive Leanne tells Simon that she will come to watch his football match after school. Simon. though is embarrassed that Leanne is trying to unravel his football boots when a member of the opposition team ridicules him. ‘His mum still ties his shoe laces.’ As the boys play football Tom and Leanne resume their chat. He tells Leanne that he is separated and Leanne reports that she is divorced – so they can n ow go ahead, except that trouble is brewing. ‘Your mum - flirting at a kids’ football match. Can she sink any lower?’ Simon is becoming increasingly wound up and says to Leanne, ‘Are you really that desperate? My manager at my first match!’ As the match progresses Simon kicks the manager’s son and leaves him wailing on the floor. Maybe the boy has a broken leg. An ambulance is called and off goes the injured player, whose dad tells Leanne that she hasn’t heard the last of it.

Simon claims that it was an accident though clearly Leanne is suspicious. After the match and getting out of Ken’s car, Simon is in a fury and he hits Ken’s car with his sports bag, then runs off with Zeedan in hot pursuit. Finally, Simon is found and he tells Zeedan that he did intend to hurt the other player.

Leanne tells Ken that ‘the counselling isn’t working’ which seems self-evident. When Zeedan catches up with Leanne he tells her that Simon confessed that he did indeed try to hurt the boy and that he was glad he had hurt him. Leanne decides that she should report him to the police. But why is she not contacting Peter Barlow, Simon’s father, and telling him that he should come right now and deal with Simon, his son?


Phelan sabotaged a fuse box in the new garage, thereby ensuring that the job would last longer. Anna, who was sweeping outside Roy’s Rolls, conveniently, overheard Phelan on the phone, touting for work. She is convinced that Phelan did sabotage the fuse box but is treated as being on the verge of lunacy by Kevin and others. She flounces out of the pub and Eileen says to Kevin, ‘You can’t half pick ‘em. First Jenny Bradley, then her.’ Back at home Anna is sinking the best part of a bottle of wine. Gary tells her to stop getting so upset about it all and Kevin calls round to say the same thing.

Jenny finds an unlikely friend in the Bistro. Perhaps recognising a troubled soul, similar to his own after the Carla – daughter revelation, Johnny buys Jenny a drink. They get along well and Jenny is chuffed that someone besides Rita is treating her as a reasonable human being.

Kind hearted Eva arrives at work early and has provisions for Marta. Fearing discovery, when someone hears ‘a mouse’ and the women in the factory scream in a ridiculous manner, Marta makes a run for it, but in the ensuing chaos Izzy is knocked over and her hip is dislocated.

Eva invites Aidan to the Bistro to explain what has been going on with Marta and how she has escaped from the people who were keeping her as a slave.  I like these two together, Eva and Aidan, and hope that in time something develops between them. Besides, who could resist a woman who can sing Big Spender in the way Eva did?

There was a rather strange interlude tonight where David is really up against it in the salon and Gail turns up for no other reason than to say that Kylie wants to know what to give the children for tea. David quite reasonably points out that between them, Gail and Kylie could surely deal with that little problem.

Then there was Beth, who, by her own admission was looking ‘piggin’ gorgeous’ on entering the Bistro but then came out in quite a dramatic rash. Supposedly, the suggestion is that it is a food allergy or some sort of allergy. ‘Don’t look at me, I’m a monster,’ she warns.

Ruth. Twitter @ruth1722

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog

All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License