Coronation Street Episode Review Monday 9th May

The episode starts with a flustered Gemma and a topless Jason. Someone's been working out! Thank you, Corrie gods, for letting us have a glimpse of that bronzed torso once more. I'll shut up now: I am, in the words of Leanne, old enough to be his...older sister.

A night with Gemma has not improved Jason's mood as he bans Eileen from Tony's funeral and gets tetchy about the hole in his suit. Later, Gemma returns in search of her lost scrunchie and finds Eileen instead, who gives her a piece of advice about not letting men walk all over you. "I was so grateful that I let him treat me like dirt," she says of Tony. In return, Gemma counsels Eileen: "Everyone deserves to say goodbye to the people they love", which convinces Eileen to ignore Jason's prohibition and turn up to the church for the last rites, much to her son's fury and disgust. Jason turns his anger from Liz to Eileen and accuses her of never loving Tony and stopping him being a part of their lives. Eileen refuses to leave, and in a lovely scene, we realise the problem isn't Eileen or even Tony's death. but Jason missing having a dad growing up. He is angry and upset about all the missed years. "You're made of tough stuff, you're gonna be OK", Eileen tells him. He is a chip of his mother's block, after all. They bond over Tony's favourite whisky but as Eileen goes to find Todd and Sean, Phelan takes her place and gets the last word, about empire building. Jason's troubles aren't over yet.

Roy has come back to Weatherfield for Hayley's birthday, but finds a moved picture in the cafe, Alex and his pals getting drunk in the flat and breaking things, and a new cappuccino machine that doesn't impress Gail as it's not as good as Nick's that does four espressos at once. Even Cathy's offer to sprinkle some Ovaltine on it doesn't convince Gail. She is organising a pre-hen hen do (a chick party) for Carla who's gone from being the daughter in law from hell to flavour of the month in Gail's eyes, splashing out as she does on Freshco's finest Scotch eggs and pink Lambrusco. Carla has other things on her mind, which is offering sage advice to Roy when he gets upset about the aforementioned changes in his home. "Different isn't so bad," she advises Roy when he complains about the chaos surrounding Cathy, and like Jason he softens, changes his mind and asks Cathy and Alex to stay.

Despite Gail's insistence that Sarah put up the bunting for Carla's pamper party, the new mum is still in meltdown mode, convinced that Harry can sense the presence of "the drug dealer with the silly swagger" under the Grannexe.

Meanwhile in the Tinker-Brown household, Sinead skypes Chesney, who is still in Portugal with Joseph, and Craig goes on a date to the Bistro with Caitlyn McGuinness, who is as unimpressed with the beef "cappuccino" as Gail was in Roy's.

Apologies in advance that I won't be able to do a review next week - like Liz (and Ches), I am off on me hollybobs.

Rachel Stevenson - on twitter.

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