Gemma, a dead bird and an under-ladder snog for Brian and Cathy, which flies in the face of his superstition, is the only light relief. That and the sight of Erica, although that just reminded me of my disappointment that she is leaving, so for me her job of distracting Anna while Kev and Tyrone set up a surprise birthday party for her didn’t quite have the intended effect.
Seeing Nick panic as he sinks deeper is far from easy viewing, but Peter and Steve’s about turn from bad mouthing him to searching for him comes on quicker than the tide, the sight of which is quite arresting, and this ultimately leads to his rescue. It wasn’t looking good at all, and I did wonder at Peter’s barrage of insults designed to make Nick fight for survival; he was clearly a stationary object at the mercy of the sand and water. I was actually flabbergasted that he survived, and was full sure a beach induced demise lay in store for Gail's eldest.
Seeing Nick panic as he sinks deeper is far from easy viewing, but Peter and Steve’s about turn from bad mouthing him to searching for him comes on quicker than the tide, the sight of which is quite arresting, and this ultimately leads to his rescue. It wasn’t looking good at all, and I did wonder at Peter’s barrage of insults designed to make Nick fight for survival; he was clearly a stationary object at the mercy of the sand and water. I was actually flabbergasted that he survived, and was full sure a beach induced demise lay in store for Gail's eldest.
Things are very grim at Nathan’s where he supplies Bethany with all of her clothing, takes off her engagement ring, and invites more men around than we’ve previously seen in the flat. She has already thrown a present from Sarah in the bin, so it seems she’s not going anywhere despite her apparent discomfort.
With Nathan spiking her already alcohol-laden drinks, it's not long before she’s under the influence. When she spots a girl coming out of the bedroom and accuses her of wearing her necklace to which the response is, Nathan buys them for all the girls. Bethany rages, and Nathan takes her offside.
Mel continues with that shifty look she’s often sporting. It’s a mixture of knowing doubt, fear, and disapproval, but she appears so completely controlled by Nathan herself that it seems actions don’t necessarily follow any feelings she might have regarding what’s happening.
Meanwhile, Shona lies unconscious and is rescued by Craig on his way to see Bethany. It’s sweet to hear him recall his CPR training out loud, but it’s not needed as she appears to come around as he calls an ambulance.
Rob Mallard continues to play an absolute blinder as Daniel suffers dreadfully in the aftermath of his mother’s return. Ken is frantic and in as much control of the situation as he can be while Denise looks more at sea than Nick. As she blames her prolonged absence on a mental breakdown, Ken tries to make her see the impact that abandoning her son has had on him, and that her arrival back couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
High drama is the name of the game this week, and while it’s a difficult watch, I have been glued to it and will continue to be. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t usually want to see some of what’s being portrayed, but the performances have been second to none, and I would happily watch Rob Mallard in particular in every scene.
I’m already waiting for 9pm tomorrow, and a Thursday Corrie does hold a little novelty factor. I will enjoy forgetting it’s on, then remembering, and feeling extra excited at some point tomorrow. For now, I’m going to take my golden moment of opportunity for a cuppa after all that drama.
By Emma Hynes
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13 comments:
it was sinead who rang the police, not chesney, i believe. after he left her flat angrily, saying he would keep quiet she called him back towards her and then dialled a number on her phone. i believe we are meant to assume that this is when she calls the police.
I am not 5 minutes into watching this episode and I am so down right now. I had to fastforward over Daniel's self harm with the knife, Poor Nick is sinking deeper in quicksand with no help in sight, Bethany threw her mom's gift in the bin without even looking at it, Nathan is preparing her for group sex, Shona is left battered in the street, and there is a dead bird. Really! Whatever happened to Corrie evening out traumatic episodes with something light-hearted to balance it out. Is it just me or does this episode make anyone say where is our Corrie?
I have to agree you with regard to Rob Mallard - wonderful performance from him, and from both Ken and Denise actors too. Not enough of them tonight, but mustn't be greedy.
The seaside scenes once again were very entertaining. Steve and Peter are great when sharing scenes.
Another cracking half hour - I understand other viewers' views about having a bit of light relief, although to be fair to Corrie, they might as well make the most of the late night slots.
Chris Gascoyne is brilliant.
The 3 big stories -- at Daniels, at the beach and at the party -- were all so grim but so compelling. The grooming story juxtaposed with creepy whore house night on The Handmaids Tale (I hope you've all started watching that) made the Bethany's plight all the sadder. Daniel stole the show tonight but Ken, Denise and Peter were wonderful, as were the brief sparkles from Kirk, Erica (I'm going to miss her!!!) and Craig. That break has really done Chris Gascoyne well; except for the lame pairing with Toyah, he has been consistently wonderful in any situation with any other character since he's been back, and he hasn't had to touch his old drunk act crutch.
I agree, abbyk, about all the performances. Great episode. The only bits that jarred were the supposedly light-hearted scenes with Cathy, Brian and Gemma. I am starting to loathe Brian and his ridiculous, pompous behaviour, and I can't fathom what Cathy would see in him.
Great performances from everyone tonight. I always assumed Nick would survive and will eventually leave saying that nobody would care if he had died. However, it would have been a great twist if he'd died at the beach or in the ambulance. As for Daniel - probably someone will say there was a similar case in the paper - but I'm finding it hard to believe that a 15 year old could live on his own without anyone twigging. Apart from which, Corripedia points out that Ken visited Daniel in 2011. Landlords do regular inspections, how did he access housekeeping money from Denise's bank account, who paid money into the account for the direct debits eg the rent etc.
Humpty, maybe there is a chance he could still die, maybe from hypothermia, shock or something??
I also think it beggars belief that Daniel could have lived on his own for so long. Too far fetched IMO.
Jeanie (anon): Agree the dead bird was a bit ott--everything was grim enough without that last gratuitous bit tossed in! Despite its being spring, nothing is thriving on the street at the moment! As for Kathy and Brian--well, people tend to repeat the same mistakes. Her first husband was a self-centred oaf, so I guess after the anomaly of Roy, she is going for more of the same.
I find Kathy and Brian a bit unlikely as a couple, actually. She's too level-headed and set in her ways to be able to accommodate his selfishness. Julie worked better because she was so flaky and clueless, as well as much more selfless and giving than Kathy; she put up with a lot from Brian but it always fit her personality.
Can I ask, is the Handmaid's Tale following the book quite closely? It's one of my favourite novels. I liked the film adaptation but novels often don't transfer to film or TV successfully. Thanks!
There's too much to comment on! The acting this week has been brilliant, and it's great to see Denise again.
The appearance of another of Nathan's "girls" , and him removing her engagement ring (presumably to have it ready for the next unsuspecting girl), helped make this plot even more sinister than it already was.
In some ways it's straight off the page, but there are updates (like cel phones, who'da thunk 30 years ago) and a few changes to fit the format and contemporary taste. Margaret Atwood was highly involved in the production so it doesn't stray in parts that matter; she even has a cameo. Ex without giving it away, Moira and Luke are black in the show but in the book, all blacks were exiled. That would look awful onscreen and not make any sense. 30 years ago in Boston, white ladies rarely had black husbands and best friends but today they would. The book was almost entirely Offreds view of the world, in the show, the other characters are expanded. I think the only screen vs book contest that has come as close to two excellent stories was Sophie's Choice. It has hard to watch scenes, is as dystopian as anything, and it is one of the best shows I've ever seen. Absolutely brilliant down to the last detail. And it was renewed for a second season. Watch it but avoid the Facebook groups, we're through episode 8 of 10 and spoilers will ruin it. (BTW, if you like this, you may also enjoy Man in the High Castle.)
That's brilliant, thanks, I will definitely be giving it a try now!
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